An event report for this event can be found below:
Strengthening Democracy_Event Report
On 15 January 2026, Dr. Jurgen Grotz, Professor Bryony Hoskins and others joined us at RSA House in London for a discussion on how citizens in Germany and the UK participate in public life. This was a joint event between the British-German Association and the Deutsches Institut für Gutes Leben (German Institute for the Good Life).
In a time marked by political polarisation, disinformation, and declining institutional trust, our panel of experts and a moderator will compare the cultural, social, and institutional landscapes shaping civic engagement today. The discussion spotlit innovative initiatives that energise community participation and nurture more resilient democratic cultures, while exploring what each country can learn from the other.
This event aimed to identify current trends and shared challenges to democratic resilience in Germany and the UK, fostering deeper dialogue on how to strengthen citizen engagement across both societies.
Speakers:
Dr. Jurgen Grotz is Director of the Institute for Volunteering Research, at the University of East Anglia (Institute for Volunteering Research (IVR)). He is an author and academic, specialising in volunteer involvement research.
Professor Bryony Hoskins, Chair of Comparative Social Science at the University of Roehampton, is a leading expert on how inequalities shape political engagement and how education can close these gaps. Her latest book, Education, Democracy and Inequality, explores political engagement and citizenship education in Europe and is published by Palgrave Macmillan.
The event was moderated by Dr. Robert Keeling who is a member of the Deutsches Institut für Gutes Leben.