THE WHY GERMANY
THE WHY GERMANY is a non-profit organisation for democratic education and social dialogue. We create programmes that bring people together through real stories from around the world, opening up new perspectives and enabling thoughtful discussion of complex issues.
Our work brings together documentary film, personal encounters, education and research. It strengthens critical judgement, empathy and media literacy, encouraging people to help shape society with knowledge and a sense of responsibility.
Stories
Documentary films make complex realities tangible and give people and their stories a voice.
Dialogue
Open dialogue brings different perspectives, experiences and convictions together.
Critical judgement
Knowledge, media literacy and a careful assessment of arguments help people form their own views.
Agency
Understanding can lead to conviction and the courage to help shape a democratic society.
Connected internationally, active locally
THE WHY GERMANY works with THE WHY FOUNDATION in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. This brings international experience to Germany while building local partnerships with schools, cinemas, academia, cultural institutions and civil society.
Stories lead to encounters, encounters lead to insight, and insight leads to new educational programmes and practical ideas for democracy.
THE WHY GERMANY puts this mission into practice through the ASK WHY? schools programme and the THE WHY LAB think tank.
"We are changing the world one documentary at a time."
THE WHY FOUNDATION
ASK WHY? – our schools programme
ASK WHY? is one of THE WHY GERMANY’s programmes. It takes school classes to the place where documentary stories have a unique impact: the cinema. Film, personal encounters, moderated discussion and classroom materials work together as one learning experience.
Each participating class attends up to three free cinema screenings per school year. The selected films address some of the most pressing issues of our time:
- Democracy and extremism
- Climate action
- Disinformation
- Human rights
- Women’s rights
- LGBTQ+ rights
- War
- Displacement
- Solidarity
Afterwards, the young people speak with a guest who has personally experienced the reality shown in the film. The dialogue begins in the cinema and continues in the classroom.
Professionally developed teaching materials deepen understanding and help students form their own views.
"I believe ASK WHY? is incredibly important. This project shows what is happening in the world, how it happens and how people are really affected."
Klasse 9B, Tinglev-Schule, Odense
A proven concept
ASK WHY? was developed by THE WHY FOUNDATION in Denmark and has been successful there for many years. As part of this international network, THE WHY GERMANY is now bringing the proven concept to Germany.
What participants say
ASK WHY? receives an equally positive response from students and teachers
More information at www.thewhy.dk
Now coming to schools in Germany
Growing disinformation and social polarisation are creating new challenges for democratic education in Germany. Young people are growing up amid an overwhelming flood of information and increasingly polarised debate.
Reflection
We need educational programmes that share knowledge, deepen understanding and encourage young people to ask questions, weigh up arguments and form their own views.
Dialogue
ASK WHY? combines civic education and media literacy in a format that takes young people seriously and inspires their curiosity.
Immersion
Experience shows that watching a film together in a cinema creates exceptional focus, openness and readiness for dialogue.
Partners
We are looking for partners who share our commitment to democratic education and want to help develop a proven concept for Germany.
"On the way home from the cinema and in the weeks that followed, the students kept referring back to the film."
Lehrerin, Grindsted Vestre Skole
Academic guidance
The programme is academically guided by Professor Elmar Anhalt of the University of Bern. His expertise in educational science informs the development of the teaching materials. He is also building a network that connects educators, research and practice.
"It is important to ask “why”. Young people should broaden their horizons, understand what is happening in other parts of the world and develop their own position."
THE WHY LAB
A dialogue workshop and innovation platform for democratic education
Democracy is not built through knowledge alone. It grows when people change perspectives, engage with ambiguity and enter into dialogue. THE WHY LAB develops, studies and shares new approaches to democratic education. While ASK WHY? works directly with students, THE WHY LAB creates the ideas, methods and partnerships for the education of tomorrow.
Research
Which formats foster empathy, media literacy, dialogue and democratic resilience? THE WHY LAB evaluates impact and uses the findings to improve educational practice.
Development
New formats combine documentary film with podcasts, AI, VR, international youth dialogue and storytelling that counters disinformation.
Dialogue
Film discussions, youth forums, civic dialogues, conferences and international round tables make democracy tangible as a shared practice.
Transfer
Findings flow back into schools, educational practice, policy, foundations and European partnerships, grounded in evidence and independent of party politics.
THE WHY LAB connects academia, education, culture, civil society, policy and documentary film. Together with Professor Elmar Anhalt of the University of Bern and European partners, it is building a learning platform in which research and practice continually strengthen one another. The goal is to establish Germany as a centre of innovation in democratic education.
"This project opens up the world to us. It shows that the world is much bigger than our own small world."
Lehrerin einer Förderklasse, Bakkevejens Skole