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Civic Engagement Berlin

Enrich Berlin by joining civic communities

 Square Tomatoes and Robot Bees - Who decides?

Square Tomatoes and Robot Bees - Who decides?

Tue, Jun 30, 5:00 PM
From AI | Life | Convergence - Conversations on Food & Democracy

You don't have to sign up-just stop by. Tea, coffee, water, beer, wine, and pizza will be available throughout the evening. --- -- Most conversations about AI skip the part that is crucial: **who it's built for, who pays for it, and who doesn't get a say**. ​This evening goes exactly there. ​We start in 1960s California, where scientists bred a new kind of tomato: square, hard, machine-ready, and wiped out 82% of the state's tomato farms in the process. Farmworkers and small farmers sued the university behind the technology, arguing they were being forced to fund their own replacement. They lost. But the questions they raised never went away. Today, researchers are using AI, robotics and gene editing to create tomatoes that can be pollinated by robots, crops designed for automated production systems, and even new traits engineered for consumer preferences. AI is having an impact on agriculture, food production, and labour, often with public money, rarely with public input. Sounds familiar? ​**What to expect** ​A 90-minute interactive evening: * ​**Opening talk** connecting the tomato harvester story to today's AI developments * ​**Live audience polling** * ​Conversation with **Ildi Carlisle-Cummins** (California Institute for Rural Studies): storyteller, oral historian, and director of the Cal Ag Roots project, one of the organisations that grew out of the original lawsuit * ​Open audience **discussion** * ​**Informal networking** to close ​**What you'll take away** ​A sharper way to think about who controls the technologies influencing our food, our work, and our world, and what citizens can actually do when change feels inevitable. If the phrase "square tomato" sounds too strange to be true, you're not alone. Even the TV detective [Mr. Monk couldn't believe his eyes](https://youtu.be/VtO-97pl7cA?is=VnMxtacAwL1IChub)! **​Free to attend, free of jargon, no expertise required.** **Just bring your curiosity.** ​*Hosted by [Save Our Seeds](http://www.saveourseeds.org/?utm_source=luma) and [Human-Future-Hub](https://humanfuturehub.org/?utm_source=luma) Berlin* Tea, coffee, water, beer, wine, and pizza will be available throughout the evening.

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13 attendees
PBerg engineers - monthly meetup

PBerg engineers - monthly meetup

Wed, Jul 1, 5:00 PM
From Prenzlauer Berg Software Engineers
4.8

**This is 100% non-profit. The 15€ sign up fee for everyone is only to minimize last-minute cancellations. The total sum goes to a bar-tap that everyone can use to order drinks until the amount is used up. ‼️NO REFUNDS‼️** **‼️Please don't just show up without RSVPing here and paying the 15€. We have a separate room that has limited capacity and a specific drinks agreement with the bar - so splitting up the bill won't become a mess.‼️** **Small update on how your money get's used from May 2024 onwards:** As of this month, meetup.com has started charging me 34€ instead of 16€ per month. I've decided to distribute this fee evenly among all us participants every month. Example: In the last 12 meetups, the average number of attendees was 17. With 17 attendees I would effectively collect 230€ (after fees). I would now substract 34€ leaving us with 196€ that go to the bar. 15% get's tipped to the wait staff, in this case 30€, leaving us with 166€ effectively to order drinks. Hope everyone is cool with this system. :) Website: https://www.pberg-engineers.me WhatsApp groups: Please come and join us on WhatsApp! \- "PBerg Engineers \- NEWS" \- Only organizers can post announcements or polls \-\> https://chat\.whatsapp\.com/EqMJMmlCZO6LOOfAoG4yTj \- "PBerg Engineers \- DISCUSS" \- Everyone can post \-\> https://chat\.whatsapp\.com/LPuo76J83gF6IZMLUcM4u2 Please join those groups now if you're interested. :) All skill/education-levels welcome! :) Lightning Talks: \- TBD We'll also have a brief "Jobs: Lost & Found section". **Location:** From the street you will have to enter the right hand Cafe Chagall (yes, there are 2). Then, you go upstairs and our private room is in the far end corner of the building. We are a relaxed, non-formal meetup of like-minded software engineers who want to always keep learning and want to meet in physical reality over a drink or two. Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin is home to some of the most talented software engineers in the world, and every month, they come together for an exciting knowledge sharing meetup. This meetup is a chance for attendees to learn from each other, share their experiences, and gain new insights into the world of software engineering. The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming, and the discussions are always engaging and thought-provoking. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or just starting out in your career, you'll find something valuable at this meetup. Don't miss out on your chance to connect with like-minded professionals and advance your knowledge of software engineering. Sign up for the next event now! **Website:** https://www.pberg-engineers.me **WhatsApp groups:** Please come and join us on WhatsApp! \- "PBerg Engineers \- NEWS" \- Only organizers can post announcements or polls \-\> [https://chat.whatsapp.com/EqMJMmlCZO6LOOfAoG4yTj](https://chat.whatsapp.com/EqMJMmlCZO6LOOfAoG4yTj) \- "PBerg Engineers \- DISCUSS" \- Everyone can post \-\> [https://chat.whatsapp.com/LPuo76J83gF6IZMLUcM4u2](https://chat.whatsapp.com/LPuo76J83gF6IZMLUcM4u2) Please join those groups now if you're interested. :)

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2 attendees
Spieleabend

Spieleabend

Mon, Jul 6, 4:00 PM
From Offenes Wohnzimmer: Moabit Nachbarschaft
4.7

English below Liebe Nachbarn und Freunde, Kommt vorbei und lernt eure Nachbarn kennen bei einer Runde Wizard, Just One, Dixit, Fluxx, und noch viel mehr. Ihr dürft natürlich eure Lieblingsspiele mitbringen und sie uns beibringen, falls wir sie noch nicht kennen. Teilnahme auf Spendebasis. Wo: offenes Wohnzimmer, Waldenserstr. 13, 10551 Berlin http://www.offeneswohnzimmer.org/ Dear neighbors and friends, The Offenes Wohnzimmer is hosting the next board game night. Come around and meet your neighbors around a game of scrabble, cards and more. You’re welcome to bring your favorite games. Participation donation based 🙂 http://www.offeneswohnzimmer.org/ Anmeldung: tanjaklett@gmx.de oder spontan !

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2 attendees
Clubul de Carte DCB – fără lectură comună impusă

Clubul de Carte DCB – fără lectură comună impusă

Sun, Jun 28, 8:30 AM
From Diaspora Civică Berlin

Vrei să împărtășești ce citești și să descoperi recomandări noi? **📚** **Clubul de Carte DCB** este un spațiu informal pentru românii din Berlin care vor să discute despre cărți – fără lectură comună impusă! Vorbim liber despre titluri care ne inspiră, intrigă sau provoacă, de la romane la cărți de non-ficțiune precum istorie, filosofie, economie, psihologie sau arhitectură. Ne vedem la o cafenea cozy pentru o conversație relaxată și inspirațională între cititori. Locația: coming soon Duminică, 28 Iunie 2026 între orele 10:30 și 12:30 Adu Kindle-ul, tableta sau cărțile tale tipărite. O întâlnire de dimineață găzduită de Oana, voluntară a organizației Diaspora Civică Berlin.

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1 attendee
Silent Reading Club

Silent Reading Club

Sun, Jun 28, 9:00 AM
From Offenes Wohnzimmer: Moabit Nachbarschaft
4.7

Ditch the old book club, where everyone has to read the same book...this is better! It works like this: Bring your own book. Come chat, have some tea or coffee, get to know your neighbors. Then we quietly read together, side by side, for about one hour, each one reading their own book, and afterwards we talk with each other about what we are reading. The usual agenda: - Arrival and introduction (~20 minutes) - ⁠Silent reading (~1 hour) - ⁠Discussion (~30-40 minutes) - ⁠Join us for a bite at a local restaurant afterwards, if you like! You may read in any language, you may read any book. We are a group of international residents of Berlin from many different countries, of all ages, and we converse in English. We welcome you! No registration needed – the event is donation based. All funds support the Offenes Wohnzimmer.

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3 attendees
Frauengruppe: Thema - Freiheit

Frauengruppe: Thema - Freiheit

Mon, Jul 6, 4:45 PM
From Frauengruppe
5.0

Laut der existentiellen Psychologie, wenn die Tage am längsten sind und die Möglichkeiten endlos scheinen, begegnen wir einer ganz besonderen Herausforderung: der radikalen Freiheit. Im Winter schränkt uns das Wetter ein, im Sommer hingegen öffnet sich der Raum. Diese Fülle und die Möglichkeit von mehr **Freiheit** können uns **beflügeln** und/oder aber auch **lähmen**. Freiheit ist nicht immer leicht: sie kann **schwere Entscheidungen** und **Verluste** mit sich bringen. Sie kann auch manchmal verunsichern und **Druck** begünstigen, wenn wir unter mehreren Optionen versuchen, “die richtige” Entscheidung zu treffen. Manchmal bietet uns unser äußeres Umfeld weniger Freiheit: vielleicht gibt es andere Menschen, die uns einschränken und unser Gefühl von Freiheit nehmen. Manchmal stünde uns im Außen jede Tür offen, doch wir blockieren uns selbst ungewollt durch verinnerlichte Glaubenssätze oder Ängste, die uns vor unseren eigenen Sehnsüchten zurückschrecken lassen. Dieser Abend lädt dazu ein, sich mit der **Leichtigkeit und Schwere der eigenen Freiheit** auseinanderzusetzen. Wir können uns dabei an folgende Fragen orientieren: * Was macht der Sommer mit deiner inneren Welt? * Wie frei fühlst du dich allgemein in deinem Leben? * Welchen Einfluss haben andere Menschen auf deine erlebte Freiheit? * Gibt es Sachen, die du gerne machen möchtest, aber du wirst -ungewollt- von dir selber immer wieder ausgebremst? * Welche Opfer musstest du bisher in Kauf nehmen, um dich frei fühlen zu können? * Wenn vor dir zehn Türen offen stehen: Genießt du den Blick in den Flur oder spürst du eher die Last der Verantwortung, weil jede Wahl einer Tür auch den Abschied von den anderen neun bedeutet? **Ablauf**: Im Herzen der Treffen steht das Sharing: du hast die Möglichkeit, so tief in das jeweilige Thema einzutauchen und von dir zu erzählen, wie du es wünschst. Im Anschluss kannst du entscheiden, ob du von den anderen Frauen Rückmeldungen und Reaktionen erhalten möchtest. Die Gruppe findet in einem kleinen Kreis mit maximal **6 Teilnehmerinnen** statt. **Ort**: ca. 2 Minuten entfernt vom **U-Bhf Deutsche Oper**. Den genauen Ort teile ich dir in einer Bestätigungsnachricht mit! **Gebühr**: **12€** **Anmeldung**: dein Platz wird reserviert, sobald die 12€ bei mir eingegangen sind. Zahlung ist entweder per **PayPal** unter **r.juhasz@freemail.hu** oder **Überweisung** möglich. Falls du die Überweisung getätigt hast, aber keine Sofortüberweisung nutzst, schreib mir bitte kurz eine Mail. Dann reserviere ich dir den Platz schon mal vorab. Schreib mich auch kurz an, wenn du die Bankdaten noch nicht hast oder wenn du einfach Fragen hast: p.ritajuhasz@gmail.com. **Stornierungsfrist**: bis 48 Stunden vorher, ansonsten kann ich die 12€ nur dann zurückzahlen, wenn der Platz belegt werden kann. Ich freue mich sehr auf den Austausch mit dir! Rita

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2 attendees
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Frequently asked questions

Meetup helps you find and join groups based on interests. In Berlin, you can discover civic engagement communities to participate with like-minded individuals in various events and projects focused on making a societal difference.

On Meetup, simply search for 'civic engagement' or related terms in Berlin. This will bring up groups and events dedicated to public service, activism, or community improvement within the city.

Yes, anyone interested can join civic groups. Meetup is designed to be inclusive, allowing individuals to connect over shared civic interests, fostering community involvement and personal growth.

Typically, you need to RSVP. This helps organizers better plan and ensure that the event accommodates the number of participants, fostering a more organized and engaging experience for everyone involved.

Berlin offers a variety of civic events, including community clean-ups, policy discussion groups, and volunteer opportunities. These events aim to address societal issues and promote community involvement.

Meetup links people through shared interests like civic engagement. By joining groups, you participate in communal activities and events, meeting others who are passionate about similar causes.

Some events might be online. Hosts can decide to organize virtual meetings, allowing wider participation, especially if in-person attendance is challenging.

While Meetup facilitates introductions to new people, building connections depends on your active participation and interaction within the groups and events you attend.

Yes, participating in civic groups can enhance skills. Engage in events focusing on activism, leadership, public speaking, and more, offering personal and professional growth.

Not necessarily; they cover broader themes. Civic groups can encompass anything from community service projects to policy advocacy, tailored to improve societal wellbeing.

Joining enriches community ties and allows you to contribute positively. It's a platform to share ideas, collaborate, and implement social change projects with peers.

No, individual hosts or groups organize events on Meetup. They provide unique opportunities for members but are not directly run by the platform itself.

Availability varies. While many neighborhoods in Berlin may have active civic groups, some areas might not. Explore Meetup to discover what's near you or consider starting a new group.

Definitely! If you’re passionate about a cause, creating a Meetup group lets you gather others who share your civic interests and collaborate on local projects.

Frequency varies based on group activity. Some host numerous events monthly, while others may do so sporadically. Consistent participation might be necessary to find a rhythm that matches your availability.