“We Never Had Money, but We Had Education”

AUFBAU: You were born in Kiev and grew up in Germany. Has this biography influenced your self-image as a citizen?
MARINA WEISBAND: I did not feel like I belonged and did not get involved in social issues for a long time. This also was not important to me. Just two years, when the Pirate Party emerged, I became aware that we as citizens should play a role in determining the life that we lead, that we are part of the society, and that we have the right to have a say in how it should look. This has motivated me to become politically involved.



You link the concept of the citizen very closely with that of education.
Yes, because I believe that people can only play this role when they have the necessary cognitive abilities to understand what is happening. No human being is too stupid to participate in democracy, but we have flagrant gaps in education and do not emphasize independent thinking strongly enough to our children. We must improve this since an uneducated person is not a responsible person.

Where do you find that Germany with its strong education orientation has educational deficits?
Precisely in terms of independent thinking. A large amount of information is presented in the schools; much of it must be memorized and regurgitated on tests. I would like to change education so it allows the students more independence, such as is very much the case in Ukrainian schools.

So you are not purely concerned about imparting knowledge but with taking a different approach?
Exactly. Especially in these times in which we actually have access to all knowledge on the Internet, children must primarily learn two things: first, to find information and second, to also evaluate it. Then they would have everything that they need.

How can this be translated into a political program?
Education should not continue to be the domain of the states but handled on the national level; on the other hand, the schools should also have more of a say. From the political perspective, we can advocate a more transparent school system such as what now exists in Westphalia with the model of the comprehensive school that has courses for the faster and the slower students in the various subjects. Furthermore, children must learn to use the Internet as the largest source of knowledge.

How well does the German society treat children and young people from other cultures, especially in the area of education?
There are deficits, but the immigrants in Germany are faring very well in comparison to other places because it is a tolerant country. Nevertheless, a new concept of integration is required that – in contrast to the current one – also declares that German society adapts and changes under the influence of the immigration.
   
Is there another country with a model character in your eyes?
In terms of education, I see Scandinavian as being far ahead. In terms of integration, I would have still said America ten years ago – but not anymore.

But you assume the classic concept of citizens who participate through elections?
I go further. I would like for the citizens to have a stronger voice. Too little trust is placed in them at this time. They are considered too stupid to participate on the political level. This is wrong. They should play the role of citizens more frequently than just once every four years – namely, continually. By being informed and constantly giving their feedback and being able to have an influence.

Doesn’t the quality of debates in the social media and networks tend to have a sobering effect?
This is true, but we must also see that Facebook is not a political medium and is not the tool with which I want to conduct politics. The Pirate Party is currently developing tools that are designed to actually encourage political participation.

Will the quality of the political discussion improve when more people can get involved?
It will improve when more people are better informed. Political communication is currently conducted as if it was with small children, and people respond as such in reaction to this. When the attempt is made to also disclose and explain more complex circumstances, the level of the discussion will also be higher – at least in part.

Is it a coincidence that – with all of the citizens’ movements in the various countries – the Pirate Party was so successful in 2011?
Definitely not a coincidence. We have the good fortune that an awakening is occurring in our time. We represent citizens who have not been represented up to now and who are a symptom of these changes. They see that people can change something.

How could this heterogeneous group be defined?
These are primarily younger people who have grown up with the Internet, who not only want to receive information but also respond to it and participate. The young generation is much better informed and involved than we were in earlier times.

How important is the classic general education for this generation?
It is tremendously important and should therefore not be neglected.

To what extent have you been influenced by your personal and Jewish origins?
My family comes from the classic Jewish Intelligentsia. We never had any money, but we had education and I grew up with it. I was very much encouraged in my education and development. Then I was suddenly torn out of my surroundings and had nothing more than my thoughts and what I could learn. In my opinion, the fact that I managed to pass my university entrance exam, earn my degree, and become politically successful demonstrates the power of learning and education. This is what people have left even when everything else is taken from them.

Yves Kugelmann is editor-in-chief of the JM Jüdische Medien AG and lives in Basel and Zurich.