Cohort 2025/2026: Social Justice and Social Participation
Social justice and social participation are fundamental building blocks of a sustainable and future-oriented democratic society. However, growing income inequality, lack of integration, discrimination, and low social mobility threaten the foundations of open and inclusive communities. These dynamics erode trust, fuel social polarization, and endanger democratic stability. Issues concerning gender equity, structural inequality, access to education, healthcare, housing, political participation, and meaningful engagement in social life are among the most pressing challenges of our time.
In a rapidly changing world, social issues are increasingly being exacerbated by global crises. Climate change, armed conflicts, international migration movements and far-reaching transformation processes brought about by digitalization and artificial intelligence are challenging social cohesion. Societies are confronted with inequalities that not only test their self-image, but also the resilience of democratic systems.
Digitalization can act as a catalyst for greater justice – for example through better access to information, education, and public services. At the same time, it carries the risk of further exacerbating existing inequalities: The loss of jobs through automation, new forms of discrimination in the digital space and asymmetrical power relations in handling data pose urgent issues. The digital space is not a neutral place: who gets visibility, whose voice is heard, how decisions are made automatically – all of this touches on the fundamental issues of social justice and participation in the 21st century.
One of the key tasks of our time is to shape social diversity proactively, distribute opportunities more fairly and strengthen democratic participation. Cities play a pivotal role in this endeavor. They are hubs of transformation and encounter – while also reflecting existing inequalities. How can cities promote social mobility? What responsibilities do they bear for integration, equal opportunity, and inclusive digital transformation? And how can societies build broader acceptance for diversity to strengthen cohesion amid differences?
In the second year of the Future Cities Go Glocal project, under the theme “The Just City”, 20 urban actors from Berlin, New Delhi, Nairobi, and Mexico City will come together to explore questions of social justice and participation.
Why these cities? Each faces unique but also comparable challenges. In Delhi and Nairobi, structural poverty, high population density, and unequal access to education and other resources – especially in informal settlements – deepen social inequality. In Mexico City, extreme income disparities and discrimination shape the daily lives of many, particularly women and Indigenous communities, who face barriers in both the labor market and everyday life. In Berlin, steep rent increases, a shortage of affordable housing, and the spatial concentration of social disadvantages in certain neighborhoods are key concerns.
By fostering dialogue and collaboration across these cities, the project aims to generate new ideas and practical solutions for building more just, inclusive, and resilient urban societies.
Aspen Germany looks forward to welcoming participants of the second cohort:
Berlin
- Angelika Hinterbrandner (Policy Advisor / Chief of Staff in the German Bundestag, co-editor of kntxtr)
- Anne Kjaer Bathel (CEO & Founder ReDi School of Digital Integration)
- Diana Botescu (Head of the Unit Migration and Refugee Policies, Berlin Commissioners Office for Integration and Migration )
- Prof. Dr. Florian Koch (Professor of Real Estate Management, Urban Development and Smart Cities, HTW Berlin (Berlin University of Applied Sciences))
- Ulrike Milda Johanna Gerber (Regional Program Director – Caritas Berlin)
Mexiko-Stadt
- Eugenio Salas Iturriaga (Mexico City Hub Leader: Young AI Leaders Community, Founder Alexandr.ia)
- Jonás Vázquez Betancourt (Founder of Comunica la Ciudad )
- Salomon Chertorivski Woldenberg (President of the National Consultative Council of Movimiento Ciudadano)
- Dr. Sofía Salas Ungar (Independent Senior Consultant in Social Impact and Regeneration )
- Valeria Moy Campos (General Director, Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO))
Nairobi
- George Wasonga (Chief Executive Officer at the Civil Society Urban Development Platform (CSUDP))
- Godfrey Ochelle (Director Public Participation / Civic Education Department at Nairobi City County Government)
- Jeffrey Okoro (Chief Executive Officer, CFK Africa)
- Judith Owigar (Smart and Electric Mobility Consultant at UN-Habitat CoFounder AkiraChix, AcumenFellow)
- Mildred Omino (Disability Justice Activist, Feminist and Governance Professional, Founder, Equity Voice, Disability Liaison Officer, University of Nairobi in Kenya)
New Delhi
- Himani Chouhan (Manager, Citizen Engagement at Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC))
- Nikita Mandhani (Journalist, Documentary Filmmaker and Digital Strategist)
- Dr. Nitya Nanda (Director, Council for Social Development)
- Dr. Rakesh Ranjan (South Asia Regional Coordinator for the Institute for Human Rights and Business)
- Sonali Vyas (Architect and Urban Planner, Director at Safetipin)
The project is supported by the Stiftung Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin.
