Berlin Hub
A Floating Market of Ideas and Solidarity in Civil Society
- our values
Berlin Hub welcomes exiled voices, grassroots movements and local creatives to foster care and collaboration
WHAT IS
BERLIN HUB?
Berlin Hub, an initiative of the Civil Society Forum, embodies the belief that civil society thrives on real connections, honest conversations and mutual care. In a world increasingly shaped by disinformation, polarisation and isolation, Berlin Hub serves as a dynamic space where changemakers—artists, activists, scientists, journalists and exiled leaders—come together to collaborate and reimagine solutions to the challenges that divide us. The Hub reflects the spirit of a “floating market,” allowing participants to organically exchange experiences and knowledge, much like neighbours shaping their community.
Berlin Hub serves as gravity point for those already driving change, providing a space to amplify their work. It is a platform where civil society flourishes through genuine connections rather than surface-level engagement.
CSF acknowledges that change is essential but cannot be achieved alone. Through Berlin Hub, we are prompted to reflect: How does this city shape our work and identity within civil society, across Europe and beyond? What happens when we connect—not just through projects, but by sharing our stories, dreams and aspirations?
MISSION
Capacity building and skill development:
We equip activists, artists and diaspora communities with tools in advocacy, storytelling, project management and facilitation.
Fostering mutual awareness and network building:
We connect grassroots initiatives, diaspora leaders and exiled communities through platforms that promote meaningful exchange.
Incubation and experimentation:
We co-create and test innovative ideas, providing space for initiatives that address societal and systemic challenges.
Reflection and dialogue:
We create open spaces for civil society actors to question, disrupt and co-design solutions to systemic issues, promoting trust and collective action.
- WAYS TO ENGAGE
At Berlin Hub, we co-create spaces that unite people, fostering deep collaboration across sectors. By hosting diverse communities, we bring diverse voices into dialogue—through storytelling, performances, interactive workshops and many other formats.
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Host with Us
The CSF is not only a pan-continental gathering of organisations and people, it is also a mode of collaboration, co-authoring, co-activism and co-imagination. It is a platform for thinking and doing, but also of hoping, dreaming and discussing. It creates spaces, where we can meet, talk and dream of a world, which is capable of change, while it also connects those who can take concrete steps towards these changes on the broader European landscape.
Host with Others
Host Within
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Host Beyond
KEY VALUES
THAT GUIDE US
Belonging: At the heart of Berlin Hub is the principle of belonging—creating spaces where every voice matters, where people feel valued and connected
Dialogue: Dialogue is both a value and a tool—a commitment to active listening, meaningful exchange and fostering understanding across differences.
Solidarity: The Berlin Hub is dedicated to supporting communities where individuals and groups stand together for collective action.
UPCOMING EVENTS
21 November 2025 15.00-16.00 CET
Europe: Closing the door? How visa policies in Europe’s Schengen area fail human rights defenders (online discussion)
The Working Group on Migration of the Civil Society Forum invites you to join the presentation and discussion of Amnesty International’s new report “Europe: Closing the door? How visa policies in Europe’s Schengen area fail human rights defenders.”
Many human rights defenders worldwide face visa refusals, excessive documentation demands and long delays in the Schengen visa process. These barriers prevent many HRDs from taking part in international meetings and conferences where crucial decisions are made.
At this session, we’ll explore the key findings of the report on the Schengen visa system and the challenges faced by human rights defenders from Russia and other countries. The report also calls for simpler visa procedures and more long-term, multiple-entry visas for HRDs. Discussion will be held in Russian and English, with simultaneous interpretation. To participate, please register.
26 November 2025 10.00 CET
Media and Journalism under Authoritarian Regimes (online discussion)
We invite you to the online discussion “Journalism and Authoritarian Regimes”, part of the CSF and EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy series on civil society under authoritarian pressure.
The conversation will bring together journalists and media practitioners from regions where authoritarian regimes seek to control information, weaponise propaganda and suppress independent reporting. These regimes often silence critical voices and manipulate media ecosystems to maintain power and shape public perception.
Alongside direct censorship and pressure, independent journalists working in the authoritarian contexts often face great personal risk. Together, we will discuss how we can help keep independent journalism alive in times of repression. Please register.
27 November 2025 16.30 CET
Art as Resistance in Shrinking Civic Spaces (online workshop)
Organised as part of Europe Lab’s online workshop on Creative Resilience, this cross-border initiative brings together organisations from Belarus, Russia, Slovakia and Hungary. Participants will explore how artistic practices can serve as tools for civic engagement, advocacy and social resilience, especially when traditional platforms become restricted. Please register.
29 November 2025 11.00–17.00 CET
Resilience Lab for queer migrant activists, artists and community organisers (offline in Berlin)
Resilience Lab is a one-day participatory workshop held on the 29th of November, that brings together queer migrant activists, artists and community organisers in Berlin to explore how resilience lives in and moves through the body. Together, we will explore how oppression, belonging and care are experienced somatically, and how body-based tools can support social change and collective wellbeing. Participants will receive a printed mini-zine featuring soma for social justice tools, such as the four core practices explored in the Lab: Centering, Body Poem, Relationship Repair, and Embodied Breath Awareness. Registration required.
November 2025 (TBC)
“To be fear(less) = To be brave?” Theatre Performance (offline performance)
This interactive theatre production by Zivilcourage explores the fears that paralyse and isolate activists from Eastern Europe and those living in exile in Germany. Drawing on real testimonies from grassroots organisers, NGO workers and community voices, the performance becomes a collective rehearsal of resistance and courage. Hosted by Miron Vitushka and Sofia Verba. More information coming soon.
