We-ID Identities - Migration - Democracy

European societies are undergoing a profound demographic transformation: falling birth rates, rising life expectancy and migration are increasingly shaping the proportion of people in different age groups, ethnic diversity and cultural identities. At the same time, challenges such as climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic along with the associated economic crisis, the war in Ukraine and the crisis of the rule of law are putting pressure on Europe’s integration processes. These crises are exacerbating lines of conflict that often run along issues of identity and democracy.
The European Union's promise of prosperity and security is based on the principle of "unity in diversity" and the guarantee of fundamental freedoms, rights and democratic participation of its citizens. The vast majority of EU citizens share these values. At the same time, democracies are in crisis. Populist parties are fueling fears and spreading the narrative that migration leads to a loss of identity. There is no doubt that migration always raises the question of identity and belonging. How do we organize integration and participation in such a way that cohesion is created despite diverse identities?
The new EU joint research project We-ID led by the University of Göttingen is specifically designed to analyse the transformation of individual and collective identities, social cohesion and democracy in the midst of migration, demographic change and current crises in Europe.