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Tag: Mexico City

Tracing Sister Cities through Berlin’s neighbourhoods

Four Cities, Three Walks, One Berlin

Tuesday, April 28, 6–8 PM at MotionLab Berlin (Bouchéstraße 12, Hall 20, 12435 Berlin)

What connects Kottbusser Tor—beloved by some and avoided by others—with Jakarta, a lively metropolis of 42 million people?

What does contemporary music by Namibian artists tell us about the city partnership between Berlin and Windhoek?

How do we experience remembrance culture in Mexico City when visiting a mural in Haus Schwarzenberg on Rosenthaler Str.?

The new Sister Cities Audiowalks take an unusual perspective through the streets and neighborhoods of Berlin, uncovering surprising connections between the sister cities. During the launch, we will provide insights into the development process of the three audio tours and listen together to selected excerpts. Afterwards, we invite you to an open discussion and networking.

The project was developed in cooperation with the Berlin Project Center and is part of “Sister Cities in Action.” Its aim is to make city partnerships tangible, to highlight global challenges and initiatives that adress these within the urban context.

We warmly invite you to discover the audiowalks, join the discussion, and explore Berlin from new perspectives.

In English, no registration required.

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Vier Städte, drei Spaziergänge, ein Berlin

Dienstag, 28. April, 18 – 20 Uhr im MotionLab Berlin (Bouchéstrasse 12, Halle 20, 12435 Berlin)

Was verbindet das Kottbusser Tor – von manchen geliebt und von anderen gemieden – mit Jakarta, einer lebhaften Metropole von 42 Millionen Menschen?

Was verrät uns zeitgenössische Musik namibischer Künstler*innen über die Städtepartnerschaft zwischen Berlin und Windhoek?

Wie erleben wir Erinnerungskultur in Mexiko-Stadt, wenn wir ein Wandgemälde im Haus Schwarzenberg in der Rosenthaler Str. besuchen?

Die neuen Sister Cities Audiowalks führen mit einer ungewöhnten Perspektive durch  Straßen und Kieze Berlins und spüren dabei überraschenden Verbindungen zwischen den Partnerstädten nach. Beim Launch geben wir Einblicke in den Entwicklungsprozess der drei Audiotouren und hören gemeinsam in ausgewählte Ausschnitte hinein. Im Anschluss laden wir zu einer offenen Diskussion und zum Networking ein.

Das Projekt wurde in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Berlin Project Center entwickelt und ist Teil von „Sister Cities in Action.“ Ziel ist es, Städtepartnerschaften greifbar zu machen und globale Herausforderungen sowie Initiativen, die diese im städtischen Kontext adressieren, hervorzuheben.

Wir laden Sie herzlich ein, die Audiowalks zu entdecken, an der Diskussion teilzunehmen und Berlin aus neuen Perspektiven zu erkunden.

Auf Englisch, keine Anmeldung nötig.


Chili Cooking Event

Following the path of chili peppers from Mesoamerica through the Sister Cities

Why is Mexican and Indonesian food so spicy? In both countries, many people love to cook with chili. But why is this, and why do we find chili plants being cultivated all across the globe? In planning for our chili cooking event, the Berlin-Jakarta and Berlin-Mexico City tandem researched the history of the chili plant. We were surprised: Chili was unheard of in Asia before it traveled there abroad Portuguese ships during the early phase of colonization. It reached Goa, India, around 1520, and from there, it rapidly spread across Asia. Chilies are much easier to cultivate than black pepper, for example. Unexpected connections can bring new things to life: People adopted the spicy ingredient and experimented with it in gardens and kitchens from India through Thailand to the Philippines, leading to the creation of many new dishes.

Foto © Mutiara Tinellung

Chili peppers originated in Mesoamerica, a cultural region that includes Mexico and several Central American countries. Its name derives from the Nahuatl word “chilli,” and its cultivation began over 6,000 years ago. Even in pre-Hispanic times, chili peppers were not only a food source, but also a medicinal plant and a symbolic cultural heritage.

How chili is prepared and enjoyed can express a sense of identity and belonging. Our tandem-partners shared some insight into the role of chili in their cities:

While learning how to cook four Indonesian sambals (Sambal Bawang, Sambal Tuk-Tuk, Sambal Pecak and Sambal Matah) and three Mexican salsas (Salsa Macha, Salsa Verde, Salsa Roja), we invited participants to reflect on relationships between taste, memory, and belonging.

Here are some reflections participants shared on the night:

  • “I think chili is like sort of my way of life, like chili is just something I grew up with.”
  •  “I am actually not that good with chilli, but it brings cultures together.
  • “As an Indian, chili is part of our everyday food and usually when we go to get groceries, we get chili for free. But when I go to any Indian store here, I have to pay for it – so I am like, why am I paying for this I usually get it for free?!”
  • “I would say I associate chili with punishments, not for me but for my friends. They told me how their parents would punish them with putting chili in their mouths to punish them for something they did.”
  • “Tonight, I learnt that you can eat kaffir lime leaves! I always thought of them as something that you just use as seaoning and then you take it out, like bay leaves. But in the sambal that we made, sambal matah, you cut them up really thin and then you just add them to the sambal and then you eat it – and it was delicious!”

The chili cooking event was hosted by Watch Indonesia! and Mexico Via Berlin as part of the sister city initiative „Sister Cities in Action“, funded by the State Office for Development Cooperation (LEZ).

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Eine Veranstaltung von Watch Indonesia! und Mexico Via Berlin im Rahmen des Städtepartnerschaftprojekts „Sister Cities in Action“, gefördert von der Landesstelle für Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (LEZ) Berlin.

A place of hope in Windhoek

During the Stakeholders Meeting in October, the Sister Cities in Action team had the opportunity to visit the organisation ‘Family of Hope Services’ in Katutura, a neighbourhood shaped by a history of resistance and community-building in Windhoek. We were accompanied by Foibe, the centre’s director, and Elizabeth, one of the girls who benefits from the project. They showed us around a place that embodies dignity, care and opportunity.

Foibe and Elizabeth – Photo: Valeria Peña

From the very beginning, we understood that Family of Hope Services is more than just a community centre; it is a place where children’s human rights are upheld and respected every day. Every action here aims to guarantee the rights to education, food, play, holistic development, and a safe and nurturing environment in which to grow up.

Foibe shared the history of the project, explaining how it has evolved into a powerful community-driven response to the challenges faced by numerous families in Katutura. Many of these families are migrants from other regions of Namibia, as well as from Angola, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Instead of starting from a place of lack, they recognise the potential of every child and adolescent. The goal is not merely to “assist”, but to facilitate processes of empowerment and autonomy.

One of the classrooms – Photo: Valeria Peña

Among their core initiatives is educational support, which serves children and teenagers—many of them migrants without national documentation who are therefore unable to attend formal school. At the community center, they receive academic assistance, strengthen their learning, and develop essential skills that help them stay engaged and thrive. The organization also supports families in obtaining official documents so that these children can access the education system. This work goes beyond academic content; it fosters confidence, curiosity, and a genuine desire to learn, opening real pathways toward inclusion and opportunity.

One of the most meaningful spaces is the community kitchen, which provides nutritious daily meals for the children involved in the project. The kitchen is more than just a place to receive food; it is also a space for gathering and collective care, where sharing a meal becomes an act of community.

The project also runs a community garden to strengthen food security and serve as a living educational tool. Participants learn about sustainability, collaboration and caring for the land there. Every seed planted represents a commitment to the present and the future.

Community garten – Photo: Valeria Peña

In addition, Family of Hope Services has developed a bicycle repair and sales workshop, combining hands-on training and technical skill-building with economic sustainability. The workshop supports mobility and environmental care, and represents a concrete strategy to strengthen the organisation’s financial autonomy and increase its impact on the community.

Bycicle Workshop – Photo: Valeria Peña

Walking through these spaces with Elizabeth was a deeply meaningful experience. Seeing her attentive gaze, enthusiasm and confidence as she showed us what was being built there reminded us that children flourish when they grow up in environments that recognise their rights and nurture their abilities. These are not stories of victimhood, but of growth supported by respect and love.

Elizabeth – Photo: Valeria Peña

For Sister Cities in Action, this visit reaffirmed the importance of fostering connections between organisations dedicated to social justice and human rights, both internationally and across continents. These connections enable the exchange of knowledge, strengthen strategies and expand solidarity networks that transcend borders. When organisations from different regions engage in dialogue and collaboration, their capacity for impact and care is multiplied.

In a world where inequalities still impede the realisation of rights, spaces like Family of Hope Services remind us that transformation is possible when communities organise and maintain their commitment over time.

We are deeply grateful to Foibe and Elizabeth for generously and transparently opening the doors to this space. We leave feeling inspired and enriched by new insights, certain that the bonds we forge today will continue to bear fruit tomorrow.

México vía Berlín and Casa Tochan members with Fobie and Elizabeth from Family of Hope.

If you would like to learn more about their work and support this project, please visit the website of Familiy of Hope. Every contribution helps to ensure that more children in Katutura can continue to grow up in an environment that protects their rights and cultivates hope.

Historic album of Family of Hope – Photo: Valeria Peña

Hope and Resistance for Migrants and Refugees in Mexico and Germany – Online exchange

On September 10th 2025, a binational online meeting brought together activists, civil society organizations, and refugees from Mexico and Germany to exchange experiences, perspectives, and challenges related to migration.

The conversation focused on how political contexts and public perceptions of migration have changed in both countries. Participants also shared insights into collective and solidarity-based networks that support and empower migrants and refugees, as well as self-organized spaces created by migrants and asylum seekers to connect, exchange ideas, and develop collective approaches to action.

We extend our gratitude to all participants and for the contributions of:

  • Gabriela de Lourdes Hernández Chalte – Director of Casa Tochan (Mexico)
  • Gerardo Talavera Cervantes – Specialist in Humanitarian Response and Local Integration Coordinator at CAFEMIN (Mexico)
  • Josué Castañeda – Human Rights Advocate, Refugee, and Collaborator at CHIRLA (Mexico)
  • Marlene Pernalete – Human Rights Lawyer, Refugee, and Migration Consultant at SFR e.V. (Germany)
  • Sara Bellezza – Migration and Border Studies Researcher and Activist focused on Germany, Europe an the Americas at the Freie Universität Berlin (Germany)

Film Screening: “FROM HERE”

“From Here” (USA, Germany | 2020 | English & German)

Monday, 22th September, 6 – 9PM, aquarium (Skalitzer Str. 6, 10997 Berlin)


A documentary film on immigration, belonging, and creative activism.

Set in Berlin and New York, FROM HERE is a hopeful story of four young artists and activists from immigrant families redefining belonging in an era of rising nationalism globally.The protagonists move from their 20s into their 30s and face major turning points in their lives: fighting for citizenship, starting families, and finding room for creative expression.

The film screening will be followed by a discussion with:

Canan Turan, ideologiy-critical film scholar & creative producer of the films (Berlin)
Victoria Kumala Sakti, sozial and cultur anthropologist (Jakarta)
Karl Ehlers, artist and journalist (Windhoek)
Liz Soto Rivas, activist and founder of Latinas en Alemania (Mexiko-City).

Event will be held in english and german.

Photo exhibition: “Memories of the Journey”

On the occasion of their 14th Anniversary, Casa Tochan – Nuestra Casa invited to a gathering and to the oppening of the photo and memory exhibition: “Memories of the Journey.”

The exhibition presented a collection of objects, photographs, and memories that are part of Tochan’s history, honoring all the people and moments that have contributed to the ongoing struggle for a more just and free world for all those who migrate.