Interviews

Whilst still in Stellenbosch, South Africa, I interviewed some people near the Woordfees (an festival hosted by the University of Stellenbosch celebrating Afrikaans language and culture) about their perceptions of Germans, whether they think a younger or an older generation is more important for the (positive) development of a country, and whether this will have an impact on Germany in 2050. Here are the results:

About Me

Growing

My only surviving grandparent is my grandmother (pictured above in the slide show), who at 86 is slowly descending into dementia while her body stubbornly refuses to accept her brain's deficits. She was born right before a great drought paralysed 1930s South Africa, much as is does right now with the greatest drought in recorded history threatening an economy that is already struggling into a possible recession in 2016.

By 2050, my grandmother will probably not be alive anymore, but with an increased life expectancy in the 20th and 21st centuries due to medical, social and economic advancements, chances are that my mother will still be with us at 94. But what will age mean in 2050, especially for Germany? Instead of asking what the role of the young or the old will be in three decades, should we not be pondering the influence of those in the middle?

In 2050, I will be 62 years old, similar to the age of my parents right now. At the moment, their generation is the one in power worldwide, it is them that steer economies and politics (from Angela Merkel to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, to the heads of state representing the BRICS coalition) as well as dictating academic, social and cultural advancement. Baby Boomers are in the difficult position of having to adapt to a world of rapid technological advancement and social change, especially with regards to the evolving political and economical demands made by Gen Xers and Millennials, whilst having to care for ageing parents living longer and longer in old age homes, as well as being (financially) responsible for their adult children, many of whom still live with their parents due to spending more time studying, rising property costs, middle-class wages remaining stagnant and personal relationship choices that delay marriage and child birth.

Come 2050, it will be the Millennials that have to navigate having to take care of past and future generations, as it will be us that will have to deal with the consequences of political and social decisions made right now. Especially important will be the way in which the West deals with the refugee crisis and whether the integration of such an enormous influx of people will be possible. With polls showing that 81% of voters in Germany are unhappy about the way the government is handling the refugee situation, whether people will come together to help one another or whether the fear mongers will win will dictate political, economical and social adaptation to a world that is in upheaval.

Another consideration when looking to Germany in 2050 will be whether the European Union will continue to remain an impactful global player when considering that the UK is voting on a referendum on 23. June 2016 of whether to leave or remain part of the EU. Despite Germany having the largest population in the EU and also driving the strongest economy, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble has described the possible departure by the UK as a "catastrophe", stating that the resulting insecurity would be harmful not only to the individual economies of the member states and the UK, but also have a negative global impact.

Being young in Germany currently means having the chance at a solid education, profiting from cultural exchange programmes such as Erasmus and struggling with the impact of climate change, the influence of the oil and arms industries, as well as the nutritional effects of factory farming, chemicals being injected into the animals we consume and whether vegetarianism/veganism might not be a better alternative considering the effect of increasing CO2-emissions on weather patterns, melting ice caps, global droughts, etc.

Whether its is by looking at global and local media reports or simply by observing how the weather and our supermarket's offerings have changed since our childhood, there is no denying that the world is in a state of crisis. And if we do not make considered, evaluated decisions in all aspects of social and political life that merge what the economy can handle with a respect for human dignity and an attempt at understanding and accepting the differences of others, being German in 2050 could be an even more tumultuous state than it was in 2015.