Welcome to Alles Gute, the SPIEGEL newsletter with only good news.
Nice to have you here!
How do you imagine the last years of your life?
Most of us probably hope to stay fit and independent for as long as possible.
But the truth is: There are already around 1.8 million people with dementia in Germany today.
For many families, placing grandma and grandpa in a retirement home is the only and perhaps often the best option.
And yet a guilty conscience often remains.
What could we have done differently?
How self-determined can a life be that becomes dependent on outside help?
And what does the care crisis mean for individual residents?
Such questions were also discussed in the Julie Kolb Senior Citizens' Center in Marl - and answered differently than in many other retirement homes: Instead of a fake bus stop, there is a "gammel oasis", the staff relies on marble runs instead of psychotropic drugs and who is not on time If you want to eat, you don't have to.
The idea: Older people should be able to live as independently as possible, even with dementia, instead of being judged by past demands.
My colleague Jasmin Schneider visited this unusual home.
“What we’re doing here works,” says one of the nurses in her report.
You can read here what exactly he means by this and what else the home can teach us about dealing with people with dementia.
What else was good this week – for the world:
More equality, more profits
A new study examines how company boards are particularly successful.
The result: Where there are more women in management responsibility, things often go better in other ways.
Here you can find out why equality itself could be worthwhile for climate protection.
Politicians call for the first female federal president
Before the next head of state is elected, the democratic parties should agree on a female candidate, suggests Rhineland-Palatinate's Prime Minister Malu Dreyer.
To date, all German heads of state have been male.
Politicians from other parties support the proposal.
Raids on misogynistic online agitators
Across Germany, the police have searched the homes of online agitators because they are said to have posted misogynistic posts.
BKA investigators are particularly targeting an extreme subculture on the Internet.
The investigation has already had consequences for the first accused.
Rescue for Friesian otter babies
She was found crying loudly and without her mother by a walker in Schleswig-Holstein.
“Harvey” and “Hazel” have now settled in well at a wildlife station and are busy gaining weight.
There are already concrete plans for their future.
What’s good – for you:
New tips for a healthy diet
The German Nutrition Society has published new recommendations for adults.
Nutritionist Diana Rubin explains why nuts are secret stars, eggs should be eaten less often - and milk is perhaps better than its reputation.
You can find the interview and all the tips here.
How to save your relationship after your first child.
After pregnancy there is often a shock, as couples therapist Nina Grimm experienced it herself.
Here she reveals how good arguments work, why she separated from her husband and why she wanted him back one night.
This is changing with Bafög.
Bafög is to be reformed in the winter semester of 2024.
There will not be a general increase, but more students will receive support in the future - young people from poorer families will receive additional help.
Read here what needs to be taken into account.
This is how you save on YouTube cell phone subscriptions
without advertising, virtual gifts on TikTok or, of course, streaming services: There are now subscription offers for almost everything on your smartphone.
But if you pay attention to a few things, you can easily save money, sometimes up to 30 percent.
Find out how to do it.
Tips for good applications – even without experience
Applications for your first job are often the most difficult in life.
What should you declare when you've just come out of school or university?
A professional application coach will explain to you which holiday jobs can help and which hobbies are more of a hindrance.
What helps against boredom at work?
Even with professional experience, working life is not always easy.
Many suffer from boredom.
How you can find out what you can do about it and what could make sense is written here.
And otherwise?
A good two years ago, my colleague Nicola Abé met a young woman named Maira Gomez Godinho, known as Cunhaporanga, in the Brazilian Amazon.
The 23-year-old has a job that wouldn't be all that unusual in the wider world, but still stands out in the Latin American jungle: She is a content creator, i.e. an influencer.
Instead of discount codes for makeup, she shares other things with her fans, such as recipes for insect dishes.
In her TikTok videos, she explains the way of life of her tribe - and also explains to an audience of millions what a resource-efficient use of food and other recyclables looks like.
The UN also sees the Tatuyo people as a role model and has long been calling for greater recognition of indigenous cultures.
Now, of all companies, the global corporation Mattel has chosen Cunhaporanga as the model for a Barbie.
If you don't want to wait for the plastic figure, you can read the story of Cunhaporanga again here.
The good news from you
Last week we asked you what good news you were happy about recently.
Thank you for all letters.
The email from Ms. Förster from Nuremberg particularly touched me - even though or especially because she was also a bit sad.
In a detailed message, she told us about how she walks lonely dogs at the animal shelter several times a week.
Now "Mars" has been adopted, Mrs. Förster's favorite, a little black terrier to be precise.
Ms. Förster didn't send us a picture, but she did send us a very vivid description: "That you so often made me laugh with your obvious joy and little craziness, or that you jumped up on me and shamelessly robbed my supply of treats.
And those fifteen minutes on the bench when I was allowed to stroke you without you fidgeting.
How wonderful to see you relaxed for once!
It was a joy to meet you.”
Now Mars is with a new family.
And who could not understand, after these sentences, that he is missing?
What motivating and beautiful stories have you experienced recently?
Have you met people who you find particularly fascinating?
Or would you like to tell us something to encourage others?
Please send us an email to GuteNachrichten.Newsletter@spiegel.de to tell us what your good news of the week was.
As in the past, we would like to present your submissions here again in the near future*.
Have a relaxing weekend!
And if you haven't signed up for this weekly newsletter yet, you can order it for free here.
Yours, Jan Petter, SPIEGEL Europe reporter in the “Global Society” project
(*By submitting a submission, you agree to – if desired – anonymous publication on SPIEGEL.de and all other SPIEGEL Group media.)
This article is part of the Global Society project
AreaWhat is the Global Society project?open
Under the title “Global Society,” reporters from
Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe
report on injustices in a globalized world, socio-political challenges and sustainable development.
The reports, analyses, photo series, videos and podcasts appear in a separate section in SPIEGEL's foreign department.
The project is long-term and is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
You can find a detailed FAQ with questions and answers about the project here.
AreaWhat exactly does the funding look like?open
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) has been supporting the project since 2019 for an initial period of three years with a total of around 2.3 million euros - around 760,000 euros per year.
In 2021, the project was extended under the same conditions by almost three and a half years until spring 2025.
AreaAre the journalistic contents independent of the foundation? expand
Yes.
The editorial content is created without any influence from the Gates Foundation.
AreaDo other media also have similar projects? expand
Yes.
Major European media outlets such as "The Guardian" and "El País" have set up similar sections on their news pages with "Global Development" and "Planeta Futuro" respectively, with the support of the Gates Foundation.
AreaHave there already been similar projects at SPIEGEL? expand
In recent years, SPIEGEL has already implemented two projects with the European Journalism Center (EJC) and the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: the “Expedition ÜberMorgen” about global sustainability goals and the journalistic refugee project “The New Arrivals”, as part of this project several award-winning multimedia reports on the topics of migration and flight have been created.
AreaWhere can I find all publications on the Global Society?open
The pieces can be found at SPIEGEL on the Global Society topic page.