It is common practice for meteorologists to give names to certain weather phenomena, for instance to hurricanes. In Germany, cyclones will be given names that are typically used by immigrants, in a bid to promote diversity.

An organisation called the New German Media Makers (Neuen deutschen Medienmacher*innen) has launched a new campaign in Germany to affix names that are common among migrants to certain climatic phenomena.

We live in an immigrant country. Nevertheless, temperature peaks and lows almost always boast names like Gisela or Helmut. It s time to change that, reads the initiative s website.

Germans are also called Ahmet, Chana, Khue and Romani, the website notes.

In Germany, basically anyone can name a cyclone or anticyclone in exchange for a payment of 240 to 360 euros made to the Free University of Berlin s Institute of Meteorology. The money is used to fund student projects and the chosen names will be included in official weather reports.

The organisation has proposed fourteen names for 2021. This year, weather events in Germany will be given names of Arabic and Turkish origin such as Ahmet, Cemal and Yusuf, or names with Polish, Hebrew and South Slavic roots such as Bozena, Bartosz, Irek, Goran and Chana.

The initiative was welcomed by Germany s Office for Migration and Refugees.

„Ahmet or Alex, the main thing is weather report! In 2021, it will be as diverse as our society – and that s a good thing,” the migration office posted on Twitter.

However, ascribing names to weather phenomena is somewhat besides the point. The initiative s website says giving names of migrant origin is only symbolic, pointing out that it is more important to make „the diverse makeup of society” visible everywhere. Achieving this goal requires help from the media, the initiatve says, proposing accordingly that 30 per cent of media workers should come from an immigrant background by the year 2030.

The goals are supported by several pro-migration groups, including one that also appears on the payroll of George Soros s Open Society Foundations.

The organisation Each One Teach One received 356 thousand dollars in 2018 from Soros s foundation.