>> hello, and welcome to "focus on europe." i'm michelle henery. good to have you with us. one of the biggest challenges europe has faced in recent years is the refugee crisis. since 2015, more than a million refugees have settled here in germany. the debate over how to integrate the new arrivals is one of the key sticking points in forming a new german government more than 4 months after the election. integrating people from foreign countries who don't share a common history, traditions, or even a language can be very difficult. germany's government has been working to introduce programs for new arrivals to learn german and all about the country. yet, there is one group they are struggling to reach -- refugee women.

we spoke to two to find out more about the hurdles they face in acclimating to their new home. >> habibe from afghanistan has a secret. >> i can't write my first or last name. >> paiman also barely knows how to read and write. >> i went to school for two years. then i worked as a hairdresser, and then i was a housewife. >> habibe and paiman are among the female refugees who have an especially hard time integrating into life in germany. paiman is a 23-year-old iraqi kurd. she married at 14. now she, her husband, and their three school-age children are living in a refugee hostel in cologne. they mainly keep to themselves. >> i don't have any german friends. i only know one person, from spain. i'd like to make german friends, but i've never had the chance.

>> habibe also has little contact with germans. she's only got to know one german woman at the refugee hostel. >> we've been friends with her for a year. when we have problems or get letters from the authorities, she helps us. then we make an appointment, my daughter meets her and brings the letters along. and when we have to go to the job centre, she goes with us. she helps us a lot, and we're very grateful to her. >> here in germany, habibe and her children still feel like they're outsiders looking in. the 44-year-old widow lives in her own cultural bubble and has little contact with german society. one of the ways germany is trying to reach out to women like habibe is by offering what it calls low-threshold literacy courses.

>> we want to help these women get out of their homes and get to know the area they live in. to learn german, meet other women, to have contact with others, and move around freely. >> the courses are being offered by the federal office for migration and refugees. it's a first step, but experts say more needs to be done. >> it's not enough. to integrate these newcomers into german society, you have to focus on the children -- and for that you need the mothers, too. many of the immigrants who are coming to us now, or have in the past, are muslims. the fathers are like the ancient roman paterfamilias -- the head of the family who calls the shots and often keeps his wife in the background. >> we're reaching out to these women through the low-threshold literacy courses and it'd be very helpful if these thought

patterns changed, too. but let's not kid ourselves -- that's not going to change overnight. it's a lengthy process and these courses contribute to that. >> yesterday we practiced a dialogue. >> over a million refugees have come to germany since 2015. last year, the government tripled funding for low-threshold literacy courses to more than 2 million euros a year. but that's just enough to give women a basic introduction to their new country. many women never get beyond that. that was long the case with kostan rida, a kurd who came to germany 17 years ago with her husband and two sons. her husband didn't want her to attend an integration course. but kostan was determined to end her isolation. she learned german, and now helps other women immigrants. she says many are feel self-consicous and overwhelmed.

>> some women don't want to because they're busy with their kids or have no desire to learn. many women who've been here a long time can understand german and even speak a little -- they're just afraid to. >> it took a lot of courage for questan to integrate into german society. she sought help from caritas, a social service organisation. but experts say that for more women to follow her lead, germany must actively promote policies that combat patriarchal views. >> that will lead to conflicts with the family values practiced at home. but the state should stand firm, and be willing to make demands on parents and even on on children. the goal has to be acheiving a reasonable level of assimilation into our civil society.

>> helping women could be key to achieving this goal, because paiman, habibe, and others like them want to make a life for themselves and their children in germany. >> naples is known for its wood fired pizza, stunning seafront, and for the camorra, one of the oldest and largest criminal networks in italy. in places like the suburb of caivano, where many young people are unable to find jobs, they seek them out. around 2,000 people recently protested in naples against a spate of violent attacks by gangs of youths led by so-called baby bosses, who rule the streets with extreme brutality. our reporter met with a former gang member who is helping local youths make better choices by using something else naples is known for -- football. >> this football pitch is bruno mazza's pride and joy. he's been coaching local children here for years and

instilling in them values like teamwork and respect. the city of caivano is part of the naples metropolitan area. it's long been struggling with high unemployment, violence, and drugs. >> the children see a lot of this at home. they see their fathers packaging up drugs on the living room table for sale on the streets. >> bruno wants to provide young people in the area with hope for a better alternative. this little container serves as his office. bruno used to sell drugs himself. he was convicted, and spent 11 years behind bars. his brother died of an overdose. he'd like to spare the children here the same fate. it's a challenge -- at night, local junkies hang out on the football pitch.

>> every morning i have to go around collecting used syringes so that we can practice here. there's no one else here to clean up. these syringes could be infected, so i have to get them away from the children. >> but bruno's football club isn't enough to ensure these kids will have a better future. much more is needed to counter the mafia's hold on the area. >> we need a master plan for this district. above all, we need proper jobs for young people. it's the only way to keep them away from organized crime. the root of our problems is lack of work. >> these problems have sparked massive protests in the area. violence has become commonplace. at this metro station, a 15-year-old was badly beaten by a group of teenagers who wanted his mobile phone and pocket money.

youth unemployment is over 50% in naples and the surrounding area. prospects are bleak for young people here, making them easy prey for the camorra, the local mafia-style crime syndicate. the "baby gangs" and "baby bosses" are getting younger and younger, and ever more brutal. father alex zanotelli works in a troubled district of central naples. he's shocked by the ruthless violence of many young poeple here. >> these young peple are responsible for a new crime wave. they arrive on motorbikes and shoot around wildly, even during the daytime. they're terrorizing people. >> there's a small memorial outside his church for a local boy. genny was just 17 when he was shot dead on his way home from school by a baby boss. that was over two years ago.

bruno remembers the outrage that followed -- the public demonstrations and the promises made by politicians. but nothing has changed. in the poor neighborhoods of caivano, drug dealing continues as before. the police avoid setting foot in the area. mobsters rule the streets. drug addicts are everywhere. they come here from all over the region to make their purchases. the children of caivano gather at bruno's football club. no matter how difficult life may be at home, here the children find a sense of belonging. 23-year-old luigi is one of bruno's success stories. he spent years playing in bruno's football club, and learned that there are alternatives to fast cash and dealing drugs. >> when bruno got out of jail, he approached many of the kids in our neighbourhood. joining a team, doing something good, something right, had an

impact on me. it gave me the strength to walk away from organized crime. today, luigi works in a local supermarket. he plans to stay in caivano to show other young people that there are alternatives to crime and violence. stories like this give bruno strength. one day, he hopes, his neighborhood will be known for more than just the camorra and crime. >> bruno's efforts are admirable. we wish him luck. until only very recently, istanbul was known for its nightlife. but now, locals say, its party days are numbered after hefty taxes on alcohol were imposed by the conservative government. even a beer or a glass of the national drink, raki, have become much more expensive. but thirsty turks are getting

creative, as our correspondent in istanbul, julia hahn, reports. >> this kitchen might be the smallest brewery in istanbul. once a month, vuslat özdemirhan brews up a batch of beer here. he ordered the ingredients -- malt, sugar, yeast -- online. that's where he got the recipe, too. add water, and stir. and after a few weeks of fermentation, the beer is ready to drink. >> i'm mainly doing this to save money. alcohol has become so expensive in turkey. taxes have been increased a lot over the years, and alcohol has become unaffordable. my home-brewed beer costs me a quarter of what i'd pay in the shops.

>> just a few years ago, istanbul was known for its nightlife. but the islamic-conservative akp government seemingly wants to put an end to that. shopsadvertising alcohol is forbidden. and for many turks, high taxes have made it a luxury. borak koçoglu owns a bar in istanbul. he says many other bar owners have already given up. customers can't afford the high prices. a glass of anise-flavoured raki, a local favorite, costs about 2 to 3 times what it did just a few years ago. >> it's getting worse. they raise taxes twice a year. they've just been raised again. i think the authorities are trying to shut down bars and clubs. or maybe it's a religious thing. i have no idea.

>> the government says its tax hikes have nothing to do with religion. but president recep tayyip erdogan has promoted a non-alcoholic yogurt beverage, as if to make a bigger statement. >> no matter what others say, our national drink is ayran, and i drink to that! in istanbul's üskudar district, home to many conservative muslims, there are no complaints about the high price of alcohol. >> i'm for a total ban. nobody should drink. it's harmful. >> i've just been to the mosque. i don't drink because islam forbids it. but everyone should decide for themselves. >> i think there should be more bans to protect our children.

>> it should be totally prohibited. >> borak koçoglu disagrees. he loves his bar. and he's convinced istanbul will lose much of its cosmopolitan flair if authorities keep making life hard for bar owners like himself. vuslat özdemirhan and his friends also don't want the government telling them what to drink. and to that, they'll raise a glass of their own home brew. >> from no other country have so many fighters joined the so-called islamic state as from russia. most came from the russian autonomous republic of chechnya in the north caucasus. recruits from this region are said to be held in high esteem by i.s. because they are battle hardened from decades of fighting for autonomy from russia. many of these chechen islamists took their wives and children

with them to syria. now that the time of the i.s. seems to be over there, relatives back home anxiously await their return. >> gikalovskiy, south of grozny, a typical chechen town. everyone knows and helps one another in spite of the high walls. but there's one thing the neighbors don't like to talk about -- their missing children. petimaat salamova, too, has kept silent for four long years. but now she's broken that silence to talk about zalina, her beloved daughter. zalina followed her husband, ruslan, who went off to syria to fight with the so-called islamic state. >> he took zalina and their three children with him. i know he'll never come back, because he was killed in march last year. >> since then, she says, she hasn't heard anything from her

daughter. zalina is one of hundreds of chechens who left their home to join the i.s. after the war in syria broke out. nearly all of them are listed as missing -- their children, too. their mothers show us these photos in the desperate hope their children might see them and let them know that they're alive. here at petimaat's house, her son ansor and granddaughter summaya are looking at photos of zalina. would ansor also follow the terrorists' call and go to syria the way his sister did? >> no, i won't let them recruit me. i have a mind of my own, and i don't listen to what the others are saying.

>> petimaat salamova hasn't given up hope of seeing her daughter again one day. she shows us the clothes she's bought for her three grandchildren in syria. and then she shows us this picture. >> i took this photo myself in syria. >> in december 2014, petimaat succeeded in contacting her daughter through intermediaries in turkey. petimaat spent several weeks on the road, finally arriving in the city of manbij in northern syria. she had no way of knowing for sure if she would ever reach her destination or see her daughter. eventually, the i.s. allowed her to spend four days with her daughter. but she wasn't permitted to take zalina or her grandchildren back to chechnya. petimaat and other local mothers have started a self-help group. it already has more than 800 members.

one of them is sarima gadzhieva, the mother of ruslan, who took petimaat's daughter to syria. >> my daughter was very obedient. she did everything her husband ordered her to. >> is ruslan's mother partly to blame for your daughter's disappearance? >> i swear to you, no. to be honest, it all happened according to a higher will -- the will of allah. so this had to be. that's what i believe. >> over and over in chechnya, we're told that religious faith was one of the primary factors that allowed the i.s. to recruit young people here -- young people who often paid with their lives. many mothers of missing children come to the airport in grozny to wait, and to hope. >> i'm here quite often.

what do i have to do at home? i must look for my daughter. >> now that russia has declared the defeat of islamic state, groups of chechens are slowly being sent back from syria and iraq. petimaat salamova keeps hoping that her daughter zalina is still alive, and that one day she, too, will return. >> growing older can bring wisdom and feelings of contentment, but it can also mean loneliness and isolation as spouses and friends die or move away. in sweden, organizers of a speed-dating club for seniors says it doesn't have to be that way. in as little as seven minutes, your luck, or at least your saturday nights staying at home alone watching tv, could all change. >> hello, everybody. hello. you may talk for seven minutes,

starting now. i'll set the egg timer. >> these men and women have come to the senior center this afternoon to make some new friends. they've got just seven minutes to get acquainted. speed daters have to put their best foot forward as fast as they can, and get a first impression of the person they're talking to. is this person my type? or not so much? the seven-minute limit means there's no time for shyness. you have to plunge right in. >> when you see people chatting away, you hope they might get together again and do something fun. that's our goal. that's what we want. >> time's up. more than a few are surprised at how much they had to say. >> it really was quite easy to get talking.

nothing like i thought it would be. >> it was wonderful. >> for the next round, they change partners. speed dating keeps you on your toes. there's a snack, too. all the conversation works up an appetite. >> after a certain age, it's not that easy to make new friends. it's hard to break into existing social circles, where everyone already has their friends. >> it can be a problem. how are you supposed to find a male partner, especially one that doesn't just want you to cook for him? >> but most of the speed daters here aren't looking for romance. they'd be happy to find some new friends.

slowly but steadily, the pace picks up. with no time to waste, the conversations get more and more animated. some of the seniors seem a bit out of practice. >> after my wife died, i lost all of our friends. there were a few who said they'd be in touch, but nothing ever happened. the speed dating get-together is held once a month in huddinge, a municipality in southern stockholm. birgitta winblad and her friends organize the meetings. they met each other at one. >> how was it, gunbrith? >> very nice. i've only been twice so far. i got these ladies as part of the deal.

>> they meet up often these days. it helps keep their spirits up, they say. everyone here has already lost members of their family, and the memories can weigh heavily on them. >> some of my friends and acquaintances died much too early. it's very sad. i've been feeling pretty lonely. i'm pinning my hopes on these meetings. i believe in them. >> shared hobbies and interests can help bridge the gap. the key to successful speed dating is quickly figuring out what you might have in common. >> it was very nice. we found out he's interested in electronics, and i am, too.

>> yes, my telephone number is 0704. >> the two exchange phone numbers. their speed-dating experience is off to a promising start. with any luck, it will be the beginning of a new friendship. >> speed dating for seniors is a terrific idea. who knows, maybe tinder for seniors next. that's all for today. thank you for watching. if you want to see any of our reports again, just go to our homepage on dw.com or visit our facebook page, dw stories. see you next time. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

steves: from the destruction of world war ii, europe has steadily rebuilt itself into a forward-looking and united continent. with the creation of the european union, economic integration has made

another devastating war unthinkable. there has been a massive investment in cutting-edge infrastructure projects. efficient high-speed rail systems tie europe together. superhighways and stunning bridges further enhance the continent-wide transportation system. within cities, sleek subways move millions underground. on the streets above, public transit reduces traffic congestion. and nearly every city is creating traffic-free pedestrian zones, making urban life even more people-friendly. as the world grapples with climate change, europe is taking a leading role in developing alternative energy sources.

and while still preserving the historic character of its cities, europe has found a way to integrate innovative architecture into the landscape, giving the old world a modern face. and the human face of contemporary europe is more diverse and vibrant than ever. even as this continent of 500 million people unites, it's finding ways to allow its rich mix of cultures to celebrate their unique identities. from norway to greece and from portugal to bulgaria, people are proud to preserve their distinct languages, foods, and traditions.

from the katharine hepburn cultural a arts center in old saybrook, connecticut, it's the kate. she's a one woman wall of sound-the lovely darlene love. darlene love. darlene love. darlene love. ♪ when i was a little girl i had a ragdoll. ♪ i started out, i belonged to a church in los angeles, california, and they had a great choir there, and one of the girls in the choir was getting ready to get married and asked me to sing at her wedding. and two of the girls that were, was in her wedding party were the blossoms and they heard me sing at her wedding and asked me to join their group. you can almost say, "and then that was history." the blossoms! ♪ come on, let me show you where it's at. ♪ ♪ come on, let me show you where it's at. ♪ we had quite a few hit records-wait till my bobby gets home, today i met the boy i'm gonna marry, and