“Leipzig: Vielfalt bestimmt!” has been our motto since 2021
With this project, we want to promote the political participation of people with a migration background in Leipzig and thus enable active participation in social life. To this end, there are individual project rounds with various workshops on the topic of democracy and political participation, joint visits to parliament, and discussions on current political issues. We were able to open and jointly organize such a space for questions, discussions, and knowledge transfer around political participation in the spring of this year during the first project round. In October, a second project round will start, which is explicitly intended for FLINTA* persons (women, lesbian, intersex, non-binary, trans, agender* persons) and in which we will travel together to the Bundestag in Berlin – registrations are still open. We look forward to seeing you!
This project is funded by the Migration and Integration Department of the City of Leipzig (Referat Migration und Integration der Stadt Leipzig).
Background and schedule of the project
Our goal is to make the voices of migrants heard in politics and to empower them to actively participate in shaping policy. We will develop the theoretical knowledge base for this in two open and participatory workshops. Topics will include Germany’s federal system and the fundamentals of democracy. Project participants can gain their own experience in democratic decision-making with the QUARARO simulation game, which addresses various voting procedures, methods for reaching compromise, and how politics works. Joint excursions are designed to bring politics to life. In discussions with the Migrant Advisory Council (Migrantenbeirat) and the City Council, we take a look at municipal structures in practice. We then move on to the next political level together: participants in the first round of the project gain direct insight into Saxon state politics at the state parliament in Dresden and are able to observe a parliamentary session. The second round of the project will include a two-day excursion to Berlin to visit the Bundestag. The focus will be on a discussion with members of the Bundestag, during which project participants will be able to formulate their ideas, questions, and political positions.
Another part of the project is an open Democracy Meet-Up. Once a month, interested people meet to talk about politics in a relaxed atmosphere. Together, we explore our own effectiveness in the political arena and exchange experiences and opportunities for political participation.
Outlook
We will address all the impressions, questions, and demands collected so far in a panel discussion during the intercultural weeks on September 21, 2022, at 6 p.m. in the Leipzig City Library, and discuss them with various panel guests from local politics in Leipzig, project participants, and all interested guests.
We look forward to an exciting and enriching discussion in September, the ongoing exchange at the monthly Democracy Meet-Up, and finally to the start of the second round of the project (FLINTA* round) on October 8!
If you would like to register for the second round, are interested in the Democracy Meet-Up, or have any questions or suggestions, please contact Paula by email, WhatsApp, or phone!
Mail: vonbiela[at]soziale-dienste-jugendhilfe.de
Handy/WhatsApp: 0157/52671248
