Scheerin Alou represented the district of Hersfeld-Rotenburg at this year's "Live Democracy!" program conference. There were many opportunities to learn about the results of almost five years of democracy work within the framework of the federal program and to talk to other colleagues from model projects, the victim counseling centers and mobile counseling against right-wing extremism as well as from other partnerships for democracy. In addition, initial information on the design of the newly launched federal program "Live Democracy!" from 2025 was shared - promoting democracy will continue to be a focus of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). You can read the official press release from the BMFSFJ here. The opportunities offered by the new program for the district are also the focus of the "DemoKon 2024" democracy conference, which Scheerin Alou is organising for the PfD at the end of May under the motto "Living democracy in the migration society from 2025". There will be plenty of opportunities to exchange ideas and perhaps even forge initial project ideas together. An official announcement will follow shortly.

Due to the federal budget freeze, the Partnership for Democracy in the district of Hersfeld-Rotenburg has started the new year with great uncertainty: instead of a funding decision from the federal "Live Democracy!" program, we have so far only received the assurance of an early start to measures. As no funds can be drawn down, salaries have to be bridged, events postponed and funding from the Action and Initiative Fund delayed. A third of all partnerships for democracy in Hesse are affected by this, as are numerous political education and democracy promotion projects and counselling services for victims of right-wing, racist and anti-Semitic violence. We are confident that the approval will be issued soon. Nevertheless, parts of the promotion of democracy will have to run on the back burner for an extended period of time at a time when right-wing populist and anti-democratic voices are becoming ever louder.

On September 29, 2023, the project team of "gemEINSAM gegen RECHTS" and the coordination and specialist office of the Partnership for Democracy (PfD) invited young people to the Bebra Youth Center (JuZe). The focus of the day for young people from the region was graffiti. The medium, which interests people from a wide range of age groups, offers opportunities for exchange and for trying out one's own expression, which were successfully used on this day. In addition to individual graffiti as important identity markers for the participants - such as national flags, soccer club symbols and their own names - a joint graffito was also created in the workshop: the words TOGETHER AGAINST THE RIGHT were sprayed on the outside of the soccer pitch in the colors of the project logo. In addition, the PfD coordination and specialist office offered the opportunity to make the needs of young people visible and discuss them. The GemEINSAM project team and the PfD colleague are grateful for the great encounters and discussions on this day and are very motivated to offer a similar event next year.

Hello, my name is Scheerin Alou and I took over the coordination and specialist office of the PfD in the district of Hersfeld-Rotenburg, which is affiliated with the Adam von Trott Foundation, on July 1, 2023. I studied political science and geography and most recently worked in extracurricular educational work and anti-racism work in Kassel. In this context, I introduced and accompanied people with experiences of racism in political education work and designed and implemented workshops for various target groups myself. I am now very much looking forward to playing my part in promoting democracy in the district of Hersfeld-Rotenburg and supporting and networking local initiatives and associations in their work.

With the aim of making democratic culture in the district even more visible, living and shaping it, the idea of the "Festival of Diversity" emerged from the Partnership for Democracy, which will take place on July 8, 2023 from 3 p.m. on the grounds of the Lokschuppen in Bebra. In addition to musical contributions, creative workshops and culinary offerings, there will be a "Market of Opportunities" where civil society institutions in the district of Hersfeld-Rotenburg will present their work. Further information on the event can be found here.