In February, Birgit Redlich led the MSO group through their final seminar in Imshausen. Over the course of two days, the students developed small project ideas, for example for a bake sale to benefit children or for a politics club at the school. They also promoted their ideas in creative videos and had a great time with us - we are excited to see what will be implemented. Other modules, for example on the extreme right, were implemented, in which exciting discussions were held on topics such as discrimination and human dignity. On 19 and 20 March 2024, the third class also successfully completed the seminar program with a group from the BSO Heimboldshausen branch.

On March 5, 2024, Paul Lachmann discussed the initial project results at a symposium organized by the Progressive Center Berlin and the Berlin-Brandenburg Social Pedagogical Training Institute. Under the title "Experiences of loneliness and democratic distance in adolescence", educational practitioners from Berlin and Brandenburg in particular came together for the event. You can find the program of the symposium here.

At the beginning of the year, we were able to welcome students from class 12 FOb of the Obersberg model school in Bad Hersfeld to a two-day workshop at the Foundation's premises in Imshausen. The group thus completed the series of seminars comprising six module events. A review with pictures can be found on the school's homepage.

In January, the project team welcomed the first of three classes for the conclusion of the seminar program in Imshausen. Together with student assistant Miriam Abdolrahimzadeh Shendy and Scheerin Alou (PfD Hersfeld-Rotenburg), Birgit Redlich accompanied the group from the vocational schools in Eschwege through two exciting days, which focused on the topic of "Participation in democracy". How can young people get involved in society and politics? What helps them and what hinders them? At the end, the students developed their own mini-project idea, which they can now implement. At the same time, the first survey phase of the project came to an end. The project team now has the survey data from all classes involved in the seminar program. In February, the first interim results will be available on questions such as How have the students experienced the coronavirus pandemic? How do they deal with loneliness? How do they feel about democracy and do they see the far right as a threat? With a view to the new year, the project can already announce a short training course on the project topic for all those working in schools on the afternoon of October 29, 2024.

We are looking for a new student assistant (SHK) for the project "gemEINSAM gegen RECHTS" from April 1, 2024 for 15-30 hours per month. The position is limited until 31.12.2024. Application deadline is 11.02.2024. Click here for the job advertisement.

Another important component of the project has been underway since this month: as part of the seminars, quantitative questionnaires are filled out with the participating classes that take a specific look at how they deal with feelings of loneliness and their relationship to authoritarian crisis solutions. The questionnaire was developed in cooperation with the Progressive Center (Berlin | PZ), which published the Extremely Lonely Youth Study at the beginning of 2023. Co-author is our co-project manager Prof. Dr. Claudia Neu. By linking directly to the PZ survey, the project team hopes to be able to add a local focus to the Germany-wide study. In a second phase from April 2024, the survey will be extended beyond the participating classes. Students from vocational schools throughout the project region will then be able to participate individually. The project team is also using the survey to highlight offers of help: if participants would like professional help with feelings of loneliness or in dealing with discrimination and right-wing radicalism, they will find relevant information at the end of the survey.

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.