Live democracy!
Democracy concerns us all!
Since 2016, the Saarpfalz district has been involved in the federal "Live Democracy!" programme of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. As part of the Saarpfalz district's "Partnership for Democracy" programme, a considerable amount of funding was initially available until the end of 2019 to promote civic engagement, carry out needs-based prevention and awareness-raising work and establish sustainable structures for dealing with tendencies that threaten democracy.
The Saarpfalz district has successfully applied for the second project phase, which will enable a higher funding volume from 2020-2024. In the coming years, the approaches developed are to be stabilised and structurally anchored.
At the centre of the partnership is the productive and sustainable cooperation between the local administration and civil society actors, with a particular focus on strengthening democratic structures in rural areas. A jointly developed and continuously updated system of objectives serves as a guideline for concrete project work in the region. In addition, in recent years, concepts and strategy papers have been developed in various areas with the participation of experts from the supported area, which will guide action in the future.
The "Action and Initiative Fund" currently provides €50,000 per year for project funding. Non-profit organisations that want to implement projects with citizens from the Saarpfalz district to promote democracy, prevent extremism, intercultural encounters, etc. are eligible to apply. Applications are decided on by a monitoring committee, the majority of whose members are representatives of civil society. The coordination and specialist office at the Adolf Bender Centre in St. Wendel provides advice and support to interested sponsors in the design, implementation and billing of projects. In recent years, school workshops, art projects, training courses for specialists and excursions have been supported in this way.
Together with the lead office, which is based at the Saarpfalz district youth welfare office, the specialist and coordination centre organises an annual central democracy conference that addresses current topics and disseminates the work of the partnership. The annual closed meeting is also organised to further develop the strategy and content of the Partnership for Democracy. In addition, both institutions coordinate further events and training courses as required. This area has been further strengthened in the new project phase due to high demand. Information on events, funding phases etc. can be found on this homepage or from the lead office and the coordination and specialist centre.
In order to particularly promote the participation of young people, a separate youth forum has been set up in which young people are given the opportunity to actively contribute to the objectives of the partnership and to develop and implement their own projects. A separate funding budget of €10,000 is available for this purpose, which the young people can freely dispose of within the framework of the funding guidelines. The coordinating institution and contact for interested young people is the Protestant Youth Centre Homburg. In the past, the youth forum has taken part in the "U18 election", designed graffiti on the Würzbacher Weiher pond and organised seminars and discussion groups for young people.
All citizens of the Saarpfalz district are cordially invited to get involved in the "Partnership for Democracy", to express ideas, to receive further training and to constructively and critically support the further development of the project.
Lead agency:
Jugendamt des Saarpfalz-Kreises/Jugendpflege
Am Forum 1
66424 Homburg
Coordination and specialist agency:
Adolf-Bender-Zentrum e. V.
Mr Breit
Gymnasialstraße 5
66606 St. Wendel
Mobile: 0155 66 15 93 18
Email: [email protected]
Further information on the overall project is also available at Demokratie-leben.
