"This is a Call for Help": In an open letter to the government, civil-societal initiatives demand the expansion of democratic support

Berlin, December 15^th, 2016. On the basis of the existing coalition contract, civil-societal organizations of all stripes call for the passage of the act supporting democracy (Demokratiefördergesetz) and the anchoring of right-wing-extremism-prevention and democracy-supporting work in regulatory institutions.

Uwe-Karsten Heye, chairman of the society “Show your face! For a cosmopolitan Germany”:

“This is a call for help. We call on the government to strengthen the fight against right-wing extremism with an act supporting democracy. This demand is in line with the recommendations of the Parliamentary investigatory committee into the NSU Complex, which the ruling parties have included in their coalition pact. The fight against growing right-wing populism requires the long-term security of successful projects over a longer term than just one financial year. Only in this way can we retain the mature experience and professionalism of these projects.”

As put in the open letter:

“The support of the preventative national program for democracy and against extremism has, up until now, been based on the guidelines of the youth and child plans, since no proper legal foundation existed. However, we can see clearly that racism and anti-Semitism grow with age. How can we reach these parts of society? Up until now, the support of the national program has provided almost exclusively for pilot projects.”

The letter states that the current preventative-pedagogical praxis contains many good, tested concepts which could—indeed, must—be expanded, secured and further applied. A stable foundation is needed to improve the sustainability and security of these programs.

The letter was initiated by the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, the Anne Frank Center, Deutsch Plus, Show your face! For a cosmopolitan Germany and the German Turkish Community. Among the first signatories were Professor Klaus Bade, Iris Berben, Sebastian Krumbiegel, Prof. Michael Naumann, Prof. Martin Roth and Prof. Harald Welzer.