Archive 2018
Here you will find selected reports on events we organized and the work we did on projects in 2018.
Photos (c): Stephan Wallocha
Information and discussions - event for young migrants and refugees on training
They knew their opportunity was there. Shortly after doors opened at 5:30 p.m. on October 16, 2018, all 120 seats in the Albert Schäfer Hall at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce (HK) were already occupied. Young people with a migration or refugee background were invited to the event "Training Perspectives - Opportunities for Young People with a Migration Background." Some were accompanied by their teachers, supervisors, or confidants from a migration organization to the joint event organized by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, and the Association of Self-Employed Migrants (ASM).
Following a welcome address by Heinz Ackermann from the Ministry and Fin Mohaupt, head of the HK department, ASM project manager Arzu Pehlivan explained the importance of dual vocational training in Germany and presented ASM's offerings. Three trainees then took the floor. Interviewed by moderator Osman Citir, Patryk Skopinski, Farnaz Kariminejad, and Mohamad Janat shared their experiences and their path to dual vocational training.
For Patryk Skopinski, the bankruptcy of his company, where he was training to be an automotive mechatronics technician, led to a career change: "I wanted to continue my apprenticeship, but my applications kept getting rejected. Since I love big machines, I started working for Otto Dörner and am now in my third year of training to become a professional driver." Patrick learned about this profession through his uncle.
The answers to the question of what the trainees value most about their future careers naturally vary greatly, given the different industries and training occupations. While Patrick raves about the versatility of the job and how "I'm my own boss in my own cabin," prospective railway employee Mohamad Janat enjoys the teamwork, and travel agent trainee Farnaz Kariminejad remarks, fit for print: "We don't sell products, we sell dreams."
Inga Schmid, a trainer at Subway, then talks about the company's excellent career opportunities and the possibility of starting a franchise business after completing training. Certificates aren't important, but enthusiasm for what you do and a willingness to engage in dialogue with the company when problems arise are. Participants learn that 85 percent of Subway employees are immigrants.
At the back of the hall, information tables from various companies are set up. Following the official part, there are many conversations between company representatives and the young attendees. They've realized that this opportunity to engage in informal and low-threshold conversations with HR professionals is something they can't miss.
Inga Schmid, a trainer at Subway, then talks about the company's excellent career opportunities and the possibility of starting a franchise business after completing training. Certificates aren't important, but enthusiasm for what you do and a willingness to engage in dialogue with the company when problems arise are. Participants learn that 85 percent of Subway employees are immigrants.
At the back of the hall, information tables from various companies are set up. Following the official part, there are many conversations between company representatives and the young attendees. They've realized that this opportunity to engage in informal and low-threshold conversations with HR professionals is something they can't miss.
Documentation of the three-part event series "Arrived HERE. German Conditions Between Glorification and Contempt" from 24 to 26 June 2018
Part 1) German Conditions – a literary approach to the circumstances today and during the Nazi era with the cultural scientist Helmut Lethen
With the event series "Arrived.HERE – German Conditions Between Glorification and Contempt," ASM is speaking out in the current heated debate about immigration. To kick things off, the non-profit organization invited Germanist and cultural studies scholar Helmut Lethen and author Feridun Zaimoglu to the Quality Hotel Ambassador on June 24, 2018. Zaimoglu began the afternoon reading from his book "HERE. Stories of Young Refugees in Germany," published by ASM.
Helmut Lethen then introduced his book "The Councillors of State – Elite in the Third Reich: Gründgens, Furtwängler, Sauerbruch, Schmitt," published this year, and read a chapter about the fictional conversation between the four Councillors of State in Berlin, in which they discuss the value of the national community, which the Nazis upheld. Lethen commented: "The idea of identity must be artificially created. I imagine a kind of funnel for the national community: At the top are the Communists and Social Democrats, who are peeled away, below them come Jews, then come homosexuals and Roma, and then remains the master race of the Nazis, who must carve out the identity of the German people over many centuries."
During the conversation, moderated by ASM Managing Director Marion Wartumjan, she and Lethen talk about the constitutional lawyer Carl Schmitt, who was revered by the new right and appointed State Councilor by Hermann Göring in 1933.
Helmut Lethen: “Carl Schmitt said: ‘An enemy is someone who threatens the existence of others through their difference.’” In order to recognize the danger, one must engage with this way of thinking, says Lethen.
Wartumjan also advocated "carefully analyzing current conditions and the social climate and not sacrificing freedom of expression to a moralistic approach to conformity." The ASM team experiences challenges of migration and problems of integration in its daily operational work; however, these have been trivialized or downplayed in public debate for years. This, he said, has also contributed to making right-wing radical views politically and socially acceptable. Immigration is currently being used as a scapegoat for the insecurity triggered worldwide by fundamental technological changes and product and process innovations. "Lethen's book touches on fundamental issues of our time," Wartumjan said.
Part 2) Plea for a German Islam – Conversation with Eren Güvercin and Feridun Zaimoglu on the topic of “Faith”
Migration strengthens religion – this is a tenet of religious scholars. With this statement, moderator Marion Wartumjan began her conversation with journalist Eren Güvercin on June 25, 2018, at the ASM theme evening "Faith, Believers, and Our Society." The ASM managing director explained that emigration is extremely risky, as it means embarking on an uncertain future. In this situation, people cling to their God, who provides inner security in a new, often hostile environment.
The Muslim Eren Güvercin advocated for a "German Islam." The author of the book "Neo-Muslims - Portrait of a German Generation" defines this as sermons in mosques that connect with the realities of life for migrants in Germany. This requires imams who are not just sent from Turkey for a few years, but rather imams who are familiar with the realities of life for Muslims in Germany. The sermon language should be German. This way, even newly arrived people from Afghanistan, Syria, or other countries can participate in the sermons.
Christianity was also a topic of discussion during the evening. The Christian faith is more deeply rooted in Germany at the beginning of the 21st century than it appears in many places. Wartumjan provided the relevant facts: "On weekends, more people attend church services than go to Bundesliga stadiums, and in surveys, 70 percent of respondents describe themselves as religious." Experts refer to this as "believing without belonging," referring to people who believe but do not participate in church life.
Worldwide, fundamentalist forms of belief are on the rise over liberal expressions of religiosity, according to the ASM executive director. "The diversity of lifestyles creates confusion. Fundamentalisms demand much from the devout, but they also offer much: strong convictions, stable worldviews, close emotional community with like-minded people, networks of lived solidarity and charity. This makes fundamentalist forms attractive to people, and this poses great dangers today."
"The religious debates have always been conducted in a very desolate manner," noted Feridun Zaimoglu. The author and honorary professor of the state of Schleswig-Holstein had accompanied the themed evenings and read from the book "HERE: Stories of Young Refugees in Germany." "Does Islam belong to Germany, yes or no? Islam has played no role in Germany for the last 100 years. But nevertheless, there is a great wave of outrage," said Zaimoglu. Güvercin commented: "The debates are heated. Yet, Muslims and non-Muslims coexist well in everyday life. But this is rarely, if ever, discussed publicly."
As expected, the audience's desire to have their say on the topic of faith and to ask questions was strong. This was addressed with a "get-together" with the protagonists.
Part 3) A life path with many curves – the Ombudsman for Hamburg’s refugee work, Annegrethe Stoltenberg, guest at the ASM theme evening on the role of women
What kind of society do women who have fled to Germany find themselves in? What injuries and vulnerabilities do they bring with them? What new role models do they face? These questions were the focus of the literary stories presented by author Feridun Zaimoglu, who read from the book "HERE. Stories of Young Refugees" at the beginning of the third and final evening of ASM's reading and discussion series.
"The straight line is godless," is what Annegrethe Stoltenberg, quoting Hundertwasser, would like to call her autobiography. ASM Managing Director Marion Wartumjan, the evening's moderator, used this quote to open the conversation with the ombudsman of the Hamburg Ombudsman's Office for Refugee Work at the theme evening "The Roles of Women in Coexistence." The former head of the Diakonie (social welfare service) in Hamburg looks back on a life path that has not been straightforward: At 18, she left the church, studied education, and worked as a teacher.
Stoltenberg: "I was the first woman among 150 colleagues and 3,000 students at the vocational school for motor mechanics." Previously, the head of the vocational school had unsuccessfully resisted the idea of assigning a female teacher. Through travels to Asia and her exploration of Buddhism, Stoltenberg developed a desire to engage intensively with our culture. She began studying theology and eventually became the first woman to hold the office of regional pastor.
Vartumyan used Stoltenberg's biography as an opportunity to point out that, historically speaking, women in this country haven't had full freedom of choice in their careers for very long. "We should be aware of this, especially when meeting people from other countries."
Stoltenberg described her impressions, which she gained during visits to refugee accommodations: "It is striking that women feel a high degree of responsibility for their children, for the whole family." They typically react to the cramped conditions in the initial reception centers and the fact that they cannot cook for their families with depression and become pregnant despite these conditions.
However, there are some women who want to get divorced and no longer have as many children because they see different role models. This leads to conflicts, said Stoltenberg. Enabling more participation opportunities for women is not only the responsibility of the host society, she said, referring to the role of men.
The moderator emphasized that in previous years, integration policy had failed to invest significantly in women's education and, consequently, in children. At this point, Feridun Zaimoglu joined the conversation: "It's no use if the man is a stubborn person at home. Men are the problem. If you live in a city, you should also pursue urbanization." The discussion concluded with Wartumyan's plea to offer women motivating opportunities for education and careers, and the guests then reunited over refreshments.
The event series was supported by:
Refugee Fund of Hamburg Foundations, Novum Hospitality, Böttcher Foundation, Hamburg Foundation for Migrants
Part 1) German Conditions – a literary approach to the circumstances today and during the Nazi era with the cultural scientist Helmut Lethen
With the event series "Arrived.HERE – German Conditions Between Glorification and Contempt," ASM is speaking out in the current heated debate about immigration. To kick things off, the non-profit organization invited Germanist and cultural studies scholar Helmut Lethen and author Feridun Zaimoglu to the Quality Hotel Ambassador on June 24, 2018. Zaimoglu began the afternoon reading from his book "HERE. Stories of Young Refugees in Germany," published by ASM.
Helmut Lethen then introduced his book "The Councillors of State – Elite in the Third Reich: Gründgens, Furtwängler, Sauerbruch, Schmitt," published this year, and read a chapter about the fictional conversation between the four Councillors of State in Berlin, in which they discuss the value of the national community, which the Nazis upheld. Lethen commented: "The idea of identity must be artificially created. I imagine a kind of funnel for the national community: At the top are the Communists and Social Democrats, who are peeled away, below them come Jews, then come homosexuals and Roma, and then remains the master race of the Nazis, who must carve out the identity of the German people over many centuries."
During the conversation, moderated by ASM Managing Director Marion Wartumjan, she and Lethen talk about the constitutional lawyer Carl Schmitt, who was revered by the new right and appointed State Councilor by Hermann Göring in 1933.
Helmut Lethen: “Carl Schmitt said: ‘An enemy is someone who threatens the existence of others through their difference.’” In order to recognize the danger, one must engage with this way of thinking, says Lethen.
Wartumjan also advocated "carefully analyzing current conditions and the social climate and not sacrificing freedom of expression to a moralistic approach to conformity." The ASM team experiences challenges of migration and problems of integration in its daily operational work; however, these have been trivialized or downplayed in public debate for years. This, he said, has also contributed to making right-wing radical views politically and socially acceptable. Immigration is currently being used as a scapegoat for the insecurity triggered worldwide by fundamental technological changes and product and process innovations. "Lethen's book touches on fundamental issues of our time," Wartumjan said.
Part 2) Plea for a German Islam – Conversation with Eren Güvercin and Feridun Zaimoglu on the topic of “Faith”
Migration strengthens religion – this is a tenet of religious scholars. With this statement, moderator Marion Wartumjan began her conversation with journalist Eren Güvercin on June 25, 2018, at the ASM theme evening "Faith, Believers, and Our Society." The ASM managing director explained that emigration is extremely risky, as it means embarking on an uncertain future. In this situation, people cling to their God, who provides inner security in a new, often hostile environment.
The Muslim Eren Güvercin advocated for a "German Islam." The author of the book "Neo-Muslims - Portrait of a German Generation" defines this as sermons in mosques that connect with the realities of life for migrants in Germany. This requires imams who are not just sent from Turkey for a few years, but rather imams who are familiar with the realities of life for Muslims in Germany. The sermon language should be German. This way, even newly arrived people from Afghanistan, Syria, or other countries can participate in the sermons.
Christianity was also a topic of discussion during the evening. The Christian faith is more deeply rooted in Germany at the beginning of the 21st century than it appears in many places. Wartumjan provided the relevant facts: "On weekends, more people attend church services than go to Bundesliga stadiums, and in surveys, 70 percent of respondents describe themselves as religious." Experts refer to this as "believing without belonging," referring to people who believe but do not participate in church life.
Worldwide, fundamentalist forms of belief are on the rise over liberal expressions of religiosity, according to the ASM executive director. "The diversity of lifestyles creates confusion. Fundamentalisms demand much from the devout, but they also offer much: strong convictions, stable worldviews, close emotional community with like-minded people, networks of lived solidarity and charity. This makes fundamentalist forms attractive to people, and this poses great dangers today."
"The religious debates have always been conducted in a very desolate manner," noted Feridun Zaimoglu. The author and honorary professor of the state of Schleswig-Holstein had accompanied the themed evenings and read from the book "HERE: Stories of Young Refugees in Germany." "Does Islam belong to Germany, yes or no? Islam has played no role in Germany for the last 100 years. But nevertheless, there is a great wave of outrage," said Zaimoglu. Güvercin commented: "The debates are heated. Yet, Muslims and non-Muslims coexist well in everyday life. But this is rarely, if ever, discussed publicly."
As expected, the audience's desire to have their say on the topic of faith and to ask questions was strong. This was addressed with a "get-together" with the protagonists.
Part 3) A life path with many curves – the Ombudsman for Hamburg’s refugee work, Annegrethe Stoltenberg, guest at the ASM theme evening on the role of women
What kind of society do women who have fled to Germany find themselves in? What injuries and vulnerabilities do they bring with them? What new role models do they face? These questions were the focus of the literary stories presented by author Feridun Zaimoglu, who read from the book "HERE. Stories of Young Refugees" at the beginning of the third and final evening of ASM's reading and discussion series.
"The straight line is godless," is what Annegrethe Stoltenberg, quoting Hundertwasser, would like to call her autobiography. ASM Managing Director Marion Wartumjan, the evening's moderator, used this quote to open the conversation with the ombudsman of the Hamburg Ombudsman's Office for Refugee Work at the theme evening "The Roles of Women in Coexistence." The former head of the Diakonie (social welfare service) in Hamburg looks back on a life path that has not been straightforward: At 18, she left the church, studied education, and worked as a teacher.
Stoltenberg: "I was the first woman among 150 colleagues and 3,000 students at the vocational school for motor mechanics." Previously, the head of the vocational school had unsuccessfully resisted the idea of assigning a female teacher. Through travels to Asia and her exploration of Buddhism, Stoltenberg developed a desire to engage intensively with our culture. She began studying theology and eventually became the first woman to hold the office of regional pastor.
Vartumyan used Stoltenberg's biography as an opportunity to point out that, historically speaking, women in this country haven't had full freedom of choice in their careers for very long. "We should be aware of this, especially when meeting people from other countries."
Stoltenberg described her impressions, which she gained during visits to refugee accommodations: "It is striking that women feel a high degree of responsibility for their children, for the whole family." They typically react to the cramped conditions in the initial reception centers and the fact that they cannot cook for their families with depression and become pregnant despite these conditions.
However, there are some women who want to get divorced and no longer have as many children because they see different role models. This leads to conflicts, said Stoltenberg. Enabling more participation opportunities for women is not only the responsibility of the host society, she said, referring to the role of men.
The moderator emphasized that in previous years, integration policy had failed to invest significantly in women's education and, consequently, in children. At this point, Feridun Zaimoglu joined the conversation: "It's no use if the man is a stubborn person at home. Men are the problem. If you live in a city, you should also pursue urbanization." The discussion concluded with Wartumyan's plea to offer women motivating opportunities for education and careers, and the guests then reunited over refreshments.
The event series was supported by:
Refugee Fund of Hamburg Foundations, Novum Hospitality, Böttcher Foundation, Hamburg Foundation for Migrants