Chemnitz_zieht_an_Magazin_2024_englisch

so much for the big picture is happening
here on a small scale – multicultural
coexistence with mutual respect. In the
middle of it all: Thomas Höppner, who
until a few years ago had hardly had any
contact with other cultures. Then came
the wave of refugees in 2015. “The media
images burned themselves into my
mind – especially the Syrian boy who
was washed up on the Turkish coast,”
he says. “That’s when it started rattling
around inside my head: we should...” Yes,
we should, but what? How can you help?
Donate money, perhaps. But where? And
will it get to where it is needed?
The film producer, who produces videos
for the Niners basketball team in
Chemnitz among other things, finally
met Muhammad Ahmad, also known as
Moe. The two got to know each other
in the “Unknown Baskets” recreational
team, met up at Niners fan events and
began spending more and more time
together. Start with a Friend also pursues
this goal – just with a little help to
get started. The non-profit association
creates personal encounters between
people with and without a history of immigration
in the spirit of living diversity.
The vision: to break down prejudices,
provide support through friendships and
build networks. This happens in so-called
“tandems”. The principle: based on
shared interests, living conditions and,
last but not least, the gut feeling of the
organizing team, each “newcomer” is
assigned a “local”. This is not to be confused
with a mentoring program, where,
for example, visits to the authorities
are taken care of. There are no obligations
and no pressure to succeed. “It’s
primarily about spending quality time
together as equals and making it easier
to settle in,” explain Thomas and Moe,
who found out about the initiative from
a co-founder of the association. The two
didn’t hang about, and in summer 2021
they used an online channel to convince
the association’s Berlin headquarters
that Chemnitz in particular needed the
Start with a Friend – SwaF for short –
program.
“They’re a real dream team. They were
and are highly motivated,” enthuses Josef
Al-Khalili. The association’s Regional
Coordinator East visits each location
twice a year to check on the status of
the charitable work. Today, he stops off
in Chemnitz by chance, mingles with the
newcomers, talks to locals and clearly
feels at home. “We had a good feeling
about Chemnitz right from the start,
especially in light of the riots in 2018.
Thomas and Moe were very well prepared
and had already established good
contacts and a network in the city.” Such
criteria are important for establishing
new locations – after all, the association
is financed with the help of public
funding. Although the placement of
tandems in the city could be expanded
– a good 20 have been formed so far –
Chemnitz has a very lively community.
They meet at least twice a month for
joint activities. The first Monday of the
month is a fixed date for the regulars’
table at Weltecho. Up to 35 people from
15 nations come along. In addition, bowling
evenings, paddle boat trips and joint
visits to the Niners bring the community
together.
Thomas has a family and a busy job.
Logically, the question often comes from
those around him: Why are you taking
on all of this? “I appreciate the international
exchange, I’m interested in their life
stories and their journey to Chemnitz. I
want to know what problems they have,
whether they are happy,” explains the
39-year-old, who next moment grows
very thoughtful: “The work does something
to you. I’m white, I have two children
who can grow up in safety – you realize
how privileged you are to live here. This
really hit home when I went to the association’s
national meeting in Cologne in
2022.”
Thomas and Moe are two of six organizers
in the Chemnitz team. Across
Germany, up to 350 dedicated members
are involved in connecting people with
and without a history of immigration.
Since the association was founded in
2014, more than 8,000 tandems have
come together. If you would like to get to
know and support the association, click
online at www.start-with-a-friend.de.
www.start-with-a-friend.de
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