CEAL -program Leipzig – Reudnitz

 

Reudnitz is neighborhood in the east of Leipzig. The district is very heterogeneous area. People with migrant background, pensioners, students and young families are living here. In the last years Reudnitz attracted more and more students and  young families due to lower rents. Reudnitz is a neighborhood in transition. Long time it was mainly known only due to it´s bad reputation regarding high unemployment rates, drug and crime issues.

In August 2014 “Dresdner59” started as new project for neigbourhood work of the evangelical church – Dreifaltigkeitsgemeinde in Reudnitz. Since April a Neighborhood Café has opened in “Dresdner 59”. Three days a week for several hours, exchanging fresh baked pies, fair-trade coffee and regional juices for cash donations. Most important are the alliances people experience here and the projects that originate from this meeting place.

The CEAL program took place there to increase community involvement in the neighbourhood and to bring new experiences and methods of working with youngsters in the ‘Urban Commons’, a mixed group of young students and local youth.

They started to interact with the local community by playing 2 Oasis Games and having weekly project meetings. The first part of the program a yurt was set up in a park in the neighborhood to attract people to come and participate. This easily accessible formula lead to a 100 people coming to share their ideas for a better neighborhood.

Some of these ideas were realized in the first weekend to proof things can change and to invite youth and community-members to take on bigger challenges. After various intermediate gathering with the initiators of ideas another intensive 2 weekend program was organized, involving students in collaborating with the community in realizing three projects that were chosen to be most impactful and having most support. Prototypes were realized and carried forward by Dresdner 59 with additional coaching.

In spring 2016 the public Box for toys and games were launched in a celebration. The CEAL-pilot in Leipzig was especially characterized for bringing together people from different social and cultural backgrounds. At the same time this first pilot of CEAL was an impulse into defining the shape of the CEAL-pilots, which in Germany was preceded by another pilot program in the Brunnenviertel in Berlin in collaboration with the TU Berlin.

Community partner – The “Dresdner59” is meeting space for the neighbourhood where people get encouraged to participate and improve life in their district run by the Dreifaltigkeitsgemeinde Leipzig. Different Workshops and cultural activities are offered. The Dresdner59 is open to all generations, biographies and ideologies, it is supposed to be: A small oasis of coexistence.

“Reudnitz blüht auf” is a neighbourhood network that what to promote collective action by the habitants to improve the life in Reudnitz and mutual aid in the neighbourhood.

Educactional partner – FH Merseburg a University of Appilied Science near to Leipzig – Faculty for social work 14 Students of FH Merseburg of the first semester in social work participated in the pilot as part of a practical seminar (with Credit Points), where Students spent 8 weeks with a project of a local partner and reflect with their Professor about the process.

Program Design
PHASE 1: Preparation phase and dissemination.
PHASE 2: Small Oasis and building a Yurt
PHASE 3. Public Dream events
PHASE 4: Second Oasis Game
PHASE 5: Working on the projects: Coaching and mentoring to propel new projects and final presentation

Participants – 19 students 8 local youth with the community.

Results
– Realization of 3 projects:
o Reudnitz Info: Information board for the community which was put
up in local shops
o Bottlereycling-boxes to put in recycling bottles at public places
o Public Box for toys/ games in a park
– More connection between people in the community
– Empowerment of the youth
– Introduction and promoting the mutual aid neigbourhood network
“Reudnitz blüht auf”

Learning– “Dance and cooperative games are essential for learning and group dynamics”

Who to get in touch with for of more information?
Get in touch with Raphael Schmidt via rs@ideenhochdrei.org.