Despite the easing, adolescents are still suffering from the corona crisis and restrictions. In order to draw attention to their needs, youth worker Olaf Schräder organizes a demonstration in Petershausen. Mayor Marcel Fath supports the idea. He says: "You practically force the youth underground."
BY PETRA SCHAFFLIK
Petershausen - listening to music with friends or just sitting together, watching who is there in the youth center and maybe playing a game of football - all of this has not been possible for weeks. Even if the corona rules apply to everyone, especially young people feel the restrictions particularly strongly. Because meeting peers, exchanging ideas, implementing ideas together is essential for this phase of life.
But youth centers did not appear in the list of easing for a long time. And cultural offerings for young people are not on the agenda of openings. "Because the youth have no lobby," says Olaf Schräder, social worker and deputy managing director of the youth work association, which organizes youth work offers in seven district municipalities. To draw attention to this deficit, Olaf Schräder and young people are organizing a demonstration in Petershausen on Friday, June 5th. Under the motto "Young Culture Matters - Youth is more than school" there are speeches and live music. The event is also advertised on Facebook.
The mayor of Petershausen, Marcel Fath (FW), not only approved this event - strictly according to the conditions with a maximum of 50 participants. Rather, the town hall boss expressly supports the idea. "Because youth is currently not taking place politically. With this event we are setting an example, of course in a very legal framework. ”In fact, Fath, who will also speak at the demo, is really angry how young people are currently getting out of the sight of those responsible for politics. "The youth has no contact point, that is grossly negligent, because they are practically forced into the underground."
As everywhere, the youth center in Petershausen was now closed for weeks. As a result, the previously close contact of the youth workers with the young people now threatens to be lost, the City Hall chief warns.
In fact, this time is “more difficult for young people than for adults,” emphasizes Ludwig Gasteiger, managing director of the district youth ring, who is responsible for community youth work in six district municipalities, among other things. Counseling services were maintained by the youth workers by telephone and digitally. "But children and teenagers don't call, they are looking for the casual door-and-door situation to get talking," says Gasteiger.
Olaf Schräder has the same experience. "Conversations begin in everyday situations that are now lacking." Only those young people who are really serious problems are currently looking for targeted contact with the educators, he believes. Schräder is annoyed that young people are currently only "perceived by politicians in their role as pupils". But education doesn't just take place at school. With the practice of democratic processes and their contribution to establishing identity "youth work is also education, but it is not currently taking place".
After all, the youth centers can now open again. "That alone is a sign." Against this background, the youth demo on Friday may appear too late. "But we have long been looking for a way to draw attention to the fact that, above all, youth culture is currently not possible," says youth worker and organizer Olaf Schräder.
With the demo, emphasized City Councilor Fath, "let's set an example. At the same time, the event creates an encounter that has not been possible for a long time. "Everything within the permissible framework." And the event on Friday should not be enough, the action could rather be the start of more. The goal is “to revitalize youth culture,” says Olaf Schräder. In the long term, the idea is that the small live concert as part of the demo could be the starting point for a whole series of youth open-air concerts this summer.
