Bruck is diverse - in terms of the origins of its residents, but also in terms of its social structure.
A working group has drawn up guidelines so that everyone can participate in the city community.
The goal: fewer barriers, more togetherness.
Fürstenfeldbruck -
"The city community is not bad," emphasizes Willi Dräxler (BBV). “Most people like to live in Bruck.” However, the integration officer in the city council is not satisfied with the current situation. He wants to make the togetherness even better. You have to think about what urban community actually means. Guidelines have now been formulated for this purpose. They should now be filled with life.
He had the idea for a corresponding concept six years ago, says Dräxler.
Then came the wave of refugees and the first asylum shelters were set up.
"We noticed that something has to be done in the direction of the city community," reports Doreen Höltl, from the staff unit for social affairs in the town hall.
Philipp Heimerl (SPD) applied for an integration concept.
But this is not enough, says Höltl.
It's more about inclusion.
At the edge of society
The concept that initially grew out of the application continued to develop. The name Stadtgemeinschaft was born. “The term integration conveys negative associations,” says Dräxler. “There are not only people who have a history of migration.” There are also people who live on the margins of society because they have a handicap, are less educated or cannot find their way into the community for other reasons. You want to open the door to them too. “We do not want any forced missions,” emphasizes Dräxler. Many foreign citizens are better integrated than others with a low educational status.
The people of Bruck want to show that they are a cosmopolitan city.
A group of representatives from churches and mosques, associations and speakers from the city council summarized this in guidelines: Diversity and tolerance are desirable, there is no room for racism and discrimination.
Bruck stands for good communication, imparting knowledge and commitment.
All of this is written down in the code of values adopted by the city council's integration committee.
"Everyone who wants to live here should be able to become part of the city community," says Höltl.
And everyone should also be able to contribute.
Information for everyone
Communication is particularly important: “Everyone should get information,” says Höltl. To do this, the hurdles must be as low as possible. Some are inundated by the flood of information. The other one doesn't find it. "People are not ready to get information," says Dräxler. The city has to take action here. The task now is to fill the noble goals with life. During these weeks, the working group with speakers, association and church representatives is to discuss for the first time where to tackle. A first topic could be the area of working and living, believes Höltl.
After taking stock of where information is available and who can help, further ideas should be developed. Dräxler is thinking of free tickets or cards with a symbolic price for low-wage earners to give them access to culture and sport. All of this is always about the voluntary nature of the commitment and the offers. “It is the responsibility of all actors.” Success cannot be guaranteed.
But there are already some examples of a lived city community that encourage courage: The Corona neighborhood aid, which has developed out of the city community.
Or the meeting of the young at heart, which the Seniors' Advisory Board is reviving because many older people want company.
There are also ideas in the homeless sector to reintegrate people who live on the streets into the urban community.
“You just have to support a lot and make it better known,” says Doreen Höltl.
Others need a little more push.
And now you want to tackle these things step by step.