Kempten - With the municipal integration concept there is a future guideline for institutions, administrations, politics as well as full-time and voluntary workers.
It took two years, around 200 specialists and full-time and voluntary Kempten residents from around 85 different institutions that are active in the cross-cutting thematic field of integration contributed to it.
Now the municipal integration concept could finally be passed unanimously by the city council.
In the future, it should serve as a guideline for all those involved in Kempten's integration work.
"It is an important building block for the integration work in the city of Kempten", the integration officer of the city council Ilknur Altan (SPD) praised it as a "good concept".
The city needs goals
Language and education, work and training, health and care, civic engagement, social participation, intercultural opening are the fields of activity that have been identified as such. Despite the fact that the hour was already late, it was Green City Councilor Lajos Fischer, Managing Director of Haus International and member of the AGABY board (umbrella association of integration advisory councils in the Free State of Bavaria), in the city council meeting, to focus on two topics: integration and strengthening democracy. The former has "a long tradition" in the city of Kempten, he recalled, among other things, of the redevelopment of the district below the Burghalde. "I hope that another milestone like this" will be set in motion.
Above all, it is "important to formulate clear, measurable goals".
But he didn't skimp on critical comments either.
"We made around 60 text suggestions", he regretted that in the end only three of them were included in the concept, albeit three important ones.
"Discussion must be possible"
Regarding the strengthening of democracy, with a view to only 44 percent turnout in the last ballot, he had made the motion a long time ago to get people more involved through more citizen participation.
He sees it as counterproductive that projects “are decided in informal groups”.
The specialist groups would have worked well per se;
On the other hand, it is not good that “one can no longer even question results”.
In his opinion, “an open discussion” must still be possible.
Thomas Baier-Regnery, advisor for youth, school and social affairs, explained that the comments "were known to all parliamentary groups and employees" and were incorporated into the concept as much as intended.
Walter Freudling (AfD) attested that there were “no problems” with most people with a migration background, but “the whole thing is not yet complete, we still have a lot of work to do”.
Religious freedom should “not be a one-way street”.
Franz-Josef Natterer-Babych (UB / ödp) choked off Freudling's objection on the topic of leading culture as not appropriate here, because “what is leading culture?”.
One thing was certain for Helmut Berchtold (CSU): “The subject of integration will be more important in our city than any other.” If you consider the shortage of skilled workers, “we are dependent on everyone”.
More events in public space
At the last meeting of the Committee for Culture and City Theater, Silvia Schäfer (CSU) remarked that “I miss people with a migration background” in cultural events and asked them to “involve them more” was also about people with a migration background.
Fischer said that “people with a migration background cannot necessarily be recognized”, especially if they are from Europe.
Nevertheless, he would welcome more events in public spaces, as “many are so used to this from their cultural areas”.