Big step in co-determination: district administrator praises the integration council as an important institution for Freising

Created: 03.10.2022, 20:00

The long night of democracy was held under the motto "Democracy moves".

At the Market of Opportunities in the upper house of the Lindenkeller, institutions, clubs and groups drew attention to various problems in the world.

© Lehmann

The offers at the "Long Night of Democracy" were diverse, the discussions exciting.

Only more visitors would have deserved the actions in Freising and Moosburg.

Freising

- Should there be an obligatory social year for everyone - yes or no?

This question was probably the most exciting that was discussed at this year's Long Night of Democracy on Sunday - and quite controversially at that.

Under the motto "Democracy moves", Freising and Moosburg put together a joint program for the first time this year, which was impressive - alone in terms of the number of visitors there was still room for improvement in both cities.

What District Administrator Helmut Petz wished for during the opening speech in Freising's Lindenkeller: "We need basic civic education!"

According to Petz, around 20,000 people in the Freising district currently have no right to vote due to their origin, which is why the recently installed integration council is a big step in co-determination for the cathedral city - or as Petz put it: "We are making these people able to speak."

By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.

In order to draw attention to various problems, numerous information stands have come together in the upper house of the Lindenkeller to form a market of possibilities - including Amnesty International, Lebenshilfe Freising and, for the first time, the Integration Council.

The round table on child participation, which was founded in 2021 as part of the Democracy Night, also celebrated its premiere.

"The children and young people are also citizens of this city," explained social worker Meral Meindl.

"What we are planning, for example, is a children's city map for Freising."

MdL Johannes Becher (Greens/Sofa, left) and his colleague Benno Zierer (Free Voters/Sofa, right) had different opinions during the discussion on the subject of "Compulsory year of service - real opportunity or camouflaged exploitation?".

© Lorenz

Perhaps the most interesting event of the evening took place in the lower house - namely a discussion round by the Freising district youth council on the subject of "mandatory year of service - real opportunity or camouflaged exploitation?" The two state parliamentarians Benno Zierer (free voters) and Johannes Becher sat on the stage (Greens): one strictly for, the other strictly against.

What became very clear here: It is a thoroughly complex topic, on which most of the guests were basically torn, as there are advantages and disadvantages on both sides.

Thus, this discussion became a prime example of what grass-roots democracy means - namely a laborious elaboration of the topic and a weighing of benefits and harms.

Richard Lorenz

You can find more current news from the district of Freising at Merkur.de/Freising.