Annual Report 2012 Contents

Action Reconciliation – Service for Peace Annual Report 2012 Contents

Report by the Board of Action Reconciliation Service for Peace ……...………… page 5 Public relations work …………………...... ……………………………………...…... page 21

Introduction 5 ARSP’s annual themes 6 Long-term voluntary service 8 Intercultural work ……………………...... ………………………………. page 25 Summer camps in the anniversary year 10 Medium-term voluntary service in Israel 11 Trainee programmes 12 Study and encounter trips in Belarus Regional work in Germany ……………………………...... ……………. page 27 and Russia 13 International meeting centre Beit Ben Yehuda – House of Peace, Jerusalem 14 Foyer le Pont, Paris 14 International youth centre Reports on voluntary work……………………………...... …………...……... page 29 Os´wie˛cim / Auschwitz (IJBS) 15 Federal Working Group on the Church and Right-Wing Extremism 16 Organisation, the Board 17 The Protes- Belarus 30 Belgium 33 Czech Republic 38 France 42 Germany 46 tant Church in Germany (EKD) 17 Other partners 17 Financial situa- Great Britain 50 Israel 53 Netherlands 58 Norway 62 Poland 66 tion 18 Head office and country offices 18 A word of thanks to our Russia 70 Ukraine 74 USA 78 supporters 19 Summer camps and steering committee ...... page 85

2012 financial statement and 2013 budget …...... …...... page 91

Structure of the organisation ...... page 100

A word of thanks to our supporters ...... page 102

Impressum

Published by: Action Reconciliation Service for Peace · Auguststraße 80 · 10117 Berlin Phone: (030) 28 39 51 84 · Fax: (030) 28 39 51 35 E-mail: [email protected] · Internet: www.asf-ev.de Account for donations: 311 3700 · Bank für Sozialwirtschaft · Sort code 100 205 00 Edited by: Friederike Schmidt (responsible editor), Carolin Schmidt Layout: Andreas Krannich, Halle / Saale Translation: Amy Hunter Reporting period: March 2012 – February 2013 Cover photo: Jakob Odenwald and Gabriel Goldschmidt in Israel. All photos, unless marked otherwise: ARSP archive.

2 Kolumnenzeile (Kapitelbeschreibung) Action Reconciliation Service for Peace – Annual Report 2012 3 Report by the Board of Action Reconciliation Service for Peace

Dr. Elisabeth Raiser Jutta Weduwen

Introduction

Once again in 2012, the main focus of Action Reconciliation Service for Peace’s work was on our volunteer programme. Nearly 180 volunteers set off for 13 different countries on 1st September, to work with the elderly, socially disadvantaged, disabled people and in historical or political education work. 28 volunteers came from our partner countries to do voluntary service with ARSP. Volunteers from Poland have been taking part in the German / Polish / British programme in England for over ten years, while Ukrainian volunteers have now taken part in the Polish/Ukrainian/German programme for the fourth time. The international programme in Germany saw volunteers coming together from all of our partner countries. The six-month medium-term service, aimed specifically at volunteers of different generations, took place once again in Israel, de- parting in March.

The Federal Programme for International Volunteers (German acronym: IJFD), which replaced the Federal Office for Civilian Service, has established itself as providing an important funding base for our voluntary service for the third year running. This programme provides support to volunteers from Germany up to the age of 26.

The past year was also one of saying farewell. Following forty years of great commitment, Jens Pohl retired in March. We are happy to have gained Magda- lena Scharf, who previously ran our country office in the USA, as his successor in the regional work division.

Then in May, there was a change of management: Christian Staffa, who has run ARSP with great enthusiasm and success for thirteen years, was given a formal send off on 20th May, held at the French Cathedral in Berlin. Along with Katrin Göring-Eckardt, Stephan Kramer, Jörg Lüer and Agot Sundelin-Johansen of ARSP’s international circle of friends and our chairwoman Elisabeth Raiser, Nicholas Schneider, chairman of the council of the Protestant Church in Germany, paid tribute to his work: „In the name of the Protestant Church in Germany and also in a personal capacity, I would like to thank Christian Staffa. Thank you for your dedication, ima- gination and passion for ARSP’s basic ideas. It has opened up new paths: new experiences and a new spirit of reconciliation, understanding and peace for our country, both with its neighbours and within the country itself.“

The historian Rainer Ohliger took over as Christian Staffa’s successor, but stood down at the end of his probationary period in October. We regret that no lasting collaboration developed and would like to thank him for his efforts. Jutta Weduwen,

4 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Report by the Board 5 who had previously been deputy director, took over as the provisional director. The post was re-advertised and the board decided to appoint two directors: Jutta Weduwen and Dr. Dagmar Pruin. Jutta Weduwen is a sociologist and joined Action Reconciliation Service for Peace in 2001. She began as the country programme director for Israel and later worked as head of the intercultural work project area, developing projects on teaching history in the immigration society and on historical/intercultural dialogue. She has continually supported our voluntary work by running educational programmes. Dr. Dagmar Pruin is a Protestant theolo- gian. Along with interpreting biblical texts, her work focuses mainly on Chris- tian / Jewish dialogue, culture of remembrance and determining the relations between religion and politics. She runs the German / American / Jewish encounter programme Germany Close Up, which to date has brought nearly 1200 young Jewish Americans to visit Germany.

2012 was the fiftieth anniversary of ARSP’s summer camp work. Thus our annual theme was: „Against the grain. Stories of courage, remembrance and democracy from five decades of Action Reconciliation’s international summer camps“. Several events were held to mark this anniversary, culminating in the three-day annual general meeting in Magdeburg, where the very first summer camp was held in 1962. This was an opportunity to take stock of fifty years of Participants at the annual general meeting in Magdeburg. (Left to right): summer camps, to honour the diverse and dedicated efforts that have been Waltraud Mann, Ulrike Huhn and Ulrike Kind. made so far, to address existing debates and controversies and to take a look to the future. tion. This last one in particular was made possible thanks to the very broad sum Our commitment against right-wing extremism remained a further important mer camp programme for 2012, in which for the first time we were able to offer at part of our work in the past year. The Federal Working Group on the Church and least one summer camp in each of the ARSP long-term service project countries. Right-Wing Extremism (BAGKR), which was co-founded by ARSP in 2010, once again called for the neo-Nazi demonstration held in February in Dresden to be The starting point for working on this annual theme was the ecumenical ser- stopped. ARSP, with many former volunteers and members, took part in blocking vice held together with the Stephanus Foundation in Berlin-Weißensee. One fo- the march. Together with the BAGKR, ARSP issued the widely acclaimed appeal cus was on German/Polish relations and on Action Reconciliation’s early work “Charity requires clarity – blockade Nazi marches everywhere”, which explained in Poland, which was only made possible due to protection by the churches and the rationale for working against right-wing extremism and holding a peaceful in the spirit of inter-faith dialogue. With Maria Wroniszewska of Krakow, who blockade of neo-Nazi marches from a Christian perspective. used to welcome and take care of the summer camps around the Catholic Intel- lectuals Club, and Hans-Detlef Peter, a member of the ARSP steering commit- Following the publication of the first BAGKR guidelines on working against tee, two long-serving companions reported on how this German gesture of re- anti-semitism, last year saw the publication of two further flyers about racism conciliation was something that could by no means be taken for granted in and hostility towards homosexuals. Poland, and on what it meant during the period of martial law to be under sur- veillance by the state security services, only able to come together illegally so as to take part in the summer camps. ARSP’s annual themes The annual reception took place in the Saxony-Anhalt federal state office in Berlin, a choice which reflected the upcoming anniversary celebrations to be On the occasion of our anniversary, the annual theme for 2012 was „Against the held in the state capital Magdeburg, the city where the summer camp work be- grain. Stories of courage, remembrance and democracy from five decades of gan. Paul Niedermann, who testified at the trial of Klaus Barbie in 1987 and Action Reconciliation’s international summer camps“. This was addressed on made a key contribution to his conviction, talked about his life in National So- every level of the association and also in our voluntary, educational and public cialist Germany and about surviving the Gurs internment camp. Above all, he relations work, including at the annual reception and annual general meeting, told how after forty years of silence he managed to find the words to describe as well as at the volunteer seminars in our various partner countries. his experiences and has continued to share his story with people in Germany, France and other countries to this day. In the presence of Dr. Richard von Weiz- Attempting to review 50 years of international summer camps, to honour the säcker, Matteo Schürenberg, spokesman of the ARSP steering committee, re- many efforts made so far and to look to the future was an ambitious underta- minded the roughly 120 assembled guests that the former president’s „day of king for one single annual theme. One aim was to make visible the motives, forms liberation“ speech on 8th May 1985 had itself been an act against historical re- and changes involved in the summer camp work, above all regarding its contri- visionism within West German society, which was something both courageous bution to building and developing civil society and its many fields of applica- and not to be underestimated.

6 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Report by the Board ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Report by the Board 7 The highlight of our work in this area was the summer camp work conference, service, the number of applications has reduced. Nevertheless, the figures have held in Magdeburg from 27th - 29th April under the motto of the annual theme. risen slightly from 2012 to 2013 and the number of applicants has been suffici- The idea was to view the summer camps not as a separate form of voluntary ser- ent so far. We are optimistic that the idea of voluntary service will continue to vice unique to the GDR, or as its exclusive patrimony, but instead to conceive of spread in society. them in their interaction with East/West German and German/European contemporary history and in relation to the sister organisations in the FRG, as well The vast majority of volunteers began their service with a preparation seminar as addressing how they have developed since the reunification. The conference in Hirschluch, near Berlin. Preparations for the international programme in Ger proceedings of the same name, published in time to coincide with the anni- many were held separately, as in previous years, due to the wide variety of lan- versary event, allowed us to recapture some of the stories and memories recoun- guages spoken. The volunteers for both of the trilateral programmes in Poland ted by those who undertook reconciliation work in the divided Europe, and to and Great Britain began their service with a joint preparation seminar in Krakow. gain insight into the motivation of current ARSP volunteers, both in and outside of the summer camps. There was a lively exchange among the over 250 participants, including many international guests from NGOs, churches and academia, addressing questions such as differing responses to anti-fascism in East and West Regional churches Volunteers Total 180 Europe, and the meaning of the ecumenical movement in divided Europe. Anhalt 0 120 women, 60 men On 9th November 2012, together with the Jewish Community of Dresden, the Society of Christian-Jewish Cooperation in Dresden and Saxony’s Bureau of Culture, ARSP re- Baden 6 membered the pogrom of November 1938 and, at the request of the Jewish Com- munity, made working in Jewish cemeteries part of its main focus. The memo- Bavaria 10 rial event entitled „Living memory – preserve the new Jewish cemetery in Dresden!“ raised awareness of the community’s concerns, to ensure the upkeep of graves Berlin-Brandenburg 34 by adopting sponsorships and supporting maintenance work in the cemetery. The day of remembrance ended with a Shabbat service, followed by Kiddush, Braunschweig 1 which was attended by over 120 participants. Bremen 2 Countries Volunteers The annual theme for 2013 is „Continuing the dialogue: Living history in cross- generational encounters“. This kicked off with the annual reception at the Kreuz Central Germany 3 Belgium 11 kirche church in Hannover on 19th February 2013, where the regional bishop Ralf Meister spoke, and two former volunteers gave an impressive account of Hannover 9 BY 4 their encounters. Hessen-Nassau 7 CZ 11

Long-term voluntary service Kurhessen 2 D 18

On 1st September 2012, 180 volunteers began their peace service with ARSP; 120 Mecklenburg 2 F 18 of them were women and 60 were men. 28 volunteers came from our partner countries to take part in the trilateral programmes in Great Britain and Poland North Elbien 6 GB 12 and in the international Germany programme. Besides this, as in every year, three further volunteers began their 15-month service in Norway on 1st March 2012. Oldenburg 3 IL 23

Visiting, talking, helping around the house – learning, listening and building Pomerania 3 NL 16 relationships across language barriers and across the generations: to have volunteers working with elderly people is an enrichment for both parties. A quar- Rhineland 8 NOR (3/12 and 9/12) 13 ter of all ARSP volunteers work with people with disabilities. This requires hu- mour, flexibility and patience. Whether working in a homeless shelter or a Saxony 12 PL 16 youth club – openness and curiosity are good qualifications for volunteers working with the socially disadvantaged. In the field of political and historical edu- Westphalia 14 RUS 8 cation work, volunteers work in archives, organise democracy seminars or take action against right-wing extremism. Württemberg 30 UKR 8

317 people have applied to go abroad with us in September 2013. We were able to Overseas 28 USA 22 invite almost all of them to the selection seminars in February 2013. Following the abolition of military service and with it the abolition of alternative civilian

8 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Report by the Board ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Report by the Board 9 This year, concluding seminars were held in all countries in order to evaluate the twelve-month voluntary service programmes. In addition to this there was also a returners’ seminar two months after the end of the service, hosted in cooperation with the Protestant Academy in Villigst in November 2012.

The accompanying seminars are an important element of our voluntary service programmes. They provide an opportunity for reflection of individual experiences and contacts, and in particular for recognising and maintaining international and intercultural competences. During the seminars, volunteers have the chance to explore their own biographical roots, so as to better understand and make sense of the experiences and encounters gained during their service.

In the current times of efficiency, speed and individual fulfilment, nurturing the idea of service, offering help and empathy amongst our volunteers remains a particular challenge.

Summer camps in the anniversary year

Our 50th anniversary year was a particularly successful one for the summer camps: The nine volunteers of the „Schischia 2012“ group: Aurelia Ebert, there was at least one summer camp in each of the ARSP long-term service pro- Helene Gormanns, Dorothea Hinz, Mariana Kryjanovskaia, Wencke Lehneis, ject countries (see summer camp report on page 87). Pauline Marx, Agnieszka Poplawska, Susanne Vogel, Johannes Schneider

With 33 summer camps in 16 countries, including the USA, Spain, Hungary and Israel, 2012’s programme offered many diverse possibilities for getting invol- Medium-term voluntary service in Israel ved, which were taken on by over 420 participants from 22 different countries. As in previous years, ARSP summer camps were present at large, prominent The six-month ARSP voluntary service named „Schischia“ (six-pack) in Hebrew memorial sites such as the former Buchenwald concentration camp, but they is primarily aimed at older volunteers who have already gained some professio- also showed an active presence in many places that otherwise do not receive any nal training, life and work experience. The nine volunteers sent out in 2012 support from volunteers. This included work in the Jewish cemeteries in Bialystok spent March – August working in institutions caring for the elderly, working (Poland) and Nové Sedliště (Czech Republic), at memorial sites in Ahrensbök and with people with disabilities and in archives or research institutes. The average Bernburg (Germany), in old people’s homes in Eröszpusta (Hungary) and Bucha age of the group was 28. rest (Romania) or for children of the Roma minority in Uzhgorod (Ukraine). A joint three-day preparation seminar was held at the beginning of March in A major goal for 2013 is to build on and consolidate this pleasing achievement. Berlin. One of the main topics covered was the security situation in Israel. The Among other things, the summer camp programme for 2013 includes the fol- subsequent two-day orientation seminar in Jerusalem was mainly for getting to lowing new projects: participants in the German/Israeli summer camp will know the ARSP programme and the Israeli circle of friends. This was followed find out about the causes and effects of the migration of Jewish people from the by a week-long Hebrew language course. The Schischia volunteers were given former Soviet Union to both countries, as well as learn about their current living expertise and educational support at an interim seminar, also attended by the situation; in Berlin-Plötzensee there will be a summer youth camp (over 16 ye- ARSP volunteers, who were doing the twelve-month voluntary service. An evalu- ars of age) addressing anti-Nazi resistance motivated by the Christian faith; the ation meeting was held at the end of their service. project in Winniza (Ukraine) will help to clear away trees and shrubbery from the mass graves of murdered Ukrainian Jews; in Oświęcim (Poland) a German/ The medium-term voluntary service in Israel for 2012 and 2013 was made possi- Ukrainian/Polish group will investigate former sites of forced labour and pre- ble due to the funding of most of the overall costs by the Evangelical Lutheran pare a written tour. Our long-term involvement in preparing the commemorative Church in Bavaria. We are currently taking a close look at how the programme Buchenwald Railway Path will be officially honoured when the path is opened can continue after 2013. The volunteers themselves have given positive feed- next year. back, but also expressed the wish for greater variety in the project areas in more combination projects. One challenge faced is that older volunteers, who already have professional and life experience in the day-to-day work of ARSP’s usual project placements sometimes feel under-stretched. The biggest organi- sational difficulty has been that the usual half-year gap between two groups of volunteers leads to project placements and possibilities for accommodation getting lost and having to be organised from scratch each year.

10 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Report by the Board ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Report by the Board 11 Overall, the experience of the six-month voluntary service for the elderly has Study and encounter trips in Belarus and Russia been good and gives a favourable indication for further future programmes of this kind. We have seen an increase in the number of applications for 2013. The ARSP study trips to Russia and Belarus offer an eventful mix of striking impressions into current societal relations. The programme includes encounters with writers, politicians, civil rights activists, students and ARSP volunteers, as well as contact to the Jewish and Christian communities. Tourist highlights are Trainee programmes also part of the programme: churches, synagogues and museums are visited With the collaboration and financial support of the Würth AG company, Action with German-speaking expert guides. The main thematic focus of the study Reconciliation Service for Peace has been conducting annual two-week social work trips are the lasting consequences of the Nazi war of annihilation. For example, experience placements for trainees in Poland, the Netherlands and Israel since the ARSP study trips to Belarus include reports by historians and eye-witnesses 2007. Ten trainees from Würth AG took part in the programme from 30th May to on the Wehrmacht’s war of annihilation in Belarus, about daily life in the Minsk 12th June 2012, of which four were in Israel and three each in Poland and the Ghetto, the memorial site for the victims of Stalinism and on the lasting effects Netherlands. of the Chernobyl disaster.

A similar trainee programme has been running since 2011 in cooperation with Last year’s study trip to St. Petersburg in April 2012 began with a visit to the Eas- various companies from North Rhine-Westphalia, with the support of the cham ter vigil service at the Orthodox church of the Nevsky monastery and ended by bers of commerce and industry in Münster and Bielefeld. In 2012 there were se- participating in the Erev Shabbat service at the Grand Synagogue. In between, ven trainees from four companies in the region: BASF Coatings in Münster, Gold- there was a chance to get to know this northern pearl of architecture and artis- beck in Bielefeld, Luft und Klima Anlagenbau in Münster and RWE Deutschland in tic treasures, including a guided tour of the city and a visit to the Hermitage mu- Recklinghausen. Their work placement in Israel lasted from 28th June to 11th- seum, but the troubled history of the city was ever present: at the Piskaryovsko- July. The Protestant Church of Westphalia once again provided most of the fun- ye memorial cemetery, in the Levashovo memorial field for Stalin’s victims or ding for the educational support programme. listening to the pastor recounting stories after the German Lutheran service at the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. Many of these encounters were also atten- In 2012 an equivalent programme was started for the first time in the USA, with ded by ARSP volunteers, leading to intensive exchange with the study trip parti- trainees coming from horticultural companies in various Germany cities: Beck- cipants, who were grateful for and hugely impressed by the volunteers’ dedica- mann Garten- und Landschaftsbau in Essen, Pohl Landschaftsbau in Cham, Bühler tion. Baum und Garten in Nürtingen and Stockreiter Gartengestaltung und Baumpflege in Mettingen. The work placement took place from 10th - 24th June 2012 and was Besides Minsk, Gomel and Choiniki, the Belarus study trip also included a trip made possible due to a grant from the Allianz of America, Inc. to Mogilev for the first time in 2012. There, the participants learned a great deal about the suffering endured by the people of the city during the Second World In ARSP’s trainee programmes, the desk officer responsible at our Berlin head War. One participant, Dr. Marie-Louise Fasshauer, described her impressions: office works in liaison with the companies, coordinating the preparation with the ARSP country offices and organising a two-day preparatory seminar for the „I knew next to nothing about Belarus and now I have gained so many insights into its trainees in collaboration with the House of the Wannsee Conference memorial history, culture, literature, art, but also its problems and the conditions which people the- and educational site, as well as an evaluation meeting once the work placements re lived in. I’m grateful for the many opportunities there were at memorial sites to be con- have ended. In the project countries themselves, the trainees’ work placements fronted with the history of my country and my fellow Germans. And I’m grateful that I and country-specific accompanying programme are organised by the local ARSP was able to meet people who, after all the harrowing events and blows of fate they had been country offices. During their placements, the trainees are supported in their through, could now look back in old age and sit at the table, talking kindly and bearing projects by ARSP volunteers, who are completing the twelve-month peace service. witness. That was very moving for me, something to be amazed at and to admire.

The trainees and company representatives involved so far have described their I think that is also something special about ARSP: not just going to a place but being con- experience of the two-week project work and educational support in the project nected with the people there, contacts that have existed for a long time, or are renewed and countries as an eventful and valuable experience with a formative and lasting reactivated by the volunteers and from which new connections and inspirations can con- influence. Particular emphasis was placed on the intensive and close support tinue to grow.“ provided by the ARSP country programme directors. All of these programmes are to be continued in 2013 in the countries mentioned above. ARSP would now like to see an increase in the number of trainees. In the future we hope to win over further companies to work together us and spread beyond the four existing ARSP project countries of Poland, the Netherlands, Israel and the USA.

12 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Report by the Board ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Report by the Board 13 International meeting centre ■ German/US-American/French multipliers’ programme From the Melting Pot to Beit Ben Yehuda – House of Peace, Jerusalem the Salad Bowl: 25 multipliers came together in Berlin, Philadelphia and Paris to address the questions of migration, diversity and integration from an internati- Beit Ben Yehuda has seen some clear progress in 2012. Following a further slight onal, comparative perspective (project visits, personal and professional exchange, increase in the number of guests, it has finally been possible to establish the podium discussions, discussions with politicians, exploring the city and getting planned position for an education officer. Michal Maroz began her work in Sep- to know the projects). tember 2012, initially on a part-time basis. This now means that the youth encounter centre is able to plan and carry out programmes of its own. Up to now, ■ Educational support programmes for the ARSP volunteers. this had only been possible in a limited capacity. ■ Networking meeting of ARSP country programme directors from Paris, Lon- The aim of the education officer’s post is to make full use of the youth centre’s don, Brussels and Amsterdam. The topic was exchange on practice/learning pro potential. This includes planning and implementing travel programmes for jects of extracurricular education work with young volunteers in western Europe. groups, as well as seminars for volunteers, school pupils and students. In addi- This networking will continue at Foyer le Pont in April 2013. tion to this, there are also various lecture series and regular evening events. For example, there has been a regular „Stammtisch Thematisch“ meeting for the For 2013, we are also planning a new partnership with the tour company Statt- past few months, where young Germans and Israelis come together to discuss Reisen, who offer study trips to Paris at Foyer le Pont. In our view, this collabo- a particular topic prompted by an introductory presentation. Events of this kind ration promises to be particularly fruitful for all concerned. raise Beit Ben Yehuda’s profile, with, with the centre being seen as a tangible added value to the city. This is important with regard to extending the lease, which is Foyer le Pont offers a framework for various events and seminars for groups of up for renewal in 2016. 20 to 40 people. This is something that our friends and partners are happy to make use of, including StattReisen Berlin, the Institute for Education and As a key partner in the Israeli/German volunteer programme Kom-Mit-Nadev, Media Saarbrücken, the House of the Wannsee Conference, the networks of the Beit Ben Yehuda sent nine young Israelis on one-year voluntary service to various Protestant Academies and, last but not least, ARSP volunteers. German cities at the end of 2011. Besides this, as an Israeli partner organisation, Beit Ben Yehuda also played a considerable role in carrying out the 2012 Ger- man/Israeli summer camp. International youth centre Os´wie˛cim/ Auschwitz (IJBS) In the summer, a now well-established tradition continued with the Hebrew Ulpan. A diverse and colourful group from all over the world came to spend three weeks During 2012, 166 study groups visited the international youth centre (German learning the language that was revived by Ben Yehuda around 100 years ago. In acronym: IJBS) in Os´wie˛cim / Auschwitz, 141 of them from Germany. 17 inter- January 2013 there was also a two-week Yiddish course. Both language courses national seminars were also held. For 2013, the level of demand remains high: were embedded in a varied programme exploring the country and its culture. by January 2013, 180 groups had already been registered, who will work closely Beit Ben Yehuda has recently rounded off its range of language courses with a with the education department to realise their projects at the IJBS. two-week German evening course. The IJBS’s mission is to provide historical and political education, above all to Due to the focus of ARSP’s work in Israel, Beit Ben Yehuda is developing a distinct young people, as a result of the history of Auschwitz and what it represents sym- education policy profile. This means that the House of Peace is becoming more bolically to the world: education about respecting human rights; fighting racism, and more of a focal point and destination for tour groups seeking to reflect on anti-semitism and xenophobia; promoting tolerance and respect for diversity. their experiences after a few days of travel. The main themes of the education programmes offered remain the history of the Second World War, the holocaust and in particular the Auschwitz concent- The Beit Ben Yehuda team is greatly supported in its work by volunteers from Ger- ration camp. But they also address questions about the world we live in today many, the house-mothers, house-fathers and members of the Israeli board who and their future in the context of Auschwitz, the symbol of the greatest crime are working in an honorary capacity. Our heartfelt thanks go to all of them for against humanity. The staff in the educational department’s work involves this indefatigable support! looking after study groups and designing and carrying out German/Polish and international seminars.

The workshops offered to study groups as part of the programme of visits to the Foyer le Pont, Paris memorial site are very well-received. Educational officers have held workshops with 84 groups in the framework of the project Remembering Auschwitz – human For ARSP France, 2012 was another intensive and richly filled year of events in co- rights in our world, sponsored by the Federal Foreign Office. operation with the Foyer le Pont: In 2012, there were once again many international seminars for young people ■ Book launch „Gurs – Lettres – Briefe“ in cooperation with Maison Heinrich and students covering various topics, such as the German/Polish/Belarusian Heine. Survivor Paul Niedermann’s life story is recounted. seminar on the multi-perspectivity of memory.

14 ASF Jahresbericht 2012 – Bericht des Vorstands ASF Jahresbericht 2012 – Bericht des Vorstands 15 In the summer, ARSP’s head of studies held three traditional memorial site trips In November 2012, the BAGKR held a meeting with Prof. Dr. Aleida Assmann, to Majdanek, Stutthof and Auschwitz for future ARSP volunteers. The German / regional bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, lawyer Yavuz Narin (a joint Polish Gemeinsam statt Einsam („together and not alone“) seminar for multi- plaintiff attorney representing the family of Theodoris Boulgarides, who was pliers working at memorial sites, a joint cooperation project between the ARSP murdered by the NSU in Munich in 2005), Björn Mensing and Jürgen Müller Ho- and the IJBS, was held for the fourth time, and for the first time in Berlin. hagen and over 100 participants on the subject of „Memorial discourses and group-focused hostility in the church and society“. The aim was to identify tra- The education project, Human Rights Begin With Children‘s And Young Peop- ditional lines of disrespect for human dignity that have existed within the chur- les Rights, funded by the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future, ch context. Thanks to the attendance of Mr. Narin, the question of institutional has now been concluded with its third edition. Plans for 2013 include publica- racism hung clearly in the air, as did the concrete question of what role the chur- tion of the concept and a qualification and networking meeting for Polish edu- ch can play in supporting the victims of the NSU attacks. cation experts working in the fields of human rights education and memorial site education. The BAGKR now faces the task of securing its own long-term institutional role and maintaining a public presence. We would like to give our heartfelt thanks In 2012, a collaboration began with the Beit Ben Yehuda guest house in Jerusa- to the EKD and the regional churches for all the support they have given us so lem and the initial concepts drawn up for German/Israeli/Polish seminars. The far. first seminar to be held in Poland is in planning for 2014. Organisation, the Board In the past year, three close friends and long-term partners of the IJBS passed away. Auschwitz survivors Kazimiern Smolen, August Kowalczyk and Wilhem Johannes Krautheim stood down at the general meeting in Magdeburg in April Brasse met to talk with youth at the IJBS for many years. They will be deeply 2012. His position was filled by the political scientist Matteo Schürenberg, who missed. was a volunteer at the Jewish community in Brussels from 2004 to 2005 and has worked for many years in the steering committee, in the summer camps and as a youth counsellor at ARSP seminars. Federal Working Group on the Church and Right-Wing Extremism Jörn-Erik Gutheil resigned from all positions for family reasons in December 2012. His post will remain open until the general meeting in May 2013. „Aggression towards strangers can finally be allowed free reign, once a happily abandoned national history no longer stands in the way of idealising our own kind.“ (Jürgen Habermas) The Protestant Church in Germany (EKD)

The Federal Working Group on the Church and Right-Wing Extremism (German acro- The appreciative contributions from the council chair and head of the EKD synod, nym: BAGKR) gained considerable momentum thanks to the collection at the in paying tribute to Christian Staffa, gave a clear picture of the great impor- 2011 church congress in Dresden, and this became highly effective in 2012. The tance of ARSP’s work for the EKD. The EKD council published a very successful BAGKR produced three explanatory documents for congregations and multi- appeal against right-wing extremism on 8th May, the content of which was also pliers on anti-semitism, racism and homophobia. In a dual capacity as director inspired by the discussion with Christian Staffa on 26th January. The appeal of ARSP and a member of the BAGKR speakers’ council, Christian Staffa was in- adopts the self-critical stance that ARSP, amongst others, has recommended vited to the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) council’s January meeting. taking on this issue in recent years. Also in keeping with this is the EKD Novem- The outcome of this meeting was the council’s declaration „Charity requires cla- ber synod’s decision to commission the council with a review of surveys on dis rity“ of 8th May 2012. Following the departure of Heike Kleffner and Christian criminatory attitudes amongst church members. Staffa, both were requested by ARSP’s board to continue representing ARSP in the BAGKR. The head of the church council, Dr. Roger Mielke, has taken over from Eberhard Pausch at the EKD as the officer for issues of public responsibility of the church, The appeal issued by ARSP and BAGKR to mount a peaceful blockade against and is thus responsible for the Protestant voluntary service. He takes part in our the neo-Nazi demonstration for reasons of Christian faith, with its prominent meetings of the board of trustees, which take place once a year. There he em- early signatories, found very wide acceptance. At the meeting of members of the phasised the EKD’s appreciation of ARSP as an organisation, whose particular federal working group, the urgent need for networking of activities became clear, form of voluntary service contributes to civil society and church-based engage- as did the importance of support from the EKD synod, the chair of the council ment. and the various regional churches for the success of initiatives on the ground.

Thus, the EKD synod also addressed the issue of right-wing extremism and the Other partners church in 2012, requesting the church administrative office (Kirchenamt), in Besides Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG, we have been able to realise further part- cooperation with the federal working group, to gather data on specific church- nerships with companies in Westphalia thanks to contacts made by the Protes- based forms of group-focused hostility from previous studies, and if necessary, tant Church of Westphalia. Twelve trainees took part in a programme with to prepare an investigation dedicated specifically to this target group. ARSP in Israel, which they found highly successful.

16 ASF Jahresbericht 2012 – Bericht des Vorstands ASF Jahresbericht 2012 – Bericht des Vorstands 17 The cooperation with the Stephanus Foundation has developed in a stable fashion. Ines Grau, our country programme director in France, had a baby in July and On 22nd January, we held a German/Polish church service, which began the year our French colleague Ludovic Fresse is currently covering the maternity leave. of anniversary celebrations for our summer camp work. He worked at the Berlin office several years ago as part of a one-year “Arbeit beim Partner” work exchange programme, funded by the Franco-German Youth Office. Two volunteer posts are funded by the v. Bodelschwingh Foundation Bethel; one volunteer post by the Augustinum Group. In the summer, Mark McGuigan became our country programme director in the USA. He had previously been working in our country office in Philadelphia The Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ) is an important and since 2011, supporting the fundraising and seminar work there. productive partner for ARSP. The volunteers sponsored by the EVZ, who work with survivors, visited the foundation at the beginning and the end of their ser- Katharina von Münster, who had been our country programme director in Isra- vice so as to report on their motivation for volunteering and to report back on el until summer 2011, moved to the USA and is now supporting the country of- their experiences. fice with its fundraising activities.

The funding from the Stiftung Mercator ran out in 2012. Thankfully new funding Following a six-month sabbatical break, Urszula Sienczak has now returned to has been approved for an additional two years. the country office in Krakow and resumed work as the country programme director.

Volunteers desk officer Andrea Koch has reduced her working hours to 23 Financial situation hours/week for the next two years, as of 1st August 2012. This means that Claire Keruzec has taken over some of her responsibilities and is now in charge of se- From a financial point of view, the past year was unfortunately not the most lecting volunteers. successful in ARSP’s history. Some individual applications, above all on the EU level, were not approved and unfortunately it was also impossible to redress this Kosima Keller, who worked in the information office, left ARSP on 31st Decem- balance through a raise in income from donations. We also saw a drop in indi- ber 2012 and has been replaced by Sigrid Wirrmann. vidual collections. This leaves us €128,000 short of our expected target, forcing us to compensate this deficit from our reserves. Magdalena Schmukalla, our country programme director in London, is due to become a mother in 2013. Her post will be covered by Daniel Lewis. This former volunteer has been working in the London office on a freelance basis for the last few years. Head office and country offices This means that there have been many changes of personnel, but they have run There have been several changes of personnel, some of which have been out smoothly and productively. New people bring new ideas and fresh momentum, lined above. although of course learning the ropes can slow the usual work processes down. However, the past year has shown that all of our new colleagues have been The three divisions of fundraising, public relations and regional work have been quick in getting to grips with their new tasks and are enriching our work with merged to form the Communications department, so as to better dovetail their new perspectives and approaches. work. An assistant, Ben Schaffer, has been engaged to aid this coordination. The funding for this post is comprised by a reduction of hours for the public relations officer (from 39 to 32 hours/week) and from student assistant positions, which are no longer to be filled. In the regional division, Magdalena Scharf A word of thanks to our supporters took over from Jens Pohl on his retirement. The public relations officer Heike Kleffner left ARSP to dedicate herself to tasks arising in resolving the NSU mur- At this juncture we would like to extend once again our heartfelt thanks to all ders. As her successor, we have gained Friederike Schmidt. those who have supported our work: the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD), all of our project partners and donors. Special thanks should go to the State Chan- Rainer Ohliger succeeded Christian Staffa as director on 1st May 2012, but stood cellery of Saxony-Anhalt and regiocom GmbH, as well as the many regional chur- down again on 19th October at the end of the probationary period. Jutta Wedu- ches and parishes, foundations, the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry for wen, who had thus far been the deputy director, took over as provisional direc- Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, the Federal Ministry of the Interior tor. In order to take over her tasks in the intercultural work project area, Kami- and the EU Commission. la Zimmermann, who had already supported this work as a project officer until June 2012, was appointed on a 20 hour/week basis. Thomas Heldt, previously a desk officer in the volunteers department, became the new deputy director.

18 ASF Jahresbericht 2012 – Bericht des Vorstands ASF Jahresbericht 2012 – Bericht des Vorstands 19 Public Relations Work Heike Kleffner Friederike Schmidt

ARSP’s presence in regional and cross-regional media was stabilised at the high level achieved in the previous year:

The thematic focal points of our press coverage were as follows:

■ The Christian blockade against the neo-Nazi demonstration in Dresden and the protest against the clause on extremism / work against right-wing extremism ■ Reports on future volunteers who are searching for sponsors before they depart ■ Reports about returning volunteers and volunteers in their projects ■ ARSP summer camps, especially in conjunction with the 50th anniversary celebrations ■ The ARSP annual general meeting in Magdeburg ■ The hearing on „Schweigen und Verschweigen: NSU, Rassismus und das Schweigen im Land“ (Silence and concealment: the NSU, racism and silence throughout the country)

One particularly pleasing achievement is that it was possible for the first time to give good public and media coverage to the ARSP annual general meeting in Magdeburg. ARSP was regularly represented in the media, with the events com- memorating the 9th of November in Dresden, the campaign to rename the Treitschkestraße in Berlin and reports on current volunteers and summer camps. A decisive factor for ARSP’s media presence is that the association reports not only on the voluntary service but also on issues, e.g. related to cam- paigns, which generate public attention.

ARSP’s own media are now presented all around in a consistent layout. The re- launch of all the country websites was completed in the past year and work began on new country websites for Poland and Russia/Ukraine/Belarus. In the field of online-based media we were able to further develop our Facebook profile in the past year: the ARSP Facebook page now has almost 2000 „friends“; the website registers between 400 and 600 visitors per day (14,000 - 16,000 per month). Since autumn, the e-newsletter has been issued monthly and around 2100 people have subscribed to it so far.

For financial reasons the zeichen journal’s print run has been reduced by 4000 copies per issue and now appears with a print run of approximately 9000 copies per issue.

Besides this, in 2012 the ARSP public relations division has also conceived, implemented and maintained the web presences of the Federal Working Group on the Church and Right-Wing Extremism - www.bagkr.de, the second campaign against the clause on extremism - www.demokratiebrauchtuns.de and the coalition against silence - www.buendnis-gegen-das-schweigen.de.

20 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Public relations work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Public relations work 21 Volunteer recruitment 2012

A whole range of measures were undertaken to advertise for the voluntary service for 2012-2013, including:

■ New flyers about the voluntary service, with a total of 6000 copies printed ■ 4000 voluntary service flyers dispatched to church congregations throughout Germany ■ A series of advertisements in exchange with the Tageszeitung newspaper ■ An information text and short report sent to 100 school newspapers and 80 university newspapers throughout the country ■ The major general online voluntary service portals updated with ARSP’s current online presence ■ Current and former ARSP volunteers mailed as multipliers, and as of October also mobilised via Facebook, to tell others about the option of doing ARSP voluntary service ■ Voluntary service flyers sent to schools and job centres ■ Application information redesigned and updated on www.asf-ev.de ■ Application information for the Germany programme updated on www.asf- ev.de

Along with the three sets of sermon preparation materials published this year, Action Reconciliation Service for Peace at the Christopher Street Day celebration we also produced an elaborate anniversary publication for the summer camps’ 2012 in Berlin. golden jubilee, which has also sold well beyond the celebrations. During the first half of the year, we published the new edition of the “Präfamina”, a collection of introductory liturgical readings, by Peter von der Osten-Sacken and Friedrich Dünsing. To tie in with the annual theme of the summer camps, the relevant flyers were The most recent publication in October was the book “Reconciling Lives” by Alvin published and distributed in French and English, as well as in German. The image Gilens, which recounts the encounters between ARSP volunteers and Holocaust t-shirts were also given a new look, which was met with enthusiasm, especially survivors. For this occasion, we held a book launch in Berlin with the author, by the younger generations of volunteers. sponsors and invited guests. On the occasion of the 110th birthday of Bishop Kurt Scharf, ARSP and the protestant Patmos Parish in Berlin-Steglitz tried once again to have the local street Treitschkestraße renamed as Kurt-Scharf-Straße. A well-attended podium discussion gave room for the various views on the subject to be exchanged.

Using the heading “Living memory – preserve the new Jewish cemetery in Dresden!” ARSP, together with the Jewish Community of Dresden, the Society of Christian-Jewish Cooperation in Dresden and Saxony’s Bureau of Culture, held a day-long memorial event to commemorate the November pogroms of 1938.

The Communications Department, made up of the three divisions of fundraising, regional work and public relations, is now more closely coordinated than before thanks to the newly created communications assistant post. For example, the fundraising and public relations officers also took part in the regional group meeting.

There was a change of personnel in the public relations division in 2012. Heike Kleffner left ARSP and following a transition period of several months, Friederike Schmidt began her work as public relations officer in September.

22MemorialKolumnenzeile event held (Kapitelbeschreibung) in Dresden, 9th November 2012. ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Public relations work 23 Intercultural Work

Jutta Weduwen and Kamila Zimmermann

In 2012 the intercultural work project area sadly suffered a loss of structural support, as some important funding proposals were rejected. During the second half of the year, this area could only be allocated 12 staff-hours per week. In spite of the lack of funding, several projects were realised:

In cooperation with the Diakonischen Werk Berlin-Stadtmitte (church social welfare service) and the Jewish Agency, we were involved in a professional exchange of German/Israeli social workers dealing with the integration of immigrants. One particular dynamic arose from the fact that the German group was made up of participants with both native German and migrant backgrounds, which was linked to questions of how the National Socialist history is dealt with and of approaches to Israel in the immigration society.

The “On the trail of persecution, resistance and immigration” guided tours, developed by ARSP together with Kreuzberg neighbourhood mothers, were con tinued and remain on offer by the Kreuzberg Museum.

Neighbourhood mothers from Neukölln searching for traces of 24 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Intercultural work National Socialist historyASF Jahresbericht 2012 – Projektbereich Interkulturalität 25 A ten-week seminar series “Neighbourhood mothers searching for traces of history” took place with mothers from the district of Neukölln. The participants learned about the National Socialist history and the discrimination of minori- ties during the Second World War, among other things by visiting memorial sites such as, the House of the Wannsee Conference and the Anne Frank Centre, meeting historical eye-witnesses and investigating the history of their own district.

The “Our histories – your history?” brochure was reprinted in its third edition.

The film created in conjunction with the neighbourhood mothers seminar series “It’s my history too”, re-made at the end of 2011, was provided with subtitles in English, French and Turkish in 2011. The film was very well received and was pre sented to the public at various locations in 2012, including the Goethe Institute in Islamabad, Pakistan.

As a member of the ecumenical preparatory commission, Jutta Weduwen helped to prepare the Intercultural Week in 2012 and 2013. Besides this, she also helped to prepare the EKD booklet for “Human Rights Day 2012”, on the subject of “Protection against racism”. Regional work Several funding proposals which were submitted for 2013 have been approved (from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the Glücksspirale lottery, European Integra- tion Fund), which means that the intercultural work project area is financially in Germany secure at least for 2013. The main focus will be on artistic and biographical work with young people and their stories in areas of social unrest. Magdalena Schar f

There was a change of personnel in the regional division during 2012. We said farewell to Jens Pohl in March and Magdalena Scharf has been the new desk officer for regional work since August 2012. The newly created communication assistant post was filled by Ben Schaffer. The main task of this post, located in the regional work division, is to coordinate the three divisions of fundraising, public relations and regional work into one Communications department, so as to dovetail their work more effectively.

Honorary Engagement

Along with those former volunteers, who now are working for ARSP on an honorary basis, we are actively striving to achieve a strong social and political presence for Action Reconciliation Service for Peace among an interested public at regional churches, church parishes, ecumenical events, with federal partners and in the political sphere. The aim is to continue to raise ARSP’s profile both in keeping with our mission statement and in line with current challenges and tasks. In particular, this includes topics of political education, e.g. events held by the circle of friends and regional groups, or school visits with workshops on fighting anti-semitism, racism and other forms of group-focused hostility. Work against right-wing extremism (the Federal Working Group on the Church and Right- Wing Extremism, BAGKR), memorial work and current societal and political developments (diversity) have also been focal points of the regional division’s work.

26 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Intercultural work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Regional work in Germany 27 Regional group speakers’ meeting in Göttingen, October 2012. Belgium volunteer Daniela Madlung on a daily ship visit at the port of Antwerp, with two crew members from Kiribati.

Regional Groups

The twice-yearly meetings for central networking and content-based exchange and training of the regional group members, who work throughout the country on a voluntary basis, took place in March 2012 in Berlin and October 2012 in Göttingen. The main topics were coordination and planning of activities, as well as content-based questions on memorial work and culture. Reports on

Work against right-wing extremism voluntary work: Together with the public relations division and other initiatives, organisations and working groups, the regional division supported the efforts of the Federal Working Group on the Church and Right-Wing Extremism. The BAGKR seeks to ex- Belarus / Belgium / Czech Republic / France / Germany / pose all forms of group-focused hostility – racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism, homophobia, hostility towards Muslims, privileges of the establishment, tradi- Great Britain / Israel / Netherlands / Norway / Poland / tional sexism, degradation of people with disabilities, of homeless people and the long-term unemployed – both within and outside of the church, and to name, Russia / Ukraine / USA to constructively challenge and to overcome them.

As in previous years, ARSP also joined the BAGKR in 2012 in calling for a peaceful blockade of the neo-Nazi demonstration in Dresden to be held on the anniversary of the Allied forces’ bombing of the city.

In 2010, ARSP set itself the target of reaching 1000 members in the association by the end of 2013. Thanks to the membership recruitment campaign with the slogan “Mittendrin. Mitgestalten Mitglied werden.” (Be active, play a part, become a member) we have almost reached our goal and currently have 815 active members – and counting. In particular, our efforts to persuade young former volunteers to become members have been successful.

28 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Regional work in Germany ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Regional work in Germany 29 Reports on voluntary work: Belarus

Anzhela Beljak The 2011/2012 generation of volunteers to Belarus and Ukraine (front row, left to right): Marian Blok, Katrin Cremers, Kai Helms (back row, left to right): Leonie Barabas-Weil, Marie Ahlers, Angela The situation in Belarus Starowojtova, Johanna Güntter, ARSP country programme director Anzhela Beljak, Nina Nadig, Dominika Tronina and Johanna Menzemer. Belarus is a very clean country. The streets in Minsk are very clean, especially those in front of the presidential palace, and so too should be the people’s thoughts. Preferably there should be no thoughts at all, a clean society in which everyone has the same opinion, issued from above. The “Batsko” (father) should Seminars and summer camps be kept happy. He “takes care of” the country a great deal. He travels through the cities and every town he visits should be given a new coat of paint and its The first country seminars for the joint group from Belarus and Ukraine takes motorways overhauled. He supervises all income and expenditures. In Belarus place every year in early December, either in Minsk or in another city in Belarus. you cannot earn more money than is allowed. Anyone who earns more will be This is dependent on visa regulations and registration, as the Minsk volunteers visited by the KGB and often forced to pay huge fines and, for example, close are not allowed to leave the country for the first three months of their stay. their shops. Import is not desired, as all the people should support their own economy and buy Belarusian goods. Belarus is a European country, which does The first encounter in the country is always very significant for the group. The not recognise the values of the EU and strives to demonstrate its independence volunteers exchanged their first impressions, talked about their work and li- from everyone. There is no longer any opposition; no other, alternative opinion. ving situations and complained about the Russian language, which is not easy to learn. Despite the difficult start, everyone was satisfied with the country and the projects.

Volunteer work We used the seminar to find out more about Belarus. The participants learned about the history of the country, for example with a tour of the former Minsk In these circumstances life is not easy for our partners, who are regularly checked ghetto site. The volunteers discussed the current political situation, the active and inspected by the state authorities. We continue to try and support them commitment of young people and the meaning of voluntary service in Belarus. with the help of our volunteers. The three volunteers, who carried out their ser- At the end of the seminar everyone took part in the volunteers’ forum, a confe- vice up to the end of August 2012 were very active and got a lot done in Minsk. rence of all the organisations that carry out EVZ-funded projects in Belarus They had to look after several projects and had to arrange their own work sche- with the aim of raising the numbers of volunteers in Belarus. The ARSP volun- dules. In order to provide better supervision for the Minsk volunteers, we deci- teers introduced themselves and their projects and took part in several work- ded to have a fixed local contact person to liaise with them. Irina Belanowicz, shops on various subjects, for example “communication between generations”, who works for the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ), meets “psychodrama” and “Belarusian dances”. regularly with the volunteers and helps them with their day-to-day concerns. She provides them with support on many current issues with their work, visas, In 2012, the volunteers organised a summer camp in Minsk with the title “Let registration and living situations. the light through the window into your home”. The task was to clean the win- dows and flats of survivors, allowing some light into their homes. In this way, The four volunteers who have been in Minsk since September 2012 are deeply a small and international group took care of twelve survivors who are old and in engaged in their projects. They are working in various projects, supporting the need. Many of the babushkas were so glad to have this help that they cooked home for children with impairments, organising the summer and winter camps something delicious for the group every time. This gave the participants the op- there and bringing some joy into the children’s daily lives. portunity to get to know the Belarusian culture better and to have some interes-

30 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 31 Reports on voluntary work: Belgium

Vera Kockler

The situation in the country

On an emotional level, the bus accident in Sierre, Switzerland, in which 28 child ren died in March, and Queen Fabiola’s “tax dodge” in December caused quite a The 2012/2013 generation of volunteers to Belarus and Ukraine (from left to stir in Belgium during 2012. Politically, 2012 was characterised by the continu- right): (front row): Rebekka Schacht, Philip Seifert, Johannes Hecker, Aaron ing great success of the right-wing Flemish N-VA party, cuts in the state budget Heyde, ARSP country programme director Anzhela Beljak, (middle row): Leonie and reforms affecting pensions and unemployment benefits. Sonnabend, Laura Möckel, Lea Platzbecker, Eva Haude, Florian Rilke, (back row): Julia Schnorrenberg, Lina Müller, Johanna Balsam. On the European level, we followed the negotiations over the follow-up programme for Youth in Action with great interest. It will be renamed YES – Youth, Educa- tion, Sport; the European Voluntary Service (EVS) will be maintained and will receive ting conversations with the survivors. The first two days of the summer camps an increase in funding. Furthermore, the long and hard-fought EU structural were completely taken up with registration, and if not for this the participants support will continue to exist. would have achieved a great deal more. Thanks to our local partners this was a great project, which should definitely be continued in 2013. “ We began working with ARSP almost four years ago. Nikolai, Benjamin, Myriell, Marieke and Jule – all 18 years old or a

Number of volunteers total female male little older – made up their minds to spend a year sharing the daily life and work of a study and research institute on the March 2012 to August 2012 3 3 0 Second World War, and to get personally involved. They September 2012 to February 2013 4 2 2 brought with them their enthusiasm, their questions and their thirst for understanding.

What an enrichment it is to have this contact with young volunteers! It gives us the opportunity to exchange views and take a critical look at historical events and 21st century questions. This kind of initiative is fantastic and is bound to have a long future with us! ”

Isabelle Ponteville, CEGES (Centre for Historical Research and Documentation on War and Contemporary Society)

32 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 33 An article about ARSP’s work in an international context was published in the German-speaking Catholic community of Brussels’ parish newsletter. Another article focusing on our work in Belgium appeared in the Flemish/Jewish journal Joods Actueel.

The new generation of volunteers for 2012-2013 is continuing work with CEGES/ SOMA on the jointly organised Exile in Belgium project. A first seminar took place in December, where the volunteers explored index cards from the Gestapo’s special search list. ARSP volunteers will be working until the end of May 2013 to recon- struct the biographies of political refugees, to conduct biographical interviews with their relatives and to discuss memories and the meaning of escape, migration and exile both then and now.

Other activities

ARSP Belgium held several meetings and elected a new board in November 2012. The country programme director took part in several events held by the Action Committee Service for Peace (AGDF). As part of her board mandate in the Association of Voluntary Service Organisations (AVSO), she gave initial training and support to the new managing director Simon Nichelson. The living situation in the volunteers’ house in Antwerp has improved considerably thanks to a complete overhaul of the bathroom. This was a long while coming, but has now finally been done.

The 2011/2012ASF Jahresbericht generation 2012 – Berichte of volunteers aus der Freiwilligenarbeit to Belgium at the final seminar (left to right): first row: Marieke Speller, Sandra Lübcke, Marie Florentine Holte, Luisa Drozdzynski, Henning Twickler, second row: Lara Beurer-Kellner, Number of volunteers total female male Jakob Kaiser, Sarah Wazinski, Ines Mrosek von Glischinski, Markus Beuckel- mann, Marina Minchau. March 2012 to August 2012 11 8 3

September 2012 to February 2013 11 9 2 Volunteer work March 2012 – August 2012 The volunteer group of 2011-2012 spent their second half of the year taking part in various activities run by ARSP and our partners. Highlights were the Project area Projects seminar in June, a tour through Jewish Antwerp and the project partners’ meeting in mid-May 2012, held in the sports grounds of the German Seamen’s Mis- Socially disadvantaged people Vrouwenhuis and Jongerenwerking of the sion in Antwerp harbour. 3 volunteers PSC Antwerp (Women’s day centre and youth centre of the Protestant Social Centre) For the 2012-2013 generation, the volunteering year began with the orientation La Goudinière, Tournai (home for children days in September. Topics included the history and complex politics of Belgi- and young people) um, as well as memorial culture and dealing with the past. The weekend semi- German Seamen’s Mission nar held in Ghent in December 2012 was largely given over to reflecting on the Convivial, Brussels (an organisation to sup first months of the voluntary service and doing biographical work. In January port asylum-seekers) > combination project 2013, the volunteer group visited the Fort Breendonk memorial site. People with disabilities Ark „De Moerbi“, Bruges (living community 4 volunteers for people with disabilities) Public relations work De Ark, Mortsel, near Antwerp (living com munity for people with disabilities) In the name of ARSP, the country programme director took part in the opening L’Arche en Belgique, Brussels (living com- event for the memorial and new museum at the Kazerne Dossin barracks. On 24th munity for people with disabilities) January 2013, the new exhibition was opened at the Jewish Museum in Brussels. Monnikenheide, Zoersel, near Antwerp (day The third floor is devoted to the jointly-run summer camps of the past ten years centre for people with disabilities) and the history of ARSP.

34 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 35 September 2012 – February 2013

Project area Projects

Socially disadvantaged people Vrouwenhuis of the PSC Antwerp 5 volunteers (Women’s day centre of the Protestant Social Centre) La Goudinière, Tournai (home for children and young people) German Seamen’s Mission Convivial, Brussels (an organisation to support asylum-seekers) > combination project ADT Vierde Wereld België vzw (protecting the rights of the poor, children’s and adolescents’ rights, working in the open air library for children) > combination project

People with disabilities Ark „De Moerbi“, Bruges (living commu- 4 volunteers nity for people with disabilities) De Ark, Boechout, near Antwerp (living community for people with disabilities) L’Arche en Belgique, Brussels (living community for people with disabilities) > combination project Monnikenheide, Zoersel, near Antwerp (day centre for people with disabilities)

Elderly people, survivors and Service Social Juif, Brussels their descendants (Jewish social service) 1 volunteer

The 2012/2013 generation of volunteers to Belgium following a joint climbing Historical and political Musée Juif de Belgique, Brussels (Jewish expedition in Hof des Watermann, from left to right: front: Daniela Madlung, education museum) Sina Müller, 1st row, standing: Amelie Horn, Cora Müller, Nora Sophie Conrad, 3 volunteers Kazerne Dossin – Memorial, museum Nerea Discher, Marlene Hellmann, 2nd row, standing: Laszlo Barrena Barra, and documentation centre on holocaust Ada Biljan, Jule Wittgrefe, Max Wetzel, Vera Kockler. and human rights (formerly Joods Museum van Deportatie en Verzet), Mechelen CEGES/SOMA, Brussels (research and documentation centre) > combination Elderly people, survivors and Service Social Juif, Brussels (Jewish social project their descendants service) 1 volunteer

Historical and political Musée Juif de Belgique, Brussels (Jewish education museum) 3 volunteers Joods Museum van Deportatie en Verzet, Mechelen (Jewish Museum on the history of National Socialism in Belgium) CEGES/SOMA, Brussels (research and documentation centre) > combination project

36 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 37 Reports on voluntary work: Czech Republic

Stanislava Francesca Sˇimuniová

The situation in the country

Representatives of the Association of Roma in the Czech Republic met with prime minister Petr Nečas in Juni 2012 and nominated their own delegate for Roma minority issues. They gave warning about the increase in racist attitudes amongst Czech society. Nečas merely issued a press release in which the appoint ment of a delegate for Roma issues was described as “worth considering”. Until now nothing further has happened, while the racist attitudes have been corro- borated, e.g. in the reactions to a campaign in which children and youths from a Roma settlement expressed their wishes. The photos and hate-filled reactions The 2011/2012 generation of volunteers at the orientation days in Prague, published on the internet are shown in an exhibition. September 2011. (Left to right): Katharina Lübstorf, Timo Müller-Tribbensee, Paula Carstens, Leonie Schittenhelm, Benjamin Seidel, Eva Carbach, Verena In January 2013, the Czech Republic experienced its first direct presidential Hesse, Ludwig Domrös; lying down: Simon Rebiger. elections. Milos Zeman and Karel Schwarzenberg faced each other in the se- ASF Jahresbericht 2011 – Berichte aus der Freiwilligenarbeit cond ballot. One alarming feature was how decisive an issue the Beneš Decrees on the expulsion of German and Hungarian citizens following the second world war had become. This issue was instrumentalised by Milos Zeman to stir up fears against the Germans. Karel Schwarzenberg’s long period of exile, his Austrian roots and his non-Czech-speaking wife also appeared to be unacceptable to voters. This is a sure sign that ARSP’s work in the Czech Republic is extremely important and expedient.

Volunteer work

ARSP is represented in the Czech Republic by our ecumenical partner organisation Servitus. At present, there are ten posts for ARSP volunteers. Work with two new project partners has gotten off to a good start: there is a new project post in Prague at the human rights organisation In Iustitia, which supports the victims of racially motivated violence, and in Lidice at the memorial site of the village destroyed by the National Socialists in revenge for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. The project partners and volunteers are very satisfied with the cooperation.

For the coming generation of volunteers we will be able to take on a new political The 2012/2013 generation of volunteers at the orientation days in Prague. education project. The Řehlovice cultural centre – a farm in the former Sudeten (Left to right): Theresa Salter, Rona Petersen, Clara Le Guellec, Marlen Torheiden, land – is a location for German, Austrian and Czech artists to meet, for seminars NiklasASF Lämmel, Jahresbericht Constanze 2012 – Fetting,Berichte aus Jakob der FreiwilligenarbeitJunghans, Robert Blum, Johanna and encounters. Wolff, Antonia Kruse.

38 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 39 “By now I know that the people here grew up and have the Number of volunteers and projects in the Czech Republic same associations with Terezín that I have with Buchenweg Number of volunteers total female male 9a in Minden, or other people have with the places they grew up in or where they live. Of course the residents know what March 2012 to August 2012 8 4 4 happened in Theresienstadt 70 years ago, but they associate a September 2012 to February 2013 10 7 3 lot more than that with the town: playing hide and seek as children amongst the fortress walls, going to primary school, Project area Projects family parties or where their own children first learned to walk. Socially disadvantaged people Village of Coexistence (Ostrava) All the same I still often have a queasy feeling when I walk 3 volunteers Leccos Youth Centre (Cˇesky´ Brod) through Theresienstadt. Especially after dark, I remember all People with disabilities Charitas Assisted Living Facility (Brno) the things I’ve heard and read. I’m sure it will remain like that 1 volunteer Effeta Workshops (Brno) until the end of my year. Elderly people, survivors and Prague and Brno Jewish communities I guess I have to try to strike a balance: keeping the memory their descendants Zivá Pamĕt – work with former forced alive, working not to let it be forgotten, but still understanding 6 volunteers labourers (Prague, České Budĕjovice, that Theresienstadt today wants to be a lively, living place.” Ústí nad Labem, Olomouc) Historical and political Terezín/Theresienstadt memorial site education Lidice memorial site From a blog by Niklas Lämmell, 3 volunteers In Iustitia (Prague) 2012/2013 volunteer at the Colourful Children (České Budĕjovice) Terezín/Theresienstadt memorial site

In summer 2012, the current volunteer in Ostrava was part of the team for the summer camp in and around Ostrava, working together with the Jewish community.

Germany programme

One volunteer from the Czech Republic was working at the Sachsenhausen memorial site and in the Jewish Community of Berlin until August 2012. He found his voluntary service to be very enriching and important, as he was able to learn a lot both in terms of content and in a human, social sense.

Public relations work

ARSP traditionally holds an ecumenical service in Prague on the day of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust, and this year it was held in the Catholic Church of St. John of Nepomuk on the Rock. The subject was the 2013 annual theme “Continuing the dialogue” and three volunteers reported on their experiences with the stories of the survivors, who they were taking care of. The elderly people tell their stories and the young volunteers at the service tell how they were told the stories and what it was like to have these stories told to them. Other volunteers contributed to the service with intercessions and music. Benjamin Seidel with Roma children at a kindergarten (generation 2011/2012)

40 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 41 “In Marseille the young German volunteers provide welcome and support to refugees (…). They show great compassion for the people admitted here, and a great willingness to listen. (…) They show us their open-mindedness, their attention to political issues and their aspiration towards justice and dignity for each and every human being.”

Françoise Rocheteau, La Cimade, Marseille

Volunteer Elena Trenz (2012-2013) with a disabled resident of the living placement at the living community L’Arche in Paris remained free. The country communityASF Jahresbericht l’Arche in 2011 Wambréchies, – Berichte aus near der Freiwilligenarbeit Lille seminar took place in May/June 2012, near Perpignan. Fifty years after the Évian Accords were signed, volunteers learned about the Algerian War. In August 2012, three ARSP volunteers took an active part in the remembrance ceremonies at the Memorial de la Shoah.

The bilateral, trilateral and multilateral Reports on (seminar) programmes

In June 2012, the third part of the German, French and American multipliers’ voluntary work: training course From the Melting Pot to the Salad Bowl took place at the Foyer le Pont, sponsored by the Franco-German Youth Office. 25 participants got together in Paris to continue their intercultural and professional exchange. France In December 2012 there was a German/French volunteer seminar titled, “Our diffe rences are similar” in Foyer le Pont. The ARSP volunteers joined French volunteers of the same age from the organisation Unis-Cité in addressing socio-political is- Ludovic Fresse sues. Their efforts were supported by reflection on norms and processes of ex- clusion. This seminar was also sponsored by the Franco-German Youth Office.

Following an election campaign in which the conservative candidate Nicolas Sarkozy displayed a more radical attitude towards the issue of migration, the social democrat candidate François Hollande was elected as the new state president in June 2012. In the first ballot Marine le Pen, candidate of the right-wing extremist party Front National, had reached third place with 17.9% of the vote. The social democrats won the majority in the subsequent parliamentary elections.

Two new memorial sites were inaugurated on the sites of the former internment camps at Drancy and Les Milles in September 2012.

Volunteer work

The ARSP voluntary service continues to operate within the framework of the French volunteering programme Service Civique. The project situation largely remained stable. In the project area of people with disabilities, the placement at the Centre de la Mainguais was newly filled following a gap. However, the volunteer Volunteer Hannah Arnu (2012-2013) at the Paris Mémorial de la Shoah.

42 Kolumnenzeile (Kapitelbeschreibung) ASF Jahresbericht 2012 – Berichte aus der Freiwilligenarbeit 43 Public relations work

In December 2012, a report was filmed in Oradour-sur-Glane about the ARSP volunteer Helene Koch, who was working there at the Centre de la Mémoire. This was broadcast by the Deutsche Welle in January 2013.

On 21st January 2013, the news agency Evangelische Pressedienst (epd) published an article about Hannah Arnu, the current ARSP volunteer at the Mémorial de la Shoah.

Other news

Since mid-June, Ludovic Fresse has been covering for the country programme The volunteer group 2011/2012 at the orientation days in Paris, September director Ines Grau, who is on maternity leave. 2012. Front row (left to right): Ole Teutloff, Lina-Golly Wyrwa, Marietta Hausding, Ruth Gürtler, Hannah Farber, Rebekka Müller, Dorothee Moos, ARSP count ry programme director Ines Grau; middle row (left to right): Gesa Bansemeier, Annika Roes, Judith Müller, Jonas Hillebrandt, Jacob Lypp, Delia Holzen Number of volunteers total female male thal, Leonie Seibel, Leon Reinel; back row (left to right): Patrick Feldmann, Benedikt Manhalter, Julian Thoss, Klara Franke, French voluntary worker March 2012 to August 2012 19 12 7 Marine Caron. September 2012 to February 2013 18 13 5

Project area Projects

People with disabilities, L’Arche à Paris mentally handicapped people L’Arche / L’Âtre, Wambréchies 4/5 volunteers Foyer de la Claire, Villefranche-sur-Saône Centre de la Mainguais, Nantes

Elderly people, survivors and Les Petits Frères des Pauvres, Paris their descendants La Colline, Nice 1 volunteer

Historical and political CDJC, Paris education CIMADE, Marseille 7/8 volunteers Yahad – In Unum, Paris Maison d’Izieu, near Lyon Centre de la Mémoire d’Oradour-sur-Glane, near Limoges Musée-Mémorial du Camp de Rivesaltes OSE, Paris Centre mondial de la Paix, Verdun

Others Foyer le Pont, Paris 3 volunteers Volontaires au Bocage, Saint-Jean-le-Blanc

The new generation of volunteers 2012/2013 in Paris, on a tour of the Jewish quarter Le Marais.

44 ASF Jahresbericht 2012 – Berichte aus der Freiwilligenarbeit ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 45 Reports on voluntary work: Germany

Thomas Heldt

During these times of economic crisis, eroding solidarity and the growing na- tionalism in Europe, our programme with international volunteers stands for encounter, exchange and solidarity. The questions of what experiences our so- cieties are founded on and which values should be shaping our future consis The 2011/2012 generation of volunteers to Germany at the preparation seminar tently bring us back to the catastrophes and ruins of the 20th century. In view of in Wünsdorf, September 2011: first row (left to right): Denis Tsoy (RF), Johanna Germany’s current political and economic strength, there is a need for correc- Blender (D), Elena Petuhova (RF). Second row (left to right): Shachar Rozen (IL), tive action in our country, strengthening empathy and intercultural competen- Lauren Fluger (USA), Julia Hartz (RF/D, team counsellor), Thomas Heldt (D, ces vis-a-vis our neighbours. The ARSP programme in Germany increases his- ARSP), Tobias Edling (D, ARSP), Daniiela Pashko (UKR), Jana Kashuta (RF), torical and political understanding, fostering self-reflection and bringing people Anastasia Kataeva (RF). Third row (left to right): Vera Khorosheva (RF), Teresa of diverse social, cultural and religious backgrounds into contact and dialogue Walch (USA), Daniel Farrell (IR), Leeor Fink (IL), Petr Huml (CZ), Pia Remmers (D), with each other. The volunteers, project partners and ARSP staff are all jointly Katarzyna Studnicka (PL), Alëna Semerikova (RF), Yael Dinur (IL). involved in this learning process.

17 volunteers from eight countries did their voluntary service with ARSP in Ger- many until August 2012. One volunteer terminated his service early in March 2012. The volunteers came from Germany, Ireland, Israel, Poland, the Russian Federation, Czech Republic, Ukraine and the USA. The main focus of their work was in the field of historical and political education and in tending to survivors of National Socialist persecution. They supported our partners at memorial sites and museums by accompanying groups of visitors, conducting archive research and developing exhibitions. They maintained contacts with former pri- soners and their relatives. They visited elderly people in their homes and pro vided day-to-day support.

In September 2012, a new international group began their service with ARSP in Germany. There are 18 volunteers from nine countries. For the first time, one volunteer was sent to the Flossenbürg Memorial Site in 2012.

Sadly, we had to say goodbye to one of our long-term partners in 2012: the Jugend keller (“youth cellar”) Lichtenrade in Berlin ceased its work for financial reasons. Thanks to the help and contacts of the Neighbourhood and Self-Help Centre in the ufaFabrik, we have been able to start a new partnership with the youth centre Jugendkulturzentrum Spirale. The 2012/2013 generation of volunteers at the preparation seminar in Berlin- Karlshorst, September 2012: first row (left to right): Gideon Unkeless (USA), The voluntary service in Germany is supplemented by a four-part seminar pro- Jelena Vukobrat (BiH), Tamir Shneider (IL), Aline Seel (D), Daniel Händler gramme. At the preparation seminar, volunteers get to know each other and (IL), Antoine Boecker (D). Second row (left to right): Rebecca Kantor (USA), ARSP and receive a wealth of practical tips for living in Germany. The content Anna Hageman (NL), Anna Taraskina (RF), Renata Safina (RF), Michaela focuses mainly on narratives of the 20th century in their countries of origin and Wolf (D), Tatiana Petrenko (UKR), Tatiana Manykina (RF), Liuba Vaseryna (BY), Kamila Serdeska (PL), Theresa Rodewald (D), Nataliia Bogoliubskaia 46 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work (RF), Lynn Williams (USA), Olivia Feldman (USA). 47 “For many, many long years the survivors didn’t tell anyone their stories. They didn’t want to remember, didn’t need to speak about it or they were scared to. But one day they do tell their sad stories. During my volunteering year I realised that that’s exactly what I’m here for, that’s my job: I can listen to them, give them my attention and my sympathy. When I see that they are opening up to me and are willing to tell their stories, I know that they trust me. That makes me happy.”

Vera Khorosheva, of Perm in Russia, did

voluntary service at the Augustaschacht Volunteers of the 2012/2013 generation at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews memorial site in Osnabrück from 2011 to 2012. of Europe in Berlin, September 2012 (left to right): Kamila Serdelska, Lynn Williams, Tatiana Manykina, Nataliia Bogoliubskaia, Tamir Shneider.

Project area Projects in their families. In December, there is a first evaluation in conjunction with an Socially disadvantaged people Asylum in the Church, Berlin introduction to biographical work and a workshop at the House of the Wannsee 3 volunteers Jugendkeller Lichtenrade, Berlin – youth Conference education and memorial site. In the spring, ARSP offers the volun- centre teers a trip to the memorial sites in Auschwitz and Krakow. Visiting the Ausch- Jugendkulturzentrum Spirale (NUSZ), witz location as part of an international group is always a moving and complex Berlin – youth centre experience for our volunteers. At the final seminar at the end of their service, questions from the previous seminars are picked up on and the group organises Elderly people, survivors and Social department of the a joint farewell. their descendants Jewish Community, Berlin 11 volunteers Solidarisch Hilfe im Alter, Hamburg – Above all, the level of interest in conducting ARSP voluntary service in Germany assistance in old age is high in Eastern Europe (Belarus, Russia and Ukraine) and in Israel. Besides Psychosoziale Arbeit mit Verfolgten, this there are a great many non-specific enquiries via the EU European Voluntary Hamburg – psychosocial work with Service (EVS) programme. Nevertheless, allocating placements in a way that suits victims of persecution all of the parties concerned is always a new challenge for us. We are looking for people who are interested in specific projects with ARSP in Germany and are motivated to take part in service and the exchange in an international group. Historical and political Action Reconciliation Service for Peace, education Berlin At present, four placements in Germany are funded by the EU EVS programme. 16 volunteers American Jewish Committee, Berlin Two volunteers from Israel are representing ARSP in the Kom-Mit-Nadev pro- House of the Wannsee Conference gramme. Both the volunteers’ sponsors and the partners at their placements make memorial and educational site, Berlin a considerable contribution to funding the voluntary work. The Nordkirche church Hendrik Kraemer House, Berlin has supported our work in Hamburg for many years. The Lars Day Foundation Schwules Museum, Berlin – gay museum supports our seminar work. We are very grateful for all of these contributions Protestant Church of Reconciliation at and continue to rely on your support in the future. the Dachau memorial site Flossenbürg memorial site, Oberpfalz Neuengamme memorial site, Hamburg Number of volunteers total female male Sachsenhausen memorial site, Oranienburg Augustaschacht memorial site, Osnabrück March 2012 to August 2012 18 (17) 13 5 (4) Documentation Centre Oberer Kuhberg, Ulm September 2012 to February 2013 18 15 3 Buchenwald memorial site, Weimar Kreisau Initiative, Berlin

48 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 49 Reports on voluntary work: Great Britain

Daniel Lewis

The situation in the country The 2012/2013 generation of volunteers at the weekend seminar in Bwlch, Wales, December 2012. (Back row from the left): Magda Schmukalla (country programme director), Ortrun Vödisch, Johanna Appel-Irrgang, Krystyna The economic situation in Great Britain got worse in 2012. The government’s Augustyn, Magdalena Keska, Jan Porebski, Karolina Motyssek, Clarissa austerity measures introduced a year ago are now having a dramatic effect on Schneider. (Front row from the left): Marcin Zwyrzykowski, Henrike Genzel, all parts of society and are creating a difficult and tense atmosphere, especially Annabelle Größlich, Simon Berghaus, Rim Irscheid. in the non-profit sector. Many associations, NGOs and, above all, small social welfare institutions have already had to lay off staff and discontinue projects. That is why uncertainty regarding planning and insecurity were a widespread which led to regular clashes within the governing coalition. A further feature of phenomenon, and for many have been a real problem in 2012. the political scene was the continuing debate over Britain’s role in the EU.

The political situation was also affected by these measures, although there were fewer protest movements and strikes in the cities in 2012 than in the previous Volunteer work and public relations work year. Domestic policy was dominated by the dissatisfaction of the British public, The cooperation with ARSP project partners in the country went very well, despite the effects of the economic crisis. During the 50th anniversary many new contacts were forged with projects that are greatly interested in working with ARSP. As a result, as of September 2012, two volunteers were able to start their service at Norwood, a Jewish NGO in north-west London that works with children, families and elderly people with learning disabilities.

However, many of our long-term partners, such as Conflict and Change, the South wark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers and the Roma Support Group lost their state grants and were thus affected by financial cuts. Fortunately, the German YMCA in Lon- don has decided to support four ARSP projects, which will hopefully allow the projects to be re-stabilised to some extent.

Trilateral programme

Ten volunteers from Germany and Poland completed their service with an evaluation meeting in London in August 2012. This final meeting provided a good opportunity to take stock of the experiences of the preceding year in a small group, as well as for saying goodbye to each other and to a special phase of their lives. The positive mood and the friendships within the group were already evi- The 2011/2012 generation of volunteers to Great Britain at a country seminar. dent in April during the summer seminar in Chirk, Wales, where the volunteers Back row (left to right): Felicitas Weileder, Joanna Lorenc, Ewa Korbut, Lilli had the opportunity to share their experiences and stories from their service ac- Meinck, Katarzyna Sawka, Josephine Merkel, Carlotta Israel. Front row (left tivities. to right): Daniel Lewis (contract worker), Corinna Hohlweck, Jonas Hiller, 50DorotaKolumnenzeileASF Grzegorek, Jahresbericht (Kapitelbeschreibung)Michal 2011 – Peszkin. Berichte aus der Freiwilligenarbeit ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 51 The new bilateral group, with seven volunteers from Germany and five volunteers from Poland, began their service in September 2012; like the previous group, they began with a trilateral preparation seminar in Piekary, Poland. During this Reports on seminar, the Ukrainian, Polish and German volunteers prepared themselves for their service in Britain and Poland. Three further orientation days were held immediately after the volunteers’ arri- voluntary work: val in Britain, which served as an introduction to life on the island and focused on the volunteers’ hopes and expectations. During the weekend seminar in December, the connections between culture, nation and perceptions of history were addressed from a bilateral perspective. This offered a departure point for Israel the Holocaust memorial day on 27th January and at the same time served to ex- pand the volunteers’ knowledge of ARSP’s fields of activity. Christa Zwilling-Seidenstücker

Project area (from Sept. 2012) Projects

Socially disadvantaged people: Roma Support Group (London) 3 volunteers Southwark Day Centre for Asylum The situation in the country Seekers (London) Conflict and Change (London) In the middle of November 2012, violence in Israel pushed itself once again to the fore: following increasing tensions in and around the Gaza strip, “Operati- People with disabilities: Coventry Mind (Coventry) tandem on Pillar of Defense” was launched and for the first time since the Gulf War of 5 volunteers Norwood (London) tandem 1991, missiles were fired at Tel Aviv and even in Jerusalem the rocket alarm was L’Arche Lambeth (London) sounded twice. The volunteers met for a joint consultation with the ARSP staff and the Israeli circle of friends in Jerusalem before returning to their projects. Elderly people, survivors and Association of Jewish Refugees (London) The volunteer working in Beersheva, which was under constant rocket fire, did their descendants: not return until the ceasefire had been implemented. It was impressive to see 1 (and 2 part-time) volunteers the level of empathy and reflection with which the volunteers dealt with this very stressful situation, and how greatly their understanding of the complica- Historical and political Leo Baeck Institute (London) ted situation in the country has grown during this time. education: Wiener Library (London) 3 volunteers Coventry Cathedral (Coventry)

Volunteer work Project area (2011/12) Projects At the beginning of the 2012-13 volunteering year, we began work in partner- Socially disadvantaged people: Roma Support Group (London) ship with a school for autistic children from Bedouin families near Beersheva. 3 volunteers Southwark Day Centre for Asylum The school is the first of its kind and is outstanding in terms of the dedication Seekers (London) with which the team has equipped and now runs the school. We are glad to be Conflict and Change (London) able to be part of this project.

People with disabilities: Coventry Mind (Coventry) tandem Sadly, there were also some terminations of service. In 2012, three volunteers 4 volunteers L’Arche Lambeth (London) tandem decided to break off their service in Israel early and return to Germany for personal and health reasons. Furthermore, some volunteers left the country before Elderly people, survivors and Association of Jewish Refugees (London) the actual end of their service year in late August, which was partly to do with their descendants: the very early start of their degree courses in some locations. 1 (and 2 part-time) volunteers Four trainees from the Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG company and seven trainees Historical and political Leo Baeck Institute (London) from the North-Rhine Westphalian Chambers of Commerce completed a spe- education: Wiener Library (London) cial kind of social internship. The trainees each spent two weeks sitting in on 3 volunteers Coventry Cathedral (Coventry) the voluntary projects and expanding their knowledge of Israel’s history, politics and economics as part of the accompanying programme.

52 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 53 former ARSP volunteer in Israel and a member of the circle of friends, won over the hearts of the jury and the audience with his Cologne-based kosher recipes, which made ARSP well-known throughout Israel. Our heartfelt congratulati- ons go to Tom for his success!

Number of volunteers and projects in Israel

Number of long-term volunteers total female male

March 2012 to August 2012 24 13 11

September 2012 to February 2013 23 14 9

Volunteers from the 2012/2013 generation on the roofs of the old town in Number of medium-term volunteers total female male Jerusalem, during the orientation seminar. Back row (left to right): Simon Weissbeck, Simon Stöckle, Leon Spiegelberg, Ulrike Frenzel, Kim Nathalie Jäger, March 2012 to August 2012 8 7 1 Paul Kobusch, Lea Wamsler, Danny Hollek, Klarina Akselrud, Jan Thorben Wilkens, Anna Kändler, Marit-Inga Zimmermann, Marie Fiona Graab, Nora Schmidt, Georg Hofmann, Ruppert Franz. Front row (left to right): Teresa Finke, Johanna Blender, Friederike Lorenz, Christa Zwilling-Seidenstücker, Project area Projects Sophie Anuth, Laila Schestag, Marlies Schneider, Jakobus Hartmann. Mis- sing from the picture: Dorothea Schwarz. Socially disadvantaged people Women’s refuge Isha L’Isha, Jerusalem Open House, Jerusalem Children’s and youth village, Ben Shemen Bilateral seminar programme Women’s refuge Nashim Lemaan Nashim, A major feature of the volunteering programme is the chance to meet Holocaust Haifa survivors, who share their stories and their families with the volunteers. In Is- rael, the weekly visits to survivors form part of every project combination. In the People with disabilities Beit Rachel Strauss, Jerusalem accompanying seminars, the volunteers then went in search of traces of their Beit Sefer Ilanot, Jerusalem own family histories. The high point of this is the bilateral seminar with Israeli Gan Or, Kiryat Ata students. Here the volunteers and young Israelis work together to address how Beit Sefer On, Tel Aviv family history has shaped themselves and society up to the present day. Beit Uri, Afula Kivunim, Bustan HaGalil Alwfaa school, Hura Germany programme Alyn Hospital, Jerusalem

During 2012, two Israelis were living and working in Berlin as part of the inter- Elderly people, survivors and Amcha, Haifa national group of the ARSP Germany programme. They were part of a group of their descendants Amcha, Jerusalem young Israelis who came abroad on the Kom-Mit-Nadev programme, which also Amcha, Beersheva includes nine volunteers sent by the Beit Ben Yehuda meeting centre. Amcha, Nahariya Irgun Olei Merkas Europe, Jerusalem Beit Siegfried Moses, Jerusalem Beit Frankforter, Jerusalem Public relations work Beit Bart, Jerusalem Open Work for the Elderly, Jerusalem, ARSP’s work in Israel was presented to many groups and individuals in 2012. One Tel Aviv, Haifa, Afula unusual way of drawing attention to ARSP was the participation of current vo- Pinkas Rosen, Tel Aviv lunteers as extras in the film comedy Love IsReal, which tells the story of a young Beit Anita Müller Cohen, Tel Aviv volunteer in Israel. Irgun Olei Merkas Europe, Haifa Idan HaZahav, Jerusalem Even more unexpected was the fame suddenly bestowed on ARSP thanks to the TV cookery show “Masterchef”, which is extremely popular in Israel: Tom Franz,

54 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 55 Number of volunteers per project area

Project area March – Septem- March August ber – – August 2012 February 2012/13 2012/13 (medium- term service)

Work with people with disabilities 8 9 2

Work with socially disadvantaged people 4 3 1

Reconciliation projects 4 3

Historcal and political education 7 9 4

Work with elderly people 21 23 4 The 2011/2012 generation of volunteers at the final seminar (July 2012). Front row (left to right): Joana Bürger, Wanda Kilias, Christian Mangold; second row (left to right): Johannes Schneider, Aurelia Ebert, Helene Görmans, Agnieszka Poplawska, Marina Kryjanovkaja, Jonas Naumann, Birk Kowalski, Lilly Reichwein, Ludwig Decke, Pauline Marx, Mirjam Krane, Karoline Rhein; (seated on the wall): Rafael Piotrowski, Felix Lührs; third row (left to right): Susanne Vogel, Adrian Weiss, Ruth Krane, Dorothea Hinz, Silas Olszewski, Maria Röger, Kilian Nussbaum; back row (left to right): Miriam Meyer, Manuel Abels, Simon Salzmann.

Historical and political Leo Baeck Institute, Jerusalem education Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, Jerusalem Yad Vashem, Jerusalem International meeting centre Beit Ben Yehuda, ARSP, Jerusalem Stephen Roth Institute, Tel Aviv Alfred Wiener Library, Tel Aviv Isha L’Isha-Haifa Feminist Center Archive of the Jewish Distribution Committee, Jerusalem Beit Ashkenaz, Jerusalem “Musical chairs” - warming up at the final seminar for the long- and Reconciliation projects Moadonit Shalom, Haifa medium-term volunteers, July 2012 Leo Baeck Educational Center, Haifa Hand in Hand School, Jerusalem

56 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 57 Reports on voluntary work: Netherlands

Barbara Schöpping

The situation in the country Country group 2011/2012 (left to right): Following the liberal and Christian democrat minority government’s collapse Front row: Joachim Bergmann, Jannes Löbling, Helge Aisenbrey, Gregor May in the spring over the issue of budget cuts made in keeping with EU policy, new Back row: Paulina Herker, Lena Stolle, Noemi Dedring, Lukas Gernhold, elections were held in September 2012. The new government is comprised of the Wiebke Volkhardt, Friederike Moraht, Juliane Harland, Sarah Leuders, right-wing liberal VVD and the social democrats. Geert Wilders’ populist party Friederike Wansing, Anna Nickelmann, Julia Brosy, Hannah Greimel, lost votes for the first time since it came into existence. Many non-governmen- Femke Opper and ARSP country programme director Barbara Schöpping. tal organisations remain affected by cuts under the new government, including some of ARSP’s project partners. “Over de muur – Joods leven in Oostduitschland” (“Over the wall – Jewish life in East Germany“), different perspectives were shared on dealing with the Shoah The volunteer group and the organisation of Jewish life in the GDR. Project partners, mentors, volunteers and several other interested parties took part in this successful after- With the exception of the placement at Emmaus-Haarzuilens, it has been possible noon of discussion. to maintain all of our project placements. In collaboration with our project partner Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam (the Dutch The volunteers find their voluntary mentors to be a valuable support. Regular Resistance Museum), the volunteers once again visited several schools in April. contact between volunteers and survivors, as well as other elderly friends, re- The “Verzet je” (“offer resistance”) programme was carried out with great com- mains an important element of the voluntary work. mitment together with the pupils.

To mark the ecumenical decade of peace, volunteers kept up the tradition of Bilateral programme holding a service in November at the German Protestant Parish of Amsterdam.

The week-long country seminar took place in March. The first part was largely To commemorate the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27th Janu- devoted to evaluation of the projects. We carried out the second part once again ary, ARSP volunteers laid flowers at the Auschwitz-Monument in Amsterdam. in partnership with the Anne Frank House, using the title “Paths of Prejudice and Justice”. The programme, which addresses the question of whether and how In partnership with the circle of friends, we held several ARSP cafés. A recruit- justice can be achieved in the aftermath of genocide, taking the examples of the ment campaign was launched for new friends of ARSP Netherlands and the bi- Nuremberg trials and the tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, has more than prov annual newsletter was sent out. ed its worth. Along with the country programme director for the Czech Repub- lic, students from Macedonia and Croatia also took part in this seminar. Other activities

Public relations work In May, for the sixth time, three trainees from the company Würth completed internships at the Anne Frank House, the Regenboog Groep and the Verzetsmuseum in The third thematic afternoon was held in October in cooperation with the Hol- Amsterdam. They were supervised by the ARSP volunteers. The programme was landsche Schouwburg. In keeping with the ARSP annual theme and with the title very well received by all who were involved.

58 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 59 ARSP volunteers ask questions

“However hard you try to be unprejudiced and see the world with out bias, every organisation becomes institutionalised and bureaucratised to some extent. For this reason alone, the ARSP volunteers bring valuable enrichment to an organisation. These are people who have not yet withdrawn into their shells, who are still very busily involved with discovering the world and have an extremely idealistic drive. And perhaps even more importantly for us, they never stop asking questions and they do not take the world around them for granted. If we are ever going to achieve a Volunteers of the 2012/2013 generation on an outing to the seaside during true transformation of society, we need people like this.” the orientation days in September 2012. Front (left to right): Farina Maletz, Lea Riek, Alexandrina Machado de Amorim; (middle row): Jan Felix Permien, Daniel Freudenberger, Judith Braun, Niels Pohl, Laura Best, Viola Renner-Motz, Cyriel Triesscheijn Marieke Onnasch, Ruken Cihan; (back): Niklas Szczesny, Matthias Kirschmann, Radar, Rotterdam Martin Niklas Hagen; (missing from the picture: Rapahel Montermann).

In January, at the invitation of the cultural advisor Michael Meyer, we held the Working with people with Arche living community, Gouda project partners’ meeting as guests at the German embassy. This was preceded disabilities DC Maccabiadelaan, Amstelveen by a discussion of the summer camps, in keeping with the annual theme, at the 3 volunteers German Lutheran Parish in the Hague. One of the mentors gave a report of her experiences at the early ARSP summer camps in Poland and Czechoslovakia; Working with elderly people Beth Shalom, Amsterdam the GDR summer camps were also discussed. In July 2012, a summer camp took 1 volunteer place in Deventer, in partnership with the Etty Hillesum Centrum.

Number of volunteers per project area Number of volunteers total female male Historical and political education 7 March 2012 to August 2012 16 12 4 Socially disadvantaged people 7 September 2012 to February 2013 16 9 7 Working with people with disabilities 3 Project area Projects Working with elderly people 1 Historical and political Anne Frank House, Amsterdam education Herinneringscentrum Kamp Westerbork, 7 volunteers Hooghalen Our thanks for financial support go to: Joods Historisch Musuem, Amsterdam Nationaal Monument Kamp Vught Radar, EU volunteer programme “Youth in Action” Rotterdam Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth United for Intercultural Action, Amsterdam German Lutheran Parishes in Amsterdam and Rotterdam Verzetsmuseum, Amsterdam German Lutheran Parish in the Hague Small cultural fund of the German Embassy, the Hague Socially disadvantaged people German Seamen’s Mission, Rotterdam Stichting Visser’t Hooft Centrum, Rotterdam 7 volunteers Emmaus Haarzuilens Jeanette Noël Huis, Amsterdam De Regenboeg Groep, Amsterdam Stichting Kwintes, Amersfoort Wijkpastoraat Oude Noorden, Rotterdam

60 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 61 Reports on voluntary work: Norway

Maritt Merfort

The situation in the country

The attacks perpetrated by Anders Breivik on 22nd July 2011 provoked a debate in 2012 about how to deal with the aftermath, in which the effects of the attack for the Norwegian state and society became clear. Norwegian media reported in depth on the trial and the psychological assessment of Breivik’s criminal cul- The country group 2012/2013 at a seminar in Oslo: Johanna Kersting, pability, as well as posing questions that were generally critical of society. Lisa Dalke, Franz Fabian-Gerstein, Jens Lindemann, Samira Ricarda Abadian, Johanna Wesselmann, Isabelle Bombeiter, Marianne Burth, Jakob Schuster, In May 2012, the parliament voted unanimously for a change in the constitution Simon Schnier. that would do away with the state Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway. This change in the constitution has led to a stronger, albeit not quite total, seculari- sation of the country.

In November 2012, the Norwegian police made an official apology to the Jewish people who were deported from Norway. During the occupation, the police force was involved in deporting hundreds of Jewish people to Auschwitz.

Volunteer work

The projects which ARSP works with in Norway are long-standing and well-known partners. Thanks to this stable array of projects, last year’s long-term sick-leave cover for the country programme director was handled well.

The 2011/2012 generation of volunteers spent the country seminars learning about Norwegian culture, for example discussing how people with disabilities are treat ed in Norway and in Germany at the seminar in June 2012. In January, the group were guests of the FHS Lundheim and joined the pupils of the Folkehogskole to hold a bilateral seminar on stereotyped images of Germany and Norway. The volunteers developed a four-hour seminar in Norwegian for 80 pupils of the FHS. Topics such as “peace service”, “reconciliation” and “international understanding” were explored with the pupils in short scenic performances. One special feature of the seminar was that pupils with and without disabilities were working together. The volunteers appreciated having the exchange with the pupils and the hospitable atmosphere of the FHS.

62 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 63 Public relations work Project area Projects In October 2012, ARSP, together with the Norwegian writer Ingvar Ambjørnsen, were awarded the Willy Brandt prize. The prize is given to people or institutions People with disabilities Betania Foundation, Alta: living and day whose work has made a special contribution to German/Norwegian relations. 9 volunteers centre for elderly people with mental handicaps An ARSP summer camp was held in Kokelv in 2012. With Kokelv as the chosen Signo Foundation, Andebu: special location, the multi-generational group came together at a place where ARSP vo- school for deaf children and adolescents, lunteers had been working 50 years ago. residential complex for deaf adults Signo CSS Foundation, Oslo: residential complex for deaf adults Granly Foundation, Kapp: residential Other activities complex for people with disabilities Lundheim Folkehogskole ARSP’s circle of friends has shown itself to be a great support for our work in Inclusive Boarding School Norway during the past year. During the country programme director’s sick- leave cover by the Berlin head office, the circle of friends helped to prepare the Elderly people, survivors and Jewish Residential and Retirement seminars and to rent new office space in the Labour Party headquarters in Oslo. their descendants Centre, Oslo 2 volunteers Kindergarten of the Jewish community, Oslo

Number of volunteers total female male Work with children/young Betania Foundation, Alta: kindergarten people Soltun Folkehogskole: boarding school March 2012 to May 2012 16 5 11 3 volunteers

May 2012 to August 2012 13 4 9

September 2012 to February 2013 13 7 6

The ARSP volunteers of the 2012/2013 generation: Lisa Dalke, Johanna Wesselmann, Johanna Kersting, Samira Ricarda Abadian, Isabelle Bombeiter, Jakob Schuster, Simon Schnier, Jens Lindemann, Tillmann Pfläging, Franz Fabian-Gerstein, Jan-Christoph Elle 64 KolumnenzeileASF Jahresbericht (Kapitelbeschreibung) 2011 – Berichte aus der Freiwilligenarbeit ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 65 Reports on voluntary work: Poland

Urszula Scien´zak

The situation in the country

Volunteers of the 2012/2013 generation at the German/Ukrainian weekend If you were to ask what the most important event in Poland was in 2012, most seminar in Piekary, January 2013 (from left to right): (bottom row): Agnieszka people would have given the answer of the European football championships. Zychowicz, freelance worker, Urszula Sie´nczak, country programme direc tor, The project, jointly run with Ukraine, meant that the Polish people were kept Sergii Miroshnychenko, Zakharya Orlova (middle row): Sergii Koval, Katharina busy not just with the sporting achievements, but moreover it was a political, Fissmer, Anna Kozikowski, Olga Sokolova, Glib Pronskikh, Khrystyna Zanyk, economic – linked with very large investments – and international social event. Galyna Shportko, Jesse Stegmann, Marie Lührs, Oleksandr Miskov, Lisa Rupp The European cup provided a short-term distraction from the EU and economic (top row): Pia Hansen, Johannes Fendel. crisis, which has also become increasingly evident in Poland.

Volunteer work

It was a dynamic time for the ARSP programme; the exchange and integration of the bi-national group was not easy. Although there were some difficulties and changes of living quarters, the work in the projects went well, carried by the commitment and motivation of the volunteers and the high level of appreciation from the project partners.

The current generation of volunteers proved to be a group that was willing to in- tegrate and exchange right from the first joint preparation seminar. In place of the partially unfilled project placement at Miedzy Nami, we were able to set up a new project in the same area with the Maltese Centre for Children with Disabilities in Krakow.

Besides the good start, this year saw some unexpected problems with visas for the Ukrainian volunteers. This issue was eventually resolved, but only with a lot of time and financial expense.

Volunteers of the 2011/2012 generation at the German/Ukrainian weekend seminar in Piekary in January 2012. (From left to right) back row: Marek Bilateral and trilateral seminar programme Kamionka (freelance worker at the office), Solvejg Hofert-Vrana, Max Brunow, Anna Puzankova, Tamara Komissarova, Agnieszka Zychowicz (freelance worker ARSP holds bi-national country seminars in Poland for German and Ukrainian at the office). Front row: Viacheslav Makarenko, Maximilian Kledzik, Mariane volunteers, as well as trilateral seminars, to which future Polish volunteers to Pöschel, Katrin Bartels, Kyrylo Kozhemykin, Ievgeniia Rudkovska, Franziska Germany and Great Britain are invited. The participants at the seminars ex- Rolf, Viktoriia Vlasiuk, Yuriy Matuschak, Alla Ivanova. change views on various issues that are important to them, such as history, politics

66 KolumnenzeileASF Jahresbericht (Kapitelbeschreibung) 2011 – Berichte aus der Freiwilligenarbeit ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 67 and culture from the perspectives of the different countries and nations. The “We are standing in the cemetery in the freezing cold and seminars take place within a German/Ukrainian or a German/Ukrainian/Polish framework and facilitate exchange and engagement in various constellations suddenly she tells me how they had to stand in the roll call at and from different perspectives. Majdanek for five hours on end, with wet hair at temperatures of minus thirty degrees. Compared to that, me feeling frozen at the cemetery in a woollen coat is nothing. Something like Germany programme and trilateral project in Great that really puts my life today into perspective.I can see how Britain incredibly lucky it is, that I’m living here and now and that One Polish volunteer began her service in Germany in September 2012. She is I’m not exposed to any violence.” working at the Kreisau Initiative project in Berlin. Five Polish volunteers were sent to Britain in September 2012, mostly to existing projects such as the Roma Support Group, the Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers in London and Coven- Volunteer Pia Hansen, Majdanek memorial try Mind. site and the Maximilian-Kolbe-Werk, re- calling an encounter with a survivor who The ARSP association in Poland she visited

In November 2012, there was a general meeting of members of the association, where reports were given on the association’s activities. The association organises open discussion meetings on ARSP issues. The first event included a screen Working with elderly people Association of Former Concentration ing of the film “Quietly Against the Tide” and further meetings are to follow. 8 volunteers Camp Inmates, Lublin Association of Former Concentration Camp Inmates, Gdansk Association of Former Concentration Finances Camp Inmates, Krakow Jewish community in Warsaw After the ARSP association was recognised as a coordination point of the Euro- pean Voluntary Service (EVS), ARSP submitted its first application in 2012, which People with disabilities Miedzy Nami Foundation was granted. 1 volunteer Maltese Centre for Children with Disabilities and their Families

Number of volunteers total female male Historical and political Teatr NN, Lublin education Edith Stein Society, Wroclaw March 2012 to August 2012 15 10 5 5 volunteers

September 2012 to February 2013 16 10 6 Education + elderly people Foundation for Polish/German Reconciliation, Warsaw

Project area Projects

Memorial site International Youth Centre (IJBS) Auschwitz 5 volunteers Majdanek memorial site in Lublin Stutthof memorial site

Memorial site / public relations Jewish education centre in Auschwitz work 2 volunteers

Children and adolescents Youth centre in Piekary 2 volunteers

68 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 69 Reports on voluntary work: Russia

Ute Weinmann

The situation in the country

The wave of protests in Russia following the parliamentary elections of Decem- ber 2011 did not abate after the presidential elections at the beginning of March 2012. Mass protests continued throughout the spring in Moscow, and to a lesser extent in other cities. Instead of the anticipated process of democratisation, there were developments in the opposite direction. For example, since Vladimir Putin took office again in May, working conditions for Russian and foreign NGOs have become worse. A law came into force on 21st November that requires NGOs, which receive funding from abroad and are “politically” active to be registered as “foreign agents”. This law serves to stigmatise the work of Russian organisations that cooperate with foreign partners. With regard to historico- political issues, little has changed in the past few years: patriotic commemora- tion of the Soviet victory in the Second World War overshadows the quieter to- nes of remembrance of issues that are incompatible with the self-image of a victorious nation.

Volunteer work

The cooperation with our long-standing project partners in Russia continued in the past year. We also forged some new contacts, which could open up new possibilities for the future. This includes the Jewish community centre in Volgo- The group of volunteers to Russia 2011/2012 at the seminar in Volgograd, grad. A joint summer camp was also held there. The volunteer in Voronezh was December 2011. (Left to right): Alexander Bau, Daria Gomelskaia, Werner able to bring in new ideas with the youth human rights movement on her own Boschmann, Anna Hauschild, Pia Baisch, Julia Büchler, Sarah Brumm. initiative, not least because she is a native speaker. The same applies to Memori- Missing from the photo: Annemarie Große-Jütte. al Moscow. This year’s new volunteers benefited from the excellent groundwork laid by their predecessors. For Memorial, new perspectives have also generally arisen from moving into a larger office space. Volunteers at the Holocaust Centre are supervised with ongoing tasks, work at the Remedial Health Education Centre is focused once again on groups with children. All of the Moscow-based volunteers are also providing services for the elderly at Sostradanije and some have also opted to get involved at an education centre for the children of refugees and those with migration backgrounds. In Perm and St. Petersburg, the volunteers at Memorial are primarily engaged in care for the elderly. The visa issues for a one-year stay remain unresolved, which means that the volunteers have to leave the country every three months so as to apply for a new visa.

70 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 71 The bilateral, trilateral and multilateral “Together with the volunteers, we try to understand the deep (seminar) programmes connections between our two countries and the tragic past

The first seminar at the start of the service year took place in Volgograd in the that both have been through. This is in the minds of the German congregation rooms of Sarepta and was devoted to remembering the Second volunteers, the elderly people that they look after and also the World War, in particular the battle of Stalingrad. Excursions and reflection form an integral part of this seminar. At the second seminar in Perm, the focus shif- young volunteers from Perm. We learn from each other and ted to the Gulags, a defining memory for Russia, as there is a memorial site at grow up together. It’s exciting to watch this process unfold. We the single remaining camps, which is a two-hour bus ride away from the city. ARSP volunteers rate having exchange with the young volunteers from Memorial can only hope that these stories will also keep on developing.” Perm and students as one of their most important experiences, along with gai- ning insight into the history of Stalinist terror and its consequences. Robert Latypov, Chairman of Memorial, Perm Germany programme

In September 2012, a new group of volunteers set off from Russia who were very Other activities diverse, both in terms of their geographical backgrounds and their age. Many applications were received from people, who had already gathered some work One highlight of the past year was the project partners’ meeting in Moscow in experience after graduating. We consider it an added advantage that the pro- June, to which partners from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine were invited. The main gramme is not just orientated toward very young volunteers. It is also pleasing thematic focus was on how memories of the Gulags, the war and the Shoah are to note that the majority of volunteers from Russia remain in close contact with dealt with in post-Soviet countries, and on working with survivors. ARSP after their service has ended.

Number of volunteers total female male

March 2012 to August 2012 8 6 2

September 2012 to February 2013 8 4 4

Project area Projects

Socially disadvantaged people Citizen’s Support and School for Refugees, 5 volunteers Moscow School for Roma – Anti-discrimination Centre Memorial, St. Petersburg

Working with people with Remedial Health Education Centre, disabilities Moscow 1 volunteer

Elderly people, survivors and Memorial, St. Petersburg their descendants Sostradanije, Moscow 7 volunteers Sarepta Parish, Volgograd Memorial, Perm

Historical and political Memorial, Moscow education Holocaust Centre, Moscow 3 volunteers Youth Human Rights Movement, Voronezh

The 2012/2013 volunteers in Perm, April 2012. (Left to right): Sarah Brumm, Annemarie Große-Jütte, Julia Büchler, Daria Gomelskaia, Werner Boschmann, 72Anna Hauschild,ASF Jahresbericht Pia Baisch,2012 – Berichte Alexander aus der Bau, Freiwilligenarbeit Julia Konosova (team counsellor). ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 73 Reports on voluntary work: Ukraine

Anzhela Beljak

The situation in the country

The year 2012 brought many new events, successes and failures to the contemporary history of Ukraine. The biggest event was the European football cham- pionship of 2012. Despite poor expectations, the tournament was well organised and the fans and guests were satisfied.

Country seminar in Odessa 2011-12, discussion at the Holocaust Museum The parliament finally passed a new law on the residence of foreigners in Ukra- with a survivor – Michail Saslavskij. On the right: Johanna Kerber, Hannah ine. Many international organisations have been waiting for this for a long time. Evers, Janick Hansen and Judith Loogen (back). Following the long struggle with Ukrainian bureaucracy, ARSP can now finally register its volunteers in the country, allowing them to remain in the country for a year and perform their voluntary service. Prior to this, they had had to leave and re-enter the country every three months.

In April 2012, ARSP received accreditation for the European Voluntary Service (EVS) as an organisation that coordinates, sends and hosts volunteers. This means that funding applications can now be submitted to the EVS.

Volunteer work

The eight volunteers carried out their service at various projects in six Ukraini- an cities. Right from the start we tried to include projects from various regions of the country, which has been successful. The volunteers in Kiev, Kharkiv and Simferopol mainly work directly with survivors, supporting them around the house and being important contact persons for them.

The volunteer at the Holocaust Study Centre Tkuma in Dnepropetrovsk was working on memories of the Shoah in Ukraine, focusing in particular on the fate of individual people. She also worked on small translation jobs for the Jewish Mu- seum. This is located in the largest Jewish centre in Ukraine, a huge complex (in the form of a menorah) in the city centre, which all of the Jewish organisations in the city will move into and use jointly.

The volunteer in Chernivtsi also worked in a museum: the Museum of Jewish His- tory in Bukovina. There she took part in many events and seminars for school Country seminar in Odessa, April 2012. (Back): Friderich Paun and Rebekka pupils and students, organised tours of the museum, held a round table mee- Beyer, (left): Marian Blok and Johanna Guntter, (front, left to right): Marie Alpermann, Johanna Menzemer, Nina Nadig, Leonie Sonnabend, Catrin Kremers, 74DominikaKolumnenzeileASF Tronina,Jahresbericht (Kapitelbeschreibung)(right): 2011 – Janine Berichte Soelinger aus der Freiwilligenarbeit (DAAD language assistant in Odessa). ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 75 ting for students and worked on the issues of tolerance, Jewish history in gene- Germany programme and summer camps ral and on the histories of famous Jewish people from Chernivtsi.

In Lviv, the volunteer carried out her service at Hesed, a Jewish welfare and cul- One Ukrainian volunteer began her ARSP service at the Neuengamme memori- tural organisation. There she played an active part in the theatre group, appea- al site near Hamburg in September 2012. ring in various performances and singing at the Jewish Festival in Lviv at the end of July. Work with survivors is also an important part of the project. The vo- As part of our trilateral ARSP programme, eight Ukrainian volunteers went to lunteer provides them with day-to-day support and takes care of necessary house Poland with ARSP, to work in their projects together with German volunteers. hold tasks. In addition to the ARSP international summer camp in Simferopol, which was All of our partners are very grateful for the help and support of the ARSP volun- co-organised and run by volunteers of the 2011-2012 generation, there was also teers and are looking forward very much to continuing our work together. a summer camp in Chernivtsi, Western Ukraine, in July 2012. The participants (aged 40+) devoted their time to maintaining the Jewish cemetery and learning At the end of January, there was a youth encounter in Kiev organised by the Ger- about Jewish life both past and present. man Bundestag. ARSP was also involved in this meeting, organising historical eyewitness discussions for the young participants.

Number of volunteers total female male

Seminar programme March 2012 to August 2012 8 5 3

Although Ukraine is one of the EU’s neighbouring countries, volunteers do not September 2012 to February 2013 8 6 2 always find it easy to understand the culture and mentality at the beginning of their service. For this reason, many of their questions were addressed before and during the first country seminar in Minsk. At the seminar in Odessa in Ap- ril 2012, the volunteers gained some fresh momentum for the rest of their service. During this seminar, we organised a workshop with German language students on the subject of “Civic courage in Ukraine”. How can you show active commitment? What does the term “civic courage” mean to young people from Germany and the Ukraine? Who builds a civil society and how? These were the central questions addressed at the seminar, always referring back to history.

This year the volunteer group was very independent and active; many were able to realise ideas on their own initiative. For example, the volunteers organised a summer camp in Simferopol with the main idea of supporting former Ostarbei- ter (forced labourers from Eastern Europe) and taking on small redecorating jobs in their homes. In Lviv, the volunteers took part in the Klesma festival, taking on active roles in the theatre group. In Dnepropetrovsk, one volunteer was heavily involved in preparing the “Holocaust in Dnepropetrovsk” exhibition.

The final seminar for the 2011-2012 generation took place in Kiev at the end of August. The volunteers had the opportunity to come together and evaluate their periods of service, to discuss their successes and failures and their own plans for after the peace service.

At the beginning of September, the new volunteer group began their service. As the orientation days took place in Berlin due to the visa application process, this was where the country programme director got to know the volunteers. These initial conversations with her helped the volunteers to feel confident about leaving the country and made further communication easier once they were in Ukraine.

76 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 77 Reports on voluntary work: USA

Mark McGuigan / Katharina von Münster

The situation in the country

On 6th November 2012, the incumbent president Barack Obama was re-elected with a surprisingly clear majority. The proportions in the Republican-dominated House of Representatives have not changed significantly. Continuing insecurity with regard to economic development has continued to affect donations, which means that many non-governmental organisations – including partners of ARSP – have had to cut back their activities.

Volunteer work

From 1st July 2012, American-born Mark McGuigan, who used to be ARSP’s public relations and fundraising officer, took over as country programme director from Magdalena Scharf, who is now our regional desk officer in Berlin. His pre vious position was filled by the former country programme director for Israel, Katharina von Münster, in August 2012.

Several days of seminars took place in Washington D.C. in 2012, in partnership with the Goethe Institute and at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, as Zeno Fickenscher and client Bertha Gamel, Jewish Family and Children Services, well as in Philadelphia. Philadelphia Due to financial and structural problems, three project partners were forced to discontinue their work with ARSP for the volunteering year beginning in Sep- tember 2012. These included the Delta Foundation and our long-term partners the Jewish Council of Urban Affairs and Trinity Church. Another project partner, the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie, which had also been on hiatus for a year, took on a new volunteer again in September 2012. We also gained the Holocaust Center in Detroit as a new project partner.

22 volunteers arrived in America in September 2012, again fortunately without any visa difficulties. For the first time in June 2012, four trainee landscape gar- deners completed a fortnight’s short-term service at ARSP project sites in Phila delphia. They accompanied and supported the current volunteers in their work. This programme, funded by the Allianz of America, is designed to strengthen the trainees’ social and intercultural competences.

78 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 79 “Actually, I wanted to have nothing more to do with any Ger- mans. But now you have become like a granddaughter to me.”

A Holocaust survivor saying goodbye to an ARSP volunteer in New York.

In July 2012, there was a German/American summer camp at the My Place Ger- mantown welfare project for former homeless people in Philadelphia.

Germany programme

Toya Bock and pupils at the Christus Lutheran Academy, Camden Four Americans have been doing their voluntary service in Germany since Sep- tember 2012. Around a dozen US-Americans have applied for the 2013-2014 volunteering year. We are very pleased that former American ARSP volunteers have remained active for ARSP locally after returning home.

Events and public relations work

During the reporting period, ARSP held a range of events in Washington D.C., New York City, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and San Francisco. The publication of the book “Reconciling Lives”, about the encounters between ARSP volunteers and Holocaust survivors and written by ARSP board member Alvin Gilens, provided an excellent opportunity to arrange a series of events on German/Jewish dialogue in partnership with the German General Consulates, the American Je- wish Committee (AJC) and the Goethe Institute, amongst others. Several hundred German and Jewish and non-Jewish Americans came together for these events.

During the year, the volunteers took part in further events and conferences, for example the Jewish Federation’s Youth Symposium for Holocaust Education and the memorial celebrations for Yom Ha’Shoah. There were reports on their voluntary work in various media.

In March and June 2012, the second and third parts of the German, French and US-American training course From the Melting Pot to the Salad Bowl, funded as a pilot-project by the Franco-German Youth Office, took place with 20 participants in Philadelphia and Paris.

Circle of friends Third row (left to right): Katharina von Münster (public relations officer), Philipp Diebold, Nikita Konopazki, Alexander Jahns, Lukas Gutzweiler, Jasper With the help of the ARSP association of friends, we were able to take the first Theodor Kauth, Zeno Fickenscher, Karl Ludwig, Paul Bochtler, Mark McGuigan steps towards building up a mentoring programme at the end of 2012. The idea (country programme director). Second row (left to right): Sina Jansen, Oezlem is to establish a network of supporters at all of the locations where ARSP volun- Hatilcik, Fabiola Winz, Anna-Magdalena Heide, Julius Lang, Sarah Zerfaß, teers are working. By the beginning of 2013, the first groups of mentors had Johanna Röhrig, Pia Kulhawy. Third row (left to right): Judith Fröhlich (intern), been set up in Chicago, New York and Washington D.C. Johanna Ghebrehiwot, Toya Bock, Yonca Erdogan, Sophia Mielke, Mirja Müller, Yvonne80 ASF Krüger Jahresbericht 2012 – Berichte aus der Freiwilligenarbeit ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 81 Elderly people, survivors and DOROT, New York their descendants Hebrew Senior Life, Boston 7 volunteers Isabella, New York Jewish Family & Children’s Service, Philadelphia Jewish Family Service, Cincinnati Project EZRA, New York Self-help Community Services, New York Self-help Home for the Aged, Chicago

Historical and political Action Reconciliation Service for Peace, education – 5 / 6 volunteers Philadelphia American Jewish Committee, Washington American Jewish Committee, New York Holocaust Center of the United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh Holocaust Memorial Center, Detroit Illinois Holocaust Museum and Edu cational Center, Skokie Raphael Küchlin and Rabbi Annie Lewis Inter Religious Task Force on Central America, Cleveland Jewish Community Center Manhattan, New York US Holocaust Memorial Museum, A word of thanks to our sponsors Washington

We would like to thank all of our volunteers, project partners, friends’ association interns, friends and sponsors of ARSP. For the year 2012, we are especially grateful to the Allianz of America for supporting the volunteer work and the trainee programme, as well as the Allianz and the Foundation Remembrance, Respon- sibility and Future for funding the book “Reconciling Lives”. Of course, we would also like to thank the author and photographer of “Reconciling Lives”, Alvin Gilen. In addition to this, there have been many individuals, including former USA volunteers, American friends and others, who have given donations to support ARSP’s work.

Number of volunteers total female male

September 2012 to August 2013 22 13 9

Project area Projects Socially disadvantaged people Christus Lutheran Church, Camden 8 volunteers Clinton Housing Development Co., New York New Visions Community Service, Camden Northwest Interfaith Hospitality Network, Philadelphia Project HOME / Kairos House, Philadelphia

Working with people with Innisfree Village, Charlottesville disabilities – 2 volunteers

82 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Reports on voluntary work 83 Summer camps and steering committee

Christine Bischatka und Rachel de Boor

With 33 summer camps in 16 countries, including the USA, Spain, Hungary and Israel, 2012’s programme offered many ways of getting involved, which were taken up by over 430 participants from 22 different countries. Once again, ARSP summer camps were present at large, prominent memorial sites such as the Bu- chenwald former concentration camp. They also showed an active presence in many places that otherwise receive little or no support from volunteers, for example in the Jewish cemeteries in Bialystok (Poland) and Nové Sedliště (Czech Republic), at memorial sites in Ahrensbök and Bernburg (Germany), in old people’s homes in Eröszpusta (Hungary) and Bucharest (Romania) or for children of the Roma minority in Uzhgorod (Ukraine).

To name just a few highlights from this year’s summer camps: a 14-strong team re-traced Walter Benjamin’s escape route from the French Banyuls-sur-Mer to Spain’s Portbou, developing a guided tour on Germany’s famous philosopher and essayist and preparing multilingual exhibition panels for the Walter Benja- min memorial site in Portbou. A partnership between the Protestant Women in Germany (EfiD) and ARSP enabled a multi-generational group to support the Children’s Memory and Health Centre in Warsaw by doing gardening work. They also took a close look at Warsaw’s Jewish heritage and at Polish memorial culture regarding the Second World War. In the far north of Norway, summer camp participants made improvements to the church built by ARSP volunteers in Ko- kelv in 1962. In Belgium, fifteen volunteers were guests at the Arche community of Antwerp; as the team counsellors Käthe and Helene wrote: “And we are allowed some insight into this oasis that is so full of loving kindness and dignity. We came to make the living space nicer. And we’ve been sharing in the community simply as a matter of course.” The successful continuation of the German/Polish family summer camp in Trzciel has given us cause to consider starting further summer camps for volunteers with children.

A glance at the make-up of the group of 72 team counsellors shows that the summer camps’ cross-generational approach is also reflected in their leaders: the youngest team counsellor was 18 years old and the oldest 80 years old. The number of summer camp team counsellors who, are coming back to run new camps, which rose last year, has remained constant. There has been increasing interest in the over-40s summer camps, which will be a core part of the 2013 summer camp work, as seen in Chernivtsi, Wroclaw and Nové Sedliste.

84 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Summer camps and steering committee ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Summer camps and steering committee 85 In the 50th anniversary year, our summer camp work has been able to celebrate a very special achievement: at least one summer camp was held in each of the 01.07.-07.07. Pirna D Re-spraying com- int./ ARSP long-term service project countries. A major goal for 2013 is to pick up on memorative path 18 +/ this pleasing achievement and to consolidate it. for the victims of inclusive Nazi-era „eutha- nasia“

Date Location Country Project Type 04.08.-13.08. Ravensbrück D Memorial site & int./ archive work 18 + 18.08.-01.09. Antwerp B Redecoration int./ work, Arche 18 + 29.07.-16.08. Berlin / D / IL Go queer – int./ Jerusalem exploring faith 18 + 01.07.-14.07. Minsk BY Redecoration int./ and homosexuality work for former 18 + in D & IL Nazi-era forced labourers 25.08.-08.09. Portbou / ESP / F On the trail of int./ Rivesaltes Walter Benjamin 18 + 22.07.-04.08. Ostrava CZ Maintaining the int./ – preparing exhi- Jewish cemeteries & 18 + bition panels and redecoration work tour

19.05. - 26.05 Nové Sedliště CZ Maintaining the int./ 03.08.-18.08. Bayonne F Maintaining the int./ Jewish cemeteries 40 + Jewish cemetery 18 +

02.06.-10.06. Drmoul CZ Maintaining the int./ 20.08.-31.08. Southampton GB Repairing tools in int./ Jewish cemeteries 40 + self-help develop- 18 + ment project 08.07.-21.07. Osnabrück D Memorial site, int./ excavation work 16 + 02.09.-15.09. Eröszpusta HU Leisure activities int./ and work at senior 40 + 08.07.-21.07. Buchenwald D Memorial site, int./ citizens’ home work on the com- 18 + memorative path 15.07.-28.07. Deventer NL Maintaining the int./ Jewish cemetery & 18 + 21.07.-04.08. Ahrensbök D Maintenance work int./ theatre performance at the memorial site 16 + 07.08.-21.08. Kokelv NOR Redecoration int./ 05.08.-19.08. Gröbzig / D Redecoration work int./ work at the church 18 + Bernburg at the memorial site 18 +/ & maintaining the inclusive 28.07.-04.08. Trzciel PL Maintaining the German Jewish cemeteries Jewish cemetery / Polish families 28.07.-19.08. Kleinwachau D Leisure activities int./ for people with 18 + 04.08.-18.08. Bialystok PL Maintaining the int./ disabilities Jewish cemetery 18 +

30.07.-13.08. Prettin - D Memorial site & int./ 01.07.-14.07. Lublin PL Memorial site & int./ Lichtenburg film project 16 + maintaining the 18 + Jewish cemetery 21.07.-04.08. Oranienburg D Memorial site & int./ maintaining the 18 + 05.05.-13.05. Wroclaw PL Maintaining the int./ Jewish cemetery Jewish cemetery 40 +

86 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Summer camps and steering committee ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Summer camps and steering committee 87 26.07.-09.08. Breisach D Documentation of int./ the Jewish cemete- 18 + ry & redecorating the „Blaues Haus“

21.07.-04.08. Warsaw PL Gardening work int./ at the Children’s 18 + Memory and Health Centre, with EfiD e.V.

05.08.-19.08. Bucharest ROM Jewish senior citi- int./ zens’ home & 18 + maintaining the Jewish cemetery

21.07.-04.08. Moscow RUS Clearing under German growth at the / Russian „Kommunarka“ / 18 site – mass grave of NVKD victims

05.08.-19.08. Volgograd RUS Redecorating int./ work for the Je- 18 + wish community & maintaining the Jewish cemetery

01.07.-12.07. Chernivtsi UKR Maintaining the int./ Jewish cemetery 40 +

27.05.-09.06. Uzhgorod UKR Redecoration int./ work at the school 18 +

23.06.-05.07. Philadelphia USA Redecoration German work at a housing / USA, project for former- 18 + ly homeless men

Summer camp in Bucharest

88 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – Summer camps and steering committee AktionASF Jahresbericht Sühnezeichen 2011 Friedensdienste – Sommerlager – Jahresberichtund Leitungskreis 2011 89 2012 financial statement and 2013 budget

General remarks

Action Reconciliation Service for Peace e.V.’s book-keeping, balancing and financial assessments are conducted on the basis of the commercial law stipu- lations for traders (§§ 238-263 of the German commercial code, HGB). The principles of proper accounting are implemented as outlined in the German commercial code.

The annual financial statement is audited by the company Beil, Baumgardt & Kol- legen, who then issue the audit certificate. The financial controllers appointed by ARSP’s membership have been able to confirm that the books have been kept correctly.

Quarterly financial statements are compiled on 30th June and 30th September. Annual liquidity planning and the monthly verification of the liquidity plan assure control over solvency and cost development. A monthly assessment of donations received, including a comparison with the previous year, serves as a comparison of planned and actual donation values for monitoring income development.

Balance

During the reporting period the balance sheet volume was reduced by € 232,000. In order to safeguard the losses of the 2012 financial year, €128,300 have been taken from the reserves. This means that the amount of reserves for contingen- cies as at the balance sheet date was €221,500.

The construction activities on third-party real estate, special items and liabilities from loans listed under liabilities pertain to the international meeting centre Beit Ben Yehuda/House of Peace in Jerusalem. Other liabilities include €157,000 of Dutch fund assets, €100,000 from a gift and €52,000 for the BAGKR’s work in the years to come.

The trust assets listed amounting to €429,000 pertain to the non-independent Helga Weckerling Foundation.

90 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – 2012 financial statement and 2013 budget ARSP Annual Report 2012 – 2012 financial statement and 2013 budget 91 Profit and loss account / 2012 financial statement There were increased expenses for seminars, events and training due to additional refinanced events. These include, for example, the project partners’ mee- The 2012 financial year closed with a loss of € 127,905.53. This was caused by ting in Moscow, the survivors’ encounter trip to Berlin and the greater number shortfalls in parish collections and in expected federal and European funding. of summer camps held in the jubilee year. At the same time, there was excess expenditure on material costs for volunteers, administrative expenses and seminars, events and training. We were able The proportion of funding spent on advertising and administration (according to partially counteract this excess spending by making reductions on other ex- to the definition of the German Central Institute for Social Issues, DZI, this in- pense items. cludes: personnel and material costs for public relations work and fundraising, the finance department and parts of the management) by Action Reconciliation During the reporting period ARSP received a small inheritance amounting to Service for Peace is 15%. The proportionality of this expenditure is reviewed € 2,000. Besides this, € 35,000 was channelled into the trust assets of the non- every year by the DZI, which then issues its donation seal. independent Helga Weckerling Foundation by two private donors. After reserves and taking account of profit carried forward, the financial result Although the contributions raised from federal funding were € 22,000 higher amounts to € 204.05 for 2012. than the previous year, we were unable to reach the planned target of € 593,000. The largest amount, of approx. € 400,000, came from the Federal Programme for International Volunteers (German: IJFD-Programm). It was not possible to achieve 2013 budget all of the planned billable volunteer months. As for EU funding, one application for structural support was rejected and further anticipated funding from the EU The planned total budget for 2013 is € 3,964,330. Youth in Action programme was not approved. In contrast, church funding increas ed slightly compared with the previous year. Other funding largely consists of The monthly donations from sponsors are expected to produce a higher yield, contributions from the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future”. having been adjusted from € 12 to € 15 per sponsor.

The international meeting centre Beit Ben Yehuda/House of Peace in Jerusalem suc- Income from regional church collections will rise by € 3,000 as there will once ceeded in raising an income of € 212,000 and was thus able to achieve a balan- again be a full collection by the Protestant Church in the Rhineland. ced budget. The increase in public funding will result from funding from the European Inte- Remaining income includes funding from the Federal Foundation for the Reap- gration Fund (EIF) for the intercultural work project area (German: PBI) and from in- praisal of the SED Dictatorship and the Federal Agency for Civic Education as part of creased funding from the IJFD programme. the summer camp anniversary celebrations. Planned personnel costs for 2013 amount to € 1,538,000. This increase from 2012 Personnel costs were kept € 58,000 below those of the previous year. However, is the result of planned tariff increases in the service contracts for the Protestant this was only made possible by cutting claims to the annual special payment Church in Germany and refinanced project positions of the PBI. € 102,000 are (Christmas bonus) paid to staff. Individual contract agreements have been reached included in the 2013 budget plan to cover the 2014 annual special payment with ARSP staff on the basis of fulfilment of the annual earnings. Thus, only (Christmas bonus). the minimum annual special payment of € 300 per full-time position has been accounted for in the statement. The expenditure for seminars, events and training will be brought back down to the same level as 2011. There was some excess expenditure on material costs for volunteers. This per- tains to the volunteers’ allowances. In some countries, adjustments to allowan- In the material costs for public relations work, we will reduce the expenses seen ces were unavoidable, in other countries funding from the European Voluntary in 2012 by approx. € 34,000 by reducing the distribution of the Zeichen journal Service (EVS) was dropped. There was excess expenditure on volunteers’ travel to three issues per year. costs, in particular for the summer camps, for which there was also additional refinancing during the jubilee year. Additional expenses were accrued for accom A further feature of the 2013 budget is the expenditure and income amounting modation (rent increases, newly let accommodation for the six-month service to € 59,000 from the Federal Working Group on the Church and Right-Wing Extremism programme, exchange rate fluctuations). (BAGKR). The project will be continued in 2013 with funding from the collection at the Kirchentag (church conference). Administrative costs include office rent, photocopying costs, communication costs and staff travel costs. Enormous price increases have also impacted this The loss reported for 2012 will be compensated for by releasing reserves. In order area. to replenish these reserves to the levels desired (and guaranteed to the EKD) in 2013, the 2013 plan contains an extraordinary item of € 127,300 (see Other ear- In the field of public relations work, there was a reduction of material costs, as nings / from release of reserves). This sum will be transferred from the Dutch certain activities were postponed until 2013 due to the public relations officer’s asset fund (a legacy from 2008), for which the board of directors will pass a new post remaining vacant between June and September. resolution to adjust its previous purpose-related allocation.

92 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – 2012 financial statement and 2013 budget ARSP Annual Report 2012 – 2012 financial statement and 2013 budget 93 The risk volume of the 2013 budget is approximately € 80,000. Included in this sum are € 25,000 of EVS funding, € 25,000 from applications that are still to be submitted to foundations and € 30,000 from donations.

We would like to thank all of our supporters for their donations, sponsorship, grants, collections and other financial contributions given during 2012. Please join us in helping to make 2013 just as vibrant a year and making a positive gesture for peace, reconciliation and human rights!

Profits and losses as of 31st December 2012 and budget for 2013

Actual 2011 Plan 2012 Actual 2012 Plan 2013 Plan/actual deviation 2012

I. Earnings EUR EUR EUR EUR 1. Donations 760,191.83 666,000.00 708,487.74 700,500.00 2. Sponsorship and solidarity 431,738.00 426,614.00 463,812.63 510,000.00 contributions 3. Collections 3.1 Regional church collections 254,913.18 281,000.00 285,108.96 317,230.00 3.2 Parish collections 127,768.57 158,000.00 115,210.97 130,200.00 4. Membership fees 110,620.08 115,000.00 115,878.36 115,000.00 5. Expense refunds 162,089.26 150,000.00 166,771.86 150,800.00 6. Public funding 6.1 Government funding 522,077.98 592,631.00 544,073.00 595,972.00 6.2 EU funding 184,516.31 150,000.00 98,602.17 95,000.00 6.3 Other public funding 45,275.85 92,084.00 83,010.53 128,030.00 7. Church funding 358,002.57 380,222.00 374,024.06 363,945.00 8. Other funding 191,640.79 179,580.00 167,004.15 189,200.00 9. Penalties 31,375.50 32,000.00 25,053.19 30,000.00 10. Earnings BBY 211,265.40 240,000.00 211,928.04 240,000.00 11. Other earnings 416,402.45 280,912.00 341,595.74 398,453.00 from bequests 44,375.00 0.00 1,900.00 30,000.00 from participant fees 41,068.00 40,000.00 73,940.65 51,500.00 from BAGKR 52,647.00 40,000.00 59,320.35 59,000.00 from anniversary events 103,726.00 76,500.00 61,500.00 8,700.00 from non-period earnings 50,125.00 30,000.00 49,113.97 50,000.00 from release of reserves 65,001.00 36,912.00 36,912.00 165,212.00 3,807,877.77 3,744,043.00 3,700,561.40 3,964,330.00 -43,481.60

94 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – 2012 financial statement and 2013 budget ARSP Annual Report 2012 – 2012 financial statement and 2013 budget 95 Profits and losses as of 31st December 2012 and budget for 2013

Actual 2011 Plan 2012 Actual 2012 Plan 2013 Plan/actual deviation 2012 II. Expenditure EUR EUR EUR EUR 1. Personnel costs -1,452,592.74 -1,410,261.00 -1,465,467.08 -1,537,645.00 1.1 Special payment (Christmas bonus) -80,500.00 -80,000.00 -10,000.00 -102,269.00 2. Material costs for volunteers 2.1 Volunteer allowances -267,653.23 -267,653.00 -299,037.45 -291,950.00 2.2. Volunteer travel costs -154,705.68 -150,000.00 -180,621.10 -173,435.00 2.3. Volunteer insurance -120,472.03 -128,000.00 -134,021.69 -135,000.00 2.4 Volunteer accomodation costs -198,219.32 -200,000.00 -256,629.88 -257,960.00 2.5 Other volunteer expenses 0.00 0.00 -17,710.67 -4,810.00 3. Administrative costs -313,135.29 -296,729.00 -334,814.49 -325,995.00 4. Material costs for public relations work -280,362.00 -218,500.00 -172,372.44 -138,300.00 5. Material costs for fundraising -45,727.34 -45,000.00 -40,676.00 -39,500.00 6. Seminars, public events, training courses -292,032.06 -292,000.00 -389,225.30 -293,305.00 7. Operating costs BBY *) - -224,000.00 -204,165.44 -230,000.00 8. Other material costs -603,605.83 -431,440.00 -323,725.39 -305,131.82 for depreciation -61,496.00 -59,640.00 -74,349.82 -74,349.82 for anniversary events -135,374.00 0.00 0.00 -13,200.00 for BAGKR -52,805.00 -40,000.00 -59,320.35 -59,000.00 for non-period costs -48,166.00 -27,000.00 -40,989.95 -25,000.00

-3,809,005.52 -3,743,583.00 -3,828,466.93 -3,835,300.82 -84,883.93 Actual 2011 Plan 2012 Actual 2012 Plan 2013 Plan/actual deviation 2012

EUR EUR EUR EUR EUR Annual surplus -1,127.75 460.00 -127,905.53 129,029.18 -128,365.53

III. Appropriation EUR EUR EUR EUR 1. Earnings brought forward 4,137.33 109.58 109.58 204.05 2. Added to reserve fund -2,900.00 0.00 -300.00 -128,300.00 3. Taken from reserve fund 0.00 0.00 128,300.00 0.00 4. Net profit 109.58 569.58 204.05 933.23

*) International meeting centre Beit Ben Yehuda listed separately as of 2012; previously included in cost positions 1-8

96 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – 2012 financial statement and 2013 budget ARSP Annual Report 2012 – 2012 financial statement and 2013 budget 97 Balance as of 31st December 2012 31.12.2012 31.12.2011 in LIABILITIES EUR thousands 31.12.2012 31.12.2011 in of EUR ASSETS EUR thousands A. Equity of EUR I. Association assets 102,258.38 102 A. Capital assets I. Fixed and intangible assets II. Reserve funds 1. Buildings on third-party land 642,271.00 669 1. Earmarked reserve funds 8,000.00 50 2. Operating and office equipment 112,760.00 87 2. Reserves for operating expenses 213,500.00 300 3. IT software 2,037.00 221,500.00 350 757,068.00 756 II. Financial assets III. Net profit 204.05 0 Shareholdings 511.29 1 323,962.43 452 757,579.29 757 B. Extraordinary items 457,499.00 484 B. Current assets I. Inventories C. Accrued liabilities In-stock publications 41,009.98 31 Other liabilities 124,000.00 205

II. Receivables and other assets D. Bills payable 1. Receivables from grants 95,030.12 181 1. Bills payable (loans) 189,000.00 210 2. Other assets 51,940.37 34 2. Bills payable (services) 0.00 4 146,970.49 215 3. Other bills payable 371,206.99 295 560,206.99 509 III. Securities Other securities 92,163.06 92 E. Accrued and deferred items 12,000.00 60

IV. Cash in hand and bank balances 1,477,668.42 1,71 399,125.74 600 679,269.27 938 Trust-related liabilities (Weckerling Foundation) 428,918.37 385 C. Accrued and deferred items 40,819.86 15 Cost of ARSP programmes: 3,835,301 EUR 1,477,668.42 1710

Trust-related assets 428,918.37 385 (Weckerling Foundation) (01) (02) (11) (03) (04) Financing of ARSP programmes: 3,964,330 EUR (05) (10)

(06) (09) (07) (08)

(01) Other earnings 398 thousand EUR (07) Expense refunds 151 thousand EUR

(02) Earnings BBY 240 thousand EUR (08) Membership fees 115 thousand EUR

(03) Penalties 30 thousand EUR (09) Collection 447 thousand EUR

(04) Other funding 189 thousand EUR (10) Sponsorship and solidarity contri-

(05) Church funding 364 thousand EUR butions 510 thousand EUR

(06) Public funding 819 thousand EUR (11) Donations 701 thousand EUR

98 ARSP Annual Report 2012 – 2012 financial statement and 2013 budget ARSP Annual Report 2012 – 2012 financial statement and 2013 budget 99 accounting Sabine Behr (accounting) Ronald Stöber Jette Linsener Finance dept. / dept. Finance Service Fundraising Heike Lemmel Anna Rosa Böck Anna Rosa Böck Adriana Glowicka Adriana Glowicka, Donators’ service ------European Voluntary - (voluntary) Board of trustees (assistant) volunteers Ben Schaffer (desk officer)(desk ment contacts Regional work Regional · Church / govern Magdalena Scharf Regional groups Regional ------· Meetings of former advises appoints Communications department Communications work Project officer), (student) Extremism Perspective A Change of (coordinator) Public relationsPublic Carolin Schmidt Federal Working Federal (public relations and Right-Wing Friederike Schmidt Friedemann Bringt ------Denis (student) Pohl Group on the on Church Group

AGM AGM team (BBY) (student) (student) (student) Ingrid Lavie Kate Rudolph (desk officer)(desk Ella Enzmann Seidenstücker Jana Kaschuta Bernhard Krane Christa Zwilling- summer camps / annual assembly – House of Peace – House of Peace · Summer camps / Follow-up seminarFollow-up ------Volunteers dept. 5 Volunteers · Follow-up seminar Christine Bischatka IJBS Beit Ben Yehuda Ben Beit IJBS · Country work Israel Jonas Abel (manager) Steering committee Country office Israel Voluntary workers, friends, groups of sponsors, Protestant Church in Germany, regional churches and many other supporters (CPD) Belgium director) Vera KocklerVera Preparation project area project seminar team · medium-term Country office Jutta Weduwen, Intercultural work work Intercultural ------Volunteers dept. 4 Volunteers service programme Jutta Weduwen (desk KamilaZimmermann · Country work Belgium work Country · Preparation· seminar office, 1st provisional (CPD) UKR/BY Kosima Keller (switchboard) (student) (desk officer)(desk Ludovic Fresse Anzhela Beljak Veline BackofenVeline Heinz Labitzke Ines Grau (CPD) CIS studyCIS trips · Country work F, Daria Gomelskaia Werner Falk, Karl- (maternity cover) Country office F Information office: Antoine Bœcker Barbara Kettnaker Provisional director Jutta Weduwen Friederike Ronacher (incoming mail) appoints advises ------Volunteers dept. 3 Volunteers NOR, RUS, BY, UKRNOR, BY, RUS, Coordination office Country office RUS Country office NOR Ute Weinmann (CPD) Clementine Lepin (F) RitaBraisch (student) Structure of the organisation the of Structure Service Peace Reconciliation Action for (elects board (elects General assembly and committees) Secretariat/coordination of information office: Claudia Stüwe (CPD) (CPD) (student) sites PL sites Helga SibaeiHelga (desk officer)(desk Thomas Heldt Judith Hoehne Anne Wanitschek Urszula Sienczak IJBS AuschwitzIJBS Country office CZ Country office PL Visits to memorial ------Assistant to Polish Volunteers dept. 2 Volunteers Aline Seel (student) Stanislava Šimuniová · Country work PL/CZ Germany · programme historical witnesses oard (voluntary): Elisabeth Dr. Raiser (chair); Hans Hagen, Sebastian Dr. Weberchair); (deputy B assessors: Hildegart Stellmacher, Christian Dr. Schikorra, Matteo Schürenberg, Jörn-Erik Gutheil - - Volunteers (long-term service, medium-term service and summer camps) (CPD) (CPD) (CPD) minar (student) GB/NL/USA coordination Andrea Koch (desk officer),(desk (desk officer)(desk Simone Schulz · Selection and · Country work Mark McGuigan Tilman Wiesner Magda Schmukalla Barbara Schöpping Team selectionTeam se Country office NL Country office GB ------Volunteers dept. 1 Volunteers ------· Application depart ment Claire Kernzec Country office USA

100 Action Reconciliation Service for Peace: Structure of the organisation Action Reconciliation Service for Peace: Structure of the organisation 101 During the past year, Action Reconciliation Service for Peace has been supported by its members, sustaining members, numerous donors, sponsors recruited by the volunteers, numerous church parishes and the following organisations: Church organisations Bremen Protestant Church, Church of Lippe, Evangelical Church in Central Germany, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Braunschweig, Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Hanover, Evangelical-Lutheran Church in North Germany, Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Oldenburg, Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony, Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Schaumburg-Lippe, Protestant Church of Anhalt, Pro- testant Church in Baden, Protestant Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-schlesische Ober- lausitz, Protestant Church in Germany, Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau, Pro- testant Church in the Rhineland, Protestant Church of Westphalia, Protestant Church in Württemberg, Reformed Evangelical Church of Leer Public bodies The Alliance for Service for Peace, ConAct, European Commission Education, Audio- visual and Culture Executive Agency, Federal Agency for Civic Education, Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development, Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Federal Office for Families and Civil Society Tasks, Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, Franco-German Youth Office, Ger- man-Polish Youth Office, Hannover Conventual Chamber, Maribel Welfare Fund for the socio-cultural sector, Service Civique, State Chancellery of Saxony-Anhalt Foundations Brandenburg Memorial Site Foundation, Coordination Centre for German-Czech Youth Exchange – Tandem, Dr. Hildegard Hansche Foundation, Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship, Foundation for German-Russian Youth Exchange, Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future”, Heinrich Böll Foun dation, Lars Day Foundation, Quäker-Hilfe, Robinsohn Foundation, Stephanus Foun- dation Weißensee, Stiftung Mercator, v. Bodelschwingh Foundation Bethel Other supporters Adolf Würth GmbH & Co KG, American Friends of ARSP, Augustinum gGmbH, BMW AG, Der Tagesspiegel, Ebenezer Relief Fund, German Football Association, Kom-Mit- Nadev, LichtBlick GmbH & Co KG, Protestant Women in Germany, regiocom GmbH, Society for the Promotion of Social Service for Peace and International Exchange with Eastern Europe, Volkswagen AG

We extend to you our heartfelt thanks for your support in 2012! Action Reconciliation – Service for Peace

Auguststraße 80 10117 Berlin Telephone: (030) 28 39 51 84 Fax: (030) 28 39 51 35 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.asf-ev.de

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104 Kolumnenzeile (Kapitelbeschreibung)