The Chronicle of Sievershausen Encouragement

When the plan was made in 1988 to erect a monument of thanks for living humanity in front of the Anti-War House, for all those who helped those persecuted during the Nazi dictatorship, the idea of ​​a Sievershausen Peace Prize was born at the same time as an encouragement for people who, as individuals or in groups, are committed to peace and human rights in modern times. The date for the "award ceremony" was to be December 10, the day on which the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights was implemented in 1948.

According to Klaus Rauterberg, the initiators initially viewed this first peace prize as an "attempt," but one that should be repeated at least once. The most important partner in supporting the peace prize, endowed with a total of 4,500 DM in its first edition, was the Action Group Service for Peace from the start. In the following years, the Sievershausen Documentation Center for War Events and Peace Work Association also received support from the Evangelical Lutheran Church District of Burgdorf and from Sievershausen citizens and business people.

1988 The thematic focus of the first call for entries was the commemoration of the victims of the November pogroms on the 50th anniversary of November 9, 1938. The first recipient of the Sievershausen Peace Prize, which was only given the name Sievershausen Encouragement in the call for entries for 1992, was Gerhild Birmann-Dähne from Zeitlofs, who won the Peace Prize for her photo exhibition "House of Eternal Life" about the remains and traces of Jewish cemeteries "somewhere and nowhere in Germany and Israel".

In 1990, at the time of the unification of the Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR, the fight against racism and xenophobia was the focus of the Peace Prize. Once again, there were several award winners, including the Cabana group from the eastern part of Berlin, which had set up a meeting place for foreigners in the Protestant Bartholomäus congregation to counteract the isolation of foreign citizens, and the German section of Amnesty International.

In 1992, the focus was on reconciliation and understanding between Germany and the peoples of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The war in the crumbling Yugoslavia increasingly influenced the work of the Anti-War House and also the choice of award winners; this year, the Suncokret group (Croatia) and with it the Dutch peace activist Wam Kat were awarded the prize.

In 1994, the debate about deserters and conscientious objectors came into focus, still a hot topic in political discussions in German society almost fifty years after the end of the Second World War. Ludwig Baumann, the chairman of the Federal Association of Victims of Nazi Military Justice, was at the head of those honored for his long-term commitment to former Wehrmacht deserters and those who undermine military strength. The Berlin Peace Library/Anti-War Museum hosted an exhibition on the same topic, "Destruction and Redemption."

In 1996, the problem of arms exports and the contamination of large parts of the world with landmines was addressed. Jesuit priest Jörg Alt was honored for his work as coordinator of the "German Initiative for the Prohibition of Landmines."

The Federal Congress of Development Action Groups (BUKO) was honored for the "Stop Arms Exports" campaign.

In 1998, mediation and civil conflict resolution were the topic, and not just because of the war on our doorstep. Prize winners included the German branch of Peace Brigades International, the KURVE educational and meeting center (Wustrow), the Halle Peace Circle, Father Sava Jancic and the monks of the Serbian Orthodox Decani Monastery in Kosovo, who have repeatedly striven for the peaceful coexistence of Serbs and Albanians and offered their Albanian neighbors protection from persecution by the Milosevic militias within the monastery walls.

In 2000 there was only one award-winning organization, and the topic of former Yugoslavia was still a popular issue. The prize winner was a joint youth project by the towns of Burgdorf (Hannover region), Rheden (Netherlands) and Cheb (Czech Republic), who worked with young Bosnians in Fojnica in central Bosnia on the cultural and social reconstruction of the small town that had been heavily fought over during the war.

In 2003 our work focus on remembrance and reconciliation again determined the theme of encouragement. This year's Peace Prize winner was Jürgen Kumlehn from Wolfenbüttel, whose main job is at the Neu-Erkerode Diaconal Institutions. He compiled the history of the Jews of Wolfenbüttel and presented it in a book that was published this year.

In 2006, the Sievershausen Encouragement was announced for a successful and convincing contribution to practical peace work in the Caucasus. Taita Junusova was selected as the winner and honored by Rupert Neudeck in an impressive laudation.

In 2008, the problem of child soldiers was our main focus. Around 300,000 boys and girls are constantly abused as soldiers around the world. The MADAM project from Sierra Leone was encouraged, which is successfully working to rehabilitate former child soldiers from the civil war with the support of BREAD FOR THE WORLD.

In 2010, the young radio journalist María Isabel Gámez from the Cabañas department in El Salvador was supported. Most recently, she was head of the news department at Radio Victoria. For her station, she reported on environmental crimes in mining, social grievances, human rights violations and corruption.

In 2012, the Sievershäuser Ermutigung 2012 was awarded to the Christian grassroots community Bread & Roses and the Diaconal Migration Work for people with unclear residence status DiaMiPA, initiatives that are committed to the rights of people without papers in an outstanding way. People who fled from intolerable conditions in their home countries and find themselves in equally intolerable conditions here.

In 2014, the forumZFD was awarded to an organization that successfully and exemplary advocates for civil, non-violent conflict resolution on a national and international level. The award is also intended to remind us that military operations, arms exports and the logic of war do not create peace.

2016 AMICA e.V. from Freiburg was honored for its committed advocacy for women and girls who suffer from trauma in war and conflict zones and are supported in processing this and leading self-determined lives again.

The Sievershausen Encouragement 2018 is for initiatives and individuals who distinguish themselves through concrete contributions and/or a special journalistic profile in the area of ​​reporting on conflicts, conflict management or peace processes.

Journalism has a special responsibility in confusing times. The selection of topics, the way they are presented and the presentation of the facts have a decisive influence on our image of the world. The subject area of ​​conflict and peace is particularly susceptible to propaganda, sensationalist journalism and media trends. A differentiated and long-term journalistic perspective is required in order to adequately accompany conflict and peace processes and thus strengthen our understanding of complex issues.

The Culture Counts Foundation from Weinstadt near Stuttgart is being honored for a network of projects in which committed reporters, photographers and peace educators produce good, in-depth reports from crisis and conflict regions, prepare them didactically (together with the Berghof Foundation) and make them available for the educational sector. A magazine published by them - MUT Magazine for Solutions - brings together information and reports on various topics from conflict regions and is distributed in large numbers as a supplement to reputable newspapers. An exhibition by the initiative called PEACE COUNTS was also on display in the rooms of the Anti-War House.

The jury emphasized in its justification that the activities of the Culture Counts Foundation are impressive due to their diversity, their wide reach and their solution-oriented approach, which does not leave one baffled by the complexity and injustices in the world, but encourages peace work.

"Constructive journalism" with its claim to go beyond describing problems in reporting and to research solutions in a targeted manner makes an important contribution to painting a differentiated and realistic picture of a globalized world. This form of peace reporting opens up new perspectives and provides impetus for a constructive approach to dealing with crises and conflicts by showing how people can work together for peace, reconciliation and practical conflict resolution even under the most difficult conditions. At the same time, the variety of formats produced, from print and online reports to radio and television documentaries to the creation of didactically prepared peace education materials, ensures a high level of public impact.

AGDF: Demokratie stärken und Veränderungen gemeinschaftlich gestalten

Angesichts des Erstarkens rechtsextremer und rechtspopulistischer Parteien, aber auch unzureichender Schritte, um die Demokratie zu stärken und die aktuellen globalen und lokalen Herausforderungen anzugehen, hält die Aktionsgemeinschaft Dienst für den Frieden rasche Maßnahmen für eine resiliente und zukunftsfähige Demokratie in Deutschland für angebracht. Dies betont der Friedensverband in einer Resolution „Demokratie stärken, Veränderungen gemeinschaftlich gestalten“, die auf der Mitgliederversammlung in Berlin-Spandau beschlossen wurde.

Nach Ansicht der AGDF ist es wichtig, dass das demokratische politische System mit Gewaltenteilung, der Unabhängigkeit von Gerichten, einem funktionierenden Parlament und den Grundrechten vor Angriffen geschützt wird. Von Bedeutung sind nach Ansicht des Friedensverbandes Strukturen und Prozesse auf allen politischen Ebenen, die sowohl eine gleichberechtigte Partizipation wie auch den Schutz von Minderheiten sicherstellen sowie angemessene Strukturen für eine demokratische Konfliktbearbeitung bereithalten. Die AGDF will damit die gefühlte Machtlosigkeit durch eine praktizierte Selbstwirksamkeit der Menschen verringern und eine demokratische Kultur erlebbar machen.

Für den Friedensverband sind zudem Medien- und Informationskanäle zentral, die eine differenzierte Information ermöglichen und damit aktiv Meinungsbildung und Entscheidungsfindung fördern. Dazu würden auch digitale Medien gehören. Um eine Demokratie aktiv zu leben, ist es für die AGDF wichtig, widersprechende Sichtweisen und Interessen wahrzunehmen, Konflikte anzuerkennen und dass ein Zusammenleben durch Aushandlung gemeinsam gestaltet werde. Alle Formen von Ausgrenzung, Gewalt und Angriffen auf Menschen und demokratische Grundprinzipien müsse sich daher entgegengestellt werden, so der Friedensverband.

Auch die AGDF will einen Beitrag für eine aktive Demokratie leisten. So sieht der Friedensverband im Angebot von internationalen Freiwilligendiensten und Workcamps wertvolle Lerndienste für junge Menschen, die oft zur Ausgangsbasis für deren Engagement für eine zukunftsfähige Welt werden. Auch Projekte der Konfliktbearbeitung in Deutschland, bei denen konkrete Konfliktsituationen konstruktiv transformiert und eine konstruktive Konfliktkultur nachhaltig gestärkt würden, gehören für die AGDF dazu. Weitere Punkte sind eine parteiische, solidarische Arbeit auf Seiten von Benachteiligten, Marginalisierten und Unterdrückten, gerade bei Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund, eine Qualifizierung, Bildungsarbeit und Kompetenzvermittlung in ziviler, gewaltfreier Konfliktbearbeitung sowie eine selbstkritische Auseinandersetzung mit dem eigenen Beitrag zur wachsenden Demokratieskepsis und einem Verzicht auf polemisches oder populistisches Agieren. Und schließlich biete nach Auffassung der AGDF die Mitarbeit in ihren Mitgliedsorganisationen vielen Menschen die Möglichkeit, sich in partizipativen Strukturen für Demokratie, Minderheiten, Gerechtigkeit und gegen Rechtsextremismus einzusetzen.

Auf der anderen Seite erwartet der Friedensverband von der Politik, dass das Engagement der gesellschaftlichen, demokratisch organisierten Initiativen und Organisationen, die ein kollektives und solidarisches Handeln fördern, unterstützt wird. Dazu gehört für die AGDF ein transparentes und ehrliches Handeln hinsichtlich der globalen und gesellschaftlichen Herausforderungen, wobei die Zustimmung von Wählerinnen und Wählern nicht durch materielle Geschenke, durch eine rassistische Politik oder durch ein Wachstum auf Kosten der Länder des globalen Südens erkauft werden dürfe. Wichtig ist für die AGDF zudem eine nachhaltige und faktenbasierte Arbeit an den Ursachen der globalen und gesellschaftlichen Herausforderungen über die Parteigrenzen hinweg.

Auch erwartet die AGDF eine selbstkritische Auseinandersetzung der Politik mit dem eigenen Beitrag zur wachsenden Demokratieskepsis und den Verzicht auf polemisches und populistisches Agieren. Eine dauerhafte Absicherung des zivilgesellschaftlichen Engagements für Demokratie, gegen Menschenfeindlichkeit und für eine konstruktive Konfliktbearbeitung erfordert für die AGDF auch eine Unterstützung von Förderprogrammen wie „Demokratie leben“. Und schließlich ist nach Ansicht des Friedensverbandes ein modernes Gemeinnützigkeitsrecht, das für Rechtssicherheit für Vereine sorgt, die sich für Demokratie und gutes Zusammenleben in Deutschland einsetzen, erforderlich.