Happy New Calendar Year

2023 Coming Up. Different types of Shapes in Red and Blue.

Happy New Calendar Year!

The calendar year 2022 was an eventful year for us. Our new board has addressed their practice of slow activism and self-care, engagement with activism and volunteerism, and the needs of our communities. This year we have strengthened our core task of networking and have entered into many cooperations and alliances. This year, too, we took part in the commemoration and protest actions. We used our platform to reflect and amplify the voices of others. Conducting workshops on anti-racism, empowerment, mental health and decolonization. Open letters against racism by city officials were written. We have also set up spaces for youngsters, held meetings, conducted community check-ins and provided education, mentoring and awareness work.

In addition to this, we have selected 6 highlights from our calendar year 2022 for you.

In 2022 our artistic cooperation project "Dancing Our Stories" went public with 10 stories in 10 short films. Narrated through movement and dance. With this project, our participants were given a stage to share experiences, emotions, and histories. Showing the world how our bodies and movements are politicized.
Together with other civil society organizations, we have participated in shaping a position paper for a LADG (engl.: state anti-discrimination law). Here we have collectively created a comprehensive paper for a critical law against discrimination on all levels of state affairs. In 2022, we have published it and entered into an exchanged with politicians.
Together with our coorparation partners, we were delighted, honoured and beyond exited to host and welcome Alok Vaid-Menon to Heidelberg. Furthermore, we were fortunate to be able to provide free entry to 40 people who otherwise would not have been able to attend the event due to systemic oppression.
Together with other civil society actors, we called to action social and climate justice demands for the now current legislative period. Issues surrounding anti-discrimination, affordable housing, energy reform, protection and more. Our alliance has started a petition, demonstrated and engaged in positive voter turnout.
For the third time running, our annual afro-Festival took place again this year. A festival organized by and for Black people, as a realized safer space to exchange, experience and be. This time with film screenings, discussions, workshops, readings, a flea market, get-togethers, care workshops and a party with international and local artists.
This year, our project team from Decolonize Heidelberg has published their very first podcast episode. Our podcast “heidelberg kolonial” is a virtual city tour through Heidelberg's colonial past and present. Each episode covers the history of a different location. Prior to that, we held a Community Listening Event followed with a discussion.

Behind the scenes, we worked on our new and first non-profit services. To further anti-discrimination practices, opening process and inclusion efforts for institutions, initiatives, and organizations. Enabling better participation and accessibility for everybody everywhere. More on that in the coming time.

Our outlook for the coming calendar year is accompanied by different emotions and thoughts. Not a day goes by without discrimination, oppression, violence, and exploitation. Our realities are still not a matter of-course, and hateful ideologies still find fertile ground on this earth. Ranging from racist, ableist and sexist statements by politicians, lack of support for oppressed communities, acts of violence against LGBTQIA+, People with Disabilities and BIPoC by neighbours and the state, etc. We are also entering the upcoming calendar year with many questions, ideas, and desires regarding our own work and its vision. We will be focusing on topics such as mental health support, empowerment, accessibility, education and new liberatory practices. In addition, we will also review our demands, which we have collectively put out this year. With the anti-discrimination law for Baden-Württemberg (LADG) and our demands for a city for all people (Heidelberg Für Alle) on our list. Furthermore, we are looking forward to providing more free resources.

If you want to support our efforts and visions, you can do so with a contribution. Our work is made possible, among other things, through donations. Herewith, our commitment can be appreciated, and our work can be sustained. We wish you all a good transition into 2023.

Stay tuned!

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