Religion-sensitive Culture of Integration

Religion-sensitive Culture of Integration in Eastern Saxony: Exploring, Proving, Shaping (07/2018 - 12/2020)

Initial Position

The eastern part of Saxony will have to deal with multiple challenges of social integration, due to a problematic economic development and the significant migration from East Central Europe and the global south. The central position of religion in daily life and identity constructions of migrants from East Central Europe (for example from Poland, Czech Republic and Romania) and refugees (particularly from the Middle East) generate feelings such as alienation, anxiety, strangeness and foreignness – especially for people living in East Germany. Therefore, people from East Germany often consider religious practice and discourses as a significant barrier for a successful local social integration. However, problems of communication and integration can also be observed within and between different Christian denominations and other religious communities. A lack of knowledge and exchange is significant for both: religious and non-religious people.

Project Objectives

  • Providing knowledge on religions and cultures shaped by religion for locals and migrants with different (religious) backgrounds in the region and thus supporting a better understanding of religious culture (values, norms, action orientation and their binding force)
  • Mediating a tolerant and respectful interaction with diverse religious convictions, confessions and communities in order to improve integration
  • Creating conditions for a successful social integration of locals and migrants through (inter-) religious communication, education and experience (including critical and conflictual disputes)
  • Enabling mutual learning and implementation of a local education-based social integration between atheist and religious people of different religions and denominations by planning and implementing initial education formats and modules in dialogue form (pilot project)

Target Group

  • Representatives of various religious communities, who are (or want to be) active in projects in the fields of dialogue, education, migration and integration
  • Professionals and volunteers engaged in local social work with kids, young people, refugees and immigrants
  • Representatives of organizations in the fields of politics, administration, civil society and education working e.g. in interethnic and interreligious dialogue, political education and in migration and refugee work.

Project Funding

The project is funded by SMWK (Saxon State Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism), within the national programme "integrative measures".

The project is co-financed by tax funds based on the budget decided by the members of the Saxon State Parliament.

The project is funded within the cooperation agreement between the country district Görlitz and the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG).

Documentation
  • 05.12.2019: Workshop in Weißwasser ein Workshop to talk about formats and modules for (inter-) religious education.
    The invitation you can find here.

  • 13./14.07.2019: Symposium: Religion als Integrationsressource in Herrnhut.
    The invitation you can find here.

  • 06.03.2019: 1. Integrationsmesse in Löbau/ Trade fair for Integration
    The news article of the HSZG you can find here.
    The Poster of the project presented at the trade fair in Löbau you can find here.
  • 07.12.2018:  Informelly Meeting of the project team with local actors to talk about religion in the context of work.

Contact

Foto: Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Raj Kollmorgen
Project Lead
Prof. Dr. phil. habil.
Raj Kollmorgen
prorektor-forschung(at)hszg.de
Fakultät Sozialwissenschaften
02826 Görlitz
Furtstraße 2
Building G I, Room 2.17
2. Obergeschoss
+49 3581 374-4259