We from youngCaritas Switzerland have organized the so called “Deutschkaffee” in the Bistro Weidli two times per month since last November. On Saturday the 17th of June the Swiss Refugee’s day began.
Afternoon and evening turned into a welcome-festival of the local community Kehrsatz.
We see the importance of this day in everyday life. The amount of suffering, which people are willing to undergo in order to reach a safer place is simply unimaginable. The demand of safe escape-routes and the unconditional protection of fled people never ends and they have to be solved by the responsible parties finally.
An active welcoming-culture will not be reached by only changing the law and creating safe escape routes. In order to welcome all the people we need the willingness of everyone. It means to approach each other and to be open for new developments.
And that’s why we organize the “Deutschkaffee”! It’s open for everyone who wants to learn more about the German language and it offers YoungCaritas volunteers of the region the possibility to actively engage for an open society. Every second wednesday up to 25 people meet and improve their linguistic competence in an unconstrained atmosphere. The active participation of the population of Kehrsatz is also very welcomed and different associations have introduce themselfes to the participants of the “Deutschkaffee”. We used the opportunity and organised (within the scope of the refugee’s day) a big welcome-festival on the 17th of June.
Besides the jass-course, the eritrean food and the big playing-field, the comfortable togetherness was also very important. More than 50 people from the whole village participated and it was a great success.
Not only the logical observance of the human rights and the admission of protective-destitute people belongs to an open Switzerland. An open Switzerland must be lived from us all, every single day. We will be confronted with the questions of the everyday life together and they must be discussed. Only when we find the answers together – and that’s what I’m convinced of – we will walk strengthened in the future. I find it moving to see with which application young people exert themselves in their various engagements for an open and united Switzerland.
Blogarticle of Andreas Lustenberger, Head of youngCaritas Switzerland
