The project "My language - your language" deals with success factors for good citizen participation. The operational objective is to look at best methods and practices in the context of (civic) participation at the international level, to receive further training and to learn skills on how to achieve target group-oriented participation on the ground. The overall objective is social inclusion and the strengthening of civil society involvement and participation of previously uninvolved citizens. The scientific discourse on citizen participation and its methods is extensive and controversial. Both science and practice state that people with an educational background participate and disadvantaged groups are excluded. In addition, practical experience shows that municipal calls for participation are generic and not adapted to the target groups to be reached, and that existing networking structures are not taken into account. With the project "My language - your language - success factors for good civic participation" the four European partner organisations from Germany, Austria, Italy (with headquarters in France) and Spain would like to analyse the described gap of the lack of target group oriented access in accordance with the priorities "social inclusion" and "common values, civil society commitment and participation" and work on the following questions: - What is the experience of partner organisations with participation of people of different ages and nationalities, who are interested in and distant from participation, as well as people who are close to and distant from education? - Which best practice methods are there in the area of culturally sensitive addressing and participation in the partner countries? - What influence do individual values, the living environment and interculturality have on - access to people and their participation? Through the Strategic Partnership, this topic is to be developed in four transnational workshops of several days' duration in the partner countries. In their work, all partner organisations deal with the issue of participation of different target groups on an operational or strategic level. Due to the different focuses and expertise of the partner organisations, a large thematic breadth and depth is generated. During the project period the project group will work on an OPERATIVE level with the - the exchange of good practice in terms of content and differentiated access to different citizens and local diversity - the international aspect in the context of participation - and the educational approach resulting from the two aspects mentioned above apart. On an INDIVIDUAL level, the actors deal with different milieus and diversity on site in the workshops. This is intended to increase the empathy of the professionals towards the citizens. At the INSTITUTIONAL level, the innovative approach has an integrating effect, as the focus is on diversity and differentiated access to the respective groups. At LOCAL/ REGIONAL level the project is action-oriented. Participating actors should address target groups in their familiar language through networked, cross-functional learning. This promotes the connection between organisations and authorities at local and regional level. In addition, it has an integrating effect and strengthens the community and is intended to strengthen civic involvement. After completion of the project, social integration will be promoted and civic participation strengthened at SYSTEM LEVEL. It also promotes greater interaction between citizens, actors, administration and politics. The bottom-up approach will strengthen networking, communication and professional skills. Documentation is provided through regular reporting on a project homepage and is disseminated locally through press reports, work in committees and network structures. In the future, a more in-depth examination of this topic is envisaged by addressing the target group via a proposal with intellectual output.
At the output level, the focus was on exchanging methods and practices of proven instruments of good citizen participation in workshops and exercise series in the respective partner countries. These methods were to be documented in handouts and disseminated via the homepage, the project Facebook page and the local press in the national language and English. At the level of the outcome, the transnational workshop series and practical exercises on proven participation methods should lead to an increase in practical knowledge among the project partners. On the level of impact, the newly learned and practiced methods of citizen participation will enable the project partners to better reach target groups and improve their participation and involvement in social life. Through the publication and dissemination of the project's portfolio of methods, this tested and proven knowledge of action should be anchored in practice and contribute to improved target group communication.
Social institutions are supposed to reach disadvantaged and unreachable citizens and improve their opportunities for participation. Which methods are suitable and proven? Which approach reaches people? How can participation be increased? The project "Meine Sprache- Deine Sprache" (My language - Your language) starts here and wants to exchange, get to know and test good practice methods of participation. Social institutions and the science of social work can hardly name proven methods and practices in the context of a successful target group approach and participation of disadvantaged citizens. This challenge is becoming increasingly important due to legal regulations, funding requirements and in the work with different target groups. Therefore, the CSH Köln gGmbH felt the need to increasingly deal with proven methods of successful citizen participation, to exchange with international cooperation partners, to further educate and learn competencies on how target group-oriented participation of citizens can succeed on site and to learn these good practices in transnational workshops