Several civil society organizations in Berlin fear a step backwards on the issues of anti-discrimination and equality in view of the coalition negotiations between the CDU and SPD. “We are very concerned about the future of our plural Berlin urban society and the many achievements that have been made in recent years,” says an open letter to the negotiating parties, which is available to the Tagesspiegel.
The letter was signed by 17 Berlin organizations, including the Migration Council Berlin, the Black People Berlin initiative and the educational association Each One Teach One. The party “Die Urbane” is also one of the signatories. They want to evaluate the coming government on the basis of certain measures laid down in the coalition agreement.
The implementation of the Participation Act, the development of a state democracy promotion law, the consolidation of the existing anti-discrimination work and group-specific support for Muslim, Jewish and queer life are particularly important to them.
An effective anti-discrimination policy is in the interest of society as a whole.
Open letter from civil society initiatives
“An effective anti-discrimination policy is in the interest of society as a whole,” says the letter, which lists a number of benchmarks for the coalition agreements.
The initiatives expressly praise the work of the Senate Department for Justice, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination, which has so far been led by Senator Lena Kreck (left). In the past, this had “taken a promising path that must be continued because it follows a holistic approach,” says the letter.
It is unclear which party will lead the justice department in the future. Since the SPD wants to continue occupying the interior department, the CDU could lay claim to the justice department. The distribution of departments is the subject of the current coalition negotiations.
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