Magdeburg (dpa/sa) – Saxony-Anhalt wants to strengthen civic engagement. Suggestions for this have been bundled, said Secretary of State for Social Affairs Susi Möbbeck (SPD) on Tuesday in Magdeburg. For example, it is about better recognition of the commitment, for example via discounts on admission tickets or exemption regulations.
“Our society and all levels of government are directly dependent on people actively and voluntarily getting involved in society,” said Möbbeck. There is a positive trend, more than a third of the residents are volunteers in a wide variety of areas.
However, volunteers also need support from professionals, for example in the volunteer agencies. At the same time, bureaucratic hurdles would have to be removed – the strategy also contains proposals on how funding procedures could be simplified.
“And finally, it’s also about addressing new groups in the engagement, which have not been represented so far,” said Möbbeck. “A growing group, for example, are people who have migrated, but also people with impairments, with handicaps who increasingly want to get involved.” They need support, assistance and help with the language.
Foundations, municipalities and charities were also involved in the strategy to strengthen civic engagement. There are many suggestions to encourage engagement.
