Give Something Back to Berlin e.V.

Our Thematic Areas People coming from more than 60 countries build GSBTB community such as Brazil, China, Germany, Israel, Poland, Sudan, Syria, and the US. Inspired by this social and cultural richness, we put into practice a resilient model for coexistence and co-production. Through this model, we invite everyone to rethink the way we connect with others. GSBTB works in three intersecting areas. Urban Integration and Intercultural Dialogue The contemporary world is shaped by migration, which makes integration a priority topic for many societies. Conventional practices often address and emphasise only the integration of migrants into host communities. However, integration affects both host societies and migrants. We believe that it is a two-way process. Not only do we consider Berlin our home, but also as a laboratory to experiment and experience how two-way integration processes can be successful on an urban scale. We use intercultural dialogue as the primary approach to integration and inspire meaningful interactions between established and new Berliners. Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism Our societies are diverse, and Berlin is a diverse city. Diversity, however, does not necessarily bring with it inclusion and equity. Despite the growing awareness and recognition of diversity as richness, many people still fall victim to discrimination based on their race, ethnicity, nationality, class, caste, colour, religion, belief, sex, gender, language, sexual orientation, age, health or another status every day. By developing methods that promote inclusion, we contribute to making Berlin an open city. We acknowledge that people have different needs and experiences. We seek to empower our community to make sure people have equitable access to what the city has to offer. This is why we create safe spaces for interaction and sharing for all Berliners. Education and Skill-Sharing Education is a life-long journey and not limited to school, college, or vocational training. Contemporary teaching and learning practices often place the educator in the centre. They often consider learners as passive recipients of information which is to transform into a competence naturally. While we acknowledge the value of formal educational practices, we believe that a learner-centred approach boosts individual and collective creativity. In our programmes, learners are co-creators of knowledge and skills sharing processes. They actively contribute to the development of the structure and content, which makes up the essence of our community development. Many of the instructors and activity leaders are community members who have been participants in our programmes. We learn from each other; we create our community together. We believe in empowering the community by facilitating social, cultural, and educational spaces to promote the development and the integration of migrants, refugees, and locals. Our projects emerged as grassroots initiatives and evolved into long-term programmes. All of our activities are open to everyone and are completely free of charge. See them below. Community Hub is a platform where people can share their skills, in the form of classes, workshops and activities. Open Hearts Space creates a safe space for those being exposed to a new culture and life dynamics by encouraging intercultural dialogue and supporting trauma healing. Open Kitchen breaks down social and cultural barriers over food and creates home-like spaces for people who seek interaction in a cosy environment. Open Language Cafés offer interactive sessions for Arabic, English, and German language learning where learners and volunteer instructors meet regularly in an informal and social setting to chat over tea and coffee. Open Music School is a musical knowledge and skill-sharing project that supports diversity in the music scene of Berlin and beyond. Open Music Lab is a community of music production with enthusiastic instructors and learners.