Wilhelmstraße 28
28
76137 Karlsruhe
Germany
- Democracy and community development
Lobin Karlsruhe e.V., an independent association, supports committed citizens through professional project management in the realization of their society-changing ideas. Today, 8 full-time employees, 20 casual employees, and 120 volunteers are active in the association. Our interdisciplinary teams work in a self-organized way based on Sociocracy 3.0. They react quickly and with great flexibility to current social issues. Volunteers provide direct and situational support to full-time employees. Professional integration measures ensure diversity in the team. Our budgetary resources are based on private donations (in 2020 in total 188.000) and most of our projects are financed through state and institutional funding of different foundations and organizations. We are mainly active in the Kulturküche, our own socio-cultural center. A place for intercultural dialogue and exchange. Here we offer workshops (ie. sustainability), events, expos, concerts, exchanges and internships, integration support.
In times of increasing global and local challenges, small islands of innovative ideas are developing that counter these developments with other models of attitude and action. Such an island is created by the Kulturküche (our headquarter and the main project), a place that counteracts loneliness by connecting citizens in the neighborhood and enabling encounters on an equal footing. A place where crucial cogs of a desirable society, such as the development of democracy, civic participation, and sustainable use of resources, mesh together. Everyone is welcome to contribute within their own means - even if only as a hungry visitor to the lunch table.
It activates people, offers spaces for local participation and opinion-forming, and promotes networking and participation in the community. The aim of the community work in the Kulturküche is the sustainable improvement of the social and economic living conditions of the people in the neighborhood. The starting point is the existing resources and needs of the people, on the assumption that they themselves are experts in managing their everyday lives. Through climate-friendly shopping, cooking and eating, it meets the needs for healthy nutrition of more and more people in Karlsruhe and attracts the most diverse citizens with a particularly tasty and healthy lunch table; also people with low budgets. People with and without a refugee and migration background have been involved in shaping the Kulturküche as a citizen-oriented and cross-generational project in a multicultural team from the very beginning. Experienced team members with socio-educational training and several years of experience in participation work support this sensitive process. Numerous internships are made possible, and jobs and apprenticeships are created. A beautiful guest area with indoor and outdoor seating provides space for about 200 people. In addition, the food is also offered for take-away. The Kulturküche, as a multifunctional meeting space for the community, also offers a wide range of possibilities for use - e.g. for artistic events, for project planning, as a meeting place for volunteers and much more, mostly in the evenings and on weekends. In this space we offer a large variety of workshops on subjects like: sustainability, empowerment, values, arts, theater, cultural exchange. Moreover we offer cultural events, arts expos, concerts, theater plays, networking events, exchanges and internships. All our activities are free of charge. We want that everyone who wants to can participate, enjoy a concert etc. regardless of their income. We are cooperating with local artists, schools, the city, other associations, local companies.
As we already have a large network mainly in Germany but also abroad, we would like to contribute with contacts. Moreover, we would like to exchange visions and realize projects. We are a team of enthusiastic and engaged people who want to make a difference in society. Because of our diverse team, consisting of actors, social workers, engineers, sociologists, various artists, chefs, IT professionals, communications experts, we can contribute with innovative ideas. We would also like to offer the Kulturküche as a space for Anna Lindh network meetings or other projects.
Our motto is “people discover people”. We want to contribute to a better future and society. We love to connect and learn about the visions of the people around us. We want to connect people so that they can exchange ideas and visions about society not only in our neighborhood and in Germany but also in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Moreover we want to share and exchange experiences and knowledge.