Gorkistraße 120
04347 Leipzig
Germany
- Democracy and community development
- Gender
- International/Cultural relations
- Religion
- Youth and education
Salam e. V. is a transcultural migrant-led non-profit organisation in the east of Leipzig that was founded in October 2020. The over 50 members of the organisation are people with and without migration experience who predominately speak German and/or Arabic. Salam is funded by the city of Leipzig, the European Union, and private foundations. It now has an extensive network in Leipzig, cooperates with Malteser International, the International Rescue Committee, and migration_miteinander, is a member of the umbrella organisation of Saxon migrant organisations, and is in active contact with local stakeholders. In this way, the aim is to create a transcultural meeting place to overcome boundaries, create community, and promote diversity.
Salam's vision is to bring people with and without migration experience together by establishing a meeting place. The founding of the association can be traced back to the fact that the largest Arabic-speaking communities in Leipzig are located in the east of the city but the needs of these communities are not recognised or met. Although there are civil society organisations, these are usually led by German, white people. Salam e. V. responds to this with a team of people with and without migration experience and events that are offered barrier-free in Arabic and German (and currently Ukrainian as well). The innovation of our organisation thus lies in its diversity. No other organisation manages to have both Arabic and German speakers in all areas (administration, organisation structure, events). There is no question that this requires increased effort and excellent team communication. However, the organisation believes that this is the only way that all people can experience participation, regardless of their biographies.
Salam's structure is based on four "pillars": the organisation offers bureaucratic advice and safer spaces (e.g. for FLINTA*, men*, and parents), runs language workshops for Arabic and German, and organises leisure activities such as sports tournaments, quiz evenings, and Küfas ("kitchen for all"). While some of the programmes are limited in time, sustainable structures have developed in all areas: counselling on official and bureaucratic matters and reading meetings take place weekly, while hikes and cookery courses are held monthly. In addition, our monthly members' meeting is the focal point for dialogue and encounters.