40 years workshop for non-violent action, swimming
The workshop for non-violent action, Baden, had invited to a large anniversary celebration at the Youth Hostel in Freiburg on the occasion of its 40th anniversary. The former commander for conscientious objectors and civil service staff, Diakon Kurt Kern looked back at the time of the workshop. Together with his colleague Theodor Ziegler, he was one of the founders of the time. The idea of a non-violent centre in Baden was created in the Baden Arbeitskreis Soziale Defence, which was founded by the then director of the Evangelical Academy, pastor Ullrich Lochmann. After the great nonviolent actions of the peace movement at the beginning of the 1980s, which had fought with civil disobedience against the stationing of the nuclear medium-range missiles, the desire was great to systematically pass on and develop the ideas and practices of nonviolent resistance. The sponsorship association, which was founded at the time, bore the name 'Gewalfrei Leben Lern'. Two main officials worked in offices in Freiburg and Heidelberg, developed seminars and trainings and looked around a large circle of free employees. In the early days, Christoph Besemer and Renate Wanie worked for the workshop. Training in non-violent action was followed by training in mediation and non-violent conflict execution, civil courage training and many other formats. Publications were produced like the standard work on the topic of the mediation of Christoph Besemer or the collection book "Gewaltfrei gegen Hitler". Also kirchli
The chairperson of the association, Father Dietrich Becker-Hinrichs, who has been leading the association for decades, looked back with pride on the years in which the workshop has led so much productive in the field of nonviolence. But it was not only in the review and the celebration with long-term members of the club.
Current topics were at the annual meeting in Freiburg. An activist from the "Last Generation" group reported on the development of the action group and explained why a change of strategy now appears. As much as the desire to shake up and to tear the people out of their usual trot, one would not want to lose the sympathies in the population. That's why you don't stick to the street anymore. Actions of civil disobedience are still necessary. Politics react far too slowly to the global threats of climate change. He also criticized the completely different reaction of politics to the massive blockades of farmers at the beginning of this year and the actions of the last generation.
His comments came to the approval of the young active employees in the workshop. They are also on the move today with action training throughout Germany, in Lützerath and at other focal points. The aim of the action trainings offered by the workshop is to enable groups to perform their actions successfully and at the same time without violence. As in the early days of the workshop, today's activities in the climate movement are organized in fixed groups. The willingness to civil disobedience needs a group in which people can well know and trust each other.
In a lecture by Barbara Müller of the Institute for Peacework and Freedom of Violence, the Ruhrkampf was presented and critically illuminated in 1923 as an example of social defense. Today, too, it is important to examine and develop the potentials of nonviolent resistance as an alternative to military defense. Instead of enraged warworthiness, one must become peace-loving, according to the speaker. The workshop for non-violent action was also as necessary in 2024 as at its beginnings.
