A mixture of theoretical impulses, scientific findings and practical approaches took place at the 19th Ulm Food for Thought in the Stadthaus over three days of free lectures and discussions on the topic of “Gefühl(t)e Polarisation”. The donations collected at the event, which were once again doubled and generously rounded up by the Sparda-Bank Baden-Württemberg Education and Social Foundation, go to the Probation and offender support centre in Ulm.
The non-profit organisation advises and supports offenders after their release and operates two residential facilities in Ulm and Göppingen. "It is a tradition for us to double the amount - you have donated diligently, and we have generously topped up the sum once again," said Cathrin Clausnitzer, Market Area Manager at Sparda-Bank Baden-Württemberg. The cheque was handed over to Uwe Gossner by Ulm branch manager Cemre Tuna on behalf of the foundation last Saturday in the Stadthaus. As a substitute for the association, Gossner expressed his thanks and made the audience aware of the fact that "the release day and a new start are not necessarily wonderful - they are often fraught with problems." Anyone with a criminal background can therefore come for counselling, no one is sent away. The aim is to help these people "slowly participate again and have something to talk about." Only then can they once again enter into dialogue.
"We know that this work is incredibly important - and even if it's not a huge group of people, it's still a relevant group," said Ulm's Mayor for Culture, Education and Social Affairs Iris Mann, who expressed her sincere thanks for the organisation's efforts. "Every person for whom you succeed in opening up a perspective is an asset to our society."
The motto of this year's thought-provoking event was "Emotional polarisation". The topics included polarisation and cohesion, deradicalisation and the prevention of violence, as well as a ban on social media for young people. The Ulmer Denkanstöße are organised by the Humboldt Centre of Ulm University, the Cultural Department of the City of Ulm and the Education and the Social Foundation of Sparda-Bank Baden-Württemberg.
Further information:
Bettina Meyer-Quintus, Ulm University, Humboldt Centre for Philosophy and the Humanities, email: bettina.meyer-quintus(at)uni-ulm.de
Text and media contact: Christine Liebhardt