Social Participation

The hope of improving one’s status, pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps, resonates deeply among all strata of the US population. But does that dream still exist in the Obama era? 

From 4-18 July 2010 the Heinrich Böll Foundation hosted the second "Summer School for Young People from Belarus" in Berlin. Twelve young adults from Belarus had been selected to participate based on their demonstrated interest in politics and local community initiatives.

With his story "Teeth", Gareth McNamara, a 16-year old student of Scoil Damhnait Secondary School on Achill Island, Co Mayo, was the overall winner of the 2009 Heinrich Böll Essay Competition in 2009.

The disturbing rise of right-wing votes in several states during the recent European elections asks for a revision of the concepts of integration, diversity and multi-culturalism. Michal Bodemann is advocating a new approach to maintain immigrants' distinct cultures, while at the same time open new gateways to institutional structures.

Internationale Migration ist heute eine zentrale Herausforderung für viele Staaten. Mehr denn je wurde in den letzten Jahren deutlich, dass die Migrationspolitik der EU reformiert werden muss. Hauptziel der dreitägigen Konferenz der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung ist, konkrete Handlungsempfehlungen für die europäische Migrationspolitik zu formulieren.

"Today international migration in connection with the issues of regional conflicts, humanitarian plights, and the integration of minorities is one of the most prominent challenges of many nations. The main goal of this project is to launch new policy recommendations for a better balance in the migration politics of the European Union."

A report about the project on environmental awareness for school children and their families, conducted by the Arab Middle East office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation.