Gathering „Frankfurt for all“ – Invitation


Political situation around asylum, flight and public resources in Frankfurt am Main

December 04th 2015 04:00 – 08:00 pm
DGB-Haus Wilhelm-Leuschner-Str. 69 – 77, 60329 Frankfurt am Main



Remarkable things are happening. Thousands of people in and around Europe are overcoming borders - thereby questioning the fortress of wealth that this continent has become. They are all unified by hope for a better life in dignity.



At the same time there are many people who try their best to help and support refugees. It is their hard and dedicated work that, over the past weeks and months, has helped to show Frankfurt as a community of openness and solidarity. This is how the group “Welcome Frankfurt” came to exist. The group focuses on solidaritywork and helps refugees to come together and articulate political requirements. Also, the initiative “Project Shelter” has worked towards a self-organised “Migration Center” for over a year already. This center would serve as a central hub and open meeting point for all people who arrive in Frankfurt and want to live here. The voluntary project “Teachers on the road” offers language courses and is also part of the many initiatives that form that spontaneously as well as organized solidarity. There are countless other stories to tell. About people offering help with education, around migration and asylum rights or people who engage in projects against deportation or others that actively fight against right wing agitation. Stories around “small” common day by day examples of solidarity. These stories are not “small” because they are not important, they are seen as “small” because they are regarded as self-evident and are thereby often invisible for the broader public.



We miss, what´s missing     



There is still a lot that remains to be done. We cannot get used to the precarious housing of refugees in collective accommodation centers. Gymnasiums remain occupied, many times even over-crowded, although there are over 1.5 million square meters of unused office space and over 40.000 empty hotel beds available. At the same time, Frankfurt is a global business hub with all sorts of business conducted here on national and international level. Some of these deals show a downside that oftentimes ends with migration and expulsion. This is why we say: Frankfurt offers enough space for people in need! We all have the obligation to share a piece of the surplus and wealth that exists in this city.



Humanism and solidarity are questioned



Complaints of the alleged overloads show that politicians aim to fortify European borders and divide the committed parts of the population. The tightening of the asylum law is done at record speed; under the aspect of “border security” human rights violation are being tolerated. New local austerity programs aim to get the poorest of the poor to compete against each other. The dramatic growth of arson attacks on refugee shelters, violent attacks on politicians and the continuous growth of AfD, Pegida and such mark a threatening shift. Racism is oftentimes masked as „fear“.


How do we want to shape a city in which we all live together?



We think it is necessary to get together and agree on how we become capable of acting together. This is why we, the initiators of „Frankfurt for all“ invite you to discuss the current situation around flight and asylum in Frankfurt and the Rhein-Main Area.



There is a lot to talk about: 



What are the main challenges in Frankfurt/Rhein-Main?

How can we give the thousands of volunteers a political voice and appreciation for their work?

How can we stand up for the political and social rights of refugees in and around Frankfurt?

How can we prevent a scenario where the poorest of the poor are turned against each other and people in need are turned into „good“ and „bad“ refugees?

How do we encounter xenophobic voices and racist attacks in our region?

How do we create a climate where day-by-day-racism is met with a response that leads to an open discussion about asylum rights? How do we get everyday people to stand up and defend refugees either at the cash register at their local supermarket or in their workspace?

What’s our Vision of a cosmopolitan Frankfurt? 

We would hope for a consultation that is held by a broad population of this cities society, where people from all forms of social work, anti racist initiatives, trade unions, Churches, migrant associations, artists, NGOs and so on can get together and discuss how we can face a climatic turn towards hostility against refugees and a situation of social concurrence amongst this cities population.



The determination of the refugees has brought them here and has challenged us. Now it is upon us to get active. It is our goal to create new social connections that can defend our accomplishments. We want for our city to reinvent itself as a place of solidarity and antiracist behavior.

Initiative „Frankfurt für Alle“



Initiators "Frankfurt for all“ (November 20th 2015): Aktionsbündnis gegen Abschiebungen Rhein-Main, Ver.di Jugend Frankfurt, Ver.di Fachbereich Bildung Wissenschaft Forschung, IG Metall Jugend Frankfurt, Interventionistische Linke Frankfurt, Frankfurter Schüler*innen für Geflüchtete, Project Shelter, medico international, Hessischer Flüchtlingsrat, Buchladen Land in Sicht im Nordend, GEW Bezirksvorstand Frankfurt, Karl Kopp (Europareferent von Pro Asyl), Teachers on the Road, Theater Peripherie e.V., Theater Willy Praml auf Naxos, Aktive aus NoTroika/Blockupy Frankfurt, Frankfurter Arbeitslosenzentrum (FALZ), Bündnis "AufRecht bestehen-Rhein-Main", Martina Droste (Leiterin Junges Schauspiel), A. Passadakis (attac) u.v.m.


The initiators are open towards new supporters form all parts of Frankfurts society. For further information or support please send an email to: frankfurtfurealle@riseup.net


You may take this invitation and repost publish it