Donation March Against Right-Wing Extremists
This activity is a “change of the game” for dealing with right-wing demonstrations: Neo-Nazi demonstrations are accompanied by posters and banners, which thank the participants for their donations to an initiative, which supports those who would like to exit the right-wing environment. The Neo-Nazis become involuntary donors against their own cause –donations for the marchgo to a project, which works against extremist ideologies and which is defined before the action.
LessThis activity is a “change of the game” for dealing with right-wing demonstrations: Neo-Nazi demonstrations are accompanied by posters and banners, which thank the participants for their donations to an initiative, which supports those who would like to exit the right-wing environment. The Neo-Nazis become involuntary donors against their own cause –donations for the marchgo to a project, which works against extremist ideologies and which is defined before the action.
This activity is a “change of the game” for dealing with right-wing demonstrations: Neo-Nazi demonstrations are accompanied by posters and banners, which thank the participants for their donations to an initiative, which supports those who would like to exit the right-wing environment. The Neo-Nazis become involuntary donors against their own cause –donations for the marchgo to a project, which works against extremist ideologies and which is defined before the action.
- Module
- Intervention
- Exit strategies
Exercise Category: Good Practices
CC - Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
Purpose
The activity has three objectives:
- activation of democratic civil society on the ground by participation (donations) in the action,
- generation of frustration among the Neo-Nazis, which ideally refrain from future demonstrations,
- in the case of donations for the exit initiative "EXIT-Germany":anchoring of the exit offer in the heads of potentially interested persons.
Participants
youth in teaching units / participants in a right-wing demonstration or march (depending on the implementation, see below)
Description
For the first time, the action was held 2014 in the German city of Wunsiedel. For years now, Neo-Nazis have organized a "mourning march", which has been transformed into a charity event - without the knowledge of the participants. For each running meter 10 € were donated to EXIT-Germany - the exit program for Neo-Nazis. The result: 20.000 € donations and loads of surprised right-wing extremists.
Materials needed
A video documents the exercise: http://zentrum-demokratische-kultur.de/initiativen/?c=rechts-gegen-rechts
Methodology
Methodologically, the change in the rules of the game is the core element, which generates uncertainty and puts the Neo-Nazis into a dilemma. Becominginvoluntarily donors against the own cause leads to frustration and demotivation.
Advice for Trainer
This exercise might be taken as an example of coping with right-wing extremism during teaching units. It might also act as an example for comparable activities. The activity was developed by the Center for Democratic Culture (Berlin): http://zentrum-demokratische-kultur.de. For support as well as copyright-issues the center should be included in preparations of comparable activities.
Source / Literature
Well documented exercise; a video of the exercise can also be the starting point for discussions at schools and youth institutions.
Handouts
http://zentrum-demokratische-kultur.de/initiativen/?c=rechts-gegen-rechts