Multicultural World Café
Building a bridge between Germans and refugees in a coffee shop
November 11th, 2015
With the refugee crisis in full force a little coffee shop called “World Café” in Altenburg, Germany, has taken the matter into its own hands by providing a platform for locals to meet the newcomers. Here, for eight hours a week, refugees from Eritrea, Sudan, Afghanistan alongside local Germans have the opportunity to manage the small business.
Christine Büring, the café's organizer and governor of Altenburg's Rotary Club believes that this “café forum” is in the best interests of everybody. Not only can refugees that have already been there for some time give advice to those who have just arrived, Germans can also help them in their integration process and improve their language skills.
Also, the café encourages women to come and socialize and to get involved in social activities and also to help them find a job. The project is conducted entirely on a voluntary basis and it receives a small financial aid package from the state in order to cover commodities such as water and heating.
“World Café” has a mission to improve the relationship between two worlds – the asylum seekers and the locals, in a way that can facilitate positive interaction between them. Moreover, this project aims to offer both parties a better understanding of each other’s cultures and to encourage multiculturalism at a local level.
Since a large number of refugees can be at first reluctant to interact with people from Germany, they see this initiative as a first step in order to feel accepted, comfortable and safe in their new home. Also, the fact that Alternburg has so far received 800 refugees the project is also beneficial for the permanent residents of the city.
References and Links
Madalina Miu, Berlin Global
