Civic Engagement

The German Enquete Commission “Die Zukunft des Bürgerschaftlichen Engagements” uses Civic Engagement as a generic term for a variety of different types of voluntary work for the benefit of the community.

Our definition, however, differs. By now there should be a consensus on the fact that in a pluralistic society different cultures of volunteerism (“Engagementkulturen”) coexist, which go under different names, and that they all should be embraced by civic engagement politics (“Engagementpolitik”).

We, the zze, conceive “civic engagement” – in the tradition of the debate in Baden-Württemberg – as its civil-societal quality, which is expressed in its normative foundation, its cosmopolitanism, its democratic rules, and its initiatives and organizations.

Based on this concept of Civic Engagement we accompany and monitor the developments of civil society in Germany and internationally.

Examples of our services and activities

• Academic support of the BMFSFJ program „Freiwilligendienste aller Generationen” (Voluntary Services for All Generations): consulting, coordination, evaluation, events
• Evaluation of the international Grundtvig network “Volunteering & Lifelong Learning in Universities in Europe” (VALUE)Publications: development and publication of AKTIVOLI, an board game about democracy and Civic Engagement
• Lectures: Prof. Dr. Thomas Klie contributed a speech on the topic „Geld im Ehrenamt – Risiko oder Chance“ („Money in Volunteerism – Risk or Chance“) as a guest speaker at the symposium “20 Jahre Landesnetzwerk Bürgerschaftliches Engagement Baden-Württemberg” (“20 Years State Network “Civic Engagement” Baden-Württemberg) on December 2^nd, 2010 in Berlin.

Selection of literature published by the zze

• Klie, Thomas/ Hils, Andreas (2009): Care und Bürgerschaftliches Engagement. Zur Bedeutung freiwilligen Engagements in der Begleitung und Unterstützung von Menschen mit Behinderungen und Pflegebedarf. (Expert report developed for the brochure „Bericht zur Lage und zu den Perspektiven des bürgerschaftlichen Engagements in Deutschland“, published by the BMFSFJ, Berlin).
• Zentrum für zivilgesellschaftliche Entwicklung (2009): Trends 2009. Das Wissensmagazin aus Baden-Württemberg. Zahlen, Daten, Fakten zum bürgerschaftlichen Engagement, Ministerium für Arbeit und Soziales Baden-Württemberg (ed.), Stuttgart.
• Klie, Thomas/ Pindl, Theodor (2008): Das Bundesmodellprogramm „Generationsübergreifende Freiwilligendienste“. Initialzündung für eine neue Engagementkultur in Deutschland. In: neue praxis. Zeitschrift für Sozialarbeit, Sozialpädagogik und Sozialpolitik, Heft 1/2008, p. 58-77.
• Stabstelle Bürgerengagement und Freiwilligendienste im Ministerium für Arbeit und Soziales Baden-Württemberg (ed.) (2006): Bürgerschaftliches Engagement in Baden-Württemberg. Auswertung des Freiwilligen-Surveys, Stuttgart.