Mr. Thamm, the USable Idea Contest supports people who want to realize ideas and projects from the USA and Canada in their own neighborhood, town, region or throughout Germany. What makes the North American countries such a good source of ideas for German civil society?
It’s North America’s philosophy of civil society. It makes citizens feel directly responsible for themselves and their environment, take action accordingly and receive support from the state for their initiatives.
What kind of projects do you support?
The USable Idea Contests started up ten years ago and take place every two years. Each contest has a theme. The last one was entitled “Empowerment. Strengthening People”. The projects reflect all areas of life, from childcare through vocational advancement to helping the elderly. The next contest in 2009/2010 is dedicated to the 50-plus generation. In the USA alone 77 million people will be retiring in the next few years. They belong to the new generation who want to, and have to, be involved in society. Demographic change puts Germany in a similar situation. That’s why we want to discover how the 50-plus generation is becoming involved and which of these ideas we can adopt.
Are these projects adopted on a one-to-one basis?
As far as possible we try to adopt the particular philosophy, but the general conditions are adapted to suit the context in Germany. Here’s an example: we’re working together with a teacher, Gesine Liese from Hamburg, who lived in the USA for many years. She saw how children are introduced to the idea of university at an early age, to inspire them to study. Ms. Lise is now putting this project into practice together with the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg. But of course, Germany has a different kind of university bureaucracy to the USA. The same applies to charitable institutions or state authorities. So usually it isn’t possible to implement the projects on a one-to-one basis. The most important thing is to bring home the ideas: the state has to use the citizens’ skills.
What are the differences between North American and German civil society?
North American civil society is more independent of the state. That has to do with the country’s history. The United States was founded by people who had often been duped by the state in other countries. From the very start the attitude has been: “Anything I can do without the state, I shall definitely do without the state.” But in Germany there is far greater confidence in state regulation. There’s a very interesting development at the moment. Both states are becoming increasingly similar. President Obama is looking to Europe and Germany on social policy and health insurance, while many Germans are realizing that they have to act more on their own initiative. One reason for this, of course, is that people in both continents know a lot more about each other through modern means of communication. Creating contacts with each other no longer depends exclusively on foreign policy. At the same time, the international financial crisis illustrates the similarity of negative effects in different countries.
Do some of the differences lie in the fact that Germany has a comprehensive welfare state?
Yes, that’s definitely the main reason. But the aim of our contest is to promote independent initiative, not to reduce the welfare state. In Germany many civil society organizations receive support from the state. Although this is very welcome, it often inhibits the spontaneous element in civil society involvement.
Isn’t there a danger that such projects and innovative ideas become too dependent on the activity of the founders, and quickly disappear when they withdraw?
Yes, that’s why we want to take a new path with the next contest. The founders should pass on their know-how, especially about management and fundraising. In the future, USable will provide further training to ensure this happens.
Your foundation promotes the contest as a German-American model. Are there any German initiatives that can benefit American civil society?
We’re trying to develop this aspect and are looking for partners on the American side. However, it takes time to build up that kind of network. But if someone is living in the USA or Canada and would like to start up a project in Germany, they are very welcome to get in touch. Our door is open to them.
Have any USable projects been realized on both continents?
There was an initiative with nursery teachers, trainers and social workers in New York and Hamburg who met to exchange experiences and ideas on the integration of migrants. This project was designed for a two-year period from the outset. They had a total of four meetings – two in New York and two in Hamburg. This resulted in a network that still exists today and the lively exchange continues. So both sides are benefiting from this initiative.
Interview: Rainer Stumpf
