Entimon - together against violence and right-wing extremism

Project description
In 2001 the action program "measures against violence and right-wing extremism" (MaReG) was founded by the German government in answer to ongoing aggression against people as well as attacks on synagogues and desecration of Jewish cemeteries by right-wing extremists. This program is continued under the name of "Entimon" which is of Greek origin and stands for "dignity" or "respect". The main focus of this program is the promotion of projects that develop and implement an innovative and model-like practical approach in terms of political education.
Continuing the aims of the action program "active against hate – young people for tolerance and democracy, against right-wing extremism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism", the program "Entimon" works on the promotion of measures that strengthen democracy and civil society and prevent and fight against right-wing extremism and violence. Within the frame of the program guidelines the promotional focus was laid on three focus themes that offer promoted projects possibilities for commitment:
Local networks Projects to inter-link different persons involved in youth education and youth welfare service. The aim is a synergetic and sustainable discussion to deal with social and cultural exclusion at local level.
Cross-cultural and inter-religious learning It includes projects which endeavor promotion and support of cross-cultural learning as well as "tolerance of the religions" associated with xenophobia, social exclusion and stigmatization.
Political education The main focus of support lies on projects that include gender-specific as well as gender-sensible conceptions for political education. Further attention was turned to activities together with male juveniles or young adults ready for violence, right-wing orientated and/or endangered by right-wing extremism. Furthermore, modern and practical educational working tools must be developed. Projects should be supported in particular when they intent to develop these working tools in direct cooperation and participation with the target group and social work projects respectively. In this context, an interdisciplinary network is likewise in demand.
Scientific monitoring and evaluation
An integral part of the action program is the scientific monitoring of its implementation. The Federal ministry for family, seniors, women and youth (BMFSFJ) assigned the German Jugendinstitut e.V. with this task. The monitoring of the program takes place in direct contentwise coordination with the professional advisory board of "Entimon". From 2003 until 2006 the scientific monitoring of the program ensured a new evaluation concept that uses the instrument "logic models" as a basis for evaluation and communication and therefore contains a more qualitative, action-oriented component. The following tasks are the focus of the scientific monitoring:

• set up and update of a data-base containing an overview about all projects and activities within the framework of the program "Entimon",
• complete data collection of all supported "Entimon" measures by means of partly standardized questionnaires and integrated follow-up forms,
• selection of 24 projects for evaluation by means of "theoretical sampling"; imparting the concept of "logic models" and drawing up the models as a basis for evaluation and communication,
• visits to the selected projects and qualified analysis of the selected projects on the basis of the "logic models",
• attendance and advice at meetings of the program advisory board as well as at the final conference at the end of the program,
• preparation, organization, realization and documentation of symposia and seminars about program specific problems,
• realization of workshops for feedback and discussion of evaluation results,
• co-operation with the scientific monitoring of the programs "CIVITAS" and "XENOS",
• compiling of reports with regard to program implementation for the German Bundestag and the Federal ministry for family, seniors, women and youth (BMFSFJ) .
  The scientific monitoring of the program "Entimon" based their conceptual assumptions on various scientific insights and concepts of the North American, Anglo-Saxon and Australian evaluation discourse and on adaptations of the same to German-speaking regions. In particular program evaluation was based on the theoretical approach of Owen and Rogers, on the work of Robert E. Stake, M.Q. Patton und B.A. Parsons as well as on the remarks of the Kelloggs Foundation concerning the design of "logic models". Furthermore, the work of K. Haubrich and A. Vossler/A. Obermaier exerted a strong influence on the evaluation design. The analysis of the introduced network maps relied on the theoretical basics of F. Straus.
  Data collection and questionnaire
  Within the scope of the scientific monitoring of the program "Entimon – together against violence and right-wing extremism" a multilevel and partly standardized survey with questionnaires was carried out among all promoted projects.
  The objective of this procedure is to gain information about the continuation of contentwise project work in medium terms - for at least one and a half years after the end of the promotion - to ensure sustainability of project funding. Up to now this information is only sporadically available. The questionnaire collects data:
  • about the structure of the responsible body (public or private representatives), • about the organization structure of the responsible body (local, statewide or nationwide organized), • about the location of the project (high level, middle level or low level center and federal state) • about the basic local parameters and needs, • about special goals of the project, • about the project type and the methodological approach, • about the planned target group (kids, juveniles, adults) and to the gender-specificity of the project, • about the cooperative contacts of the project.
  Project data base "Entimon"
  The data base contents an overview of all projects that were supported within the program "Entimon" from 2002 until 2004. New projects starting in 2005 or 2006 will be included into the data base.
  The project information in the data base is based on self-portrayals of the projects that were collected with partly standardized questionnaires designed by the German Jugendinstitut.
  Content of the data base "Entimon":
  • contact address of all projects
  • short description of the projects
  • links to available project home pages
  The data base gives an overview about:
  • project types
  • methodological approach
  • target groups
  • responsible body
  • time frame
  The data base "Entimon" represents an infopool for specialists in practice as well as in politics and administration. The data base enables an approach towards and between projects and promotes an exchange with interested persons.
  The search function of the data base enables visitors to proceed in various ways:
  • blank search screen: all projects will be listed.
  • search for a single project.
  • string search: the input of a search term lists all projects with portrayals that included the target words. For example, it is possible to enter a toponym, e.g. Munich or a term, e.g. "conflict resolution".
  • federal states: the input of a federal state will lead to a list of all implemented projects within the mentioned federal state.

  go to: data base search
  Symposia
  Once a year the German Jugendinstitut e.V. carries out a promotional focus symposium two and a half days running to intensify the transfer of knowledge between science and practice as well as the discussion of the ongoing project praxis within the program. The aim of the symposia is the discussion of objectives specific for the program as well as the promotional focus with members of the project team and experts from research and science. Based on tangible project presentations first steps can be made to develop working standards concerning basic approaches in cross-cultural or inter-religious learning, political education and networking within the scope of the model program "Entimon". The results of these symposia are open to the public.
  In 2005 the promotional focus "political education" is the topic of a symposium that will take place from 2nd until 4th of November in Leipzig.
  Symposia of the years 2002 and 2004
  Promotional focus symposium "concepts, strategies and experiences in networking within the scope of the federal model program ‘Entimon – together against violence and right-wing extremism’" from 13th until 15th of October 2004 in Leipzig The request of the conference was the exchange of experiences among promoted network projects with the objective to formulate a working paper that describes the conditions of successful networking within the scope of the program "Entimon". The results of the symposium will be available for download soon.
  Promotional focus symposium "cross-cultural and inter-religious project practice within the scope of the federal model program ‘Entimon – together against violence and right-wing extremism’" from 20th until 22th of November 2002 in Leipzig Cross-cultural and inter-religious education had become an important part of the general as well as the occupational education. On this account in the year 2002 the main focus of the action program "Entimon – together against violence and right-wing extremism" was laid on the promotion of projects in this area. The result shows the growing importance and willingness to deal with this topic on the spot. In 2002, more than 50 % of promoted measures worked with the objective to arrange cross-cultural and inter-religious learning processes or to deal with racist structures and patterns of thought and action in greater depth. Against this background the symposium aspired the acquaintance, the exchange of experiences and - where appropriate - the networking of project coworkers within the program. Furthermore, a discussion about quality standards in the range of cross-cultural, anti-racist and inter-religious project work in model programs was started. Consequently, beyond the contentwise discussion of the project practice the overlapping aim of the symposium was to contribute to the qualification of the projects within the scope of the scientific monitoring of the action program.
  In appeal of actual theories (e.g. W. Welsch) the caption of the symposium reflects a new demand on educational concepts and approaches. In future they should be based on the fact that migration, globalization trends and economic interdependences resulted in closely interwoven cultures. Therefore, individuals are situated in the area of conflict with different expectations regarding their role in life and their identity. The concept of "transculturality" is clearly separated from the concepts of "multiculturality" and "interculturality" which were criticized because of the inherent static cultural concept. Their society concepts and proposals for conflict resolution are principally based upon the "meeting" between cultures that were delimited and delimitable of each other.
  summarization pdf-document go to: protocol of the conference and developed standards.