Main Page >> Dossiers >> Residency Rights for Victims of Racist Violence >> Regional Victim Counseling Projects

Regional Victim Counseling Projects

AMAL – Counseling center for victims of extreme-right violence in Saxony

The office in Wurzen is one of three AMAL counseling centers for people affected by extreme-right violence in Saxony. The people working in the three offices, which are supported by the Netzwerk für Demokratische Kultur (Network for Democratic Culture) in Wurzen, see themselves as the AMAL Saxony Team.

The counseling center is currently working on a variety of cases in the outskirts of Wurzen as well as in other areas of Saxony. On the day of the final match of the soccer World Cup, for example, at least 5 non-Germans fell victim to extreme-right thugs in Chemnitz.
Supporting volunteers and attracting new ones is seen to be especially important – it was thanks to them that a series of training workshops could be carried out in Glauchau. Other cities are expected to hold similar workshops now as well. There are plans for a support network in the future, as well as the establishment of a legally recognized association that can handle funding issues. The main focus of their work, however, remains the intensive counseling of victims.

AMAL Saxony
Dresden Office:
Tel. 0351-8894193
amal.dresden@ndk-wurzen.de

ReachOut – Counseling and training against right-wing extremism and racism in Berlin

ReachOut wants to help create social conditions in which all people are guaranteed the same chances for access to social resources. ReachOut is directed towards people who are affected by extreme-right, racist and anti-Semitic attacks and threats. In Berlin, this includes primarily refugees and migrants, but African-Germans, Jews, non-right youths (hip-hoppers, skaters, punks, etc.), lesbians and gays, the socially disadvantaged (homeless, etc.) and people with disabilities are also attacked, threatened and taunted.
The counseling at ReachOut is partisan, free, voluntary, confidential, based on trust, commensurate with the needs of the those seeking help, and, if desired, anonymous. The work of the center focuses on supporting the counselees and helping them to win back their self-determination after the attack and to strengthen their feeling of self-worth. On the initiative of ReachOut members, and with their participation, a project of men and women immigrants was developed with the aim of promoting the self-organization and self-representation of potential victims of attack.

ReachOut
Tel. 030 – 695 68 339
Fax 030 – 695 68 346
info@reachoutberlin.de
http://www.reachoutberlin.de

ABAD – Center for Those Affected by Extreme-Right and Racist Attacks and Discrimination in Thuringia

ABAD supports victims of extreme-right violence by providing advice on possibilities for legal intervention. They help in looking for witnesses, provide support on visits to government offices and accompany attack victims in court proceedings. They also arrange psychotherapy if it is necessary as a result of the attack.

ABAD documents racist discrimination and informs the public from the perspective of those affected. The counseling center also provides practical advice on how to deal with threats.
ABAD supports local initiatives which take up the cause of the victims of racist and extreme-right attacks and discrimination, and which encourage or practice victims’ self-organization. Their aim is the country-wide networking of such initiatives.

ABAD
Hotline for victims of extreme-right violence: 0800-2172723

Opferperspektive – Victim Perspective Counseling for victims of extreme-right violence in Brandenburg

There are now 6 full-time employees in the association, »Opferperspektive e.V.« (Victim Perspective). Although they had begun with the noble goal of dividing their work equally – as regards both the area of work and the time spent on it – soon, everyone had developed their own special areas of interest and responsibility. It was decided that, as far as possible, everyone should be active in the central area of victim counseling, but that fields like public relations, finance and youth and adult training should be assigned to individual employees, depending on their areas of interest. The association’s work is not limited to supporting individual victims. Discussing concrete measures, and creating safe public spaces together with as many people as possible, is more significant.
There is no generally recognized training for victim counselors – it is much more important for the association that their employees are familiar with the issues of right-wing extremism and racism, and that they are socially/politically engaged and ready to act on their convictions. »Victim Perspective« offers politically interested young people the opportunity to complete an internship in the counseling center. Ideally, the intern would then would given a limited work contract, for example to work on a counseling brochure.

The association joined the organization, agOra (The Working Committee for the Counseling Project for Victims of Racist, Extreme-Right and Anti-Semitic Violence), because agOra too works on the principle, »alone we’re weak, but together we’re strong.« Victim Perspective is convinced that their work will find greater resonance in the umbrella organization, whose campaign, »Residency Rights for Victims of Extreme-Right Violence«, they very much welcome. They know from their practical experience that refugees are often attacked and beaten up, and that in addition to dealing with the effects of the attack, they are very afraid of being deported.

Opferperspektive e.V.
Lindenstr. 47
14467 Potsdam
Tel. 0171 – 19 35 669
Fax 01212 – 5 – 11559889
info@opferperspektive.de
http://www.opferperspektive.de/

Address list of all known victim counseling centers

Brandenburg

  • Opferperspektive e.V.
    Lindenstr. 47
    14467 Potsdam
    Tel. 0171 – 19 35 669
    Fax 01212 – 5 – 11559889
    info@opferperspektive.de
  • Anlaufstelle für Opfer rechtsextremer Gewalt – Center for victims of extreme-right violence
    Parzellenstraße 79
    03046 Cottbus
    Tel. 0172 – 75 85 772
    Fax 0721 – 151 221 837
    AfOrG@gmx.net
  • Kontakt- und Beratungsstelle für Opfer rechter Gewalt – Contact and counseling center for victims of extreme-right violence
    Breitscheidstr. 41
    16321 Bernau
    Tel./ Fax: 03338 – 459 407
    03338 – 754 667 (AB)
    kontaktstelle@bernau.net
    http://www.dosto.de/op/index.htm
  • Beratungsgruppe für Opfer rechtsextremer Gewalt – Counseling group for victims of extreme-right violence
    Postfach 1126
    15331 Strausberg
    Tel. 0173 – 634 36 04
    BORG-SRB@gmx.net
  • Beratungsstelle für Opfer rechtsextremer Gewalt – Counseling center for victims of extreme-right violence
    Berliner Str. 24
    15230 Frankfurt (Oder)
    montags von 9.00 bis 12.00 Uhr
    Tel: 0335 – 665 99 94,
    0335 – 280 12 19 und 0179 – 12 65 680
    BORG-FFO@gmx.net

Berlin

Saxony

Saxony-Anhalt

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Thuringia

  • ABAB – Anlaufstelle für Betroffene von rechtsextremen
    und rassistischen Angriffen und Diskriminierungen (Center for those affected by extreme-right and racist attacks and discrimination)
    abad-ef@gmx.de
    http://www.abad-th.de/
    • Erfurt Office:
      Warsbergstraße 1
      99092 Erfurt
      Tel: 0361-21727-23
    • Gera Office:
      Tel: 0365-5518612
    • Hotline for victims of extreme-right violence: 0800-2172723
      Fax: 0361-21727-27

Next article: Links

Dossier #6: The campaign initiated by agOra, the Working Committee for Counseling Projects for Victims of Racist, Extreme-Right and Anti-Semitic Violence. This campaign is committed to unlimited residency rights for refugees and migrants who have become victims of racist violence.

» Complete Dossier in one PDF file

  1. Residency Rights for Victims of Racist Violence
  2. The Campaign
  3. »Right-wing extremism makes headlines when it can sell papers.«
  4. Focusing on the Victims
    (Opferperspektive e.V.)
  5. The Victim Counseling Center ABAD
    (Friedrich C. Burschel and Rahel Krückels)
  6. Interview with Bundestag President, Wolfgang Thierse
  7. Regional Victim Counseling Projects
  8. Links
Main Page >> Dossiers >> Residency Rights for Victims of Racist Violence >> Regional Victim Counseling Projects