Migrants and Minorities Network e.V.

Empowering youths since 2017

Leipzig - Germany

We are an empowerment network

Education, scholarships and fundings should be accessible by all young people - And this is exactly what the Migrants and Minorities Network in Leipzig, Germany, advocates for!

As a youth network we connect, exchange and thereby empower ourselves, furthermore we counsel youths with a non-academic and/or migration background in questions of education and international programs. Moreover, we ourselves organize international trainings courses and youth exchanges on topics such as anti-Racism, post colonialism, inclusion, sustainability and human rights.

Besides creating an informative website and counseling service, we are developing and implementing projects on inclusion, strategies to encounter discrimination, and active citizenship. Our core mission is to make education, learning opportunities as well as scholarships/fundings accessible for all youths, so they can build their personalities and professional careers. With our work, we want to empower disadvantaged youths to get engaged, realize their rights and duties as citizens, take responsibility in their communities, to develop a critical mind and media literacy, so they can take part in the societal change in order to encounter all current and future challenges. Global developments, such as climate change or the populistic trend in politics can only be tackled with cooperation and the inclusion of disadvantaged youths.

Our Youth Work

Youth Exchanges

Community Engagement

Education Work

Training Courses

Participate!

If you would like to become active, locally in Leipzig, in Germany or on an EU level, join our network! We are organizing regular and special events and you can take part. Moreover, you can use our resources and experience to realize your own projects. Connect with us!

Our network meets regularly in Leipzig, Germany, to organize, to brainstorm and to peer-empower us. Keep updated on Facebook on our events, where and when they're realized. We will also regularly post on our international training courses and youth exchanges, follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated.

[URG] Inside a Creative Studio Creative Designing Essentials

Current Opportunities

March/April/May 2024

22.04.2024 - 27.04.2024

ERASMUS+ Youth Exchange "You(th) For Change"

Leipzig, Germany

ERasmus+ Solidarity Project

“Change Makers”

2023

About the project

Sustainability and political participation are topics that determine the future - However, many young people do not feel addressed by these issues or included in these discourses. Youths with fewer opportunities, BIPOCs and/or of non-academic background are missing educational and engagement opportunities for sustainability fitting their needs as well as personal and financial capacities. But in order to archive a sustainable, holistic change it is essential to involve all youths, to give them them the possibility to participate, to democratically decide and thereby to empower them to become active citizens. Because the shift to a really sustainable society is going to be disruptive according to scientific prognoses, hence this cannot and should not happen without the meaningful participation, the support and the political input from marginalized youths.

Change Maker Academy

02.07.23 Kick-Off Meeting

29.07.23 - 30.07.23 Workshop

Sustainability and I ?

26.08.23 - 27.08.23 Workshop

Fashion Footprints

16.09.23 - 17.09.23 Workshop

Planetary Diet

28.10.23 -29.10.23 Workshop

Future Mobility and Energy

04.11.23 -05.11.23 Workshop

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

How to become a Change Maker?

Are you between 18 and 27 years old? Would you like to contribute to a more sustainable Leipzig? Connect with us and other engaged youths, learn about different aspects of a more ecological lifestyle and get to know local initiatives here in Leipzig:

Apply here!

-Preference will be given to youths with fewer opportunities and BIPOCs-

The Change Maker Academy was a full success!

Our project team, Bian, Ahmad, Phil, John und Lisa, made it possible: A total of 37 youths visited one or multiple Change Maker workshops, were empowered with green skills and knowledge on sustainability and are now highly motivated to engage further with local initiatives for a more sustainable Leipzig!

Project Publication

Project Reports

Erasmus+ Training Course

"Awakening: Human Rights Education"

Our Italian partner organization ONDE - Officina Nuova Dimensione Europea realized an amazing Erasmus+ training course on human rights education: They increased the knowledge and skills of youth workers on human rights, and developed new tools and methods of promoting them sustainably.

To spread their experience, the participants of "AWAKENING:

HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION" created a podcast ⬇️

Our Czech partner organization Active Vitorazsko z.s in close cooperation with the Ukrainian partner Education and the Armenian NGO “Future in our Hands” implemented a highly productive training course in Abovyan, Armenia.

Erasmus+ Training Course

"Vitamin C: Constructive Communication For Combating Conflicts"

“From understanding the nuances of constructive communication to mastering conflict resolution, the journey was nothing short of transformative. I've come to appreciate the power of words and actions in building stronger communities and fostering peace.

One key takeaway is that effective communication is not just about what we say, but also how we say it. It's about active listening and empathy. It's about finding common ground and creating connections. It's not about avoiding conflict, but about turning it into an opportunity for growth and understanding.”

Lucienne Pritzkau, Founder of Migrants and Minorities Network and participant of the project “Vitamin C”

TooLkit

People Discussion and Communication Vector

Our latest projects

Erasmus+ Youth Exchange "Level Up: Democracy"

Leipzig, Germany

August 2023

Amid rising economic inequalities, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and political uncertainties, young people are finding it hard to engage with traditional political structures. But there's hope! Digitalization opens up endless opportunities for political communication, education, and organization. 📲💡

Here’s what we achieved:

🚀 Sustainable Democratization: Through role-playing and simulations, youth with fewer opportunities got a hands-on experience of political institutions.

🤝 Digital Participation: Collaboratively practicing and creating new ways to engage digitally at all political levels.

🇪🇺 European Values: Teaching the importance of active citizenship to counter anti-democratic narratives.

🛡️ Critical Media Skills: Learning to spot and counter online hate and misinformation, promoting digital civility.

💡 Empowerment: Providing knowledge, guidance, and networking to support long-term involvement.

🌍 Intercultural Skills: Enhancing foreign language practice and intercultural understanding through international exchange.

Together, we're making politics more accessible, transparent, and inclusive for young people! Let’s continue to break down barriers and build a future where every voice is heard. 💬🌟

Download the project summary here

Erasmus+ Youth Exchange "Sustainability For All?"

Leipzig, Germany

Engaged youths from Ukraine, Türkiye, North Macedonia, Germany, Armenia, Greece and Spain came together to gain knowledge on sustainability and practice green skills in order to become Change Makers! Together we visited the local project Restlos in Leipzig, where various materials are collected and upcycled, moreover, we developed own techniques of upcycling and with a very practical workshop on veganism learned about the importance of a planetary health diet 🌎

With the project Sustainability For All? 🌿 our participants put sustainability into practice and to tried out and developed sustainable alternatives for everyday life, adapted to the different local context and economic circumstances🍃

The third ERASMUS+ project conducted by our growing organization was a full success, thanks to the amazing contributions of our participants!💪

Read more about the project here

in the summary

Erasmus+ Small Scale Partnership "Include, Engage, Involve"

Innovation Camp: Leipzig, Germany

Inclusive Youth Exchange: Thessaloniki, Greece

Facing multiple challenges and crises currently, political and societal institutions prioritize emergency responses. However, even amidst urgent conflicts and crises, developing resilient systems and infrastructures are not only essential in combating these but also to create strong civil societies preventing future challenges. Moreover, youth work and education are seldom prioritized, neither in pandemic responses, economic nor (geo)political crises, even though they crucially impact young people and thereby future generations.

Acknowledging the relevance of youth work in times of crisis, the project 'Include, Engage and Involve' aimed to develop strategies, methods and tools to ensure social inclusion in and through youth work, to utilize it as a means of peace building and conflict resolution.

Starting off with an innovation camp, where teachers, youth workers and youth leaders from Greece, Türkiye and Serbia gathered in Leipzig, strategies of resilient, inclusive youth work were developed and discussed.

These new methods and tools were applied and tested during an inclusive youth exchange, taking place in Thessaloniki, Greece. Here youths and multipliers with different capacities met and exchanged, and practiced the creative method of digital storytelling, to define own voices and portray diverse perspectives.

Find the developed handbook here:

Volunteer !

We are always looking for helping hands - as a volunteer or as an intern. Contact us for current options and possible tasks. We are currently working to become part of the Erasmus+ program Solidarity Corps to host more volunteers from abroad in Leipzig!

Our current

Volunteer Ahmed

As Migrants and Minorities Network e.V. is organized as a peer network, its structure is based on the principle of basic democracy and equality.

All leading positions are elected by its members, all procedures are according to the organization’s constitution (Vereinssatzung) and to ensure transparency and accountability, regular meetings are organized (the management teams exchanges in a Jour Fixe monthly, and biannually a general meeting of members is initiated).

Even though responsibilities are clear and fair distributed, all members can actively participate on all organizational levels, as we see our organization as a catalyzer for learning, active citizenship, and empowerment.

As of 2023, a total of 14 active members dedicate their free time to leading the Migrants and Minorities Network on a voluntary basis, and around 20 other members volunteer temporarily or on a project basis.

Our local target group estimates 55-60 disadvantaged youths of Leipzig and its rural surroundings, of which we could empower 46 to join ERASMUS+ projects.

About Us