Gespräch mit den OB-Kandidat:innen zum Thema Ehrenamt

In the organizer's words:

Cologne residents in conversation with the Lord Mayor candidates about the importance of volunteering

With "Alaaf - Mer dun et för Kölle", its session motto for 2026, the Cologne Festival Committee is sending out a strong signal for voluntary work in our city. This comes at just the right time, as the discussion about the latest budget has shown that volunteering doesn't come for free! Commitment is work and it needs to be advised, deployed, organized, supported, discussed, insured, provided with rooms, etc. in a meaningful way. Volunteers are looking for associations, social organizations and initiatives in which they can get involved and under whose umbrella they can become active. Those who organize themselves also need support and advice.

When these structures were threatened by massive cuts to the municipal budget in the fall of 2024, calls for help and protests followed. People from very different areas of involvement made their voices heard. The added social value of their projects was often not (yet) known to outsiders - as shown by the reactions of many politicians, who were grateful for the information and reports they received from all parts of urban society.

We are relieved that the majority of the threatened cuts in the social and voluntary sector have been reversed. However, some important projects have still fallen by the wayside. And the debate has shown that things will not get any easier in the future! More than ever, voluntary work needs a strong commitment in words and deeds from politicians!

Before we go to the polls in September, we would like to know from our mayoral candidates Berivan Aymaz (Alliance 90/The Greens), Torsten Burmester (SPD) and Markus Greitemann (CDU):

• How important is the voluntary commitment of your citizens to you?
• What priorities would you like to set in terms of promoting volunteering?
• What strategies do you have to support this commitment even in times of tighter budgets?
• How could voluntary work and administrative action be (even) better integrated?

Anke Bruns will moderate the fishbowl discussion. All attendees are cordially invited to participate in the discussion by asking questions or making suggestions. If you are unable to attend, you are welcome to send us your questions in advance: info@ceno-koeln.de

Registration is requested for planning purposes(registration link). Last-minute participants are also welcome without registration!

Please note: 12 people will be running for the office of Lord Mayor in Cologne. We would have liked to talk to many of them about how important voluntary work is to them. But this is not possible in a one-and-a-half-hour event in which we and our guests can and should ask questions. A panel discussion with 12 people would remain on the surface, without follow-up questions and in-depth discussions. We have therefore decided to invite the candidates from the three largest parliamentary groups for the panel and have chosen the fishbowl moderation method. It allows each participant, including our guests, to sit on the podium, ask questions and take a stand. We would be delighted if many, including other candidates for mayor, took advantage of this."

An event organized by Kölner Freiwilligen Agentur e.V., Ceno & Die Paten e.V. and Melanchton-Akademie .

Date: Thursday, 11.9.2025; 17.00 - 19.00 (Admission: 16.30)Location: House of the Protestant Church, Kartäusergasse 9-11, 50678 Cologne
Registration: Registration link