Have a Say in Neukölln! – Nachbarschaftsheim Neukölln

Neukölln is a borough located in the southeast of Berlin; it is characterized by having one of the highest percentages of immigrants in Berlin. In fact, the 42% of its inhabitants have an immigrant background and only the half (21%) owns a German passport. Nachbarschaftsheim Neukölln is a community centre which aims to facilitate social cohesion and discouraging negative attitudes, such as prejudices and stereotypes. The community centre offers a wide range of actives for children, families and adults. These initiatives cover almost every aspect of everyday life: education, sports, culture etc. Of particular interest, it focuses its attention on the connection between social integration and political inclusion. The organization aims to reduce the under-representation of migrants’ inhabitants, fostering citizens’ political participation and civic engagement; especially in the community decision-making process. In fact, in several decentralized residents’ councils only the 20% of the members have a migrant background. Moreover, it would appear that, on average, migrants are 10% less likely to vote than the natives.