Community platform Kempodium (Allgäuer Zentrum für Eigenversorgung)

Best Practice

Topics

• Governance capacity
• Regional value added

Short description

* Project updated on 25 April 2007 according to information from the project contact persons * Kempodium is an innovative community platform. In the framework of hobby workshops, courses, school projects, children’s workshops, bazaars, cultural events a second-hand shop and through opportunities for involvement in decision-making, people can become active in various crafts and at the social and cultural level. They also discover and make use of the resources of the region. The scheme promotes the civil society, social communication, the regional identity and a feeling of belonging, and builds social capital.

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Project executive

Kempodium is run by a non-profit organisation called Kempodium e.V., Kempten, which was founded in March 2002 to promote the craft, cultural and social skills of the people in town and country, a do-it-yourself approach and self-sufficiency, the regional identity, and the development of a sustainable style of life and economic activity. The membership mainly comprises the professional and voluntary actors, users and other supporters. Responsible Person: Slavicek Martin Kempodium e.V. Untere Eicher Str. 3, 87435 , Kempten, Deutschland slavicek@kempodium.de +49 831 5402130 +49 831 54021317

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Participants

anstiftung ggmbh, Lokale Agenda 21, Zweckverband für Abfallwirtschaft, Feneberg Lebensmittel, Stadtteilbüro Thingers, Volkshochschule Kempten, Berufsfortbildungszentrum, Berufsbildungszentrum, Stadt Kempten, Kinderschutzbund, Stadtjugendring, Forstverwaltung, Tauschring Cambodunum, BioRing Allgäu, Pfarreien, Schulen und Kindergärten, Diakonie, STRATUM, Bundesvereinigung Kulturelle Jugendbildung, Netzwerk Eigenarbeit, LEADER-Aktionsgruppe Regionalentwicklung Altusried-Oberallgäu e.V., FH Kempten

Objectives

The objective is to help increase people’s appreciation of the region and its resources through social networks, a culture of trust and mutual support, and opportunities to participate in decision-making. Kempodium encourages people to find meaningful activities and to become aware of the region and local space for the experiences and opportunities for participation it offers. At the same time, individual needs are related to the need for moderation in the use of natural, social and cultural resources. The intention is to offer people attractive experiential fields for a sustainable style of life in which renunciation is replaced by a do-it-yourself and do-it-together approach as the door to the advantages of this style of life. Do-it-yourself, barter, sharing, and discovering and using regional resources empower the individual to experience and experiment with a sustainable life style. Shaping your own world, creating useful and beautiful things, and involvement in a system of human dimensions create close ties to one’s living space.

Activities

So far 9 different projects have been developed: 1) collaboration with volunteers, 2) self-organised cultural events (dances, exhibitions, theatre, concerts, readings), farmers markets and handicraft fairs, bazaars for bicycles, books, gardening and games, and seasonal events, 3) extensive programme for children: children’s workshop, children’s cookery class, holiday centre, children’s birthdays, 4) supervised use of professional workshops in wood and metal-working, ceramics, wool, paper and stone as well as sewing and cooking, 5) full programme of courses in all workshops for beginners and advanced, 6) intensive cooperation with education providers for school projects, practical classes and vocational training, 7) communicative café, 8) second-hand shop for furniture, the home, crockery and books, 9) (rental) facilities for group activities and private parties.

Process

no specific methods were used

Results

In 2004 alone Kempodium was used in one way or another 24000 times, and its popularity is growing. Over 200 people make use of the workshops for courses and their own work. No fewer than 2300 children attended the kids’ workshops. The second-hand shop attracted an average of 80 callers per day. 35 school classes participated in a school project. 25 different events were organised, mainly on a volunteer basis, with a total audience of 10,000. They included the “Move your body” no-smoking disco, “Dance in May”, concerts, readings and exhibitions of the work of regional artists, improtheatre with follow-up workshops, “African Night”, an art mart and the first daring steps by lay actors in front of a real audience. A total of 20 groups and initiatives meet in the framework of Kempodium. More than 5000 people came to the various private parties. Over 40 volunteers are active on a regular basis, planning and organizing projects and events.

Evaluation

The objectives of this project fulfils the criteria of QT2 to a huge extent. The creation of an innovative centre for local people integrating artisan workshops for children and laymen, cultural events, bazaars and second hand shops acts as an incentive for the promotion of innovation, creativity, social and political participation. The project is well apt to enhance social networks, communication and mutual trust amongst people, civic connectedness, social capital and the making use of local resources. The maintenance and improvement of socio-cultural competence as well as the knowledge about traditional handicrafts by local people aims directly at fostering regional identity and sustainable economy. Innovative processes and features from outside the region are also acknowledged by cultural exchange at a supra-local and global level (e.g. music concerts, expositions, African dancing)

Difficulties

a) conflicts between honorary and voluntary work (before founding the association): many ideas and expectations passed from volunteers onto the professionals which finally caused plenty of conflicts. The recognition of those conflicts and attempts for finding joint solutions brought about a particular culture of ‘seeking acceptance’. b) unclear organisational structures and a growing range of tasks and activities provoked mismanagement and inefficiency. More Transparency and the improvement of communication through e.g. PC-based spatial planning turned out to be a sufficient remedy.

Budget

375.000 (Euro)

Financial backer

Kempodium did well to cover 54% of all expenditures in 2005 (incl. smaller donations, EU etc.). The rest of the budget will be contributed by anstiftung ggmbh, Munich until end of 2006.

Source of information

Competition

Participant at the 2005 Future in the Alps competition

Homepage

http://www.kempodium.de

Comments

Impact on nature and environment

The tool "brauchBar" as well as workshops foster the moderate consumption and longevity of goods. School projects promote the local-based minimum waste production of food, wood and timber products. Markets, bazaars and barter circles support re-cycling and second hand use in order to avoid excessive waste production. Residues from the wood workshop are combusted for heating purposes which reduces the amount of additional fuel to a minimum.

Economic value added

Cooking courses and school projects promote the marketing of organic food; the wood workshop the trade of toxin and pollutant free wood preservatives and wood products from the Allgäu; art markets and exhibitions support regional artists; the cooperation with local educational institutes provides training and formation for about 160 persons in the region of Kempten.

Socio-cultural value added

Kempodium hosts more than 20 different initiatives: local agenda, dancing- and gymnastics groups, health initiatives, professional and amateur art groups, child care, education and citizens' initiatives. Cultural and recreational activities are organized for children, adults and seniors. Common actions and festivities support the creation of social and cultural networks in a bottom-up process.

Innovative content

Kempodium is a pilot project permitting an innovative access to all issues of enhanced sustainability; new ways of better living can be developed and put into practice. The innovative catchword ‚self organisation’ also signifies self-reliance, backed by a small number of professionals and a great number of volunteers which can guarantee a rootedness in the region.

Good governance

From the very beginning a close cooperation with plenty of different initiatives and key actors was intended by the organisation of many information and discussion meetings, joint planning and decision making; open planning teams and working groups; professionals take part in the meetings as advisors; the minutes of the meetings and discussions are available for everybody; furthermore parties foster the exchange between professionals and volunteers.

PR impact

Comprehensible marketing and communication strategies have been developed. Permanent information about the project is provided by networking, press and media work, public relation, advertising, articles in local newspapers, radio and television. Regional relay stations for print products supplement to this media work. The number of hits at the website account to 500 and 800 per month; up to 150 per day.

Multiplier effect / networking

Kempodium is part of the nationwide network „Netzwerk Eigenarbeit“, STRATUM („strategic enterprise development and environmental education“) and competence partner in the federal cultural youth work association (Bundesverband kulturelle Jugendarbeit). There are also frequent visits from interested persons from other regions. A newsletter has been published, experiences have been presented to the public in a "best practice"-data-base. Practical experiences and research results could be provided to a wider range of people with the assistance of ‘anstiftung’.

Transferability

Transferability will be achieved by the integration of different actors within one region as well as the participation of volunteers. Moreover, the marketing and communication strategies can also be transferred easily. The broad experiences in financing could render as an example for other projects. The whole openings for children, the cooperation with educational institutions and the combination between second hand shop and self-reliance workshops are also transferable.

Further information