Dealing with various racisms such as anti-Muslim racism and anti-Semitism at ASH Berlin
ASH Berlin is committed to anti-discrimination, respect and equal opportunities in its mission statement. We recognize that anti-Semitic and racist structures also exist at our university and represent a challenge. The aim is to actively address these structural challenges and create spaces in which critical debate and continuous improvement are possible. At ASH Berlin, as a university for social work and health, education and training, dealing with anti-Semitism and racism is firmly anchored in the curricula of the degree programs.
This page serves as an overview of how ASH Berlin addresses the issues of anti-Semitism and racism for all university members and interested external persons. It contains information on our counseling services, ways to complain about discrimination as well as relevant events, workshops and research initiatives. You will also find statements and positions from the ASH university management and other stakeholders on how to deal with current developments in the Middle East.
ASH Berlin is planning the following events for the winter semester 2024/25:
- Space for remembrance, grief and anger with trauma psychological support on October 7, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in room 308
- Series of events "Civil society in Israel and Palestine"
- University Day on November 6, 2024: "Authoritarian tendencies - effects on universities and society", 09:30-16:00
- Online Safe Spaces for university members with a Jewish biography (cooperation with OFEK)
- Expert discussion on dealing with anti-Semitism at universities
Workshops and further training
- 05.10.23 Workshop for management staff: Dealing with and preventing anti-Semitism at the Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences
- 07.12.23 Fundamentals and manifestations of anti-Semitism
- 16.01.24 Workshop on Israel-related anti-Semitism/"Middle East conflict
- 12.07.24 Deep Democracy Workshop: Dealing with the effects of war in the Middle East on a personal and academic level
Research and (teaching) materials
Research and teaching on anti-Semitism and racism
At ASH Berlin, we are intensively involved in research and teaching on racism and anti-Semitism. These topics play a central role in our degree programs. Several professorships are specifically focused on racism and anti-Semitism research, while other lecturers also actively work with these topics in their subject areas, even if this is not always directly anchored in their job titles.
Professorships with a focus on racism and anti-Semitism research:
Prof. Dr. María do Mar Castro Varela
Prof. Dr. Asiye Kaya
Prof. Dr. Hürrem Tezcan-Güntekin
Collections of materials and books
In order to support teachers and students in the development and implementation of diversity-oriented and anti-discriminatory teaching approaches, ASH Berlin offers a collection of materials, as well as analyses critical of racism, novels, articles, poems and life stories:
- Collection of materials on diversity-oriented and discrimination-critical teaching approaches
- Book list Powerbooks of the InPuT project EmpA
- "Nevertheless, I study here" brochure with the voices of ASH students who have experienced racism
Final theses on the topics of racism, anti-Semitism, empowerment, intersectionality, power and inequality structures
In the SAGE degree programs at ASH Berlin, these topics are dealt with in detail in numerous modules and courses. This is reflected, for example, in the selection of topics for final theses in the Critical Diversity and Community Studies Master's program.
Statements (of the university management) and further documents
In the winter semester 24/25, ASH Berlin is developing an anti-Semitism protection concept in cooperation with Ofek e.V.. Currently, the way in which anti-Semitic and racist discrimination is dealt with at ASH is regulated by the anti-discrimination statutes.
Advice and networking services
Here you will find an overview of the counseling services available to you at ASH Berlin:
Initial counseling/peer-to-peer counseling:
For initial advice or peer-to-peer support, you can contact our network of counselors. A list of available counselors and further details can be found on the Help with discrimination page.
Counseling and empowerment for students who have experienced racism:
The EmpA (Empowerment and Antiracism) project team provides advice on experiences of racism. EmpA also offers various formats for getting to know each other, exchanging ideas and learning. Further information can be found on the EmpA website.
You can find an overview of all counseling services offered by ASH Berlin on the Advice & Support page.
If you have experienced anti-Semitic or racist discrimination and would like to have a confidential counseling session, you can contact the following contact points:
- OFEK - specialized in counselling for anti-Semitic discrimination
- OPRA - psychological counseling for victims of right-wing extremist, racist & anti-Semitic violence
- LesMigraS- Counseling for LGBTIQA* affected by racism and anti-Semitism
- Each One anti-discrimination counseling - counseling for Black, African and Afro-diasporic people in Berlin in all cases of discrimination
- Amaro Foro e.V. - Advice for people affected by antiziganism
The following general advice centers offer support in cases of discrimination:
- Anti-discrimination counseling Spiegelbild
- State Office for Equal Treatment - Against Discrimination
- Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency
You can find an overview of advice centers in your area here.
General Students' Committee (AStA) of ASH Berlin
The AStA of ASH Berlin offers students numerous opportunities to network and actively participate in university policy issues. In particular, the various departments of the AStA, such as the anti-classism department, the BPoc department or the queer department, offer platforms for exchange, support and joint commitment.
Commissions at ASH Berlin
There are several commissions at ASH Berlin that deal with important university policy and social issues. The Anti-Discrimination Commission plays a central role in the field of anti-discrimination work, supporting the area of anti-discrimination and diversity, proposing anti-discrimination advisors and working to improve anti-discrimination measures.
In addition to the Anti-Discrimination Commission, there are other commissions, such as the Commission for Diversity and Social Justice or the Commission for Accessibility, which offer students the opportunity to actively participate in decision-making processes. These committees work to promote issues such as equal rights, social justice, inclusion and equal opportunities at the university.
Students are welcome to get involved in the committees. You can find an overview of all committees here.
Student initiatives
Not in our Name ASH is an association of students at ASH Berlin that campaigns for solidarity with Palestinians affected by the violence in the Middle East and calls for a critical examination of (anti-Muslim) racism at ASH.
Tacheles ASH is an association of students at ASH Berlin that is committed to a critical examination of structural anti-Semitism.
Internal Diversity Organizational Development Process (IOEP)
The Internal Diversity Organizational Development Process (IOEP) aims to further develop ASH Berlin in a power-critical manner in order to promote an inclusive university culture and ensure equal access to studying and teaching. The process systematically questions racist, ableist and other discriminatory structures within the university.
Various subgroups deal with organizational culture, appointment procedures and the development of a comprehensive diversity strategy. At the end of the IOEP, a diversity concept will be available that contains concrete measures to dismantle these discriminatory structures and practices and forms the basis for sustainable change.
We cordially invite all members of the university to actively participate in the process and contribute their ideas. If you are interested or have any questions regarding participation, please contact the process coordinator at: diversity@ash-berlin.eu
Complaints about discrimination
ASH Berlin Complaints Office
If you have experienced or witnessed an incident at ASH Berlin that you feel is discriminatory, we encourage you to report it confidentially using the ASH Berlin Complaints Office online form. Alternatively, you can also submit a complaint by email to antidiskriminierung@ash-berlin.eu. Your report will enable the Complaints Office team to offer you individual advice, initiate a formal complaints procedure and/or document the incident.
If you come across flyers, graffiti or other materials with discriminatory content in the buildings or on the campus of ASH Berlin, please do not hesitate to report this to the Complaints Office. Your report will make it possible to have this content removed immediately.
The Complaints Office team
The Complaints Office team is made up of members from various status groups at the university, including teaching staff, administrative staff and students. All members are experienced in dealing with sensitive issues such as discrimination in a professional and respectful manner. Every complaint is taken seriously and those affected are given the best possible support.
You can use the online form to submit complaints or report discriminatory content anonymously. Please note that our ability to contact you directly and provide individual support is limited for complaints and reports submitted anonymously via the online form.
You can also submit a complaint anonymously via the first-year and student advisors or the interest groups at ASH Berlin. These representatives include the Women's* and Equal Opportunities Officer and the Representative for Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses. They can treat your concerns confidentially and, if necessary, forward them accordingly without revealing your identity.
All complaints and reports submitted to the independent complaints office of ASH Berlin are treated in strict confidence. The personal identity of those concerned will be protected and all data will be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Any information will only be passed on to authorized persons if this is necessary for the processing of the complaint and with the consent of the persons concerned.
For detailed information on complaints, the complaints procedure and measures, please refer to the ASH Berlin anti-discrimination statutes.
If you have any questions or need support, you can contact us at any time by email at antidiskriminierung@ash-berlin.eu.