Participation and Membership in Online Forums
The Citizens' Engagement Forum (CEF) in Augsburg, Germany, serves as a vital platform for local citizens to engage in democratic decision-making and community development processes. Comprising a diverse group of residents, civil society representatives, community leaders, and occasionally local government officials, the CEF fosters dialogue between the public and municipal authorities, encourages citizen participation in local governance, and promotes inclusive, transparent discussions on policy and community issues.
The inaugural meeting of the "BE Forum," a subdivision of the CEF, took place on February 21, 2024, with representatives from civil society, politics, and administration in attendance. The BE Forum aims to focus on creating an exchange platform for communication among actors on central topics such as contact persons, event calendars, event management and equipment, volunteer helpers, and funding opportunities.
One of the key figures in the CEF is Jakob Bihlmayer, who manages city partnerships and other international contacts of the city. Claudia Nickl, the city of Augsburg's commissioner for the disabled and chairwoman of the disability council, is another prominent member. Alexander Smienk, the chairman of the Freiwilligen-Zentrum Augsburg (FZA), advocates for the concerns of volunteering and sees the Forum BE as a think tank and lobby for voluntary engagement.
The BE Forum is planning a networking event on October 1, 2025, themed "Young Engagement," at the Kapellen-Mittelschule in Oberhausen. The event will likely focus on addressing young people and better integrating engagement into daily school life. The November session of the BE Forum was dedicated to "youth work."
In addition to Jakob, Claudia, and Alexander, the CEF boasts a wide range of members with diverse expertise. Imme Heiligendorff is responsible for the conception and implementation of projects and workshops at the State Theater Augsburg. Melanie Haisch leads the Citizens' Engagement Forum and is responsible for the area of citizens' engagement and social neighborhood development. Mechtild Enzinger has many years of experience in training and supporting volunteers in leadership functions.
Thomas A. Weber brings extensive expertise in commercial and business topics, serving as a business consultant and coach for medium-sized companies. Marta Kneip is responsible for the care of families with and without migration history and the promotion of multilingualism in education. Isabella Reiter, district manager, networks with Arge f/o and handles public relations for the Red Cross in Augsburg-Stadt, coordinating over 1000 volunteers in her district.
Alexander Baur is responsible for public relations, reorganization, and strategic development in association management. Kristin Pongratz promotes and highlights voluntary and unpaid engagement in the city and its administration. Maria Fey coordinates the 11 MehrGenerationenTreffpunkte (Multi-Generational Meeting Points) in the city area.
The city administration is encouraged to promote civic engagement further, such as through consulting offers, lectures, etc. The CEF provides a platform for participants to jointly develop new projects and cooperation, fostering networking, raising public awareness, and promoting intensive cooperation between the three sectors: politics/administration, economy, and engagement sectors. The Forum BE is now represented on the city of Augsburg's participation platform, machmit.unser website.
The BE Forum, being a subdivision of the Citizens' Engagement Forum (CEF), is planning to organize a networking event named "Young Engagement" on October 1, 2025, focusing on integrating engagement into daily school life, which aligns with the CEF's mission for education-and-self-development. Alexander Smienk, as the chair of the Freiwilligen-Zentrum Augsburg (FZA), envisions the Forum BE as a platform for discussion and strategic development in voluntary engagement, also extending to education and personal growth.
