RESPECT MEANS RESPECTING THE DIGNITY AND RIGHTS OF OTHERS.

Without respect at eye level, no contact and therefore no dialog is possible. Without dialog, there is no solution and no progress. This respect creates spaces of trust in which an open and equal exchange is possible.

The others! – They are everywhere you look: in China, in Africa, in the east of our republic, even in our own company. The young and the old. Sometimes the others are funny, even threatening. But sometimes they are also very pleasant. Many people seek out “the others” in order to learn from each other or to work on projects together. These encounters are valuable to us and bring us great joy.

But “According to studies, the majority of Germans are afraid to express what they think without protection”. This is a headline in the ZEIT newspaper from June 6, 2024. It is depressing to see how much insecurity exists in large parts of our society when it comes to encounters with “the others”. Uncompromising truths from the “right” or an uncompromising “woke culture” and “cancel culture” can leave us speechless and make us lose the desire and courage to engage in discourse.

The crises of recent years have shaken basic trust. As a result, some feel compelled to take extreme positions, which makes a balanced dialog more difficult. Others hold back their opinions for fear of negative reactions or being “canceled”. The urgently needed discourse in openness and diversity