Middle East Conflict in the youth club (Nahostkonflikt im Jugendclub)

Conversation strategies and conflict management in challenging situations for professionals in (youth) social work in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg

The so-called Middle East conflict has posed major challenges for (youth) social work professionals since the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023 in Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza and the region: There has been an increase in attacks and statements that are contemptuous of human beings and refer to the war, the Israeli state, Jews and Muslims, among other things. Pro­Palestinian and pro­Israeli solidarity positions seem to be irreconcilably opposed to each other.

Professionals from youth clubs, street work and other areas of (youth) social work are called upon to act in this mixed situation in a way that is capable of conversation, relationship­building and conflict­moderation. Using the example of the so-called Middle East conflict and its negotiation in Germany, youth work is faced with familiar questions in a new drastic way: How can it be possible to counteract all human hostility, even in heated situations? How can professionals keep the conversation going with young people? How can highly emotionalized conflict situations be dealt with constructively? And what role do ideological influences and personal experiences play in dealing with young people?

Strengthening skills for action

The training is primarily intended to strengthen concrete action skills: For example, de-escalation techniques are tested, initial reaction skills are promoted and conversation techniques are practiced that relate less to argumentative confrontation and more to the inclusion of lifeworldly, biographical and emotional aspects.

The training is needs-oriented and process-oriented: Participants are welcome to bring in situations they have personally experienced in order to talk about them together as a group. The twelve-hour training course is flanked by intervision sessions in which specific cases are discussed in small groups and reflected on with regard to the training content.

Project duration

July - December 2024
April - December 2025