Care economy instead of capitalism - space for care in Bielefeld

On 15 August 2021, an event with various discussion tables took place outside on the Kesselbrink, a central square in Bielefeld, in beautiful sunny weather. After a welcoming address by Care Revolution Bielefeld, several working groups met. After a brief round of introductions, the "Unpaid Work" working group complained about the lack of time for carers, which prevents them from organising and making joint demands or developing better working conditions. Due to the double or triple burden of caring work, the capacities of these people are simply exhausted. Relieving the burden of this work through payment or compensation through time off from work was seen as helpful here. In principle, social recognition for this work should change. In addition to a political struggle, it was also considered necessary to think of and implement alternatives to the existing situation. These would be structures such as shared flats/households; interest groups that support each other in caring for elderly parents; volunteer kitchens. In the "Care and migration" group, the main focus was on improving the situation of refugees. They called for more time to learn the language, accommodation in flats instead of residential centres and faster access to employment. Another major problem was the lack of support from interpreters in bureaucratic situations. This work is often carried out by family members who are minors, a situation that is completely unacceptable due to the traumas described during the flight or in the home country. Although the participation of the population was not as large as we had hoped, there were around 30 people there, all working groups were very satisfied with this form of joint discussion and exchange.