Semi-annual Care Revolution network meeting on 21 March - impressions of the day

Our biannual network meeting was held on 21 March. After having met several times in person over an entire weekend, this time we condensed the meeting back into a full-day online event. The meeting focussed on topics that are of great importance to the Care Revolution network.

The programme began with an introduction to the origins, basic positions and working methods of the Care Revolution network by Matthias Neumann (Care Revolution regional group Berlin). The main aim of this part of the programme was to give the participating guests an idea of what the network is all about and to give them the opportunity to ask questions. The round was quite lively for a Saturday morning and the concept proved its worth. There is no need to repeat what was said; on the website you will find the main features of how the Care Revolution network works and its history.

After a round of introductions and a brief outline of the day's agenda, the main programme got underway. In the first part, Silvia Klein (Koordinationsstelle Solidarisch Sorgen e.V.) presented the current status of deliberations on a feminist or care strike in 2027. Various feminist organisations and networks have been talking about such a strike since last autumn, both internally and with each other. Since the last network meeting, there has also been a working group in the Care Revolution network in which activists have been discussing their plans and activities in this regard. For people who want to know more: Reflections and activities on the feminist strike are compiled in a project on the website. In March, for example, monuments and statues in some cities were remodelled to convey the theme of a feminist strike. The exchange at the network meeting provided the working group with a number of ideas and suggestions. For example, the interest shared by many in organising unpaid care work such as cooking or childcare together and in public places on a big strike day is valuable - with the follow-up question of how those who are less mobile can be included.

The next input came from Ronald Blaschke(Basic Income Network) on the topic of "Poverty among those in need of care and those who care". The presentation explained how life situations in which the burden of care is particularly high, such as single parents or families with many children, increase the likelihood of living in poverty. Health impairments also lead to above-average poverty with high self-care costs and limited earning capacity. Because the existing social security systems create hurdles - shame, helplessness in the face of official requirements - and do not take into account the needs and burdens of care situations, as a member of a group of authors that has submitted a corresponding proposal, he argued in favour of a combination of a citizens' insurance scheme that includes all types of income, an expanded social infrastructure that is accessible free of charge and an unconditional basic income. This proposal was followed by a lively and controversial discussion. The discussion centred on both the specific design of individual elements such as the taxation of assets and the necessary connection with social movement processes if no political majorities are foreseeable for a model.

After the lunch break, we continued with the topic "Neighbourhood organisation for a caring city". Fran Hollweg(Initiative Sorge ins Parkcenter) gave the introductory presentation. The initiative not only aims to transform a largely empty shopping centre in south-east Berlin into a care centre as a feminist socialisation project. It is equally concerned with neighbourhood organisation. Both issues are interlinked in that the implementation of demands for the care centre requires structures in the neighbourhood that show solidarity and are motivated to act. On the other hand, everyday support in care work and needs-based spatial design are something that must also be self-organised and small-scale. The speaker explained the initiative's approach, from needs assessment and confidence-building through presence in the neighbourhood to steps towards political organisation. There were many concrete ideas in the subsequent small groups and the plenary discussion. One recurring theme was that supportive social infrastructure should be directly linked to spaces for group meetings and inviting places for informal meetings. It is particularly important to pay attention to the specific needs, e.g. with regard to childcare or accessibility, so as not to exclude anyone. The controversy here was a mirror image of the previous slot. While the helplessness of models was discussed there as long as they are not anchored in movement processes, the focus here was on the limits of small-scale organisation when a lack of security and poverty deprive people of energy and opportunities to shape their lives.

The penultimate part focussed on how we can increase our visibility and effectiveness as a network. This part was organised by Judith Mahnert and Mo Linne from the Care Revolution regional group in Leipzig. They emphasised a certain homogeneity of the network: white, relatively academic, relatively old, relatively West German. At the same time, discussions in the small groups unfolded about how accurate the diagnosis is and what steps can be taken to change it. Examples of both: "The individual groups are usually quite homogeneous in terms of age and sometimes also politically, but the diversity in the network is greater across groups. "When we work together with others on specific topics, such as support for mental health crises, connections are made with migrants, for example, through the common topic." "Older people have to engage with productive uncertainty from younger people - and vice versa. We need curiosity about each other."

Finally, as always, there were internal network reports and appointments. The bottom line: a day of concentrated work in front of the computer is exhausting when working intensively together. At the same time, the effort was worth it. At the end of the meeting, some participants were flying flounders - flattened but energised. It is also encouraging that ideas were put forward that will not remain there and gather dust. Because there are initiatives and groups that take them up and utilise them.

A report by Matthias Neumann