"More than just ranting about capitalism" - Networking for the Care Revolution

On 9 March 2018, as part of Brandenburg Women's Week, around 30 participants discussed care work and the need for change at the Kosmos Rechenzentrum. Organised by the equal opportunities offices of the University and Potsdam University of Applied Sciences, the aim was to jointly analyse the current state of care work, stimulate the care revolution and discuss what role universities can play in this. The fishbowl discussion was attended by Helga Zeike from Pflege in Not Brandenburg e.V., Sabine Carl from the Care Revolution network, as well as Jennifer Becker, student vice president at the FH Potsdam and a representative of the gender policy department of the AStA of the University of Potsdam, sat together as guests with expertise and discussed. The afternoon was moderated by Susanne Eckler from Stuhlkreisrevolte. In a fishbowl discussion, at least one chair remains free for contributors from the audience. This chair can be filled at any time during the discussion, thus enriching the discussion with new perspectives, questions, quotes, etc. In addition, the rows of chairs are arranged in a circle, so that the separation between "experts" and "audience" is spatially cancelled. This event therefore did not have a traditional podium, but focussed, for example, on the specific ideas and demands that care workers have of their profession - more time (for clients) and free time, good teamwork, higher wages and more social appreciation were some of the wishes. It also became clear that many approaches are important for changing the world of (care) work: the working individual should be self-confident, resilient and also networked, although this approach alone would in turn be very open to individualised blame. The framework conditions for care work still need to change so that real improvements can be made. The structural framework is the capitalist mechanisms of exploitation, which must be considered and analysed. We also discussed what universities could contribute to this change, e.g. being places for activation and networking, providing information about working conditions and workers' rights, offering realistic training on career prospects and facilitating labour disputes. The discussion continued into the evening, after which we got to know each other better and networked over a delicious meal. The event report was first published on the blog of the Brandenburg Women's Political Council in the blog series "We care!". Here, women from Brandenburg write about the issues that concern them and also formulate needs for action and wishes for politicians. The series is a collaboration between the Women's Political Council and the Care Revolution Potsdam networkPhoto: Simone Ahrend, sah-photo.deText: Laura Schleusener You can find the original articlehere. The Care Revolution Potsdam network meets approximately once a month. The next meeting will take place on 5 June 2018, from 18:00 at konte[x]t, Hermann-Elflein-Str.23. Contact: care-revolution-potsdam@riseup.net.