Civil society work for democracy and against right-wing extremism is under massive threat - and so are those involved. Disruption of events, loitering in front of facilities with right-wing extremist music turned up loud on the car radio, hate mail, smashed windows, physical violence - 79% of respondents to a recent study on civil society democracy work have already experienced such violent threats, 57% of them in the last year. 8% have already been threatened with death. Added to this are political interventions such as parliamentary questions about the direction and funding of work or legal action against non-profit status, which are then experienced as all the more threatening by those affected. Where democracy is already under pressure, the attacks are particularly severe. Those who campaign for democracy in East Germany are exposed to violence much more frequently.
The result can be great physical and psychological stress, especially if the family is threatened, or even withdrawal from the commitment. Women, who, like other already vulnerable groups (e.g. those affected by racism or anti-Semitism), receive particularly nasty threats, including sexualized threats, have to struggle with this even more frequently. However, the vast majority of 72% of respondents see the threat as an incentive for their own work: "On the one hand, it's total powerlessness, but on the other, it's also an incentive", said one respondent in the interview. Solidarity is the key factor in dealing with threats. This encouraging experience is shared by those involved in their immediate environment, whether privately or at work. However, only half of those surveyed can also count on support and backing from the local population, politicians and administration, and they have only limited trust in the security authorities.
These are the findings of a nationwide online study in which more than 500 people who are involved in democracy and countering right-wing extremism in a professional, voluntary and activist capacity were asked about threats they have experienced and how they deal with them. 20 people also reported in detail in personal interviews about their experiences of threats and how they dealt with them. The study of the project "BEWARE: Arming Threatened Democracy Projects and Making Them Resilient" (2023-2024), funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and carried out by the SO.CON - Social Concepts - institute of The Hochschule Niederrhein in close cooperation with practice partners, was presented on Tuesday, September 3 and can be downloaded here: Download
