Concept

This written self-conception is a description of how we would like KuB to be. We are working concretely to become, be and remain such a place. We do not demand from people who (want to) work at KuB that they fulfill everything one hundred percent. But we want them to agree with the general goals and to be willing to work towards them.

Basic principles

We are against the restriction of rights based on residence status. Because: No one is illegal. All people should be able to live in dignity in the place of their choice. All people should have the same rights. We work to improve the rights of refugees and migrants in Germany. The KuB therefore works politically independent of authorities, political parties or religions.

The addressees of KuB are particularly often affected by racism. Racism does not only show itself in the restriction of the residence status. Racism is a problem of society as a whole and does not only occur on the so-called far-right. A basic attitude critical of racism is therefore important for working at KuB. The addressees of KuB can also be affected by other forms of discrimination, which can then influence or reinforce each other. For example: sexism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, queerphobia, ableism, lookism, anti-semitism, discrimination against Sinti and Roma, adultism, ageism etc.

We know that unfortunately discrimination also occurs at KuB. It is important to us to critically examine our privileges and to deal sensitively with experiences of discrimination. When it comes to discriminatory behavior, we try to act in the sense of those affected. For this purpose, we have various mechanisms at KuB, which we regularly develop further. We want the KuB to be a safe space. At the same time, we also want to be a space of learning where mistakes can happen and we deal with them responsibly. We try to maintain a balance between these two goals.

Together

As the team of KuB we value solidarity. We strive to deal with all people in an appreciative manner. For us, this means that we listen respectfully and do not prejudge each other.

We want to take criticism seriously and constantly try to question ourselves. We try to formulate criticism constructively and appreciatively and to deal with it in the same way.

We are open to our different perspectives and want to work together on a basis of trust.

It is important to us that the KuB team shares the basic values expressed in this self-conception. We value heterogeneity/diversity in other areas.

The KuB is self-organized. All employees actively take responsibility for structures, decisions and the implementation of the KuB's work. There is no superior authority that makes important decisions. Instead, the team meeting is responsible for the work of the KuB and all employees of the KuB are invited to participate. We work consensus-oriented, we try to avoid majority decisions.

In the KuB there are no institutional hierarchies (e.g. bosses). However, we are aware that there are certain informal hierarchies in KuB (e.g. knowledge and time hierarchies, when people have been in KuB for a long time and have a lot of insights) and we try to expose them and to dismantle them where it is reasonably possible.

We consider the field in which we operate a political one, and we see ourselves as political actors in that field. Reflection on political, social and societal conditions is a condition for being able to do our work.

We are independent. In order to be able to do our work we are often dependent on funding from institutions/donors. We do not agree to funding conditions that contradict our basic attitude and want to express criticism publicly and not keep quiet out of fear of (potential) donors.

In the various working areas of KuB, we work according to standards and quality guidelines that we develop together. We continue to learn and reflect on our work.

Mode of operation

No one should be excluded from the services of KuB because their nationality and/or residence title is not sufficient. Our focus is on people with refugee experiences and in precarious residence situations.

We want to be on the side of the people who come to KuB, especially when they have conflicts with government agencies.

We recognize that all individuals are different and experience situations differently, as well as having individual freedoms and goals. We want to support them in achieving their goals. We do not want to create dependencies and try to respectfully deal with self-determined decisions of the people who use our services. The situation of each person is unique and we do not use one-size-fits-all solutions.

Together, we want to identify and expand our scope for action.

We want to design our spaces and services in such a way that they are as easily accessible as possible to everyone. For example, that is why all our offers are free of charge.

We want to provide a pleasant environment for people who work here or use the services. We try to respect the needs, boundaries and privacy of the people in KuB. By doing so, we try to establish and defend a safe space.