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First donation parliament in the East: Citizens decide on projects!
Donation parliaments promote social projects in Reutlingen and Thuringia, strengthen cohesion and support sustainable initiatives.
First donation parliament in the East: Citizens decide on projects!
A special project has recently gained momentum in rural eastern Germany: The first donation parliament in the Saale-Orla district in Thuringia has opened its doors and brings citizens together to decide on funding social projects. There are 25 MPs in Parliament who have set themselves the goal of supporting social initiatives with a total of 16,300 euros. Each parliamentarian contributes 50 euros to strengthen exchange and participation. fr.de reports that citizens are allowed to decide for themselves which projects should be funded, provided they comply with the United Nations' sustainability goals.
The donation parliament, which met for the second time in 2025, was launched by Chris Häßner and the “Goals connect” team to promote social cohesion in the region. The initiators offer citizens a low-threshold opportunity to become active and express their wishes regarding the funding of projects. An example of the calmness of the process is a carnival club that has applied for funding for its youth work.
Strengthen community
The donation parliament is supported as part of the “Cosmopolitan, Solidarity, Dialogic” (WSD) funding program of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. A jury takes on the task of examining the funding applications from local associations and initiatives and ensuring that the financial resources are used sensibly.
It is noteworthy that donation parliaments are already established not only in Thuringia, but also in western German cities such as Hamburg, Kiel and Reutlingen. This type of citizen participation is similar to community foundations, but is usually organized as a registered association and does not have the legal form of a foundation. Loud buergergesellschaft.de Members have the opportunity to decide democratically on the use of the donations collected and to give regular accounts of how the funds are used.
Future-oriented projects
Chris Häßner expressed the hope that even more companies will donate to the projects in the future in order to expand the range of initiatives supported. Interestingly, a project that is also being funded deals with cost-effective alternatives to planting young trees in the Sormitztal, which brings the aspect of climate protection into the local agenda.
In addition, information evenings on educational topics and development policy are regularly offered in order to promote the knowledge and commitment of the population. Further donation parliaments are already being planned, including for the Saale-Holzland district, the Sonneberg district, Saalfeld-Rudolstadt and Altenburg.
The concept of the donation parliament could therefore prove to be the key to strengthening social cohesion and active citizen participation in rural areas. It's just a shame that the first Common Good Parliament has already taken place in Leipzig, but perhaps the initiative in the Saale-Orla district will bring a breath of fresh air and a good hand for future projects!