The voices of the refugees

Dave Schmidtke & Elaha Anwari

Not many organisations can claim to have won the Saxon Integration Prize shortly after being founded. The magazine "Horizont" from the training centre in Chemnitz has achieved this. The members of the editorial team want to give refugees a voice everywhere and at all times. Editor-in-chief Dave Schmidtke explains in the Macher der Woche interview how they achieve this goal every month and journalist Elaha Anwari tells us what working for the magazine means to her.

Who came up with the idea for the magazine?
Dave Schmidtke: The idea for the basic concept came from Daniela Weinbrecht. She worked here at the training centre and had the idea for a refugee magazine. However, there was no conceptualisation at the beginning. The newspaper was more intended to help people improve their language skills, to give them a chance to get together and gain media skills. These are points that we are still pursuing, but in recent months the magazine has increasingly developed into a platform for stories that would otherwise not be heard.
The project officially started in May 2019. As coordinator, I was looking for people who were interested in working on the magazine. I already had interviews on my mobile phone from people I had met in my previous job - I was previously at the Refugee Council for three years. I often heard that those who were new to Chemnitz felt that the majority of society didn't understand why they were here, what was happening in the countries and during their flight and how exhausting the process of arriving here can be.
When we started the magazine, people immediately wanted to contribute. We had planned to publish the first newspapers in December 2019 and January 2020. However, we were actually able to publish the first magazine in June 2019, just one month later, because we had a backlog of stories. In July, Muna Ergieg also joined the project as a part-time employee. She was editor-in-chief in Tripoli, Libya. She is currently concentrating on her language course, but is still a volunteer in the project and continues to write articles.

What is her motivation?
Dave Schmidtke: Our main motivation for "Horizont" was for the refugees themselves to speak, because in my perception in recent years people have only ever spoken about the group of people, but they have not been allowed to speak for themselves. People didn't realise how much many refugees have already integrated economically in Chemnitz over the last five years. Many people from Eritrea work in the logistics sector, for example. Very few people in Chemnitz know that. There are so many refugees working in restaurants in Chemnitz city centre, where people might not even suspect it. So many are already in work, but you don't find out. I have an author who comes from Pakistan and works in a craft business in Hainichen. He's been there for three years and is well integrated.

"To dispel the scepticism of some companies, we also want to use our magazine to show many positive examples of labour market integration," says Dave Schmidtke. A special issue is planned for this month. The authors not only want to encourage potential employers, but also refugees to apply for jobs here in Chemnitz. "I've heard from many people: 'I have to go to Hamburg, I have to go to Stuttgart, I have to go to Berlin because all my applications are rejected here'," says Dave Schmidtke. Many refugees had left Chemnitz without writing a single application because they thought they would encounter discrimination here and not be hired. So much potential was lost in the process. In the special edition, "Horizont" also wants to inform them about what they need to get a job and where they can have their qualifications recognised, for example.

What do you want to achieve with the magazine?
Dave Schmidtke: Everyone involved in the magazine definitely wants the majority society, i.e. especially the Germans in Chemnitz, to be able to understand what happens in detail in the countries of origin. That they then perhaps gain a little more insight into what is going on in the countries through such an intimate biography of a refugee. First and foremost, we want to give people a platform, especially migrants and refugees in Chemnitz, so that the voices that were previously rarely heard can be heard a little more through "Horizont".

What is particularly important to you in your work?
Dave Schmidtke: That we create a dialogue. I've taken part in a lot of demonstrations in recent years and you go home afterwards with an unsatisfied feeling because you realise that no realisation has taken place on either side. The events of 2018 in particular made it clear what clashes there are and how divided society already is. That there is no real opportunity for dialogue without it becoming politically heated. With this newspaper and the personal insight into biographies, which would probably not be possible for many Chemnitz residents, it was important to me that we reach out to each other.

Horizont" has now been around for over a year. During this time, 34 people from twelve different countries have contributed to the magazine as authors, graphic designers, illustrators and translators. Between twelve and 15 people join the core team each month. Elaha Anwari has been one of these volunteer authors for ten months. The 26-year-old studied in Afghanistan, worked as a journalist in Kabul and ran her own restaurant at the same time.

Elaha Anwari: I experienced some really difficult moments in Afghanistan. The situation there is very tough for girls and women. We have to wear a hijab and women are not allowed to work or even leave the house. But I don't wear a hijab, and I didn't wear one in Afghanistan either. I worked in my own pizzeria for about nine months. It was my dream to own my own restaurant. Slowly but surely, it became more and more apparent that people didn't want me to run my own business or work at all. They said I didn't belong in Afghanistan, that I should leave, go abroad. I was no longer safe there. If you want to gain something in Afghanistan, you first have to lose something else. So I left Afghanistan and came to Germany.

How did you find out about "Horizont"?
Elaha Anwari: I found out about the project from my supervisor. She knew about my studies and asked me if I was interested. Of course I was! And then Dave called me.
I write my texts in English and then they are translated. Working at Horizont is good for me and I think it's also good for my future. Because I really want to work as a journalist.

How do you produce the editions?
Elaha Anwari: We discuss problems and ideas on a daily basis and meet every fortnight or so for joint editorial meetings. Everyone writes about the country he or she comes from. The articles are either about personal experiences or current issues such as elections in different countries.

Do all the editors and designers produce the magazine in their spare time or full-time?
Dave Schmidtke: Muna Ergieg worked part-time on the project from June 2019 to January this year, just as I work part-time on the project. Unfortunately, the funds were no longer enough, which means that everyone except me is now working on a voluntary basis.

You offer all articles in German and English, mostly also in Arabic, as well as some articles in other languages. Who translates them?
Dave Schmidtke: We don't have a fixed concept. As a rule, anyone can come to us, regardless of their language level, because I have the opportunity to translate everything from Farsi and Urdu to Arabic thanks to my personal circle of acquaintances. If people already speak a bit of German, we can translate the texts together with the authors. This is also all done on a voluntary basis.

The magazine is published monthly. But that wasn't the original plan.
Dave Schmidtke: There wasn't a fixed cycle when the project started. It came about because so many people got involved, wanted to tell their stories and share them with the people of Chemnitz. We still have stories up our sleeves that we haven't been able to publish yet.

Not long after the magazine was founded, you won the Saxon Integration Prize. What does this award mean to you?
Dave Schmidtke : I actually jumped around the editorial team when I heard about it. I hadn't expected it. Mrs Ergieg joined us later and we did a little happy dance. We were so happy. It came as a great surprise, as we had only been around for a few months at that point. That gave us an inner push. We have also steadily increased our reach here in Chemnitz and when you receive the Integration Award, you know that you are getting some attention throughout the state. That was a huge motivational boost for us, which is still going strong.

In addition to the magazine, you also want to offer a podcast soon.
Dave Schmidtke: Yes, the podcast will definitely be created with Rokshana Alamy, as she was a radio presenter in Afghanistan. In her programme at the time, she was primarily concerned with the socially disadvantaged. In the very first conversation when I met her, she said that she would love to set up a programme like that again. I offered her that we could do this in the form of a podcast in the magazine. At the moment, however, we don't have the technology and Mrs Alamy is still on a language course. As soon as she is a bit more confident in German, we will realise the podcast.

What languages will the podcast be available in?
Dave Schmidtke: It will probably be available in German, English and Farsi. We want to diversify it and not exclude anyone. Especially when dealing with more complex topics, it is necessary to translate it into the respective national language.

What are your hopes for the future of the magazine?
Elaha Anwari: I hope that a few more people can be employed by "Horizont" and that the magazine can still remain free of charge. Not so many people know about us yet and I hope that this will change and that we can reach more people.

What would you like to see in the city and for the city?
Dave Schmidtke: I would of course like people who are sceptical about refugees in particular to visit our website, read our magazine or perhaps contact the authors directly. The magazine is always an opportunity for dialogue beyond the article. You are very welcome to get in touch with the people working on the project. That's what they want and I would like to see a bit more empathy in that respect.