SOS fellow human
| SOS fellow human | |
|---|---|
|
|
| legal form |
Association ( ZVR : 227475709) |
| founding | 1992 |
| Seat | Vienna |
| purpose | Human rights organization |
| Chair | Max Koch |
| sales | 460,313 euros (2018) |
| Website | www.sosmitmensch.at |
SOS Mitmensch is a human rights organization in Austria . The association sees itself as an interest group that advocates the enforcement of human rights. The aim is equality and equal opportunities for all people.
history
The organization was founded as an association on December 10, 1992 and initially acted as a platform for civil society groups to counter the popular initiative of the FPÖ Austria , also known by critics as the “anti-foreigner popular initiative”, with the sea of lights .
In November 1992, the initiators of SOS Mitmensch met in André Heller's house to discuss a suitable reaction to the announced referendum; including the then Caritas director Helmut Schüller , the musician Willi Resetarits , the writer Josef Haslinger , the green politician Peter Pilz and the social democratic minister Rudolf Scholten .
The appeal Alliance of Reason was drafted and the first ideas for a sea of lights were rolled out. The term SOS Mitmensch also came up; a mixture of the name of the French movement SOS Racisme and the motto Mitmenschlichkeit first, which was traded as an alternative to the title of FPÖ desire. The initiators considered the term racism to be too harsh at the time.
In addition to trade union, church and refugee groups, numerous cultural workers and politicians joined in as a result - including the ÖVP family minister Marilies Flemming . This led to conflicts, especially with the refugee groups, who did not refrain from criticizing the federal government's asylum policy and wanted to prevent an excessive focus on the FPÖ.
The sea of lights was rated as a success by the initiators, which made the criticism of the SPÖ-ÖVP coalition all the more acute, the tightening of the aliens law in March 1993 was rated as treason. Numerous proponents withdrew, SOS Mitmensch developed from a platform to an independent organization.
Campaigns and Projects
The cabaret artist Josef Hader initiated the traveling exhibition "... threatened by poverty" as honorary chairman . The mobile circus tent housed a photo exhibition on the subject. The exhibition stopped at dozens of places in Austrian cities and towns. The pictures by Raphael Bolius were also published as a book.
In 1999 SOS Mitmensch donated the Ute Bock Prize for moral courage . The award is named after the first recipient, refugee helper Ute Bock . The recognition award is given annually to institutions and people who have made a special contribution to protecting or enforcing human rights. The following people were awarded the prize: Ute Bock, Gertrude Hennefeld, Vinzipfarrer Wolfgang Pucher, the social worker Bülent Öztoplu, the platform "Justice for Seibane Wague" and the LEFÖ association. Furthermore the association "Ehe ohne Grenzen" , Elias Bierdel , Robert Zahrl and four other anti-deportation activists.
In 2000, the association formed the Democratic Offensive with the Republican Club to channel the protest against the black-blue government coalition in a large demonstration: According to the organizers, 250,000 people demonstrated on Heldenplatz in Vienna on February 19.
Since 2005 the association has published "mo - magazine for human rights" . The magazine "Against Racism and Discrimination, for Democracy, Human Rights and Migration" appears quarterly and is distributed as a supplement to daily newspapers and in street colportage.
Eliminate racism is an internet platform for the documentation of racist smearings in public spaces. "Racism paparazzi" can photograph such graffiti with their mobile phone and post them on the site. The smearings are entered in a Google map, the "anti-racist city map" , and the removal is arranged through ZARA - civil courage and anti-racism work . The project received the Ars Electronica Award in 2007 .
From 2007 to 2009, anti-racist groups and refugee organizations based on the German model ran a campaign to enforce a law on the right to stay. The association coordinated the platform right to stay , which served as a hub for the activities; including the sea of armchairs on the day of the right to stay, October 10, 2008. On this day, citizens throughout Austria placed armchairs in central places in Austria. A law on the right to stay came into force on April 1, 2009, but was judged to be inadequate by NGOs.
After the association strongly opposed this at the 2011 WKR Ball , they then criticized the fact that the “Vienna Academic Ball ” organized by the FPÖ should take place in the Hofburg .
The association carried out the "Pass Egal" elections in 2013 (National Council) and 2015 (Municipal Council) in Vienna.
organization
The coordination office based in Vienna employs around 10 people. The organization was founded as an association on December 10, 1992, with the board acting as the governing body. In the mission statement, SOS Mitmensch states that it is open to cooperation with people and initiatives who are committed to the same goals.
There are sister organizations in some European countries, and regional initiatives are also active in Austria, although they operate independently of one another.
representatives
In addition to legal representatives, the association was also publicly represented by personalities who took on the honorary chairmanship for a period or stood up for a project as sponsors.
| Surname | function | Term of office |
|---|---|---|
| Josef Haslinger | Chairman | 1992-1993 |
| Willi Resetarits | speaker | 1992-1993 |
| Martin Schenk | Chairman | 1993-1995 |
| Josef Hader | Chairman | 1995-1997 |
| Christine Nöstlinger | Chairperson | 1997-1998 |
| Karl Merkatz | Chairman | 1998-2000 |
| Georg Danzer | Chairman | 2000-2002 |
| Max Koch | speaker | 1999-2001 |
| Philipp Sonderegger | speaker | 2001-2011 |
| Marianne Mendt | Chairperson | 2002-2003 |
| Nadja Lorenz | Chairperson | 2003-2014 |
| Max Koch | Chairman | 2014– |
| Alexander Pollak | speaker | 2011– |
From 1992 to 1998 the function of general secretary was taken over by the co-founder of the organization Nikolaus Kunrath .
Finances
The association is financed through private donations and sponsoring; MO - Magazin für Menschenrechte is financed through colportage, subscriptions and ad sales. The income from donations and other operating income amounted to 376,132 euros in 2016 according to the organization's financial report.
Sister organizations
European countries
- SOS Racisme Suisse
- SOS Racisme France
- SOS Racisme Katalunya
- SOS Racism - AktionCourage eV Germany
- SOS Racismo Portugal
- SOS Racisme Denmark
- SOS Razzismo Italy
- SOS Rasisme Norges Norway
Austria
- SOS Mitmensch Burgenland
- SOS Mitmensch regional representation in Tyrol
- Action Mitmensch Wiener Neustadt
literature
- Martin Kargl, Silvio Lehmann: Land im Lichtermeer , Picus Verlag, Vienna, 1994. ISBN 3-85452-252-5
- A sylkoordination: asyl aktuell - asylum coordination magazine 2011/2
- Robert Foltin : And we are still moving - On the recent history of social movements in Austria , Mandelbaum Verlag, Vienna, 2011. ISBN 978-3-85476-602-5
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Josef Haslinger: The sheep was a bear. In: Land in the sea of lights. Picus, Vienna 1994, ISBN 3-85452-252-5
- ↑ Raphael Bolius: Threatened by poverty, buchfreund.de
- ↑ Phs: The Ute Bock Prize for Civil Courage, on sosmitmensch.at ( Memento from October 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Apo: Ute Bock Prize for moral courage 2011 goes to 5 young anti-deportation activists !, Article on sosmitmensch.at ( Memento of the original from January 19, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Democracy Center Vienna: Demonstration "No to racism. No to right-wing extremism" in downtown Vienna, at www.demokratiezentrum.org
- ↑ website of the magazine mo
- ↑ Sebastian Seidl: Colportage project SOS Mitmensch
- ^ Delete racism, on the Ars Electronica website
- ↑ asylkoordination: asyl aktuell, 2011/2, p. 7
- ↑ Asylkoordination Austria, Diakonie refugee service, SOS Mitmensch, Verein Projekt Integrationshaus, Volkshilfe Österreich (ed.): One year “Right to stay”. An analysis with case studies on asyl.at (PDF file; 1.10 MB)
- ↑ Der Standard: SOS Mitmensch: Violation of the lease agreement between the Hofburg and the Republic ; Retrieved March 10, 2012
- ↑ Der Standard: SOS Mitmensch spokesman Pollak calls for clarification and deletion of the WKR ball from the list of cultural goods ; Retrieved March 10, 2012
- ↑ ORF-Online: “New WKR Ball” in Hofburg: Criticism by SOS Mitmensch ; Retrieved March 10, 2012
- ↑ phs: About us, on sosmitmensch.at ( Memento of the original from October 4, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ lex: Leitbild, on sosmitmensch.at ( Memento of the original from October 4, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Financial Report 2016 (PDF file; 13.5 kB)
- ↑ Activity report 2016 (PDF file; 171 kB)
- ↑ phs: Our sisters, on sosmitmensch.at ( Memento of the original from October 4, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
