Change

‘It’s not your fault that the world is like it is.
It would only be your fault if it stays the same.’

– ‘Deine Schuld’, Die Ärzte

The world isn’t a perfect place and there are many injustices to fight. With personal engagement, you can often only achieve change in small dimension, but I always loved to contribute. When I was young, I did a lot of voluntary work for a social organization of the German railway company (Bahnsozialwerk), became a member of a union (Gewerkschaft Handel, Banken und Versicherungen; HBV) which later became part of the Vereinigte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft (ver.di).

I joined the oldest political party in Germany (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, SPD) and over ten years I did a lot of work for it and its youth organization. I fought against fascism and antisemitism, engaged for a better educational system. Additionally, I learned that working on local affairs can consume lots of time but is also rewarding. During my study period, I was sent to the board of the local student union (Studentenwerk) for many years by the student parliament of my university. A great chance with real impact.

With a challenging full-time job, I, unfortunately, can’t keep this level of engagement, but I would miss something without it. What remains is to donate if you can afford it. In the past, I supported different organizations not only with memberships but also with donations. The invention of the Internet brought new possibilities and right now I’m mostly…

I love the transparency created by these services and therefore use them often – even if the money spent there isn’t tax-deductible in Germany. It is also an excellent choice for you. Additionally, I love to be in contact with people around the world – that is why I do Postcrossing.