Democracy conference in Sünna: Together for each other in rural areas!

Democracy conference in Sünna: Together for each other in rural areas!

Commitment in rural areas is receiving more and more attention, not least due to the upcoming democracy conference of the Partnership for Democracy Wartburgkreis. On Thursday, November 27th, 2025, an event will begin in the Sünna community center from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. that is entirely dedicated to the motto “Commitment in rural areas”. Here, the focus is on initiatives that are active on site and promote democratic dialogue. Rhoenkanal reports that the focus is on, among others, the KulturZeit department of SV Kali Unterbreizbach e.V., the cultural venue “Tausend kleine Dinge” from Bad Liebenstein and the DemokraTISCH from the Creuzburg office.

The conference aims to make civic engagement visible and to strengthen democracy in rural areas. Those interested can also take part in a play independent of the conference that will conclude the evening: “I am not a heroine” by the 3D Theater Wiesbaden. To ensure that there are enough places available, registrations are required by November 20, 2025. These can be done at the email address partnerschaftfuerdemokratie@wartburgkreis.de. The event is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education, Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth as well as the Thuringian State Program for Democracy, Tolerance and Cosmopolitanism.

The situation of volunteer work in rural areas

Almost 57 percent of people in Germany live in rural areas, and this is where the importance of volunteer work becomes apparent. It promotes a sense of community and cohesion. A public technical discussion by the Subcommittee on Civic Engagement on July 5, 2023 emphasized that volunteer work is significantly higher than in urban areas. The use of volunteers not only contributes to local public services, but also strengthens democratic structures. Bundestag notes that there are, however, significant challenges that put a strain on volunteer work.

A key problem is the problem of young talent: older generations want to hand over their tasks, but cannot find suitable successors. It is becoming increasingly necessary to organize volunteer work in such a way that it is well compatible with work and family. The infrastructure also plays a crucial role, as long distances and a lack of mobility on offer deter many people willing to get involved. There are also social inequalities that are often more pronounced in rural areas than in urban areas.

Perspectives for the future

In order to counteract the situation, it is of great importance to maintain social meeting places in villages and to create new ones. The decline in traditional engagement following the pandemic shows that new forms of participation are also needed to appeal to different groups of people. Political measures are also needed to reduce social inequalities and improve the framework conditions for civic engagement.

The upcoming event in Sünna could not only be a highlight for active citizenship in the region, but also serve as an impetus to further advance the dialogue about volunteerism and its importance in rural areas.