Looking Back: „Recht lebendig!“ Action Days“
Five days of immersive experiences on the topics of law and the rule of law in Herne
Young activists are driven to suicide by an artificial intelligence in order to stop climate change—that was the focus of the event in Kiel „Tatort“ on November 10. A scenario that raises many legal questions. How convenient would it be if, after the *Tatort* team solved the case, one could ask experts about the script’s accuracy? Under the motto „Crime Drama Meets Reality,“ this was possible on the opening night of the Herne Action Days. After all the guests at the Hülsmann Kulturkneipe had watched the episode live, it was put through a reality check. Leading the discussion was Chief Public Prosecutor Martin Helm and Daniel Möllers from the Bochum Police Headquarters, responsible for crime prevention and victim protection, who has many years of professional experience as an investigator, answered questions. And the two shared some behind-the-scenes insights, for example, about the technical equipment used for evidence collection, the fact that crimes are more often solved at a desk than in the field, and whether interrogation rooms really always have a one-way tinted glass pane. This is exactly the kind of accessible and practical way the Forum Recht Foundation prefers to discuss the rule of law—and that was the stated goal of the first „Law Comes Alive!“ Action Days“. They took place in Herne from November 10 to 14 and were organized by the Forum Recht Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice of North Rhine-Westphalia as well as the Department of Integration, City of Herne aligned.
The nearly 20 events demonstrated just how diverse the topics of law and the rule of law can be—and how undeniably pressing the challenges facing our rule of law are! Whether during the fishbowl discussion with students or during the tour of the former police jail.
Six school workshops as part of the supporting program reached young people aged 14 to 19 at secondary schools, high schools, and a vocational college. The project organized by the Stasi Records Archive, for example, focused on basic information about the State Security Service in the GDR and why that system did not operate under the rule of law. Miriam Bunjes from the research platform „Correctiv“ and the project "Reporter4you" The Reporterfabrik learning platform taught media and news literacy by showing students how to identify and expose disinformation on the Internet. In addition, IInformation sessions on legal topics and a legal education club with students at the Herne District Court, as well as school workshops with GrundGesetzVerstehen e.V. takes place.
Our own workshop—held in collaboration with one of our foundation’s lawyers on the topic of truth-finding and decision-making in the age of disinformation—was a great experience. We had the opportunity to work with a very diverse group of immigrant families with children with disabilities and found that they were very interested in the topic. The participants even stayed on for the follow-up event right away.
The follow-up event was a lecture on a very timely topic: "The U.S. After the Presidential Election: The Rule of Law Under Pressure". At the H2Ö community center, guests first had the opportunity to discuss the situation on the ground via a live video link with Jana Keck, a research associate at the German Historical Institute in Washington, D.C. Afterward, Prof. Dr. Jörg Fedtke from the University of Passau provided a further analysis of the situation for the rule of law in the United States following the election and answered many additional questions.
„Let's grab a soda“ Over the course of two evenings, as part of a recurring event, guests had the opportunity to meet, in a relaxed setting, employees from the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Administrative and Labor Courts, a law firm, and the Stasi Records Archive, and learn more about their work.
Another highlight was the Fishbowl Discussion „In Good Shape? The Future of the Basic Law“ on the evening of November 11 at Strünkede Middle School. The interactive discussion format was very well received by the 140 participants, including many students. They confidently took the four open seats to the right and left of the moderator Clemens Pfeifer took the floor to ask the panel of experts their questions or to share their own opinions and experiences with the audience. The seats remained empty for only a few seconds at a time before the next group of young people wanted to describe their personal experiences. The discussion centered on protection against bullying or insults based on ethnic origin, as well as the question of why children’s rights are not actually enshrined in the Constitution. The guests were Dr. Benjamin Limbach, Minister of Justice of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Gudrun Schäpers, President of the Hamm Higher Regional Court, Dr. Frank Dudda, Mayor of the City of Herne, as well as Gesa Plenter, member of the board of GrundGesetzVerstehen e.V..
And so the participants’ concerns found their way directly to politically active figures, some of whom are involved in the legislative branch. Not in robes or suits—as the media often portrays politics and the judiciary—an open exchange took place, which also left room for selfies with the mayor and the minister.
You can find the full schedule of the Action Days in Herne at the digital flyer inform.
The action days in Herne were held in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice of the State of North Rhine-Westphaliatransitional City of Herne (Department of Integration, Municipal Integration Center) and the Stasi Records Archive (Federal Archives) takes place.