Intercultural week with a colourful and diverse programme

Since 1975, intercultural weeks have always taken place in Germany at the end of September. In the meantime, more than 600 cities and municipalities participate in this initiative. Bocholt has been a regular participant since 2014. This year there is a compact programme in the week from 22 to 29 September.

"It is a colourful and diverse offer that we have put together in several meetings with cultural associations and organisations in Bocholt," says Caroline Blenker from the Caritasverband Bocholt when presenting the programme. The Caritas Association, together with the Integration Office of the City of Bocholt, the Family Education Centre Bocholt (FABI), the Adult Education Centre Bocholt-Rhede-Isselburg and other associations, schools and initiatives, is the organiser and host of this intercultural week, which this year has the motto "New Spaces".

"This motto can be understood in many ways," say the two patrons of the Intercultural Week 2023, Annette Grümer-Weyers and Zeyneb Mohammady. "New spaces" in the heart, in the mind but also literally "new spaces in a building". The motto is meant to invite people to gain new ideas and impressions, to open up new spaces, to design them, to use them or to enter them.

"This year, for the first time, we have succeeded in getting several associations and organisations to work together on an event," reports Bruno Wansing, Integration Officer of the City of Bocholt. For example, at the Tea and Coffee Festival on 27 September, no fewer than seven players were involved. "We are very happy about this, because it directly contributes to the intercultural dialogue already in the preparation of the events," emphasises Wansing.

The Intercultural Week 2023 will be opened on 22 September as part of the World Children's Day Festival. The venue is the St.-Josef Gymnasium (Kapu) from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. "A colourful stage programme and many great creative and exercise activities await young and old, which can be used free of charge," says the announcement.

On the same evening, as a midnight tournament, the first intercultural football tournament will take place in the middle hall of the St. Georg Gymnasium. The first match of the six participating teams will kick off at 10.30 pm. Jusina e.V., the Afghan Cultural Association, the Ahmadiyya Community and the Integration Office have organised the tournament, in which the teams "Team Wahdat", "Gleis 24", Euregio, "International Football Academy", Jusina and Ahmadiyya will participate. "It's not so much about sporting success, but about playing sport together, having fun and engaging in dialogue," emphasises Bruno Wansing.

On Saturday morning, the organisers will start a promotional campaign for the IKW in the city centre. "In doing so, we want to show the people of Bocholt a large poster that will be created during World Children's Day and draw attention to the diverse events of the IKW," says Caroline Blenker.

On Saturday, the afternoon continues in the Fildeken-Rosenberg neighbourhood, when the Tür-an Tür e.V. association, together with the German-Chinese Society of Bocholt, the Klausenhof Academy and the International Mesopotamian Cultural Association as well as the Integration Office, organise an intercultural flea market from 2 to 6 pm. In the evening - as every year - the German-Spanish Encounter Evening will take place from 7 p.m. to midnight at the FABI.

"We cook for you" is the motto on Sunday, 24 September, when the Afghan Cultural Association, the German-Chinese Society of Bocholt and the Ahmadiyya community offer culinary specialities from Afghanistan, China and Pakistan at the Mariengymnasium. The event starts at 6:30 pm, admission at 5:30 pm, and the cooks can already be seen "over their shoulders". Registration for this event is required at bruno.wansing(at)bocholt(dot)de. The personal contribution is 10 euros per person.

On Tuesday, 26 September 2023, the Leben im Alter association, the Quartierstreff Wesemannstraße, the Croatian Cultural Community Bocholt and the senior citizens' and integration office of the city of Bocholt will organise an intercultural city tour. The event is already fully booked.