On September 13 and 14, 2024, Bellevue Palace in Berlin opened its doors as part of the Federal President’s Citizens’ Festival. On Friday, 13 September, a celebration was held in honor of around 4,000 citizens who are involved in extraordinary volunteer work. On Saturday, September 14, the Federal President welcomed all interested citizens to his official residence on Open Palace Day.
Under the motto “Pamoja – stronger together”, the event offered a varied programme with music, discussions and activities from 50 organizations, initiatives and companies that are committed to social issues such as inclusion, environmental and disaster protection, education and queer diversity. Exhibitors included the Bertelsmann Foundation, Save the Children Deutschland e.V. and YouTube. “Pamoja” is Swahili and means ‘together’.
This year’s partner state of the Bürgerfest was Lower Saxony. The international partner country of the festival was a non-European country for the first time: the Republic of Kenya, whose President William Ruto took part in the Citizens’ Festival.
PROUT AT WORK was also represented with a stand together with TÜV Nord. Together, we presented our commitment to an open and respectful working environment for queer people.
Enabling Safer Spaces
Under the motto “Enabling Safer Spaces”, we invited visitors to actively engage with the following questions:
- What can I do myself in my workplace to make queer people feel comfortable?
- What can organizations do to support queer employees in their day-to-day work?
In an interactive hands-on activity based on our Rainbow Chat Deck, we asked the guests exciting questions on topics such as visibility, role models, facts & figures, workplace design and identity. The questions were randomly selected with the help of a wheel of fortune, which led to lively discussions, reflections and inspiring exchanges.
Highlight: Federal President Steinmeier visits us
A special highlight was the visit of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to our stand. We had the honor of presenting our work to him and talking to him about the importance of queer diversity in the workplace. His interest and support for our cause made a deep impression on us and motivated us to continue our mission.
A thank you to everyone involved
Our heartfelt thanks go to TÜV Nord, who made it possible for us to take part in this fantastic event, and to all the visitors who came to find out more and talk to us. Their curiosity and openness showed once again how important our commitment to a diverse working environment is.
Stronger together – also in the working environment
The citizens’ festival at Bellevue Palace not only gave us the opportunity to present our work to a broad public, but also showed how much interest there is in topics such as queer diversity. With our work, we can continue to contribute to creating a working environment in which all people are welcome – regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Further information on the Bürgerfest can be found here.
Impressions from the event
Copyright Fotos: Holger Hütte
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