„We are back“ - Under this motto, the community store LaLoKa invited to the reopening at Kastanienboulevard in Schneebergerstraße 9 on June 1, 2022. An occasion for the Spazierblick „Remembering and Solidarizing - Developing Solidary Neighborhoods“ to make an extensive stop at LaLoKa and to learn from and exchange information with the new director Nadine Katabogama about the history, current concept, offers of the place as well as ideas for networking and cooperation. Since 2020, four „Spazierblicke“ have already taken place under this motto, which were developed jointly by the AK gegen rechte Gewalt (Working Group against Right-Wing Violence) at ASH Berlin, the district register for recording right-wing, racist and discriminatory incidents, and the anti-racist register at ASH Berlin. The walks are organized by the Kooperationsforum Berlin - Bezirk Marzahn-Hellersdorf (Cooperation Forum ASH Berlin - District Marzahn-Hellersdorf).
From the internet café and free space as a place for refugee self-organization
In August 2014, LaLoKa was founded as an intercultural meeting project and store by the welcome initiative „Hellerdorf hilft“ together with the student initiative „Grenzen_weg“ and various individuals near the shared accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers in Maxie-Wander-Straße. The initiative and later the association „Hellersdorf hilft e.V.“ gained nationwide recognition through its commitment. The road there was not an easy one: After the racist marches and attacks and the overall rather negative mood against refugees in Hellersdorf in 2013/14, it required a clear attitude of solidarity, stamina and good networking on the ground. Fortunately, this was possible thanks to the support and solidarity of local residents and surrounding projects, initiatives and organizations that take a stand against right-wing violence. In this context, it was also important to cooperate with the Berlin register offices for recording right-wing, racist and discriminatory incidents, the anti-racist register at the ASH Berlin and the voluntary and political commitment of students at the university. You can also hear about the genesis of LaLoKa in one of the podcasts „Hellersdorf Spaziergang“ , which students at ASH Berlin created during the pandemic as part of a project seminar. Since then, there have been several changes of providers as well as a relocation a few houses down, and a lot has happened in and around the now approximately 70m2 premises of LaLoka on Kastanienboulevard. To actively combat the isolation in the accommodation, there was an internet café run by refugees themselves and a children's and language learning library together with the initiative „Refugees Emancipation“. Cinema and theater evenings (such as performances of the documentary theater play „Asylum Monologues“, photo workshops and educational events took place here, as well as counseling on housing, daycare and job searches, German and English courses. There was international cooking, singing and table football together. LaLoka was visited by refugees and migrants from the neighboring accommodation in Maxie-Wander-Straße as well as by people from the entire neighborhood around Kastanienboulevard - and they created it themselves.
To a place for empowerment and encounters, with counseling, culture and exhibitions.
Today, LaLoKa no longer needs an internet café on the scale it did back then: There is now WLAN in the shared accommodation on Maxie-Wander-Straße, right-wing threat scenarios no longer characterize the everyday lives of the people in the accommodation and the supporters to the same extent as in 2013 and the years that followed. Although there has been an increased presence of the neo-Nazi micro-party „Der III. Weg“ via posters and stickers in public space - also in the immediate vicinity of the LaLoKa. But the new management of LaLoKa, Nadine Katabogama, is not intimidated by this. After the difficult times during the COVID19 pandemic, she wants to make LaLoKa a place of encounter and a contact point for people with and without refugee experience once again. To a place „where refugees, migrants and residents can meet, exchange ideas and get to know each other“ to an open space „where all neighbors - but especially people at risk of isolation or disadvantage - help each other to get more involved, participate, improve their living conditions and live harmoniously together.“ Thus, the LaLoka currently offers again a low-threshold access to knowledge, resources and counseling services for migrants, events on various topics, political education and free use of the rooms and Internet. Since October 2022, the exhibition „The Red Sofa“ has been on display at LaLoKa: An art project by the artist Carola Rümper, who is also operator of the gallery mp43 - Projektraum für das Periphere, which had been carried out since July 2022 in the Boulevard Kastanienallee.
Out of the university - into the neighborhoods - (co-)shaping solidarity on site
In June 2022, Nadine Katabogama extended a warm invitation to the 30 or so student participants of the „Remembering and Solidarizing“ walk to get involved in LaLoKa with their own ideas, projects, exhibitions, or internships, and to participate in the design of the new LaLoKa. The location is favorable: With the station urbaner Kulturen of the nGbK (neue Gesellschaft für bildende Kunst, new society for fine arts), the Café Interfix, the gallery mp43, the district office of the neighborhood management Kastanienboulevard, the women's center Matilde, the shared accomodation at Maxie-Wander-Straße and other institutions and initiatives in Kastanienboulevard, students and other members of the university will find an active and well-functioning network of actors and interested people.
Elène Misbach is responsible for transfer, cooperation and third mission and is involved in the working group against right-wing violence at ASH Berlin.
Contact and Address Encounter Project LaLoKa
Schneeberger Straße 9 / Entrance Kastanienboulevard
12627 Berlin
Management: Nadine Katabogama
Phone: 0159-06792976
E-Mail: laloka@pad-berlin.de
Website: www.facebook.com/Lalokaberlin
