Day of action against racism on 21.04.2026
Racism is not just an individual problem, but is often deeply rooted in the structures of our society – including institutions such as universities. It is not always overt, but manifests itself through systematic discrimination, exclusion and a lack of representation. Racism does not begin with insults – it begins where structures exclude people. As part of the Day of Action Against Racism on 21 April 2026, we would therefore like to address forms of institutional racism this year.
To this end, the Central Equal Opportunities Officer, Dr Annika Hegemann, together with the Coordinator for Refugees at the University of Paderborn, Volker Verhoff, the Diversity Officer, Laura Maring, the Vice-Dean for Sustainability, Equality and Diversity at the Faculty of Cultural Studies, Dr Larissa Eikermann, and the Managing Director of the Centre for Gender Studies, Dr Claudia Mahs, and the student organisations of the Foreign Student Representation (ASV) and the General Student Committee (AStA) invite all interested parties to an action day against racism at Paderborn University.
Together with our cooperation partners, we will first take a stand against racism in the form of action stands: From 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., various participatory formats and information offerings will be presented in the foyer in the form of action stands dealing with topics such as racism and anti-racist attitudes, with the aim of providing initial insights and new perspectives on the subject matter.
At 2.30 p.m. the indoor version of the ToleranzR?ume exhibition will be officially opened in the library foyer by our Vice-President for International Affairs and President of the COLOURS Alliance, Prof. Dr. Heike Trautmann. Afterwards she invites all interested parties to a bilingual tour of the exhibition. The European University Alliance will have a stand offering advice on the COLOURS Alliance and will be present with representatives from the Implementation Office. Light refreshments will be provided.
The programme will be rounded off by a two-day workshop programme: in addition to a workshop on ‘Racism prevention’ for staff on 16 April (10 am - 1 pm), there will be two separate workshops for students on the topic of 'developing attitudes, recognising racism’ on 22 and 29 April 2026 from 11 am to 2 pm.
Our programme:
威尼斯人官网s, activity stands and an exhibition
In the lead-up to the day of action at UPB, a panel discussion on the topic “Dealing with Far-Right Tendencies on Campus & in Academia” will take place on March 17, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at the AStA Gew?lbekeller in downtown.
In addition to a workshop on racism prevention for staff on 16 April (10:00–13:00), a workshop format for students titled “Developing Awareness, Recognizing Racism” will take place on 22 April and again on 29 April (each from 11:00–14:00).
Together with all interested participants, the Centre for Gender Studies and the speaker Matthias Zimoch (ADA Paderborn) aim to focus on racism-critical structures at universities and develop practical strategies for action.
Registration:
genderzentrum@upb.de
Note: The workshops will be held in German
08.00 - 10.30 am and 11.00 am - 1.30 pm ToleranzR?ume Workshops
The two separate "ToleranzR?ume" workshops are aimed at students from the "NRWege ins Studium" funding programme. The "ToleranzR?ume" exhibition uses the concept of tolerance as an anchor for reflecting on social coexistence. In the context of the exhibition, tolerance is defined as a "container concept" that includes values such as mutual respect, fairness, appreciation, openness and the fight against all forms of discrimination and misanthropy. Unfortunately, intolerant forces are also active in our society. They act purposefully against the background of ideologies of inequality and the claim of one-dimensional explanations and are directed against understanding within a diverse society. The workshops will take a closer look at these patterns and how we as individuals and society can best deal with them.
Register by April 15, 2026, at: io-refugees@zv.upb.de (Please specify the time slot for which you are registering)
11.00 am – 2.00 pm Activity stands
Contact person on site: Laura Maring (Diversity Officer)
Offer: This stand will focus on various participatory formats such as an implicit bias test, a conversation card game on the topic of racism criticism and a number of short films on the topic of everyday racism. Together, we would like to enter into dialogue with you on the topic and provide expert support to all interested parties in dealing with racism/racist statements through educational flyers, posters and handouts.
Contact person on site: Dr Claudia Mahs (Managing Director of the Centre for Gender Studies / Gender Studies) and Dr Larissa Eikermann (Vice Dean for Sustainability, Equality and Diversity of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities)
Offer: At this stand there will be an extensive book table on the subject of racism and criticism of racism. The content of the books is aimed at children and young people as well as adults and people who would like to take a closer look at the topic in the context of educational institutions. All interested parties are cordially invited to browse through the books and engage in dialogue about the content.
Contact person on site: Dr. Isabelle Leitloff (Implementation Office Lead), Aminah Schneider (Communication Manager) und Markus Wienkemeier (Student Assistant)
At the COLOURS European University Alliance stand, representatives of the Implementation Office will present their work and provide individual consultations on the alliance’s initiatives.
COLOURS (COLlaborative innOvative sUstainable Regional univerSities), supported by the European Commission, is coordinated by Paderborn University. The alliance links nine international higher education institutions with approximately 126,000 students and 12,300 staff. Its key objectives include fostering sustainable collaboration, enhancing global visibility, and promoting academic mobility within Europe.
Contact person on site: Volker Verhoff (Coordinator for refugees at Paderborn University)
The International Office stand will present various support options for refugees at Paderborn University and show what options Paderborn students and staff have to go abroad for a limited period of time and thus gain valuable knowledge and new experiences. In addition, books will be available to provide information about racism in everyday life and to deal with one's own "white spots" in relation to the topic.
2.30 pm Opening of the ToleranzR?ume exhibition
At 2.30 pm, the Vice President for International Affairs and President of the COLOURS Alliance, Prof. Dr Heike Trautmann, will open the exhibition ToleranzR?ume. The exhibition invites people to experience and discuss how tolerance can work in our coexistence, but also where it has its limits. Its aim is to open up new perspectives on the topic of tolerance, but also very specifically on the living environments of other people.
The exhibition ToleranzR?ume is touring Germany with colourful containers in public places and there is also an indoor version that we are showing as part of the action day at the university. We are particularly pleased to present the virtual extension of the exhibition by the Centre for Information and Media Technology Services (ZIM) and GamesLab at Paderborn University . In addition to the exhibition, visitors will also have the opportunity to experience extended content via VR glasses.
As part of the opening, all interested parties are invited to a bilingual tour of the exhibition followed by a discussion. The European University Alliance COLOURS will offer a stand with advice on the COLOURS Alliance and representatives of the International Office will be on site. There will be a COLOURS food stand to provide small refreshments for you.
23.04.2026 at 02.00 pm Lecture: "Criticism of racism"
On 23 April 2026 Professor Dr Karim Fereidooni from Ruhr University Bochum will be our guest and will give a lecture on "Criticising racism: What do I need to know? What can I do? What can my institution do?"
Time: 02.00-03.30 pm (incl. subsequent discussion)
Location: Q0.101
Target group: Students and employees
Further information about the campaign weeks
The complete programme is available at www.vielfalt-lieben.de . There is also comprehensive information on Instagram @vielfalt_lieben_pb.de. Registration is required in advance for some events.
