Living in Harmony in our Society

Social cohesion is the foundation for everyone to live in harmony with each other in an open and democratic society. Our country is currently under pressure from social divisions. That is why we are working very hard to overcome such divisions and strengthen domestic peace.
Our aim is to ensure that everyone who lives in Germany treats each other with respect and tolerance so that we all feel welcome here as members of our diverse society. This requires trust in our democracy and its institutions as well as the conviction that everyone accepts and obeys the rules of social interaction – and that these rules are also enforced. That is why we have consolidated our tasks in the field of social cohesion and are working to encourage dialogue among the different social groups and institutions in Germany: from churches and religious communities, the Jewish community, national and German minorities to ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe. This includes the integration of immigrants. That is why we are working to ensure that everyone who comes to live in Germany has access to integration courses from the very beginning so that they learn German and the rules that govern our society. Rapid and lasting integration benefits not only those who come to Germany as immigrants, but society as a whole. We also rely on the power of sport to boost integration and reinforce social cohesion.