As part of the German federal program “Demokratie leben!” (“Live Democracy!”), the project “BRIDGES INSTEAD OF WALLS: On the Path Toward an Inclusive Future” was held in Lautertal. Organized by 20 Years Refugee e.V. in cooperation with the Partnership for Democracy in the District of Coburg, the project provided 32 children and young people with refugee backgrounds with a unique opportunity to explore the topics of inclusion and rights through two intensive workshop days.

The project was based on the innovative “8 Bridges of Cooperation” simulation, which combines educational theory with social practice.

Interactive Learning: The Concept of the “8 Bridges of Cooperation”

At the heart of the project was a structured eight-phase social simulation. Participants were divided into four cooperative yet competitive groups (“Wood,” “Fish,” “Stone,” and “Wheat”), each starting with limited resources.

The objective was not only to achieve the highest score in individual rounds but also to collectively preserve enough resources and build the “8 Bridges,” each representing a key social value:

Trust, Communication, Creativity, Solidarity, Empathy, Knowledge, Sustainability, Hope

Across two workshop sessions, participants worked in small groups to discover—through play and interaction—how cooperation is essential, even in situations of competition and scarcity, in order to create a shared and functioning imaginary society (“New World”) after a symbolic “catastrophe.”