Verein zur Förderung solidarischer Lebensformen

The Verein zur Förderung solidarischer Lebensformen is operating since 2005 in different projects. One of them is the for-free shop in the 5th district of Vienna, in Zentagasse 26. Another one is the Schenke – for-free shop and cafe as well as the office in the 8th district, in Pfeilgasse 33 which was opened in May 2010. Aims are • the encouragement of interpersonal solidarity and social integration through the establishment of solidary-economical structures; • to encourage young people (especially those from socially and economically disadvantaged classes of population) to empowerment, participation and self-organization; • to allow for people from different social, cultural, educational and generational backgrounds to communicate and cooperate and to consciously experiment with and establish (alternative) communication-structures; • to encourage the re-use of commodities and an ecological way of life in general. A very important aspect for our organisation is the constant reflection and illumination of gender-roles and discrimination based on gender(represenation) and/or sexuality. In order to advance our communication and therefore encourage non-violent relationships we use “Communication trainings” based on the method of “Radical Therapy”. Regular activities contain the opening-hours of the for-free-shops and the cafe (which means to cook, talk to people, explain our concept to people), organisational meetings, meetings for group-reflections, maintenance of the rooms (also construction works), movie nights, creating and translating informationmaterials, homepage maintenance and much more.