“Socialization, climate justice and care – How to socialize shopping centers?”

An episode of the podcast “Danke für nichts (Thanks for nothing)” by Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie

With the support of the Care for Future Foundation, Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie invited the “Care in the Parkcenter” initiative to Leipzig for an interview in April 2024. On Radio Blau, Chris asked two activists, Hannah and Anna, various questions about their work to bring a care center to the vacant Parkcenter in Berlin Treptow.

The podcast episode was published on “Danke für Nichts”, the feminist podcast about care and the economy, on 14.05.2024. Since June 2023, Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie has been producing this podcast, which focuses on interviews with people involved in care work – whether in practice, academia or social movements.

This was the seventh episode of the podcast and is intended to take up and make accessible debates from the socialization conference “Let’s Socialize – Socialization as a Strategy for Climate Justice”. In this respect, it follows on from the previous podcast episode, in which Maxi (Kein Ding! podcast by the Periskop/Vienna collective) and Chris (Danke für Nichts) reported on the conference.

The interview with Hannah and Anna is framed by an introduction to the topic. This also includes two news items from care work. This time it’s the draft of the Hospital Care Improvement Act, which is being criticized by various stakeholders, and the publication of the ELSA study (experiences and life situations of unwanted pregnant women).

In the following interview, Anna and Hannah report on how they want to convert shopping malls into care centers with their initiative “Care in the Parkcenter”.

Their vision is to socialize care work. For them, this means setting up care infrastructures that support residents in the immediate vicinity of the center.

In order for all people to receive the care they need, they believe that a double de-privatization of care is necessary: care must be taken out of private households and no longer be organized in profit-oriented private companies. Her involvement with the Parkcenter, a largely empty shopping center in Berlin-Treptow, makes the struggle required for this tangible. The owners have other plans for the shopping center.

Anna and Hannah also explain how their political work is linked to other local struggles, such as groups opposing the expansion of the A100. They also explain why, in view of the climate crisis, a conversion of the Parkcenter makes much more sense than the (partial) demolition of the building complex planned by the owners.

Ultimately, they locate their work in the Caring Cities movement, which has ensured that new care infrastructures have been established in Spain, for example (see here: https://www.rosalux.de/publikation/id/52058/care-arbeit-vergesellschaften ). They are currently conducting door-to-door talks in Berlin, where they come into contact with residents and ask them about their care needs and visions for the park center. They are also working at various levels and are in contact with the local city administration and other groups that are planning similar projects in other places in Germany.

The podcast episode is rounded off with the example of the initiative for a social center in Göttingen. Active people are fighting for a social center to be built in the old prison. It will house a solidarity-based health center, a neighborhood center and rooms for children and young people.

It is therefore clear that there are many empty buildings in which care infrastructures could be set up! This is how the socialization of care work can be experienced in times of the care and climate crisis. There is still a long way to go, and more and more people are setting out on this journey.