The dust has settled a little after last Sunday’s vote, we will not know for a while what the consequence for EU members will be (probably nothing for the next three years) but here is the federal explanation relating to to the vote.
In the meantime and thanks to the vote in favour of giving foreigners a democratic voice on a local level there is plenty of ways for you to become a part of the local political scene and start to make a difference.
Neighbourhood & Local Associations
The first thing you can do is make a difference in your neighborhood. Every neighborhood has a quartier verein, that makes decisions as to what can be improved. They meet regularly and there is nothing stopping you from going along, sitting in on meetings and giving your input. This way you will get an idea of what really is going on in your neighbourhood.
Places like Sentitreff also offer many foreigners room to make a difference. Their main focus is the Baselstrasse/Bruchstrasse neighborhood, but if you have a good idea they will gladly listen and see whether they can help you implement it. This is where Living in Luzern has set up its community centre, whilst we look for our own place and sufficient funds to run it.
If you have a children going to a local school, joining the parent’s association will also give you the opportunity of rolling your sleeves up and getting involved. Contact the school to find out how to help.
Volunteering Projects
There are many volunteering projects withing the local community you could join, we will soon write a post about this. We also have many volunteering projects, that will get you to meet and work with locals, be it our English Conversation group, our Newcomer Host/ess Apero events (run by the town), or helping immigrants improve their German (and honestly it helps if you don’t speak it perfectly either).
FIMM Organisation
If you would like to get involved on a broader scale then the FIMM organisation may be the right one for you.
The Forum for the Integration for Migrants is getting ready to to have members join in parliamentary sessions in Bern, to discuss the concerns of foreigners living in Switzerland. They are currently in phase 1, bringing people together, and a first series of meeting will be taking place in the fall on a regional level.
Local Political Parties
Up to this point your visa status is not relevant, however if you wish to get involved with the official political parties and be able to initiate and/or sign initiatives then you will require a valid C Permit.
You can then decide which way your political heart sways by looking into the various political groups in Switzerland and contact your preferred organisation. All political parties rely on volunteers and most will be happy to have more people helping out. Here is a list of the local political parties.
- CVP Schweiz
- CVP Luzern
- JCVP Luzern
- EVP Luzern
- FDP Die Liberalen
- FDP Die Liberalen Luzern
- Grüne Luzern
- Grünliberale Luzern
- Grüne Partei Schweiz
- Schweizer Demokraten Luzern
- SP Schweiz
- SP Luzern
- JUSO Schweiz
- JUSO Luzern
- SVP Schweiz
- SVP Luzern
- JSVP Schweiz
- JSVP Luzern
There are a myriad of ways for you to be more involved within the community and have your voice heard.
If you are interested in finding out more about the FIMM project or becoming a volunteer please fill this form out
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