Symposium: "Ways out of loneliness"

Following two expert presentations, the event will feature four parallel workshops in which participants will explore the topic in greater depth. The findings will be presented in the afternoon, before a panel discussion featuring Jonas Schmeißner-Darkow (employee, Staff Unit for Research and Clinical Projects, Rickling Psychiatric Hospital), Professor Erik Weber (holder of the Professorship for Inclusive Educational Processes for Cognitive and Complex Disabilities at the University of Erfurt), Theresa Kroemer (cultural guide at Erfurt City Council), a representative of the AGATHE initiative, and co-researchers from the EileBe Project I. Please refer to the programme leaflet for further details.

“The idea for the conference arose against the backdrop that, whilst the issue of loneliness receives a great deal of public attention, the experiences of loneliness amongst people with disabilities – and in particular those with cognitive impairments – have not yet been the focus of this debate,” explains Erik Weber, one of the organisers. Building on a current research project at the University of Erfurt, the symposium now aims to address this issue and to identify and further explore ways to combat loneliness together.

“We are looking forward to the event and the exchange of ideas,” says Weber. “And we are particularly proud to be able to welcome Jürgen Dusel, the Federal Government Commissioner for Matters relating to People with Disabilities, to the event.”

Anyone interested from the wider community, the university, the voluntary sector, and services and organisations supporting people with disabilities is warmly invited to this symposium. However, please register by 15 October with the City of Erfurt’s Inclusion Manager, Jette Schäfer, by emailing inklusionsmanagement@erfurt.de.