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MANEO, formerly "Schwules Überfalltelefon Berlin" ("Gay victim support for gay victims of anti-gay violence in Berlin"), has been in existence for 17 years and has become the oldest and most well known gay anti-violence project in Germany. MANEO receives financial assistance from the Berlin senate department for education, youth, and sport. Its primary areas of operation include:
- Victim support: MANEO counsels and supports over 300 gay and bisexual teenagers and adults each year who have become victims of crime.
- Documentation of violent crimes: MANEO documents incidents of violent crimes based on prejudices against gay and bisexual men occurring in Berlin. The organization maintains a dialogue about such incidents with the state police contact for same-sex lifestyles.
- Violence prevention: through extensive awareness campaigns, MANEO educates the public about the incidence and development of homophobic violence. Among other initiatives, the organization partners with the police and shows presence, day or night, in parts of the city where violent crimes are particularly prominent.
Through information campaigns against violence, MANEO reminds the public that awareness training is still an important societal task in order to overcome homophobia and anti-gay violence. Further information about the campaigns can be found at www.maneo-toleranzkampagne.de/introduction.MANEO's work has been recognized beyond the city of Berlin, both in the gay community (see also www.maneo.de/pdf/Maneo-Wuerdigungen.pdf) and other victim support agencies throughout Germany. The organization is a member of the "Arbeitskreis der Opferhilfen in Deutschland" (ado, http://www.operhilfen.de/) which is a member of the "European Forum for Victim Services" (http://www.euvictimservices.org/). MANEO relies heavily on volunteers - appropriate funding necessary to cover its needs is not existent. MANEO's operations are primarily supported and advanced by volunteer contributions.
Throughout its history, MANEO has started several unique initiatives and projects which were honored with the Mete-Eksi-Award in 1999 and the "CSD-Preis für Zivilcourage" in 2001. The significance MANEO's efforts for violence prevention was recognized by the Berlin state commission against violence in 2003. Among the many projects MANEO has started are, for example, the first nationwide conference between representatives from gay organizations and the police in 1992, the "Arbeitskreis der Opferhilfen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland e.V." ("Council of victim support agencies in the Federal Republic of Germany") in 1992, the annual "Lesbisch-Schwules Stadtfest Berlin" (lesbian gay city festival in Berlin) from 1993 until 1998, and the "Arbeitskreis der Schwulen Überfalltelefone und schwulen Antigewaltprojekte in Deutschland" ("Council of gay assault hotlines and gay anti-violence projects in Germany") in 2002. MANEO established a partnership with the Polish "KPH - Kampania Przeciw Homofobii" ("Campaign against Homophobia") in 2004 and with the French "SOS-Homophobie" in 2005. In the same year, the organization founded the "Gay Weimar Triangle". MANEO has extensive nationwide ties with other professional victim support organizations and anti-violence projects in Berlin and nationwide.
For more information:
www.maneo-toleranzkampagne.de/?cat=2&sub=43 and http://www.maneo.de/
