Organisation ,
During the 16th, 17th and 18th parliamentary terms, i.e. in its first three phases, the German Islam Conference (DIK) met and worked in fixed formats and forums. It had working and steering groups devoted to particular topics and with specific remits and membership for individuals or organisations. Fixed committees and permanent membership were the organisational expression of the objective of arriving at concrete results, definitions and recommendations systematically and in clearly defined areas.
They formed and laid the groundwork for the Conference from 2018 onwards. Since then – in the 19th and 20th parliamentary terms – the Conference has worked in thematic, variable and flexible formats. Depending on the subject, the aim and the actors and organisations concerned, different participants may be involved in dialogue and events. Formats include expert conferences, talks, policy dialogues, workshops or panel discussions, open only to participants or to the interested public. The dialogue is flanked by funding to carry out the aims of the Conference, such as strengthening the civic involvement of Muslims in Germany, fostering dialogue within the Muslim community and encouraging mosque congregations to participate in the local community.
This shows that, since 2018, the Conference has had a broader, more diverse range of participants. In the previous phases of the Conference, participants included Muslim national and umbrella organisations, individual Muslims and representatives of the federal, state and local governments, as well as academics and practitioners. But the Muslim community in Germany is continually changing. In recent years, many new initiatives and associations have been founded outside of traditional mosque structures, in particular by young Muslims who have come together to have a say in public debates. This diversity of opinion among Muslims is included and reflected in the Conference, especially in view of the necessary debate within the Muslim community over the conditions and basis for an Islam that is at home in Germany.