Basics
The Antisexist Support Jena (ASJ) emerges from the Prozessplenum, which was founded in reaction to several outcalls in Jena and the region. If you are interested in this, you can find a chronicle of events on the blog of the group Das schlechte Gewissen. A central goal of the Prozessplenum was to work out what can be a lasting and sustainable dealing – that is in solidarity with those affected – with sexualised violence and sexism within the left scene. In this respect we understand ASJ to be part of the answer.
The ASJ’s offer is directed at all people who are or have been affected by sexualized violence, as well as at existing or emerging support groups. By this we mean groups that support affected people in their (coming to terms with) process and in copings within everyday life. If you have experienced sexualized violence or are not sure about it, you can contact us.
Our attitude
The ASJ understands its work as a connection of individual care and political practice. We stand on the side of those affected in a spirit of party and solidarity. Linked to this is the concept of power of definition. We understand this to mean that those affected have the power to interpret what they have experienced, that this cannot be denied to them and that we do not allow this to be relativized by counterstatements by perpetrators or others. We take the demands, wishes and needs of affected persons seriously; they form the core of our support work. At the same time, the affected person does not have the sole responsibility for the processing such as the formulation and implementation of consequences.
Concrete work
Support can look very differently and there are many ways to deal with experiences of violence. A starting point can be to find out which ways can work for you.
As a basis for this, we would like to offer you as an affected person framework that is as safe as possible in which you can, depending on your wishes and needs, for example:
- stabilize yourself and/or
- become able to act (again) and/or
- talk about what you have experienced and/or
- find out or discuss your own needs in dealing with this.
The support meetings take place at a location chosen in consultation with you as the person affected and as safe as possible for you.
We want to advise you factually correctly in terms of content. Therefore we continuously deal with the topics that concern our work.
We also support you in finding or building up a support structure. We also accompany already existing support structures on request.
Structure
We are a cis endo mixed-gender group from different left-wing contexts.
Our offer is not a professional counseling and support organisation, and cannot replace professional psychotherapy (if needed). However, we can assist in getting professional help if desired.
We make procedures in support processes transparent to the relevant persons. If procedures do not happen as desired, besides direct and desired criticism to us there is also the possibility to contact an external group, the Antisexist Support Erfurt (ASE) with it.
We see ourselves as an unfortunately necessary part of the left scene.
In order to hopefully not need something like the ASJ for much longer, the protection of perpetrators in leftist structures and in the behavior of individuals must be addressed and an actual anti-sexist basic consensus in anti-fascist and radical leftist contexts must be realized.