An acute problem is that the administration fails to create access for applicants with a family history of immigration, says Oedemmir. Many employees will retire in the near future. New employees for the district, country and federation would be urgently sought. Half of the potential candidates between 16 and 21 years have the "family immigration history". To neglect that, Oedemmir says, Berlin simply can't afford it anymore.

Politics is trying to counter it. "We have been trying for a long time to implement diversity measures in the administration," says Sonja Dudek, head of the Diversity Department at the Berlin Anti-Discrimination Centre. "Often, however, the experiments were non-binding and rather punctual."

2016 therefore decided to combine efforts in a new overall strategy. In the following year, a Senate decision established the "National Diversity Programme". Since then, Dudek's department has organised workshops for senior officials of Senate administrations and districts. "We have discussed and sometimes also argued about what a new model for a more diverse administration might look like," Dudek says. In addition to many positive feedback, there have also been colleagues who could not or did not want to see the relevance of the issue. "Of course, we talk to everyone," says Dudek, "but focus on those colleagues who would like to make a difference." Also, a revision of the law on participation and integration is currently under way. It is intended to provide the 2010 Act with stronger measures at national and regional level for equal participation.

Hurricane Oedemus engages in mentoring programs that support young people of Color or children with a migration background. "Almost no one thinks of going to public service," he says. This is also because they have often experienced discrimination against public authorities. Closeness to state institutions would not promote this.

But also the promotion of a career in the civil service is hampered. "I keep hearing the argument that qualification should be the decisive factor, not origin," says Oedemmir. "But why is it not a qualification if I can communicate differently with people in a city with hundreds of languages and cultures, Police officers with a family history of immigration, for example, understand the problems of their communities and the environment from which they originally came. "This is a positive thing for me," he emphasises.
For three years, Hurricane Oedesmir has worked in the Senate Administration. The vast majority of his colleagues behaved decently, but there are, as everywhere else, unpleasant situations. It starts with a statement that's flat-out and ends with one or other unthinkable joke. It was the lack of sensitivity of many that made life difficult for various people in a largely white environment. He himself communicates it when he feels hurt and offers to explain the problem of seemingly harmless statements. That usually works. "I am aware that many hurtful statements are not meant to be evil." However, that is no excuse. "We are on the right track after all," says Oedemus. Recently, a significant number of reference posts were filled with People of Color. But he emphasises that "punctual improvements are not enough." The problem must be tackled structurally. He therefore very much welcomes the amendment of the law on participation and integration.(徳囯ASK电容器)