Author
Wolfgang Schneider, as appeared in Alpha1 Journal 2/2025.
The Alpha-1 Germany group leader meeting took place from October 10th to 12th, 2025 at the Best Western Plus Welcome Hotel in Frankfurt.
Immediately after our arrival on Friday, we started with a short introductory meeting in the fresh air at Rebstockpark, very close to the hotel, before getting down to the substantive work. The Austrian delegate, Hans Frankl, was also present.
It quickly became clear: whether in Germany or Austria – we face the same challenges in dealing with AATM. This makes joint discussions all the more valuable, as we learn from each other and support one another.
Artificial intelligence, shared experiences and goals
As expected, artificial intelligence was a topic that occupied our attention. In times of rapid digital development, we wanted to consciously pause and ask ourselves together: What does AI mean for our work? Where does it offer opportunities – and where do it pose risks? We agreed that a critical perspective is essential. AI-powered chatbots can provide valuable support, but they can also generate so-called hallucinations – that is, answers that sound plausible but are not true. A smile spread across our faces when we realized how creatively these systems sometimes "invent" when they lack knowledge. Our conclusion: Remain curious, use it, but always with common sense.
Following this opening, we took the opportunity to review the past year together. What developments had taken place in the regional groups? What proved successful, and what should be improved? And: What are our wishes for the coming year? The discussions were open, lively, and constructive – driven by the shared goal of continuously improving our work for our members.
Workshop „Communication in difficult situations“
Saturday began with an intensive yet inspiring lecture and workshop on communication in difficult situations, led by Florian Czieschinski, MA Sociology. Using numerous practical examples and interactive exercises, he showed us ways to avoid misunderstandings, defuse conflicts, and conduct respectful conversations. His insights continued to inform our work throughout the subsequent sessions.
The discussion then turned to a topic close to the heart:
How can we better activate, engage, and support our members? To this end, we developed various ideas and strategies, including:
- the further development of our regional groups
- the membership and its importance for the self-help groups
- the role of the groups in their respective regions
- the support of independent self-help groups by the association
We then turned to the topics we consider particularly relevant for upcoming self-help group meetings. Planning for the self-help group regions in 2026 has already begun and will be published shortly.
The meeting concluded on Sunday after a shared lunch. The participants began their journeys home, taking with them many new impressions, suggestions, and tasks for their work in their respective regions.
