Knut Fleckenstein, the federal chairman of the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB) disaster relief organization, has presented specific demands for how a new civil service, should one be established, should be structured. Speaking to media outlets of the Funke publishing group, Fleckenstein insisted that a civil service should last a minimum of nine months, preferably twelve. According to him, this duration is necessary so that young people have the opportunity to learn and develop a connection to their assigned responsibilities. Furthermore, he stressed that the qualification component must be significantly expanded. He argued that without genuine qualification and with a shorter duration, participants would merely be passing time, which would not benefit either the individuals or the ASB.
The ASB leader also emphasized the importance of allowing participants to freely choose their placement and incorporating credit for any previous voluntary service. For instance, someone who has already completed a Voluntary Social Year (FSJ) or is involved in civil defense volunteer work should not be required to undergo the same process again. Fleckenstein stated that a new service must be oriented around what it can offer young people, adding, “We are not interested in simply turning the clock back 15 years.”
Fundamentally, Fleckenstein noted that the ASB has had positive experiences with existing volunteer programs and is therefore not a strong advocate for mandatory military or substitute service. However, if such a service were implemented, the ASB estimates that around 2,000 individuals could be employed by the organization. According to Fleckenstein, establishing the necessary infrastructure would take between three and six months. Finally, the association stressed that the federal government must bear the majority of the costs. “A new civil service must not be subsidized by the facilities themselves,” Fleckenstein concluded.
