In winter 2020/2021, Rebecca Jakob, Johannes Hübner, Leni Schwan, Maria Stein and Anna Soth, students on the "Management of Social Change" Master's degree program, worked with Sandra Stibenz from the Ortschaft(s)leben 2.0 project in Niesky to answer this question.

With the help of various research methods such as site visits, interviews with committed people in the districts and the creation of a media review, the project investigated why people get involved in structurally weakened regions, how commitment is changing and what the quality of commitment is like from the perspective of those involved.

The results of the research project can be found in a brochure thanks to the support of the Federal Agency for Civic Education and the Miteinander reden program. The students' analysis is rounded off with suggestions for action relating to volunteering in the Niesky area.