The Board

The board members of JugendInterKult (non-profit friendly registered association)

Chairman

Gregor Schröder

Vice chairman

Thomas Wulfhorst

Treasurer

Bianca Conrads

Assessors

Tanja Oppermann
Astrid Stern
Alissa Wißmann
Sabine Josten

Assessors

Thomas König
David Wurth-Viola
Jonas Steymans
Matthias Frommelt

Gregor Schröder

Born in 1950 and retired teacher. Together with friends and acquaintances, I founded JIK because I have always been particularly involved in the social area for young people. I consider volunteerism to be quite essential, because for me, J.F. Kennedy’s motto holds true: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!” JIK means for me the commitment to support especially the intercultural and interreligious encounter, the respectful coexistence as well as the exchange between young people from different countries. Supporting young refugees and socially and otherwise disadvantaged young people is particularly close to my heart. Youth is our future. Changes are only sustainable if they are supported from below. As a Christian, I feel obligated to help others as much as I can. Like Baden-Powell, the founder of the World Scout Movement, I want to leave the world a little better than I found it.

Bianca Conrads

Born in 1996, trained tax clerk. My membership in the JIK association began in 2013 with a trip to Israel/Palestine. Since then, I have had the pleasure of two more trips with JIK to Istanbul and Moscow-St. Petersburg that led me to become an active member of the JIK board. I would like to support JIK in organizing more international youth encounters and promoting intercultural understanding between different countries. JIK’s work shows that neither a person’s religion, gender, nor origin or skin color are important in making a difference in the world. For it is not those who speak the same language who understand each other, but those who share the same feeling and value system.

Tanja Oppermann

Born in 1978 and a business psychologist by profession. My involvement with JIK began with a trip to Israel and Palestine in the spring of 2014. There I became aware in a very impressive way how important tolerance is and how difficult it is to build bridges compared to walls. My desire to accompany young people in their encounters with other cultures encouraged me to volunteer for JIK.

Alissa Wißmann

Year 2003. I graduated from high school in the spring of 2022, would like to start studying in the winter semester of 2023 and am currently in the orientation phase.
I have been a JIK member since the Israel-Palestine-Jordan trip in October 2022. I was immediately excited about the idea of cultural exchange and I really enjoyed the multi-faceted trip! I am very glad that such a trip is offered, which enables especially young people to broaden their horizons and gain experience in dealing with another culture and its people. Because those who approach the world openly and show interest are usually met with the same open-mindedness.

Therefore, I would like to work in the association to support the goals and values of JIK.

Astrid Stern

Astrid Stern, born 1957, teacher of German, mathematics, history/politics and biology at the Rupert-Neudeck-Schule in Troisdorf. Young people are shaping our future, a future that should be characterized by peace. This can only succeed if people approach each other with tolerance and not only respect others, but also know and perceive their traditions and habits and take them into account in the dialogue. An international meeting among young people and their exchange could be a guarantee for such success. Since the association JugendInterKult e.V. embodies all these ideas in an almost ideal way, I would like to contribute to their implementation by working on the board.

Thomas König

Born in 1991, master’s student of business mathematics and working in finance. My trip to Israel/Palestine/Jordan with JIK sparked my interest in the association. The many impressions of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the experiences of the overnight stays in monasteries, hostels, host families, desert tents, the adventures of climbing, the desert tour with jeep and camel ride as well as swimming in the Red, Dead and Mediterranean Sea make this trip unique. Such a wealth of perceptions for young people was and is only possible thanks to the conscientious, ambitious and passionate work of the association. To support this, I am involved in the board of the association. I feel that promoting exchange with other people and their culture is highly desirable. The experience gained – especially at a young age – helps adolescents in many life situations.

Thomas Wulfhorst

Born in 1980, teacher of chemistry, Protestant religious education and mathematics at Lohmar Comprehensive School. For me, two aspects are of central importance in the association JugendinterKult! On the one hand, this is the intercultural and interreligious work of the association. The other is to discover the world and meet new people with teenagers and young adults. For me, the work in this association has a special meaning, because only in the encounter authentic and respectful experiences are really sustainable. International youth encounters are a central building block. to discover new friends, unknown cultures and new ways of life all over the world and to be able to dive into foreign cultures in a guided way. For me, these encounters are a central part of growing up as an adolescent or young adult with an open mind.

David Wurth-Viola

Born in 1986, teacher of physical education, history and Catholic religious education at the Berufskolleg Opladen. For me, the work in this association has a special meaning, because I feel it is important that young people get to know other cultures as early as possible. Because through contact with foreign cultures and people, for example, prejudices can be reduced or not even come about in the first place. I want to get involved in this association so that more intercultural encounters can take place and thus a global network can develop, which will help to secure peace.

Sabine Josten

Born in 1977, graduate social pedagogue FH. The first contact with JIK came about through an advertisement in a local newspaper, in which escorts for youth encounters with Israel were being sought. Since I am interested in Israel, its (cooking) culture, religion and way of life, I contacted the board and got to know the chairman.

I would like to get involved in the planning and implementation of these bilateral youth encounters as well as in the board of JIK, because I consider an early sensitization of young people for foreign peoples and cultures to be fundamentally sensible and important and, especially in times of growing anti-Semitism, I would like to make my contribution to reducing prejudices against Jews.

Jonas Steymans

Born in 1999, civil servant at the Federal Office of Administration. I was able to get to know the association through two youth exchange trips in 2019 and 2022 to Israel-Palestine-Jordan, each of which was unique and rich in cultural impressions. In the host families in Palestine I experienced a special hospitality and many commonalities. Since in today’s world cultural exchange is an important building block for peaceful coexistence, I think it is all the more important that there are such associations as JIK. This organization is committed to intercultural exchange worldwide and facilitates, for example, many mutual international youth encounters or joint projects with the peacemaking symbol “Angel of Cultures”. Based on my extremely positive experiences, I have decided to become actively involved in the goals of this association.

Matthias Frommelt

Born in 1998, Master’s student in Controlling and Risk Management at the University of Siegen. I first became aware of the association in 2019 and have since participated in two trips to Israel/Palestine/Jordan. The many encounters with people of different backgrounds and views and the close contact through overnight stays in host families make the trips to this conflict-ridden region something very special for me. They help to view the complex Israel-Palestine conflict in a differentiated way and promote tolerance and respect for other cultures. Through my cooperation I would like to contribute to the fact that also in the future such journeys can take place and further the intercultural exchange remains possible.