A water stain on the ceiling is easy to paint over. But if you don’t look for the leak, the stain will keep coming back. Too often, we approach problems the same way: we cover up symptoms, create quick fixes, without questioning the underlying causes. It feels active—but we’re stuck in a loop. This becomes clear when we deal with “difficult children” only on the surface. Behaviour is quickly problematised, yet it is forgotten to ask which roles, relationships, and tensions in the environment shape this behaviour. From a systemic perspective, we see that individual behaviour is always embedded in a social context. Change only happens when we understand these interconnections—and develop new ways of acting together. If you want to change something, you must first understand it. That’s why we base our work on well-founded theoretical concepts that give us orientation and depth. At the same time, we continuously develop our own approaches. One foundation for this is our ongoing loneliness study, conducted by the founders of our organisation. The findings flow directly into our own Model of Relationship Diversity. Below, we present the key theoretical frameworks that shape our work.
Critical Pedagogy
Our work is inspired by Critical Pedagogy as formulated by Paulo Freire: Education should not merely convey knowledge, but create awareness. At its core is a dialogical understanding of learning that makes social inequality visible and encourages joint reflection with learners. We create spaces where children, young people, and professionals know their experiences are taken seriously—as a starting point for reflection, positioning, and active participation.
Anti-Bias Approach
The Anti-Bias Approach offers us a practical foundation for anti-discrimination education. It involves engaging with prejudices, privileges, and power structures—intersectionally and in everyday contexts. Our goal is not just to talk about diversity but to question the structures and attitudes that produce exclusion. At this point, the concept of social identity becomes relevant, explaining how group belonging shapes our self-image and behaviour—and how belonging can be both a resource and a risk.
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
Emotional and social competencies are essential for successful educational processes. The approach of Social-Emotional Learning supports children and young people in perceiving their feelings, dealing with conflicts, developing empathy, and taking responsibility.
Systemic Perspective
We always view individual behaviour in the context of social relationships, roles, and structures. A systemic perspective allows us not to problematise deficits but to recognise interdependencies and make resources visible. Schools, families, or peer groups are not isolated spheres—they are parts of a social system that can be changed. This combination of reflection, relationships, and structural change is what defines the core of our educational work: empowerment.
Our Model of Relationship Diversity
Our Model of Relationship Diversity is based on an integrative understanding of social roles, connecting individual, interpersonal, and societal dimensions. It distinguishes three levels of analysis—the Self, the We, and Society—and examines how people, in different roles (such as mentor or companion), fulfil diverse functions for a thriving social network. To do justice to the complexity of human relationships, the model works with fundamental fields of tension, allowing for a dynamic view of relationship-building. The goal is to understand relationships not just as dyadic connections, but as socially embedded role practices that contribute to both personal development and collective resilience.