Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz is committed to internationality, diversity, tolerance, and respect. There is no room here for discriminatory attitudes, group-focused enmity, extremist or radical behavior, antisemitism, Islamophobia or other actions directed against any religious community, or for racism, homophobia, or ideologies directed against minorities at our university. And it will stay that way.

The university will not provide individuals and groups whose actions and programs violate the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany and the university’s mission statement with a platform.

At Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, people with diverse beliefs, backgrounds, origins, and lifestyles all live, learn, and work together. Our campus must be a safe place for every member of our community.

Did you experience or witness something on JGU’s campus that you cannot exactly categorize, but feels like discrimination? Do you have questions you cannot answer about the incident? Did it leave you feeling uneasy? If you would like to talk about it or make a report, contact JGU’s Anti-Discrimination Office for professional support.

With the term “discrimination”, we mean forms of less favorable treatment based on a characteristic protected under the General Equal Treatment Act (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz, AGG), and disparagement, harassment, or stigmatization based on these actual or presumed characteristics. The decisive factor for an incident to be classified as discrimination is the result, not the motive. Discrimination can be both direct and indirect and can manifest in different ways.

In general, it is discrimination when unequal treatment occurs under equal conditions. For example, when students are denied participation because of the color of their skin.

However, it is also discrimination when equal treatment occurs under unequal conditions.

Our qualified counseling services respond promptly and are close to campus. Our premises are accessible. Contact can also be made anonymously.

There are different ways to get in touch:

You can use any of the above options for getting in touch in order to

Gender-neutral language is part of a reflective and diverse language practice. Section 4 (2) of the University Act (HochSchG | German) stipulates that higher education institutions must take into account “the principles of gender neutral official and legal language, particularly in their statutes and official correspondence ” (“insbesondere in ihren Satzungen und im dienstlichen Schriftverkehr die Grundsätze der geschlechtsgerechten Amts- und Rechtssprache” zu berücksichtigen).

Language can discriminate in many ways. JGU is committed to reflective, respectful, and diverse language practices.

In 2020/2021, JGU published a guideline (PDF) in German, developed and discussed in the university’s senate, which addresses various aspects of non-discriminatory language and provides practical examples and different levels of application. With this guideline, JGU encourages its members to reflect on their language practices and provide impetus and practical tips for implementing lower-discrimination language. In addition to addressing the topic of gender-sensitive communication, it provides impulses with regard to a language practice that also address aspects of linguistic discrimination risks such as age, class, status, disability, skin color, or origin, which have so far only been marginally considered.

The cues and instructions listed below will help you plan and implement a discrimination-sensitive event. Organizers are expressly advised that this list is for support purposes only and does not claim to be exhaustive, nor are all the points listed feasible or necessary for every event.

Further instructions on diversity-sensitive event planning can be found here:
  • Will the choice of topic likely lead to negative feedback or disruption, e.g., from extremist groups?
  • Discussions or information events on certain topics such as wars, experiences of violence, conflicts, or experiences of discrimination can trigger very different reactions. Possible challenges can be made visible at an early stage by including as many different perspectives as feasible in the planning stage.
  • When selecting topics, aim to avoid stereotypes and sexist, racist, anti-Semitic, ableist, classist, etc. attributions.
  • Has a background check of the speakers/moderators/actors been carried out with regard to the principles laid down in JGU’s anti-discrimination statement?
  • Are the speakers/moderators able and prepared to react appropriately to potential disruptions/discriminatory remarks?
  • Do the speakers/moderators possess the required diversity-related skills (on the thematic, content-related, methodological, and organizational level)?
  • Do the speakers/moderators use non-discriminatory language?
  • Are speakers/moderators willing to use and provide (teaching) materials that are as accessible as possible?
  • Who will be speaking on which topic? Who needs to be heard on the issue raised?
  • What criteria are being used to select speakers, moderators, and panellists?
  • Do you need to consider particular safety issues for in-person evening/weekend events? (e.g., consider illumination when choosing venues, inform security personnel that emergency assistance may be required)
  • Have you factored in sufficiently long break times?
  • Is the (visual) language diversity-sensitive?
  • How do you deal with discriminatory statements in the context of event applications on social media?
  • When registering, are participants given the opportunity to indicate their preferred personal pronouns/form of address?
  • Are the participants actively informed in advance how JGU might be able to support their participation in the event? (e.g., participants with a disability/chronic illness)
  • Depending on the topic, you should consider the likelihood of incidents at some events. Will you need to prepare a security plan, and has everyone been briefed on this? Has ILM2 been informed?
  • Is the venue as accessible as possible? (elevator, signage system, accessible toilets nearby, sufficient space)
  • In the event of last-minute venue changes, how can you ensure that people for whom more complex advanced planning is necessary to ensure their presence are given adequate support?
  • Is it necessary to designate contact persons who are available to the participants for questions, support, or assistance in crisis situations?
  • Do you need a retreat room?
  • Have you considered the needs of people who are unable to stand at a stand-up table for breaks; for example, at networking events/conferences?
  • Is the lighting in the event room adequate for people with visual impairments?
  • Is the design of the presentation materials/posters sufficiently large and is the contrast adequate?
  • Will the acoustics of the room be a problem for people with hearing impairments?
  • Can the height of the lectern be adjusted?
  • If the event is being conducted from a stage, is it accessible via a ramp system?
  • Does the seating give people enough room to move around?
  • If catering is going to be provided, will there be a sufficient variety of foods (vegan, vegetarian, halal, gluten-free, allergies, food intolerances, etc.), clearly labeled?
  • Is it possible to hire a catering firm that employs inclusive practices?
  • Can you ensure the use of fair-trade products?
  • Will the name tags have the option to indicate a person’s preferred pronouns?
  • Is sign language assistance required?
  • Will you need to consult participants about their different levels of knowledge and expertise?
  • Do you plan to inform the participants in advance about the schedule of the event, including break times (if necessary, also in a foreign language)?
  • Have you proactively informed participants about barrier-free access points?
  • Are childcare services required and feasible?
  • In the case of online events, have participants been informed about the technical requirements for participation?
  • Will participants be informed about any event recordings that may take place and can they object to the use of images in advance?
  • Are you sufficiently prepared to adequately counter any group-focsed enmity or discriminatory remarks made by the audience?
  • How can you guarantee the safety of all persons present in the event of disruptions to the event by external groups, such as extremist groups?
  • Is the presence of an awareness team that participants can contact at a low threshold if they experience or observe discriminatory or abusive behavior at the event necessary ?
  • Does the material on display (flyers, brochures, etc.) comply with the above-mentioned principles?
  • Have you adequately taken into account that differences in status and hierarchy may exist between the participants of my event, which could challenge cooperation or open discussion at the event?
  • Are people given the space to express their needs (e.g., for support options) without exposing them to the group?
  • How are you ensuring confidential treatment of personal information?
  • Who is responsible for establishing the rules? (e.g., confidentiality, freedom of expression, communication that is as non-discriminatory as possible, discussion at the same level, error-friendliness, feedback rules; at digital events: instructions on speaking up/using the chat/using the camera)
  • For some topics, it may be useful to indicate that some issues may be sensitive and difficult to discuss.
  • Any information and support services (e.g. JGU’s Anti-Discrimination Office) should be communicated as transparently as possible (e.g., through instructions from the moderator/publisher of information).