Family, children and youth

The future belongs to our children. We want to make it possible for children and young people to grow up in a happy and healthy environment in a family-friendly municipality. We are committed to a future-oriented set of policies and to establishing, in the process, a sustainable urban landscape which meets the needs of the young generations. The measures to be taken in order to achieve this include, as a priority, the creation of diverse, inclusive play opportunities and facilities, the (further) development of safe and, in part, exclusive walkways and cycle paths, the provision of open spaces for young people and the promotion of a varied offer in the fields of sport and culture. We will promote the active involvement and political participation of children and young people through a series of age-appropriate formats. The compatibility of family, education and work remains a further priority for the DP.

Diverse, inclusive and colourful playgrounds for children.

The DP Gemeng Mamer is committed to age-appropriate and universally accessible children’s playgrounds in all urban neighbourhoods, where children can play freely. We will keep this infrastructure up to date and modernise the playground in Holzem. We will install drinking water fountains and sun protection facilities such as shade sails everywhere. All playgrounds should be accessible to people with disabilities. For example, we will install swings for people in wheelchairs.

Traffic-calmed “play streets” (“Spielstrassen”).

The DP Gemeng Mamer supports the introduction of traffic-calmed and speed-limited streets – “Spielstrassen” – to allow children to play freely on the road. These should be integrated not only in new housing developments, but also in the heart of the localities. In Mamer, “Spielstrassen” are to be installed in the centre around the town square. We also want to create a shared space where all traffic participants have to pay close attention to each other. The speed of traffic here will be limited to 20 km/h.

Expanding children’s libraries.

Reading fosters not only the language skills and rhetorical aptitude of children but also their personal development. The DP Gemeng Mamer is committed to the setting-up of children’s libraries and children’s outdoor bookcases, in which kids are introduced to reading from a young age and already get to read good-quality, age-appropriate books from their early childhood on. In this spirit, we will also organise regular reading evenings for children.

Reinforcing mindfulness.

The DP Gemeng Mamer wants to create possibilities for mindfulness training aimed at conveying conscious experience of the environment and of the urban landscape (both cognitively and through the senses). In this context, we will discuss with our local farmers, among others, whether regular visits to the farms can be organised.

Communication about babysitting, remedial courses and other services between citizens.

We will ensure simple and informal contact between parents, families and babysitters via an easy-to-use online platform. This platform will also enable contact for other services such as remedial courses, conversation classes, walks to discover the community, help with shopping, introduction to the digital world etc. Everyone has knowledge to share and we will create the conditions so that people who want to share this knowledge can do so as well. The commune will also support these efforts financially.

Children’s city.

We intend to organise a “children’s city” in Mamer every year, based on the model of Hesperange for example. Such pedagogical projects will enable children to gain experience, in a fun way, of the everyday lifeprocesses of grown-ups, to assume responsibility and to become better acquainted with the various aspects of municipal life.

Strengthening the involvement of children and young people.

The DP Gemeng Mamer is committed to reinforcing the involvement of young people within our municipality. To that end, we support the idea of a children’s and young persons’ municipal council, and/or the mandatory involvement of youth councils in relation to topics which concern young people. By these means, we are looking to ensure, amongst other things, to take the interests of children and young people into account when it comes to designing and shaping the public space.

A voice for young people.

The DP Gemeng Mamer will designate a municipal youth officer to act as a link between the municipal council, the municipal administration and young people. The idea is that the youth officer should be there to provide young people with support and advice with regard to issues arising, but also in relation to the implementation of their own ideas.

Creating open spaces for young people.

We will provide spaces and rooms for social interaction, exchange or individual projects of young people. For example, we will provide rehearsal rooms for musical ensembles with their own equipment.

Organising youth camps with twin towns.

Many town twinning schemes lack the necessary impetus. However, an active exchange between young people, even across borders with twinned towns, does not only facilitate the discovery of others. It is the personal friendships of young people that are born out of this contact that keep town twinning alive. We want to involve young people more in the partnership with Dangé-St-Romain, Mamer’s partner town in France.

Promote effective communication regarding workshops / internships with local businesses or municipal work centres.

The efforts to bring home and the workplace closer together are also relevant when it comes to young people. The DP Gemeng Mamer will therefore seek to promote the communication regarding workshops and summer jobs for young residents in businesses operating in their locality.

Youth-friendly mobility.

We are committed to youth-friendly mobility. In rural municipalities, this applies especially to the provision of public transport during evening hours and at night. Among other things, the DP Gemeng Mamer advocates night bus concepts for regional youth events.

Strengthening prevention still further.

The DP Gemeng Mamer attaches great importance to youth work and prevention work in our municipality. In collaboration with all the actors concerned, we will promote youth work/prevention work at municipal level.

Education, childcare and schooling

A good education is a prerequisite for a self-reliant life and social inclusion. We see equal opportunities as a core element in this regard. The DP wants all pupils, regardless of their origin and background, to have the best possible educational opportunities. The key to this lies in having diverse, well-equipped schools and care facilities that encourage the pupils to develop their multifarious talents, release their potential and support them throughout the course of their education.

Strengthening the development of childcare facilities and expanding the range of service providers.

The DP Gemeng Mamer will increase the number of childcare places in line with demand, thereby ensuring that every child is able to benefit from the non-formal education possibilities on offer such ass a forest nursery (“Bëschcrèche”). There is already a need to expand the Maison Relais in Capellen. In this context, we will carry out a study as soon as possible and involve the citizens in the expansion work.

Designing schools and childcare facilities so that they match children’s needs.

We in the DP Gemeng Mamer think that schools should be designed in such a way as to meet the needs of children and young people. The school premises must offer a welcoming and inspirational environment. The DP Gemeng Mamer will take this into account in the context of renovation and new construction projects.

Greater flexibility in the opening hours of childcare facilities.

The DP Gemeng Mamer advocates that childcare facilities should offer flexible and extended opening hours, in order to meet the needs of parents with irregular working hours and single-parent families. The DP Gemeng Mamer also advocates that childcare facilities should remain open during school holidays.

Nurseries (“crèches”) in businesses and activity zones.

Where there is corresponding demand, the DP Gemeng Mamer will support businesses seeking to provide internal nursery places. With the same object in mind, we also advocate the provision of nurseries in activity zones.

Investment by municipalities in early childhood care.

The DP Gemeng Mamer will continue to invest in the rollout of early childhood care, so that parents have the choice between a municipal, officially approved or private nursery.

Planning citizen-oriented new school constructions.

The construction of a school complex must be appropriately adapted to the local circumstances, the needs of the municipality concerned and the wellbeing of the children. In the construction of new school complexes, it is essential to verify whether synergies with the “Maison Relais” are feasible with a view to establishing an all-day school. In addition, a certain amount of free space should where possible be set aside on the school premises for use by local clubs and associations. In this way, a school campus can be created, serving as an attractive and lively centre for the locality concerned. We will evaluate right now which schools and “Maison Relais” will be needed over the next decades.

Safe routes to school.

For children, travelling to school is always a special experience. Whether the journey is made on foot, by bike or on a pedal scooter, we want to ensure that it’s safe and appropriate for all schoolchildren. This means wide, open and well-lit footpaths/walkways and cycle paths, together with regular awareness-raising campaigns for all road users. We will equip Mamer with illuminated pedestrian crossings from below, especially at places where children cross the street. In addition, intelligent speed bumps will be installed to alert motorists to reduce their speed. Near the Capellen Campus, the Route d’Arlon will have to be redesigned to ensure optimum safety for pedestrians.

Promoting “Pedibus” Projects.

The Pedibus concept is aimed at enabling children to be accompanied, when making their way to school on foot, by supervising grown-ups. This not only results in traffic-calming in the vicinity of schools but also provides a fun experience for the children concerned and is good for their health. The DP Gemeng Mamer will promote the Pedibus to parents to encourage more children to use it. We will make sure that the Pedibus routes are optimally safe.

Local, fresh food products in school canteens.

We are committed to ensuring a healthy and balanced menu in school canteens and “Maisons Relais”. For this reason, priority should be given to using locally produced, seasonal food products that are environmentally friendly. Attention should also be given to further promoting the use of ecological food products.

Coordinating school, childcare facilities and hobbies.

Joined-up collaboration between a child’s school, day-care centre, youth centre, music school and other leisure activities is of fundamental importance – especially when care of the child in question is entrusted over the course of the day to a succession of different carers. The DP Gemeng Mamer is committed to ensuring that the amenities respectively provided by all the actors concerned are better coordinated. This will enable the children concerned to enjoy the benefit of a diverse range of leisure activities, which will in turn benefit their personal development.

Introduction of children’s club buses.

An on-demand bus service for children can help to enhance networking between local actors, as well as relieving the burden on parents. In order to promote the involvement of children and young people in local clubs and other extra- curricular activities, the DP Gemeng Mamer will work towards the introduction of a local kids’ club shuttle bus service. This will make it easier for kids to participate in the municipal life and other activities outside of school.

IT facilities.

The DP Gemeng Mamer will ensure that the IT equipment in the communal school infrastructure is improved and kept up to date. We will ensure that the conditions are in place for up-to-date teaching and learning.

Senior citizens and social issues

The experience of life that senior citizens are able to offer is something that enriches our municipalities. The DP will create the conditions whereby our more elderly fellow citizens are able, for as long as possible, to lead an autonomous, independent and fulfilling life within the four walls of their own home. To this end, we will be promoting stronger intergenerational coexistence. Along with a barrier- free infrastructure and leisure possibilities specifically aimed at senior citizens, we attach particular importance to having a wide range of nearby supply possibilities (retailers, service providers, etc.). We also plan to promote social participation via age-appropriate formats. we attach particular importance to having a wide range of nearby supply possibilities (retailers, service providers, etc.). We also plan to promote social participation via age-appropriate formats.

Promoting multi-generational housing.

Multi-generational houses are open meeting places or residential facilities for people of all ages, with different origins or cultural backgrounds. They enable young people and the elderly to live together in harmony. The DP will support the setting-up of new multi-generational houses, thereby strengthening cohesion in the municipality across the different generations. The DP Gemeng Mamer will promote a pilot project for such an intergenerational house and communicate on its development.

Neighbourhood assistance and info service.

The DP Gemeng Mamer will offer elderly citizens neighbourhood assistance, designed to enable them, for as long as possible, to enjoy a decent standard of living within the four walls of their own home. Such neighbourhood assistance may include preventive home visits, the promotion of social contacts, and help with filling out administrative documents. An online platform will make this assistance easier.

A transport service for senior citizens.

The DP Gemeng Mamer supports the idea of a shuttle service for seniors which would allow elderly and disabled people to make their weekly trips (shopping, doctor’s visits, etc.) independently. Access to the “Ruffbus” shuttle in Mamer should be made easier. We also support citizens who are willing to run errands for the elderly. Contact between those who want to help in this way and those who need this support will be facilitated by means of an online platform. We are also aiming for close cooperation with support organisations for the elderly. It should also be possible to request assistance through these associations.

Physical exercise in old age.

Physical exercise helps to keep people fit. The DP Gemeng Mamer will support measures for the provision of opportunities to engage in sports and movement activities which preserve and improve health, where necessary expanding those opportunities and making them accessible to the less well off. In this field, too, we want to encourage contact between citizens through an online platform, so that young people can, for example, accompany elderly people for a walk or take their dog out for a walk.

Digital technology tuition/courses.

Many people find it difficult to get to grips with the various new technologies. In order that they should not lose out when it comes to acquiring digital skills, we will not only organise suitable courses or citizens’ meetings aimed at making such persons fit to take part in the digital world, but we will also launch calls to bring together experienced users of digital tools with fellow citizens who are struggling to use digital tools and services. We will create a meeting place in the Citizen’s House where people can meet to discuss digital issues. This place will also be equipped with a PC.

Living a pleasant and enjoyable life in our society

The DP stands for a free, open and tolerant society offering everyone the opportunity to participate in life in the community. We are opposed to societal divisions and marginalisation, and are committed to real-life solidarity with people in difficult life situations. We want to further enhance intercultural co-existence and to encourage newly arrived residents to become actively involved in municipal life. To that end, we will continue to actively support volunteering, sport and culture.

Cross-generational projects.

Exchanges between older and younger people offer many advantages. On the one hand, children and young people can learn from the experience of the older people whom they encounter. For senior citizens too, contact with young people is an enriching experience. It offers a welcome diversion, but also an opportunity to gain a better understanding of our rapidly changing world. The DP Gemeng Mamer is therefore looking to support cross- generational projects.

Creating attractive areas for dogs.

Dog zones, dog exercise areas, dog parks or spaces where dogs can run free: dog zones are mostly fenced-in spaces with drinking fountains and areas of grass which are designed to offer safety in two respects: in such zones the dogs can move around freely – generally off leash – without being restricted or threatened by traffic or other dangers. The DP Gemeng Mamer intends to create such a dog area in the centre of Mamer and to set up “human-dog routes” with QR code videos and exercise boards for owners and their dogs.

Involvement of citizens in the planning and design of town and village centres.

The DP Gemeng Mamer wants citizens to be involved in the planning and design of the centres and neighbourhoods of our municipalities, with a view to their revitalisation (traffic reorganisation, design of public spaces, footpaths/walkways and cycle paths, interconnectedness with the town/village centre, promotion of soft mobility (mobilité douce), conservation and maintenance of notable and/or prominent structures and infrastructures, etc.).

Village cafés/village shops operated under the aegis of an association/a cooperative.

In small villages especially, maintaining the classic village café/village shops is a challenge. These places, formerly the mainstays of village life, are increasingly disappearing from the scene. We in the DP Gemeng Mamer will help and support interested groups and associations by providing them with requisite public amenities where they can meet. Such initiatives not only invigorate the life of the community in towns and villages; they also strengthen social cohesion and promote coexistence.

Volunteer card with a reward.

In order to enhance life in the municipality and to boost volunteering, persons who get involved in activities for the benefit of the municipality should receive, at the very least, a small reward for their efforts. Those who engage in voluntary work for the community should be given, for example, free entry to the swimming pool or to a cultural facility/event. We will consult with the cultural actors and shopkeepers of the municipality of Mamer to see how to benefit from this reward.

Promoting volunteering amongst the younger generation.

In order to encourage volunteering, measures should be adopted to enable not-for-profit projects to be introduced in schools and at municipal events. Projects which are geared to young people or which are intended to be carried out by young people should receive extra assistance from the municipality concerned.

Promoting local clubs and associations.

The DP Gemeng Mamer is committed to providing concrete, substantial support for local clubs and associations. These are an essential element of good relations within the municipality.

Fostering and expanding town-twinning partnerships.

Since 1976, the municipality of Mamer and the French town of Dangé-St-Romain in the Vienne department have been twinned. This twinning should be fostered and other twinnings could be set up.

Sign the “Pakt vum Zesummeliewen”.

Harmonious interaction requires the active involvement of each individual citizen in the public life of his/her municipality. In order to promote cultural exchanges and social cohesion at local level, the “Pakt vum Zesummeliewen” was launched in 2021, and has already been signed up to by 30 municipalities. In so doing, they commit to elaborating concrete projects for better integration of new fellow citizens, thereby strengthening life together in the municipality and enabling Luxembourgers and non-Luxembourgers alike to join forces.

We want Mamer to sign this pact as soon as possible and develop a programme to implement it.

Sports and culture

A diverse range of sporting and cultural activities and amenities helps to invigorate the municipality and forms an integral part of life in society. The DP will develop and expand the range of sporting and cultural activities on offer, as well as the general sports infrastructure and leisure facilities, for the benefit of all citizens.

Public sports facilities.

Access to sports grounds on school premises is often restricted to children and young people. The DP will seek to ensure that public sports facilities are whenever possible accessible to everyone – including people who are not licensed members of a club or association. The new swimming pool at the “Kinneksbond” should be accessible to everyone at certain times. Swimming lessons for young and old should also be offered there. We will also look into the possibility of building a large sports complex in the municipality, into which a youth hostel could be integrated.

A comprehensive range of sporting and exercise amenities.

Sports, especially physical activity in the open air, is an important element when it comes to the wellbeing of citizens. The DP Gemeng Mamer is committed to the provision of an adequate and varied sports offer.

Recruitment of a sports coordinator.

The coordination of sports activities in the various municipalities is growing ever more complex and multi-layered. The DP Gemeng Mamer will engage a full-time sports coordinator who will help to improve the collaboration and coordination between the individual actors (schools, parents, school sports and sports clubs).

Strengthening the range of cultural events and activities.

Culture brings people together, and stimulates discussion and interaction. The range of cultural events on offer needs to be proactively expanded. The DP Gemeng Mamer is looking to make premises and additional funding available to artists. In addition, access to cultural amenities must be made possible for socially deprived citizens. Initiatives like “Kulturpass” must be further promoted in our municipality. We also advocate the organisation of cultural awareness weeks in the municipalities. Furthermore, we strive to strengthen the cultural offer in Capellen and Holzem and acquire a mobile stage that can be set up at various locations in the municipality. Culture also brings municipalities together. For example, we would like to work together with neighbouring municipalities to offer an inter-municipal cultural programme.

“Vakanz zu Mamer.”

In recent years, many of our fellow citizens have spent their holidays in Luxembourg and have, as a result, discovered the natural environment and leisure amenities offered by their municipality and their immediate surroundings. In order to support this trend still further, the DP Gemeng Mamer will consistently expand the local recreation areas by providing for a diverse range of activities, such as hiking trails. In addition, the DP Gemeng Mamer will develop the use of bicycles for touristic purposes, whilst improving the infrastructure (e.g. charging stations for electric bikes), surface covering and lighting along the municipally owned cycle paths. We will make sure that these paths are safe. It is not enough to mark them with paint! We will create fitness trails and more mountainbike trails. Capellen and Holzem too should get a bike cleaning station.

A suspension bridge for pedestrians and cyclists over the Mamer Valley with a climbing park should increase the tourist attractiveness of our municipality.

We will work towards a youth hostel in Mamer as well as for a hotel which could also provide rooms for conferences, seminars and coworking spaces.

All these facilities should be designed in such a way that disabled people and families with prams can use them.

Reading groups and debating clubs.

The DP Gemeng Mamer wants municipalities to make premises available for use by reading groups and debating clubs. It’s important not only that the cultural technique of reading should be put to practical use but also that its cultural function should be safeguarded.

Strengthening the preservation of monuments.

Our material cultural heritage constitutes a major element contributing to the attractiveness of our villages and towns. The DP Gemeng Mamer therefore plans to strengthen the preservation of historic buildings and monuments belonging to the municipality.

Living together in the community and equal opportunities

The DP is committed to respectful, tolerant coexistence, and will promote the social participation of all citizens. As before, we will take action against injustices in our society and combat all forms of discrimination. The municipalities must prevent discrimination of all kinds and promote values such as tolerance and acceptance in all areas. Further work also needs to be done with regard to gender neutrality and LGBTQ+-related issues.

Promoting acceptance and tolerance.

In accordance with national school programmes, we will promote local projects with youth centres, schools and other educational establishments. The municipality will work together with the relevant establishments to combat stereotyping, to break through gender roles and to inform and educate.

Accessibility.

People with disabilities of any kind should be able, like everyone else, to move around freely and independently and to lead a self-reliant existence. The DP Gemeng Mamer would like to make sure, as quickly as possible, that public infrastructures and services are fully accessible to persons with disabilities – not as a mere add-on, but as an integral part of the general structures of life in society. Only by so doing can we prevent stigmatisation and nip discrimination in the bud.

Inclusive communication.

Adequate and informative communication is the sine qua non of good community relations. The municipalities are there to ensure that every citizen has access to all information in the municipality, whether published in documentary form or by way of online communication, emanating from all competent administrative authorities. The language used will be adapted to the respective needs of the citizens concerned (easy-to-understand language, sign language, foreign languages, automatic read-aloud-mode on every digital communications tool etc.).

Help in an emergency.

For the elderly and for people with disabilities, emergency situations can rapidly turn out to have unforeseeable consequences. For example, hearing-impaired persons may not always hear the monthly test alarm in the municipality. In a real-life scenario, this could present a problem that is not to be underestimated. The DP Gemeng Mamer will ensure that, in an emergency, such people are informed of the requisite measures and, if necessary, provided with support in the event that further decisive steps need to be taken.

Baby changing tables for everyone.

The DP Gemeng Mamer will ensure, with a view to gender equality, that baby changing tables are available in public toilets for use by both women and men.

Diversity in the public space.

In order to further promote equality between men and women, it is essential to strengthen the visibility of women in the public space. For this reason, our municipality should ensure that new streets are regularly named after female figures. This should, however, form part of a general effort overall to diversify the linguistic landscape: regard should be had not only to matters of gender but also to other socio-cultural categories.

A clean and safe municipality

The municipality is jointly responsible for the safety and protection of the citizens. Safety – and in particular feeling safe – is one of the key pillars underpinning quality of life. Safety is created not only through a greater police presence but through a whole catalogue of measures, beginning with the inculcation of positive values in school or in clubs and associations. The municipality is there to support those responsible in their efforts to that end. It also sees to it that the requisite youth facilities are in place, as well as care staff where necessary. In addition, the municipalities are responsible, together with the police, for implementing an active prevention policy, including providing people with information on how to prevent burglaries and about practices commonly employed by criminals. This applies, in particular, in the case of elderly members of the community.

Reinforcing prevention in youth centres.

Youth centres not only provide worthwhile leisure activities but also engage in social work related to youth and prevention issues, in the areas of schooling, addiction problems, crime, physical and mental violence, sexuality and bullying, etc. Prevention of domestic violence. The DP Gemeng Mamer will work for regional support services for victims of violence. The DP Gemeng Mamer will also run prevention campaigns against violence and draw attention to the relevant support services.

Raising public awareness.

The municipality should provide citizens with information on how to prevent burglaries and on road safety. It should not be left solely to the police to mount awareness-raising campaigns – for example in advance of periods when many people are expected to be travelling or on holiday. Thus, the commune could carry out regular information meetings regarding accident black spots in the municipality.

Lighting in public areas.

Public lighting not only makes for greater road safety; it also plays a decisive role in terms of personal well-being and general security. We are in favour of an interconnected, energy-efficient lighting concept that increases road safety and the feeling of security.

Updating the municipal police regulations and the security plan.

It’s important to review the municipal police regulations and the security plan at regular intervals and where necessary to update them. As part of that dialogue with the citizens (meetings with local citizens), the concepts and plans should be constantly updated and adapted.

Citizens’ meetings.

The DP Gemeng Mamer is looking to hold regular consultations with the local citizens about the security situation. On the basis of those discussions, the DP Gemeng Mamer will draw up, in collaboration with the police, a security plan specific to the locality concerned. We are striving for a stronger police presence, especially during the holiday periods, in order to prevent burglaries.

More defibrillators in public areas.

We want to see additional, easy to use defibrillators installed in public areas, together with the organisation of regular guidance courses on how to use them. There must also be enough defibrillators available outside the infrastructure. Each device will be equipped with a QR code that will point to videos demonstrating how it works and giving advice on what to do in the event of a cardiac arrest.

Clean municipalities.

Cleanliness plays an important role in making places fit to live in. We will appraise the working procedures and equipment of the relevant municipal departments and where necessary make changes and adaptations thereto. These include the installation of more waste separation garbage bins and sufficient dog waste bag dispensers in public areas. In addition, we will organise local awareness-raising campaigns aimed at providing the citizens with information regarding best practices for promoting harmony in our life together in the municipality.

Reducing light pollution.

Light pollution has health consequences for humans and the environment alike. The DP Gemeng Mamer is committed to the implementation of lighting concepts in the municipalities whereby levels of light pollution in the various localities are checked and, where necessary, lighting is adjusted to the prevailing circumstances. All measures adopted in this connection should be coordinated with the municipality’s security plan.

Combatting noise pollution.

High levels of noise have a negative effect on the citizens’ quality of life. The DP Gemeng Mamer will examine the existing noise maps and draw up and implement concrete action plans along the roads, possibly by reducing the speed limit at certain locations.

Keeping an eye on air quality.

The air quality in the municipality must be checked regularly, so as to enable traffic-related countermeasures to be implemented where they are needed.

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