“Democracy thrives when we shape it together,” says Maike Finnern, chair of the Education and Science Union (GEW) and patron of the current “Yellow Hand” competition. “This means getting involved and taking a stand for values such as equal opportunity, social justice, and diversity.”
For the 19th time, the union-affiliated association “Mach meinen Kumpel nicht an!” is organizing the “Die Gelbe Hand” competition. The association has been advocating for equal treatment and against racism in the workplace for nearly 40 years and has been a long-standing partner of IG Metall.
Who can participate?
The competition is open to apprentices, students at vocational schools or vocational colleges, and all young people currently enrolled in vocational training—from all over Germany. They are all encouraged to participate and take a creative stand against xenophobia and racism and in favor of solidarity and cooperation.
We are looking for entries created in 2024 and 2025 that have not won any awards in other competitions. All types of projects, forms of presentation, and media are permitted.
- Essays, reports, interviews
- films, photos, or an exhibition
- Computer games or animations
- Campaign logos
- Songs
- Posters, postcards, pictures, collages
- and, and, and...
Enter and win
The prizes are 1,000 euros for first place, 700 euros for second place, and 500 euros for third place.
There are also three special prizes: the Schleswig-Holstein Special Prize, the DGB Youth North Special Prize, and the DGB Youth North Rhine-Westphalia Special Prize (500 euros each).
The deadline for submitting entries is January 4, 2026. The awards ceremony will take place in March 2026 in Kiel.
Rules and News
You can find the complete rules, all information on submissions, the registration forms, and ideas for your entries here
