German Society for Time Policy (DGfZP) International
➞ ABOUT US: GIVE TIME A VOICE
➞ THE FUTURE OF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
➞ MEMORANDUM: THE RIGHT TO TIME…
➞ THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY FOR TIME POLICY – A PROPOSAL
BARCELONA TIME USE WEEK 2021
➞ BARCELONA DECLARATION ON TIME POLICIES
➞ BARCELONA TIME USE WEEK
➞ ZEITPOLITISCHES MAGAZIN IN ENGLISH
ABOUT US: GIVE TIME A VOICE
The German Society for Time Policy (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zeitpolitik e. V. – DGfZP) is a network of researchers and practitioners who try to bring to the fore the temporal conditions prevalent in society. Our members are affiliated with different institutions such as universities, schools, advanced training, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, the arts, enterprises, churches, care institutions, trade unions etc. The mission of the DGfZP as a time-related think tank is: to analyse temporal conflicts, develop societal knowhow on temporal conditions and their consequences for societal well-being, bring available knowledge and knowhow together, suggest topics for in-depth analyses, develop instruments for explicit temporal interventions and policies, promote public discourse in view of political and societal decision-making.
The DGfZP was founded in October 2002 with the aim of bringing together isolated projects and individuals working on temporal issues in society. Initially there were six major lines of research and activism: working times, ecology of time, times of the city, temporal welfare, gender and time structures in everyday life, time and (health) care. Even though time policy is steadily gaining in importance – in everyday life and the life course, at the workplace, in associations and politics, in the media – awareness of its relevance is still insufficient. Therefore, sensitizing the public for temporal issues and the often-hidden temporal impacts of different policies is a core competence of the DGfZP.
Our work is crucially committed to temporal autonomy and individual as well as collective temporal welfare, the basic concepts being the right to time and temporal justice. The right to time was developed within the DGfZP and became part of a Council of Europe’s Resolution (313 (2010)). We seek to make time a matter of public debate and a constituent part of political decision- making – to give time a voice.
Time policy-making in the DGfZP relies on the contributions of individuals from a wide range of professions and activities. Funding is provided by the contributions of our members and by donations. All work done within the DGfZP is voluntary work by the members and the board.
Three publications might serve as calling cards of our Society:
- Mückenberger, U. (2011): Local Time Policies in Europe. In: Time and Society 20 (2), S. 241-273.
- Henckel, D., et al. (eds.) (2013): Space Time Design for the Public City. Dordrecht.
- DGfZP (2015): Time Policy in Europe, ZpM No 26, July 2015 – weblink
In addition to our webpage there are two formats of outreach which are especially important:
- The annual conferences, with a different topic every year; conference outcomes have frequently led to public minutes and manifestos and/or book publications.
- Our semi-annual online journal Zeitpolitisches Magazin (Time Policy Magazine). Summer issues focus on the contributions and results of the previous year’s conference; winter issues are dedicated to varying topics. Both issues also feature reports, reviews, conference notifications, members’ portraits, and information on time policy projects.
Moreover, members contribute to and engage in conferences, hearings, publications, interviews in a great variety of contexts. We also try to develop cooperation with time researchers, activists, artists in German speaking countries and within the EU. More recently, we have initiated several campaigns, some of them with an explicit focus on international cooperation:
- In cooperation with partners in France, Spain and Italy we published a European Memorandum
“The Right to Time, an urgent topic on the European Agenda”, describing the need for explicit time policies and the establishment of a European Time Academy (available in five languages) – link. - To promote the discussion on the abolishment of the time switch (from standard time to DST) the DGfZP published a dossier “The Future of Daylight Saving Time” (available in German and English) – link
- On the basis of a research project funded by the Federal Government the DGfZP developed a proposal for a model of temporal options during the life course – link
We welcome any support and ideas you might contribute. If you have a time policy concern, the extended board is open for cooperation – in giving time a voice.
THE FUTURE OF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
In many countries there are controversies, campaigns or legal initiatives to abolish the switch to DST in spring and back again in autumn and return to permanent standard time or to permanent DST. In essence the conflict is between solar time, social times and experienced time.
The dossier is a time policy document and an opportunity to discuss different models and arguments systematically, to support a rational decision making based on a evaluation of the respective pros and cons – according to available scientific knowledge – for a feasible and pragmatic solution.
Download “The future of Daylight Saving Time” – PDF-file
MEMORANDUM:
THE RIGHT TO TIME, AN URGENT TOPIC TO THE EUROPEAN AGENDA
All over Europe citizens perceive acceleration, time pressure, temporal conflicts and incompatibilities, discrimination, and injustice. In this memorandum we urge the European institutions to implement an explicit time policy, which contributes to a better quality of life, to more equality and justice in the relations between genders and generations and to sustainable development. We plead for a “right to time” and for the creation of a European space, to bring together time political knowledge and experience and care for its to dissemination in Europe.
Download »Memorandum. Il diritto al tempo. Un tema urgente per l’agenda europea.« – italiano
Download »Memorandum: The Right to Time, an urgent topic on the European Agenda« – english
Download »Tribune Le droit au temps Une thématique urgente à mettre à l’agenda européen« – français
Download »Tribuna El derecho al tiempo, un tema urgente en la agenda europea« – español
ZEITPOLITISCHES MAGAZIN IN ENGLISH
In 2015 we published an overview of European time policy initiatives:
Download ZpM Nr. 26, July 2015 – Time Policy in Europe – PDF-file
ZPM No 41 – English Edition July 2023
Articles on DGfZP’s 20th Anniversary in English: Our English version focuses on those parts of this ZpM that are dedicated to the DGfZP’s 20th anniversary. The articles deal with achievements made, initiatives launched and uphill battles pursued in the course of these 20 years. In the present era of multiple crises, the DGfZP, too, faces the challenge of finding ways to contribute to a better future in its very own field of expertise, i.e., time policy.
Download Articles on DGfZP’s 20th Anniversary in English – PDF file
