[image:116,left,10,10,0]MIWO is the name of the little media resorts that four young activists have set up in Cottbus, a small city in Brandenburg. MIWO stands for Medialab and Information Center Wild East and means right now three different workstations with internet access and different workplaces for image and text editing all based on linux, ready to be used.

The big grey house is still under construction. It's run by a group of 30 young people that are busy right now with reconstructing and designing their new home. Zelle79 is the nickname for it, because it is situated in the Parzellenstreet 79 in Cottbus, in the middle of the Lausitz, near the polish border. All of the young people engaged here are part of the "association for a multicultural europe", an organization they have founded eight years ago in order to be active against racism and fascist attacks .Their house is a selforganized so called youth - meeting - center, a place where youth meets, but also where one can meet youth.

Racist and neofascist attacks are still happening quite often in this area. There are even certain areas in the city, that are called "no go areas" because people of color or people who look different are under the high risk of being attacked by neofascists if they would pass one of the streets crossing those areas. Almost every week there are victims of neofascist attacks. Since 1990, where the neofascist movement started to come up in this area, there have always been young people trying to speek up against it. They used various strategies and ways on acting from organising demonstrations, to trying to bring music and subculture back to the city through organising concerts, up to producing a magazin that makes themselves heard.

In 1994 those young people came together and started fighting for their own house so that they would have a space where they can meet and where they can be creative to start all kinds of projects and initiatives that change the conditions of racist and fascist attacks in their city. Even though it took them until 2000 to get their house and even though they are still busy reconstructing it, a lot of projects and initiatives have already developed and are running. Those range from a cafe, to the magazin for young people up to MIWO, the Medialab that has been launched three weeks ago.

MIWO stands for Medialab and Information Center Wild East and may look like a small project on the first sight. ItÕs only run by four people that started half a year ago to extend the information center,that used to provide all sorts of different news and information on what's happening in this area as well as what is going on in the world or where the next interesting concert will be. Within half a year they have set up three different workstations, with internet access, capacities of printing and image processing. Everything in this medialab is based on open source software, so that people are actually able, to try the same at home, since the software is not limited through expensive licenses.

"It's open for whoever wants to use it!" Daniel is explaining the idea of the Medialab. They also want to provide free access for people who are always excluded in order to enable them to speak up and make themselves heard. The offers are very diverse: one can use the room for meeting with people for discussing a project, but the group is also offering training and teaching in linux as well as in newspaper production, picture editing - in short: they offer all the skills that they have. If there is a demand for more knowledge, there is also the possibility to invite experts that can teach classes. But mostly, as the first experiences show, people are not eager for classes, but have many questions on the way, while working. So the medialab is the opportunity to meet people who are working on similar topic or using similar media and to exchange and help each other.

The idea of the medialab is openess: they are open for all people that care. The only thing people need to bring is an open mind and an idea what they want to do. It's no club you have to join, but an open space. The use of internet and technique are free of charge, so that it also stays accessible for people who don't have much money. But the medialab is also open through using open source software only. "The idea of open source software is exactly the same we are doing here" explains Daniel "it's access for all with no obligation to it but a fair use. That way people can be creative and express themselves, fight for their rights or may be just inform themselves."