It’s lunchtime on Sunday. Is there any fresh oregano for the pasta sauce? No worries, there are fresh herbs in the flower pot on the balcony. The miniature herb garden is one small victory over dependence on others, on supermarkets on supply chains and farmers.

The oregano plant is just one step in taking things into your own hands rather than waiting for others to handle things -- companies, authorities, institutions or politicians, for example. If you join forces with other people, you can achieve even more. For example, you can start a community garden and create a large herb patch so that neighbors can pick ingredients for lunch. And there are many other ways to become self-sufficient working together with others. When a volunteer handymen repairs broken lamps or microwaves in a Repair Café or volunteers offer tutoring for schoolchildren who can’t afford a private tutor, for example.

"Do It Yourself" is the motto of the Social Design Award, which SPIEGEL and SPIEGEL WISSEN are organizing together with the retail company Bauhaus. SPIEGEL WISSEN is looking for the best community projects whose aim is to encourage independence and active participation, and which serve the common good. A jury of experts and the readers of SPIEGEL.de will each select a winner from the entries submitted. The jury and the audience awards have a cash purse of 2,500 euros each.