Development education

Extracurricular education partner for schools and kindergartens in global learning in Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Mecklenburg Vorpommern and Lower Saxony

By means of educational measures related to development policy, through public relations work, and by cooperating in projects in southern countries, the Werkhof e.V. Darmstadt contributes to the fight against poverty and inequality, which are increasing worldwide. We believe that our own society has to change ecologically and economically if we are to have a world that can survive into the future. A fundamental change in thinking is necessary, particularly in rich regions.

A tremendous amount of money is made despite the global problems of migration, unemployment, threats to democracy and human rights, hunger, war, environmental destruction. In fact, there has never been as much financial capital as there is today, which is a result of what appears to be the only important fundamental value in society: "Maximize profit through any possible means". The consequences of this catastrophic development and the incalculable risks concern everyone.

For these reasons, we are particularly involved in activities within our own society, where we especially work with young people, both in and outside of school. Within the scope of our promotion of education and
awareness, it is of special importance to us to reach youths and the professionals working with them. With our long-term project 'Free trade – fair trade?' we try to draw young people's attention to the worldwide
interdependencies in all areas of life, but especially to the unequal conditions on the world economy and the possible consequences of globalisation.

Overview of our work:

• Basic workshops (radio broacasting) for young people and educators (14 years and older)
• Our "world economy and us" simulation and other games on development policy (15 years and older)
• Media packages

The office of information Nicaragua is one of the oldest organizations of the Nicaraguan solidarity movement. The history of the office of information was until the 90s closely related with the economyof the solidarity movement to Central America and especially to Nicaragua. Today our work concentrates on the area of development education  and information for Latin America and on thecooperation and support of base initiatives in Nicaragua. We provide information, publish publications, provide educational materials, maintain a third world archive, mediate examiners, organize visits with Latin-American activists and organize actions, series of events, school workshops and seminars. Within the framework of several projects educational materials were developed on subjects like economy, migration, climate change and environmental justice, human rights and social movements as well as colonialism and racism. Besides the educational materials we also offer disseminator courses. For several years we also offer successful workshops on the above mentioned subjects for young people . We use interactive and participative exercises of global learning, so that young people can approach appropriately to the subject of the workshops. Moreover we refer to the interests and experiences of the participants and put a main focus on the learning. Our work focuses on fun, the connections with the life and reality of young people, reflection as well as the ability to own judgment and action.

The north church promotes, the church overseas development service, projects in Asia, Africa and Latin America. In this way making a contribution to more global justice is shown. At the same time the church wants to promote a critical understanding for the global, economic, social, political and ecological influences that shape our lives. The educational offer of the church overseas development service has the aim to understand the interconnection among our own life and of people all over the world. Together with others the church wants to create a worldwide social change through the communication of abilities, settings and values. We want to connect people and promote their engagement supporting a fairer and more sustainable world. Our aid programs are available for church and non-church groups and initiatives in Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein. Every two years the north church announces the "one world price". This price honors initiatives, groups, church municipalities or individuals for their engagement. The theological bases, definitions, structures and quality criterions of the educational work are summarized in the concept for the development educational work of the north church.

WEED is an independent NGO and was founded in 1990. Our goal is to create more awareness in Germany for the causes of worldwide poverty and environmental problems. WEED is committed to national and international networks and unites organisations and initiatives in the North and South.

Our focus is on:

• international indebtedness, debt clearance initiatives and Germany's role in this context;
• politics, projects and programmes of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the World Bank;
• reforming and democratizing the international financial markets;
• international trade policy and WTO (World Trade Organisation);
• the North-South policy of the European Union, and international environmental and development policy

WEED performs research, collects background material, and writes working papers, including for example, the WEED-Schuldenreport (the Weed debt report) that is published on a regular basis and provides information on indebtedness. WEED runs campaigns, talks to political decision-makers and intervenes in political decision-making processes. WEED wants to draw attention to these problems by organizing seminars, workshops and conferences, by collaborating with the media and through public relations. WEED works together with national and international NGOs, and supports and completes the work of other environmental and developmental organisations.