Human rights

Pharma-Kampagne is part of the German Federal Congress of Development Action Groups (BUKO). The aim of BUKO is to expose structural injustice between North and South and to press for changes towards a fair economic and political world order. BUKO has about 200 member groups. Since Germany is one of the world's largest exporters of drugs, BUKO became interested in the economical and health implications of the trade with pharmaceuticals and medicinal products. Thus in 1980 Pharma-Kampagne was founded.

Activities of Pharma Kampagne: Pharma-Kampagne is an independent non-profit NGO and dependant on donations. We monitor the marketing practices of the German pharmaceutical industry in Third World Countries. We try to stop unethical practices such as the sale of dangerous, useless and irrational drugs, the distribution of misleading information and unethical promotion. We also work on the rational use of drugs and problems of the health system in Germany.

Pharma-Kampagne is a public awareness raising campaign group. We organise action weeks and street theatre tours, do continuous press work, lobby politicians and pressure industry for a change in marketing behaviour in Developing Countries.

Our campaigns against the marketing practices of Boehringer Ingelheim, Hoechst, Schering, and E. Merck resulted in the withdrawal of a number of hazardous drugs. We successfully lobbied for a German export control law for pharmaceuticals. Pharma-Kampagne is a member of Health Action International (HAI), the Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) and the International Society of Drug Bulletins (ISDB).

FAIR for all generations FAIR education - Our campaigns are aimed at schools, kindergartens and day-care centres (Kitas), extracurricular actors in the greater Saarbrücken area and Saarland University. Several "Fair Kitas", "Fairtrade Schools" and "Fairtrade Universities" from the greater Saarbrücken area have already been awarded. School classes and courses from the Saarbrücken region have already received the award "Fair School Class - Fair Trade Class" more than 100 times. Through our young "Fair Trade Ambassadors" as multipliers and through our wide-ranging commitment, we reach a broad public. The guiding principle of our network is Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

The Human Rights Center (MRZ) mainly focuses on the collection, editing and archiving of legal materials in order to make them available to legal professionals. The MRZ is the first institution of its kind in the Federal Republic of Germany. It works in close cooperation with the European Council and the departments of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Justice that are responsible for human rights. It also collaborates with other institutions focusing on human rights in Germany and in other countries represented in the European Council.

Another major objective of the Center is to establish a specialized library for the use of Center's researchers and students from Berlin and Potsdam, as well as outside researchers and government representatives. In addition, the MRZ publishes scientific papers treating human rights issues from the perspectives of international law, European Community Law and national law.

The association "Schulwälder für Westafrika e. V." (School Forests for West Africa) - together with the "Youth and Environment Club" in Ghana - works for the preservation of the rainforest and for a climate-friendly and healthy environment. In order to inspire pupils in Germany and Ghana for nature and its protection, the association arranges partner schools between the two countries. In this way, pupils and teachers from Germany and Ghana can work together for the forest/rainforest. Practical action promotes sustainability education and a sense of responsibility for people in other countries. In addition, pupils learn to dedicate themselves to a project in the long term. While pupils in Ghana plant and maintain trees for shady places in their schoolyards with the motto "solar lamps/ football as an incentive for tree planting", pupils in Germany start tree planting in different places. In connection with global learning, the pupils can exchange information about the living conditions in the respective other country, e.g. these topics: Climate protection (tree planting/forestation of the forest or rainforest/tree nursery), biodiversity (animals and plants), energy (solar lamps with the possibility of charging the mobile phone), health and poverty (solar lamps instead of paraffin lamps), education (computer centre in Nyakrom, environmental education materials for primary schools), climate (including seasons), consumption of resources (trees as firewood), conservation of resources (chains made of recycled paper), consumption (clothing, food and housing), children's rights.

The fund works as a sponsoring foundation. It fosters projects that serve the purposes of better understanding among peoples, the interests of survivors of the National Socialist regime, youth exchange, social justice, remembrance of the threat posed by totalitarian systems and despotism, and international cooperation in humanitarian endeavours.