Sustainable development

Der norwegische Solidaritätsausschuss für Lateinamerika

Agency for International and Intercultural Arts Projects

Our office was founded in 1982 as a department of the "Friends and Sponsors of Intercultural Relationships" association and was located in the international centre of the German adult education centre (VHS) in Duisburg until 1989. In 1990 it moved its headquarters to Essen and since then it has been registered and legally recognized as the non-profit organization "EXILE – Coordination of Cultures".

Our organization wants to present cultures from other parts of the world to the German public, with a particular focus on developing countries and on migrants residing in Germany. We also create, organize and set up exhibitions and other events that are related to intercultural topics.

Music, theater, literature, and the fine arts are especially well suited to providing an insight into other cultural perspectives and life experiences, which raise our sensibility for more conscious contact with both our own cultural environment and other cultures.

Our cooperation partners include the church and trade unions as well as a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations involved in intercultural, sociocultural, and educational domains as well as in development policy issues.

Many projects are carried out in cooperation with organizations such as Terre des Hommes, Amnesty International, TransFair, and institutions like the West German broadcasting service (WDR), the cultural office of North Rhine Westphalia, and the cultural and educational centres of local authorities. Much of our work is financially supported by the government of North Rhine Westphalia within the framework of the One-World-Promoter Program.

The Forum Globales Lernen in Bayern (global learning in Bavaria) is a merger of various Bavarian institutions (educational institutions, associations, and civil society organisations). It is established at Eine Welt Netzwerk Bayern e. V. (one world network Bavaria, a registered association), i.e. the Bavarian regional network of non-governmental organisations, World Shops, and local North-South-Forums.

Since 1990 the society has operated a programme of cooperation with environmental and conservationist organizations in the Third World, entitled The Environmental Movement that is Changing the World. The programme comprises support for and interchanges with Third World organizations working for the sustainable utilisation of natural resources. Within Sweden, the society works for the dissemination of information on environmental and development issues, etc. The SSNC is also cooperating with NGOs in Central and Eastern Europe. In focus for the cooperation are transport, energy, forest, water and green consumerism. Local twinning between local groups is an important part of the cooperation.