Togo

IJGD stands for International Youth Community Services. It is a non-profit organisation working in the field of international youth work and political education. Since 1949, IJGD has been active throughout Germany as an organisation independent from any religious or political party and recognised by the state authorities. The aim of IJGD is to forward young people's awareness of social conditions and to support the development of a feeling of social responsibility. The work of IJGD thus includes the promotion of international understanding and the reduction of prejudice between people of different nations, social backgrounds, religions and political ideas. We organise workcamps, international youth meetings, youth holiday periods in Germany, Europe and overseas as well as different trainings and seminars as further education.

In addition, IJGD is in charge of different long-term voluntary services such as the voluntary social service (FSJ), the voluntary ecological service (FÖJ) and the voluntary heritage service (FJD).

The Berlin part of IJGD, IJGD LV Berlin, has a specific focus on intercultural and inter-generation projects. In the field of the European Voluntary Service (EVS), IJGD Berlin is involved as a sending and hosting organisation. As part of our pilote project ‘voluntary services in socially deprived areas', ijgd Berlin has a growing number of EVS-placements in Berlin in socially deprived areas. This pilote project aims to further social inclusion, intercultural learning and to support small non-profit organisations and initiatives. As a sending organisation we send young German volunteers from Berlin and ist surroundings for longterm voluntary services to Europe in the frame work of EVS.

IJGD Berlin also organises midterm voluntary services in Africa, Asia and Latinamerika.

Students from over 120 different nations, aged 16 to 19, selected exclusively on the basis of aptitude (talent, commitment, motivation), live and learn together at one of the thirteen United World Colleges for the last two school years until they graduate from high school. The colleges are located in Wales, Norway, Italy, USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, the Netherlands, Swaziland, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

We support teachers in Switzerland at all levels in their daily work by giving them impulses for their lessons which are directed towards a viable development in a global society. We sell and lend over 800 tried and tested teaching aids in German, French and Italian language. We provide teacher training. We inform and advise with relation to Global Education. We are part of a network of national and international organisations having similar aims.

The North German mission, with its head office in Bremen, was founded in 1836 by Lutherans and Reformed Christians. Since 1847, it has been involved in development projects in West Africa. Now the NM works on behalf of its associated churches: the Bremische Evangelische Kirche, the Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirche in Oldenburg, the Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche, the Lippische Landeskirche and (since 2001 as an equal partner) the Eglise Evangélique Presbytérienne du Togo and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana. The NM helps people in Togo and its neighboring country, Ghana, West Africa, to improve their standard of living. The Protestant churches in Ghana and Togo are the NM's partners on site. Their church services strengthen the people's faith and lead to the foundation of new parishes. The NM also supports social projects that promote humanitarian development,. Within these projects the NM fulfills diverse tasks, such as supporting schools, hospitals, and health care centers, programs for women, projects for youth welfare and agriculture, training in crafts and skills. Furthermore, the NM promotes self-help groups that organize their own courses against illiteracy for women, reforestation projects, and the training of unemployed youths In addition, the NM helps to establish contacts between people of different cultures by organizing workshops, partnerships among parishes, and conferences (for example to establish a dialog between Christians and Muslims).

The NM is financed by Church subsidies and other means; every donation goes entirely to Ghana and Togo. Without these donations, projects of the associated churches could not be carried out and many people would remain without aid.

*What is CHAT between WORLDS?*
CHAT between WORLDS combines global learning with digital media. The programme is designed to address the perspectives of various target groups living in Asia, Africa, Latin America, or Southeast Europe: School classes and individuals can exchange experiences with students in Germany through online communication. That way, CHAT between the WORLDS overcomes geographical distances and offers the opportunity for authentic and personal encounters. School classes of all school types with students from the age of 10 can take part.

*What does a virtual exchange look like?*
At CHAT between WORLDS, there are two forms of CHATs: peer-to-peer CHATs and expert CHATs. During peer-to-peer CHATs, children and young people get in touch with school classes in Germany. While during expert CHATs, professionals share their expertise with students in Germany online. Depending on time differences and local internet connections, the virtual exchange can take place via live stream or via video messages. Before each CHAT, participants are prepared for the CHAT topic using methods of Global Learning. Both the content of the exchange and the rules of conduct during the CHAT are drawn up in advance. Through question and answer sessions, the participants learn with and from each other. However, other forms of digital experiences are also possible: For example, a digital scavenger hunt, a jointly designed online pin board, or a cooking campaign across the globe. The common languages of the virtual exchange are French, English, Spanish or German.
After the CHAT, the participants reflect on the knowledge and impressions they gained during the CHAT. The students are encouraged to think about their own courses of action, plan their own projects and subsequently implement them independently.

*Who is organizing CHAT between WORLDS?*
CHAT between WORLDS is implemented by five civil organisations in seven federal states of Germany (Baden-Wuerttemberg, Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia). CHAT between WORLDs is coordinated by Engagement Global gGmbH with funds from the Ministry of economic Cooperation and Development.

The Program “Arbeit in Würde“ supports and accompanies Brücke • Le pont with 35 development projects for  discriminated for people in the countries Togo, Benin, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Bolivia and Brazil.

Education and support of the independency are the foundations of a sustainable development. People should be able to make a living from their work and to take responsibility for family and society. They need profitable or fairly paid work and just working conditions for it.For that they need profitable or fairly paid jobs and just working conditions for it.

Brücke • Le pont have been focusing on the following points:

• Income support
• Professional education
• Support of labour laws

The projects promote mainly adults, but also teenagers and children. They contribute to the parents so that they can take care of their children, and promote the equal rights of woman and man. Brücke • Le pont works mostly together with small and local organizations. They are close to the target population and know the social, cultural and political relations on site very well. Brücke • Le pont thinks highly of the fact that in the projects participative and locally adapted methods are being applied and that the cooperation is maintained on networks. This creates synergies and raises the effectiveness. Education is the foundation of development. It strengthens the self-esteem of the people and provides the necessary knowledge for them to perform a good and profitable work.