Ecumenical association

Svenska missionsrådet (SMR) is a forum for churches and Christian organisations. Through SMR, the 35 member organisations can meet, exchange experiences and strengthen their competence. One of our main tasks is to enable NGOs in Sweden and the South to engage in development work. As part of our work for human rights we work to promote freedom of religion or belief. Swedish Mission Council is the umbrella for 35 member organisations, who have partner organisations in more than 50 countries in the world. Apart from that, one of our main partner organisation is Sida, the Swedish international development agency. Other partner organisations: Christian Council of Sweden, PMU, Church of Sweden, Digni, Danish Mission Council Development Department.

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.

Mauritiushaus Niederndodeleben carries out educational projects for global learning. The focus is on workshops with ecclesiastical groups, One-World groups and school classes on current issues related to development policy and ecumenical Christianity. Normally, events take place in our seminar house (30 beds) in Niederndodeleben, near Magdeburg. We work together with partners from ecclesiastical and secular fields.