Non-Governmental Organization

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.

ELAN is an association of organizations committed to development policy. Its members range from small solidarity groups, aid organizations, and "Weltläden" (Fair Trade stores) to working groups, youth associations. and networks. Overall, about 400 groups from Rhineland-Palatinate are organized in this statewide network. ELAN's work in development policy is very diverse. The main focus is on: Fair Trade, partnerships, campaigns, Local Agenda 21, as well as globalization and its effects in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.

As a parent organization, ELAN is responsible for networking development policy initiatives within the state. Through publications or the Internet, its member organizations receive information about current subjects, activities, and campaigns and participate in discussion forums. The dialog between ELAN and the state government gives significance to the diverse aspects of the work related to development policy in the state. The ELAN office in Mainz coordinates the educational and public relations work and assists member organizations with projects.

To secure a viable future for people, animals, and in fact the whole planet, a new course must be set in global politics. Hence, the following principles determine the work of ELAN:

1. A more just, permanently inhabitable world can only be achieved if everyone is granted the right to live, and people can live in dignity and in a socially secure environment.
2. It makes sense to network efforts. In order to critically observe and monitor the process of economic networking and monopolization, both governments and NGOs must cooperate worldwide.
3. Democracy must be strengthened because informed citizens identify undesirable developments early on. They should not feel at the mercy of their governments, and they should assume responsibility for the preservation of the basic living conditions worldwide through their commitment to sustainable development.