Non-Governmental Organization

Intercultural School Partnerships

All Weltladen shops in Germany are members of the Weltladen parent organization which has its headquarters in Mainz. It coordinates joint efforts as well as publicity campaigns and provides continuing education for employees and current information on Weltladen shops. The Weltladen parent organization sees itself as an organisation dedicated to serve its members.

Its most important goals are:

• to promote the idea of fair trade and to bring the Weltladen shops to the attention of the public and policy-makers.
• to give the public a clear and coherent idea of Weltladen shops and their philosophy.
• to establish Weltladen shops as specialized shops of fair trade and to systematically improve and support their work.
• to further develop the work of the Weltladen shops under today´s changing conditions.

Accordingly, one main focus lies in the organisation of political activities, like our "Weltladen Days", which traditionally take place in May. The Weltladen parent organization promotes fair play in world trade through activities that attract public attention. Another principal concern of its work is to become known to a broader public. Currently the Weltladen parent organization is cooperating closely with youths on the subject of global learning. The Weltladen parent organization is a member of the Forum for Fair Trade, a union of the most important players in fair trade in Germany.

Information centre one world provides information materials on culture, history, economy and politics of Third World countries. It focuses on the integration of North and South in economic and political terms. Since 1997, Info-Zentrum Eine Welt has had a promoting function for the German federal state of Schleswig Holstein aiming at the networking of groups working in the field of development policy as well as at promoting the interconnection of the environment and development in accordance with Agenda 21 (Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992; Earth Summit in Johannesburg in 2002). Major actions of the organisation include managing public relations and carrying out activities, exhibitions, themed weeks and projects.

Since 1974 we have been a registered association, running a fair trade shop, called a ‘Weltladen’ and are involved in group education and education projects in schools. Furthermore, we undertake campaigns for more justice in world trade.

With the sales of fairly traded goods we would like to draw the attention to unfair world market structures and create an alternative to customary commercial methods.We are an honorary team and see the world store as a learning place which is also open to interested new employees. We organize school class visits for fair trade, products and their producers and we also organize informational events on global subjects. We are acknowledged as an application place for the federal Voluntary Service.