Union/Association

Networking of asylum and refugee policy initiatives in Bavaria

The OeVA - Oecumenical Planing-Comittee for the Intercultural Week in Germany (ÖVA - Ökumenische Vorbereitungsausschuss) prepares the annual intercultural week (IKW) which is taking place all over the country. It recommends content focuses, suggests a theme, carries out the annual, nationwide preparatory conference  offers materials available for the preparatory groups and organizes a central nationwide inaugural event.In the EPC 15 members are appointed from the churches. Up to six additional members are coopted from institutions, organizations and socially important areas.

What is the intercultural week?
The annual intercultural week (IKW) is an initiative of the German bishops' conference (DBK - Deutschen Bischofskonferenz), the Protestant church in Germany (EKD - Evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland) and the Greek-orthodox Metropolie that takes place throughout all Germany. The intercultural week is held ince 1975 at the end of September and is supported by churches, local authority districts, welfare associations, trade unions, integration advisory boards and commissioned, migrant's organizations and initiative groups. In 2016 about 5,000 events were carried out in more than 500 towns and municipalities. The Refugee Day is a component of the intercultural week.

The KMK is an association of the German government ministers, who—in their function as highest authorities of a Land—are responsible for education, science, and culture. The Länder work together on educational and cultural issues to develop common guidelines. Their primary aim is to guarantee an equal standard of quality in all German schools. They also reciprocally recognize different educational qualifications. In higher education, the KMK regulates German university admissions and guarantees the equivalence of academic achievements. The Pedagogical Exchange Service (PAD) offers projects and programs promoting the exchange of students and teachers. The German Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) reviews 15,000 foreign educational qualifications every year.