Consulting

Anti-Bias attempts to fight discrimination and bias. Its goal is the intensive and experienced examination of power and discrimination, as well as the elimination of repressive and discriminating ways of communication and interaction.

Our website offers:

• detailed information and literature on the Anti-Bias approach,
• our programs of theoretical and practical work with Anti-Bias,
• selected links on organizations dealing with Anti-Bias.

The Anti-Bias Network is an association that started as the Oldenburger Group, another association supporting Anti-Bias. We began our project after attending an Anti-Bias training programme at the University of Oldenburg in 2002 led by two women facilitators form South Africa.

On the one hand, our theoretical and practical basic principles are to be found in the relevant literature on Anit-Bias. On the other hand, our work involves theories, models, and methods from our academic and working contexts such as theories on culture (Rudolf Leiprecht, Stuart Hall), anti-discrimination training programs (Anita Kalpaka), as well as methods from educational and anti-discrimination work.

Anti-Bias is not supposed to be a self-contained approach with specific Anti-Bias methods. We rather see Anti-Bias as a lifestyle and as an ever-developing personal process. Furthermore, we consider the Anti-Bias approach to be an open concept (like the LINUX computer system). In this context, it is possible to apply methods of other concepts and approaches and thus continuously develop the Anti-Bias approach.

The stipulations of the constitution of Brandenburg serve as the framework of and as mandate for international cooperation, peace policy and human rights. Within the constitution, Brandenburg commits to an equal, legally binding and responsible cooperation with foreign partners in accordance with a “One-World”-policy.

Since development policy is a cross-sectional task, the government of Brandenburg relies on regional committed groups and non-governmental organizations as well as on the Association of Development NGOs in Brandenburg (Verbund entwicklungspolitischer Nichtregierungsorganisationen in Brandenburg – VENROB).

The aim of the cooperation is to raise public awareness about problems of sustainable development, to inform about global interdependencies and to point out necessary alternatives. A further aim is to foster a better understanding of Global North-South challenges and mutual tolerance. To achieve these purposes seminars, lecture series, concerts, exhibitions and publications are organized.

The responsible Ministry of Justice, Europe and Consumer Protection in Brandenburg takes on a coordinating role. On 31 May 2012, the „Development Policy Guidelines for Brandenburg“ (Entwicklungspolitische Leitlinien der Landesregierung) were agreed upon after a fruitful consultation process with the actors of Brandenburg’s development policy.

These guidelines contain:

• the commitment of the federal state government to development policy and its integration into a general context of sustainable development
• the constitutional regulations
• the nationwide integration
• the Brandenburg-specific implementation with concrete priority-setting
• the creation of a transparent monitoring system, which should ensure that the guidelines are up-to-date in the long run
• the Round Table for Development Policy Brandenburg (Round Table Entwicklungspolitik Brandenburg), which should help to implement a process of committed involvement, in order to firmly embed topics related to development policy into all policies of the federal state.

The government of Brandenburg considers the measures adopted through the „Development Policy Guidelines“ to be a specific contribution of Brandenburg to the recent resolutions of the Minister Presidents of the federal states and therefore to the concrete implementation of the joint responsibility regarding development policy of the German Federal Government, the federal states and BRANDENBURGthe municipalities.

The responsible Committee for European Affairs and Development Policy (Fachausschuss für Europa- und Entwicklungspolitik) within the state government of Brandenburg regularly invites non-governmental organizations and ministries for public discussions.