Public relations/campaigns

Südwind is an Austrian non-profit organisation operating in the fields of global education, adult education, campaigning and public awareness-raising. They develop creative methods and ideas for education work for a better North-South understanding. They have already different experiences with EU-funded programmes. To a large extent the projects of Südwind are funded by the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Culture.

The main activities of Südwind are:

• Global Education: Seminars and Training, Programmes for teachers and multipliers, Production of Materials (Exhibitions, Workshops, Print-Materials), Network of Global Education Centres in Austria, International School and NGO Networks, Global Education Week
• Public Awareness: Campaigns: ,,Bitter Orange" (1997/1998), ,,Clean Clothes-Campaign" (1998/1999, since 2001), ,,Project Secure" (since 2001), ,,Fair Trade" (since 2001), co-operation with media and public events
• Südwind-Magazine: An Information-Magazine about: South-North-interdependencies, poverty and welfare, the world's cultures, a global future

Pharma-Kampagne is part of the German Federal Congress of Development Action Groups (BUKO). The aim of BUKO is to expose structural injustice between North and South and to press for changes towards a fair economic and political world order. BUKO has about 200 member groups. Since Germany is one of the world's largest exporters of drugs, BUKO became interested in the economical and health implications of the trade with pharmaceuticals and medicinal products. Thus in 1980 Pharma-Kampagne was founded.

Activities of Pharma Kampagne: Pharma-Kampagne is an independent non-profit NGO and dependant on donations. We monitor the marketing practices of the German pharmaceutical industry in Third World Countries. We try to stop unethical practices such as the sale of dangerous, useless and irrational drugs, the distribution of misleading information and unethical promotion. We also work on the rational use of drugs and problems of the health system in Germany.

Pharma-Kampagne is a public awareness raising campaign group. We organise action weeks and street theatre tours, do continuous press work, lobby politicians and pressure industry for a change in marketing behaviour in Developing Countries.

Our campaigns against the marketing practices of Boehringer Ingelheim, Hoechst, Schering, and E. Merck resulted in the withdrawal of a number of hazardous drugs. We successfully lobbied for a German export control law for pharmaceuticals. Pharma-Kampagne is a member of Health Action International (HAI), the Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) and the International Society of Drug Bulletins (ISDB).

FAIR for all generations FAIR education - Our campaigns are aimed at schools, kindergartens and day-care centres (Kitas), extracurricular actors in the greater Saarbrücken area and Saarland University. Several "Fair Kitas", "Fairtrade Schools" and "Fairtrade Universities" from the greater Saarbrücken area have already been awarded. School classes and courses from the Saarbrücken region have already received the award "Fair School Class - Fair Trade Class" more than 100 times. Through our young "Fair Trade Ambassadors" as multipliers and through our wide-ranging commitment, we reach a broad public. The guiding principle of our network is Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

The experience of the peaceful "Wende" in 1989 awakened in many people the hope that a Germany without a military could be possible. This hope led people from various civil initiatives in Halle together to found the Friedenskreis in 1990. The Friedenskreis Halle e.V. is an group of people of differing world views, religions, nationalities and political affiliations. We see peace not as a state of being or as a distant goal, and not simply as the absence of war. Peace is for us a means to a common, just and non-violent life together in diversity, where the personal development and liberty of the individual is made possible. The conception of this life together is always a new experience. This is why we try to explore, find and pass on new ways of doing so, while never forgetting to question the same. We are consequently involved in education, peace-associated activities and in projects for civil conflict resolution on both the domestic and international levels. Our work is made possible by paid and voluntary staff and carried through donations and public subsidies. Our current programme and projects

• Seminars and educational programmes in the areas of communication, conflict resolution, mediation, dealing with violence and learning how to speak out
• Consulting for initiatives and projects
• Lectures and seminars on current peace-associated themes
• Civil conflict resolution through the development of an educational and encounter centre in Jajce, Bosnia.
• Work camps, youth encounters and volunteer work in the countries of the Balkans.
• Counselling on military service and conscientious objection
• Cooperation in activities and campaigns against militarisation
• Coordination of the initiative "Zivilcourage: Bündnis für Gewaltlosigkeit, Demokratie und Toleranz in Halle"