Partners in weltwärts – Newsletter for partners on the weltwärts programme
Dear weltwärts partners,
A wonderful weltwärts anniversary year is now behind us and we can look back at many fantastic, inspiring events.
Read on to find out how you can connect with the weltwärts network online. We’ll provide updates from the Programme Steering Committee and on the volunteer surveys too. You will also receive ideas about how to effectively manage crises facing volunteers.
Happy reading! Bonne lecture ! Viel Spaß bei der Lektüre! ¡Disfruten de la lectura!
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With warm regards on behalf of the weltwärts joint operation
Natalie Tawamba Tessa, contact person for partner communication at the weltwärts coordination centre and
Lourens de Jong, PSC civil society representative responsible for the partner newsletter
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In October 2023, the fourth international weltwärts partner conference took place in Berlin, allowing around 70 attendees from 38 different countries the opportunity to discuss the weltwärts programe. Networking was a central theme, with good examples of mentoring and returnee engagement. But that’s not all: great fun was to be had singing and dancing.
This was the first partner conference to deal with the impact of partnerships within the weltwärts programe. This involved asking all participants questions in order to measure the influence of the weltwärts programe on partnerships.
A particular highlight was the anniversary evening to celebrate “15 years of weltwärts”, which hosted representatives from seven embassies, the German Bundestag and federal ministries. The South African ambassador gave a powerful speech on the importance of non-governmental organisations and voluntary engagement. The circus performers helped create a vibrant sense of community for the evening, which was rounded off with dancing to live music.
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Finding partner organisations
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Are you looking for more weltwärts partners in your or a neighbouring country? Would you like to improve your Internet presence and reach more suitable volunteers in the process? Then register on the weltwärts website in a few simple steps. Here, you can present your organisation and possible activities for volunteers, provide your contact details and look to connect with other partner organisations.
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The link below takes you to a list of all partner organisations already registered. It would be nice to find your organisation there soon!
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Dealing with crises during volunteer service
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Most tutors and mentors know all too well that volunteers can experience minor or even more significant crises during their learning service. In its crisis guide, the Welthaus Bielefeld uses real-life examples to summarise how support staff can effectively assist volunteers going through a difficult time.
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Partner conference in Ghana
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Held in February 2024, the partner conference in Ghana was characterised by intensive discussions among approximately 60 attendees from Benin, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Togo and Germany. The Ghanaian Education Minister and two representatives of the German Embassy were also present and expressed their interest in the issues covered by the weltwärts programme. Developing the West African weltwärts Network (WAwN/ROAW) was particularly important to the attendees, as were the topics of mental health and linking the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) with the weltwärts programme.
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News from the Programme Steering Committee
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With regard to the North-South component, the programe Steering Committee has been asking itself over recent months how the group of weltwärts volunteers can be made more diverse. Which target groups do we want to reach more effectively in the interests of educational equality? How can we encourage large numbers of young people to complete a weltwärts volunteer service? And how can we prevent further implementing organisations from leaving the programme?
To relieve the financial burden on implementing organisations, the programe Steering Committee has also altered the mandatory benefits it grants to volunteers. Since this sending cycle, implementing organisations may ask their North-South volunteers to contribute towards the costs of the following, either partially or in full: 1) flights or pocket money, 2) travel to seminars in Germany and 3) visa costs. For volunteers from financially disadvantaged families, additional resources are available to offset the disadvantages they face. In these cases, the volunteers concerned are not required to contribute towards the costs listed above. However, all volunteers will still be responsible for ensuring they establish a support network.
The new concept “Work carried out by former volunteers” for the North-South and South-North programme components has been passed and will be published on the weltwärts website in due course. In future, projects with former South volunteers in the Global South can be requested through the German partner organisation as an accompanying measures for the programe. The concept for accompanying measures for the programe is also currently under review.
If you would like more information about the current issues the programe Steering Committee is addressing, please contact your German implementing organisation.
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Complete volunteer survey reports now online
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As already announced, the results of the latest volunteer surveys are now available online. If you would like to find out how satisfied the volunteers are with the support they receive and which insights they have gained, view the results here:
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Partner conference in Argentina, 6 to 10 May 2024, hosted by the BDKJ Rottenburg-Stuttgart / Association of German Catholic Youth and Sede Administrativa de las Escuelas (SAED)
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Next programe Steering Committee meeting: 23 May 2024
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Partner conference in India, provisionally scheduled for October 2024, hosted by Deutsch-Indische Zusammenarbeit (German-Indian Cooperation), Internationaler Bund Südwest gGmbH, the German Red Cross in Hessen Volunta and the partners Ecumenical Sangam and Dream School Foundation
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Partner conference in South Africa, provisionally scheduled for March 2025, hosted by the German Red Cross in Hessen Volunta and Play Handball South Africa
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Partner conference in Ecuador, provisionally scheduled for May 2025, hosted by Open Door International and Fundacion Intercambio Internacional Para El Desarrollo (FIIDES).
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Contact
ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL gGmbH
Service für Entwicklungsinitiativen - Service for Development Initiatives
weltwärts Coordination Unit
Tel. +49 228 20 717-2232
Redaktion.weltwaerts@engagement-global.de
To the weltwärts website
Legal notice
ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL gGmbH
Service für Entwicklungsinitiativen - Service for Development Initiatives
Tel. +49 228 20 717-0
info@engagement-global.de
To the Engagement Global website
The headquarters of the organisation are located in Bonn
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 40, 53113 Bonn
Managers authorised to represent the organisation: Dr. Jens Kreuter, Ingrid Arenz
Commercial register: Bonn Local Court: HRB 19021
VAT ID: DE280482195
Responsible for content weltwärts joint operation, represented by Astrid Neumann (weltwärts Coordination Unit) and Lourens de Jong (ventao)
Editorial team Natalie Tawamba Tessa (weltwärts Coordination Unit) and Lourens de Jong (ventao)
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