"All the goals and expectations
where checked at the end !"
Kiel, Germany
IDEA
After an intensive time of reworking the concept and reorientation of our work and also after a comprehensive examination of the weltwärts-Program itself, we will manage our comeback of sending volunteers this year.
A lot of changes have been made and we adapted some point of our work to the new requirements of the program. We reached to remain true to ourselves, for we can continue fully convinced and by putting our hearts and souls in this job.
“To share the new developments with our partners, to update each other and to adapt details to everybody’s needs, for we can cooperate as a team and a global network.” Nothing less was the idea of this conference.
CONTENT
We worked intensively with the Agenda 2030 of the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are included. The development policy of each sending and receiving organization orientates to that classification. The SDGs play a major role in the direction of the Development Policy of the Federal Government since 2015 (after resuming the Millenniums Goals). Weltwärts is a policy volunteer program, that’s why it is logical, that also in this context the SDGs play a major role.
To get a theoretical input we could cooperate with the UNESCO Germany. We tried to find our own priorities and discussed the practicability. A big aim was the answer of the question “What is my part in this system?”
We all agree that one Goal cannot be reached without the others. They are fitted together. Each of us found his place in the classification. And everybody took ideas for the implementation in the all-day work.
We saw that No 4 (Quality Education) is our common goal, even if some organizations also work with other goals.
With that intensive, friendly and trustful global cooperation we all are also leading the Goal No 17 (Global Partnership).
Together we built a solid basis in finishing our “Memorandum of Understanding”, that we work for since several years. With this document we fixed the manner of how we want to work together. We defined together our “eye level”. We built a frame, in which all partners – also the new once – in this network should move.
The South/North part of the weltwärts program was a very interesting unit for the receiving organizations. Here is a big interest to get sending organization for giving young people the chance to come to Germany and share their experience in the local organization afterwards.
In further course we talked about our cooperation agreement, adapted the document and signed it at the end of the conference.
SIDE EFFECTS
We saw a lot of similarities and differences at the same time.
We laughed a lot.
We were amazed about the normal life in Germany (Rape fields).
We escaped.
We got certificates.
We visited geman social projects.
We were angry about the weather in Norther Germany.
We learned different languages.
We worked together in a common public relation.
We eat fish.
We took each other serious and raised each other at the same time.
We found lost things.
We drove with a ferry.
We had Barbecue.
We called events to mind and had a look into the future.
Nicola Scholl
The partner conference in Kiel was a great opportunity to exchange experience with other organizations within the weltwärts program, It was great to meet all the different coordinators from various countries and continents, and as well discuss the relevance and integration of the SDGs in our programs.
Olga Sheremeta
Since 2015 JiA send young people from Germany to our school in the Ukraine. This year we got the 4th generation of volunteers that support the German teachers and other pedagogues in their all day work. It was very important and interesting for me to find out more about the idea of sustainable development and the concept of the weltwärts program. During the partner conference of JiA we looked at other projects of international partners concerning the cooperation and the hosting of volunteers.
It was a very exciting week! Thank you very much to the team of JiA!
Yuliia Kravtsova
The international conference gave me, as a beginner in the project, new knowledge, experience and ideas. It was a wonderful intensive work with partners from different parts of the world. It was an invaluable experience and knowledge exchange and intercultural communication. I hurry to share new SDG knowledge with my colleagues and students.
Mpolokeng Setswammung
I want to appreciate the chance to come together as partners, to introspect the ww program and revise our model of work going forward. The conference served as an eye opener to appreciate the efforts made my JiA in keeping the program and bringing it back to life!. We are motivated as partners to work hard in order to ensure good practice and responsible exchange.
