Since our foundation in 2020, we have been passionately committed to development policy projects with a special focus on German-Namibian reconciliation. The German past in particular obliges us to actively advocate for a more just and peaceful world. Our short film ‘Versoening’ (2021) provides an introduction to Germany's colonial past in Namibia and establishes a link to current reconciliation policy.
Our commitment aims to facilitate intercultural exchange for all and thus create sustainable connections between cultures. Intercultural exchange, which is not limited to academics, is particularly important to us.
Our projects follow the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - here we present the latest ones:
The ‘German-Namibian Centre of Friendship’ (GNCF) for young people is to be built near the capital Windhoek. Event rooms, exhibitions and overnight accommodation will be created on an area of several hundred square metres. Craftsmen and women from North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and Namibia are working together on site. Most recently, a group of trainees from NRW travelled to Namibia in autumn 2023 to continue the renovation work with our partners from the Vocational Training Center Windhoek.
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After accompanying student exchanges with the Schillergymnasium Münster in recent years, in which craftsmen and women from the Münster Chamber of Crafts had already taken part, the Director of Education, Art, and Culture of Khomas Region, Mr Gerard N. Vries, who now works in the ministry of the same name, expressed the wish to initiate the construction of soup kitchens during future visits. ‘Hungry children cannot learn’ was his statement, which called for support. Intercultural Relations e.V. is building soup kitchens for primary schools in cooperation with trainees from the Münster Chamber of Crafts and the Windhoek Vocational Training Centre.
TO PROJECTSThe Vocational Training Academy on the grounds of the Baumgartsbrunn Meeting Centre (GNCF) is a vocational school for basic craft training. Here, Namibian craftsmen and women learn the basic skills of various trades. The recognised training enables them to improve their position on the Namibian and international labour market. The project is financed by EU funds, among others.
„I believe that to have high quality professionals in any workplace, you need high functioning private citizens, and the way to do that is by broadening their intercultural perspectives, while equipping them with important career knowledge. That's what motivates me to put all my Engagement in the organisation“
“Es begeistert mich, dass ich durch mein Engagement im Verein die Möglichkeit habe, den interkulturellen Dialog zwischen Deutschland und Namibia zu fördern. Durch Design und visuelle Kommunikation eine Brücke zwischen den Kulturen zu bauen, das ist auf jeden Fall eine unglaublich bereichernde Erfahrung”
“Mit Intercultural Relations e. V. haben wir einen starken und verlässlichen Partner in der Umsetzung von entwicklungspolitischen Projekten in Namibia”
“Interkulturelle Begegnung darf nicht nur Eliten oder Akademikern vorbehalten sein. Mit unseren Projekten schaffen wir interkulturellen Austausch quer durch die Gesellschaften, der gegenseitiges Verständnis und Wertschätzung erzeugt. Das ist die Basis für ein gutes Miteinander”
“Auf meinen vielen Reisen habe ich erkannt, dass kleine Veränderungen in benachteiligten Regionen oft Großes bewirken können. Die Verbindung meiner Erfahrungen in Sozialarbeit und Handwerk zeigte mir den Wert nachhaltiger multilateraler Projekte und die Chancen, die durch ein respektvolles Miteinander auf Augenhöhe entstehen”
"Das Engagement im Verein ist mir sehr wichtig, da ich damit einen kleinen Beitrag leisten kann, Chancengleichheit für junge Menschen im globalen Süden zu ermöglichen"
We carry out our projects hand in hand with non-governmental organisations, companies and politicians in the spirit of One World.
