Weltwärts mijenja
[English version below]
Prvih 50 volontera koji su bili poslani na volontersku razmjenu, u inozemstvo, u siječnju 2008. tada nisu znali koji će uspjeh u sljedećim godinama doživjeti razvojni projekt njemačke vlade pod nazivom weltwärts. A sada, deset godina kasnije, početni pokušaj da se mladima omogući aktivno sudjelovanje u društvenim projektima u Africi, Aziji, Latinskoj Americi i Jugoistočnoj Europi prerastao je u najveću međunarodnu dobrovoljnu organizaciju u Njemačkoj.
Tijekom posljednjeg desetljeća, gotovo 40.000 ljudi u dobi od 18 do 28 godina poslano je u više od 80 zemalja u razvoju!
S obzirom na taj uspjeh, inicijatori weltwärts programa pozvali su partnerske organizacije, kao i volontere, na proslavu desete obljetnice, koja se održala 14. i 15. rujna 2018. u Berlinu. Sastanak je započeo u petak s “Budućim Forumom Afrike”, na kojem su sudjelovali afrički veleposlanici, kao i volonteri koji su bili angažirani u Africi godinu dana. Štoviše, posjetitelji su mogli izabrati između raznolikog programa drugog dana: radionica velikog broja podržanih organizacija, interesnih skupina i drugih inicijativa koje se predstavljaju pod sloganom #weltwärts mijenja.
Naglasak je bio posebno na napretku posljednjih 10 godina, kao i na temama kao što su globalna partnerstva, perspektive budućih volontera i, naravno, osobna iskustva. Projekti financirani od strane weltwärts programa su jednako različiti kao volonteri; potpora volontera obuhvaća ne samo istraživanje ugroženih vrsta, promicanje sportskih projekata u gradskim područjima, već i zadatke u zdravstvenom sektoru. Zanimljive teme razgovora bile su tako unaprijed programirane. Ne samo zbog bogatog programa, organizatori bi mogli biti zadovoljni s više od 1.000 gostiju iz 80 zemalja. Sve u svemu, ovaj poseban vikend u Berlinu može se smatrati “jakim znakom kozmopolitizma”, kao što to u svom obraćanju sažima njemački ministar razvoja Gerd Müller.
Ovom programu, zajedno s partnerima iz biskupije Limburg, prisustvovala je i naša predstavnica Minja Todorović.
Perhaps the first 50 volunteers who were sent abroad in January 2008 didn’t know which successful history the developmental project called “weltwärts“ would undergo in the following years. And now, 10 years later, the initially attempt to enable young adults to participate actively in social projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Southeast Europe has become the largest international voluntary organisation in Germany. During the last decade, nearly 40.000 people between the ages of 18 and 28 were sent in more than 80 developing countries! In view of this success, the initiators of “weltwärts“ invited to their tenth anniversary celebration, which took place on 14th and 15th of September 2018 in Berlin. The meeting started on Friday with the “Future Forum of Africa“, which was attended by African ambassadors as well as volunteers who engaged in Africa for one year. Moreover, the visitors were able to choose between a broadly diversified program on the second day: a huge number of supporting organisations, interest groups and other initiatives offered under the slogan “#weltwärts verändert“ workshops and panel discussions. The focus was especially on the progress of the last 10 years as well as topics such as global partnerships, perspectives for future volunteers and, of course, personal reports. The projects funded by “weltwärts“ are as diverse as the volunteers; support from the volunteers comprises not only research on endangered species or the promotion of sports projects in townships, but tasks also in the health sector. Interesting topics of conversation were thus already pre-programmed. Not least due to this program variety, the organizers could be pleased more than 1.000 guests from 80 countries. All in all, this special weekend in Berlin can be seen as a “strong sign of cosmopolitanism“, as German Development Minister Gerd Müller sums it up.
This program was attended by our representative Minja Todorovic.
