Peace Development and Conflict Prevention

The Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations promotes with the programme zivik international peace projects in crisis regions and advises both non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the Federal Foreign Office in this field of activity. The programme not only provides support to civil conflict resolution efforts but also contributes to strengthening networks between state and non-state actors.

The projects can be divided in the subject areas:

Dealing with the Past,

Qualification Programmes,

Protecting People,

Promoting Dialogue,

Peace Education,

Peace Journalism.

Currently the Institute of Foreign Cultural Relations looks after the following projects:

Civil peace work in Armenia

Let's see... Let's choose... Let's change...

Wide network for more tolerance and mutual understanding in Israel

Kulanana Partnership Building Project

Schools for Peace and Democracy in Colombia

Peaceful conflict transformation in DR Congo

Promoting the implication of women and youth in the mechanisms of conflict transformation in the Kalehe territory

Workshops for memory and peace education in Lebanon

Joint search for solutions in the Philippines

Solutions against "Red-Baiting"

Workshops about conflict transformation and peace education in Sri Lanka

Socially engaged religion for community co-existence

Training measures to gain non-violent conflict resolution capacities in Timor-Leste

Networking for Peace

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation makes a contribution to the European-Islamic Cultural Dialogue with the allocation of research fellowships for scientists from countries with predominant islamic population.

The German Academic Exchange Service offers scholarships for foreign students of the four semester continuing Master-Programme Peace and Conflict Studies and presents special mentoring programmes for students from abroad at German universities.

It coordinates the regional special programmes

Conflict Prevention in the Region South Caucasus/Central Asia and Moldova,

Strategic Academic Partnership with the Iraq,

Reconstruction of the Afghan Universities,

Academic Reorganisation South Europe und

Assistance with Democracy in the Ukraine.

With the programme Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies (DIES) it supports higher education institutions in developing countries by organising the following activities in developing reform strategies:

Conferences for the development of universities,

Training Courses for resolution the issues of education management,

Partnerships for enhancement South-South-North higher education projects,

Projects for advancement regional higher education organisations in its implementation of a quality assurance system.

With its Culture and Development initiative, the Goethe Institute employs specific consulting and training programmes to promote institutions and stakeholders from culture, the media and society, in particular in countries involved in development cooperation. The programmes aim to provide professional qualifications, to advise and support the formation of regional networks and create cultural and social platforms.

In Afghanistan it organises a theatre festival taking place every year that makes a contribution to the constitution of the civil society and conflict prevention with artistic handling and presenting current society-critical subjects.

The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) communicates interdisciplinary management techniques and intercultural know-how in developing and transition countries. With its programmes it makes an active contribution to peacebuilding and crisis prevention.

The GIZ supports local civil organisations and municipal structures by providing specialist advice, if required by financial support. It takes part at the Civil Peace Service and sends peace experts which get involved with civil conflict resolution and peace promotion. Currently it works in 47 partner countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and is in charge of different projects.