RECONCILIATION IN ACTION

Reconciliation in action. This is our underlying motivation, goal and approach to how we develop our programming. As a Christian development and emergency relief organization we support people, families and communities in predominantly Islamic countries. We see ourselves as bridge builders between people of different backgrounds, cultures and faiths. Wherever we go we strive to create spaces of encounter and dialogue in our projects so that relationships develop, understanding grows and prejudices disappear. Examples of this are a peacebuilding project in Pakistan with Sikhs, Hindus, Christians and Muslims. Reconciliation in action means renewing relationships, be it with the people around us, with God or with our environment.

WHO WE ARE

World Relief Germany (registered association) is a Christian organization for development cooperation and development-oriented emergency aid with the international office located in Berlin. We are active in the Middle East, where projects are coordinated by our local staff and carried out in partnership with the local community. Our projects create space for encounter and dialogue, so that people of different backgrounds and worldviews can bring about change together. Thus, reconciliation is lived out in different areas, e.g. assisting refugees and internally displaced persons, providing sustainable access to clean water, hygiene and health, and promoting peace.

How we understand our work:

Our faith in God and commitment to reconciliation motivate us to partner with communities in relief and development activities that help vulnerable individuals, families and communities flourish.

We are an independent part of the World Relief family and a registered association.

Our organization employs about 80 people, seven of them in the office in Berlin.

The non-profit organization, World Relief Germany, operates within the following structure:

The executive is board is supported by the governing board members. These meet at regular intervals to perform their statutory duties and responsibilities.

GOALS AND TASK

OUR TASK

Encouraging and empowering local communities to provide support and help to the most vulnerable individuals and families.

OUR GOALS

World Relief Germany exists to work with individuals, families, and communities affected by poverty. In many cases the areas where we work are suffering from complex and protracted emergencies.

Community support activities are implemented together with local partners. To achieve our goals, we engage in education and training for holistic development, advocacy, public relations, and emergency relief.

In each of our program areas we work with our partners to develop country strategies that match our capabilities and that define long-term goals for specific regions. This helps us in long-term planning, in cross-sectoral work and in prioritizing the people we serve. For emergency and development aid we have five major areas in which we are active: education & income, health & nutrition, refugee aid, peacebuilding and disaster relief.

STORY

World Relief Germany was founded in 1998 as Partner Aid International by Christians who were determined to make an active contribution to overcoming poverty in the Middle East, Central and South Asia. At that time all services were rendered by volunteers. Friends from the circle of founding members took unpaid leave or a break from their regular work to support projects in Yemen, India, the Maldives and Kazakhstan. Over time the number of project activities grew and larger projects were implemented. Our relationships with local partners led us to a deeper awareness and respect of the cultures, worldviews and faith of those that we worked with.

This understanding was a motivating factor in developing long-term, sustainable solutions in our project countries. This approach became more and more important in the following years. Complex work and a contextual approach made it necessary for employees to be willing to spend more time abroad. In 2001, the first paid employees were hired. In 2005, a researcher collected data on the various projects, project partners and employees of Partner Aid. This study was the basis for the reorganization of the organization and a further professionalization of the work in 2007. In 2014, the German association entered into an affiliation agreement with World Relief (USA) and became known as World Relief Germany. Since then, the two have worked together as independent affiliated organizations.

PARTNERSHIPS

World Relief Germany conducts its projects in collaboration with our key partners: beneficiaries, the local population, local authorities, governments in host countries and local and international organizations.

Networking provides opportunities to be more effective in our project areas. Organizations are able to learn from each other and maximize resources through coordination. In many cases, World Relief Germany undergoes a rigorous review process to work with each partner.

International program and project partners are organizations and institutions with whom we collaborate in the planning, coordination or financing of our projects and activities. In so doing, costs, responsibilities and tasks are borne proportionately.

TRANSPARENCY