weltwärts
informs

weltwärts
informs

weltwärts festival: more than 1.300 people joined in our anniversary celebrations

Tours exploring post-colonial Göttingen and a BarCamp stage, workshops on self-empowerment and creative activism, and a collective wall mural left as a lasting reminder – the weltwärts festival, which was held to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Germany’s largest international volunteer service, had plenty to offer its more than 1,200 attendees. “We’ve had a great time at the festival. This event reflects exactly what’s most important to us at weltwärts: showing what’s possible and developing ideas together, exchanging perspectives and learning from one another”, says Astrid Neumann, head of the weltwärts Coordination Unit at Engagement Global.

Young people raise their hands in the air.
More than 1,300 current and former volunteers joined in the weltwärts anniversary celebrations in the blazing sunshine.

Volunteer service makes a lasting difference

The mood was exuberant, the conversation in-depth and stimulating. “It’s so cool to be able to meet up with everyone here again, that doesn’t happen all too often. It’s really interesting to speak to all of the people here and to listen to their stories and experiences from abroad”, says Per, for example, who completed his volunteer service in Uganda. The participants clearly embodied what it means to go "weltwärts", or "out into the world", and showcased just how significant an impact the programme has in aiding young people in their personal development. “The weltwärts festival demonstrates yet again that weltwärts achieves what it sets out to do. Volunteers take their home-grown experiences with them, develop an understanding of their host country’s culture, set themselves up for their later careers and often change for good”, adds Neumann, who has helped build weltwärts from the ground up since the beginning. weltwärts itself also has a lasting impact. Most former participants remain active in the volunteering world after they return to Germany. They get involved with their former sending organisations or found their own associations and groups. Many volunteers also take part in the Bildung trifft Entwicklung (“Education meets Development”) programme, BtE for short, and visit various educational institutions around Germany as guest speakers.

Impressions of the festival

  • A young man speaks into a microphone that another man holds out to him
    The end of the day at the festival: What did you take away from the day?
  • Participants sit in a circle on the ground
    Participants could present their own topics and discuss them with others.
  • Three people look at a mural at the University of Göttingen
    A gigantic mural on the subject of changing perspectives was created at the University of Göttingen.
  • Stage with panel discussion and participants
    Up for discussion: actively promoting the SDGs. From left to right: Sandra Groß (BMZ), Dr Keith Hamaimbo, Janni Umlauf (Young Engagement), Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul (former Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, and weltwärts co-founder) Edelgard Bulmahn (SDG ambassador) und Edmérçio Quiteria Ricardo (PFIF Volunteers’ Representative to the Programme Steering Committee)
  • Participants dance in a circle
    Good vibes at the weltwärts festival. Festival-goers danced, talked, laughed and learned together.
  • Impressions of the weltwärts festival: members of the weltwärts sending organisation ASC Göttingen play the BtE's WeltSpiel population game. They are standing on a large world map.
    Members of the weltwärts sending organisation ASC Göttingen played the BtE's WeltSpiel game, in which they learned how different key statistics (e.g. population, income, CO2 emissions, etc) can be broken down to understand power structures and unjust global conditions and contexts through play.
  • The kind and entertaining Dr Keith Hamaimbo ran a very well-attended workshop on Africa’s accomplishments.
    Dr Keith Hamaimbo ran a very well-attended workshop on Africa’s accomplishments.
  • A young woman stands on stage overlooking the crowd.
    Open mic night gave volunteers the chance to take to the stage and show off their talents.
  • Stage with people in front of it in the evening
    The party really got going in the evenings.
  • A young man speaks into a microphone that another man holds out to him
    The end of the day at the festival: What did you take away from the day?
  • Participants sit in a circle on the ground
    Participants could present their own topics and discuss them with others.
  • Three people look at a mural at the University of Göttingen
    A gigantic mural on the subject of changing perspectives was created at the University of Göttingen.
  • Stage with panel discussion and participants
    Up for discussion: actively promoting the SDGs. From left to right: Sandra Groß (BMZ), Dr Keith Hamaimbo, Janni Umlauf (Young Engagement), Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul (former Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, and weltwärts co-founder) Edelgard Bulmahn (SDG ambassador) und Edmérçio Quiteria Ricardo (PFIF Volunteers’ Representative to the Programme Steering Committee)
  • Participants dance in a circle
    Good vibes at the weltwärts festival. Festival-goers danced, talked, laughed and learned together.
  • Impressions of the weltwärts festival: members of the weltwärts sending organisation ASC Göttingen play the BtE's WeltSpiel population game. They are standing on a large world map.
    Members of the weltwärts sending organisation ASC Göttingen played the BtE's WeltSpiel game, in which they learned how different key statistics (e.g. population, income, CO2 emissions, etc) can be broken down to understand power structures and unjust global conditions and contexts through play.
  • The kind and entertaining Dr Keith Hamaimbo ran a very well-attended workshop on Africa’s accomplishments.
    Dr Keith Hamaimbo ran a very well-attended workshop on Africa’s accomplishments.
  • A young woman stands on stage overlooking the crowd.
    Open mic night gave volunteers the chance to take to the stage and show off their talents.
  • Stage with people in front of it in the evening
    The party really got going in the evenings.

For the last ten years, young people from the Global South have also been able to perform their international voluntary service with weltwärts. 4,000 such volunteers have completed their placements in Germany during that time. “This aspect of the programme brings great benefits to all involved and is a roaring success. The places of assignment appreciate the volunteers and the insights they provide into their culture", Neumann explains. Almost 50,000 volunteers have taken part in the weltwärts programme to date. “weltwärts is committed to quality. Everyone involved works as a team to ensure that we provide a high-quality service and that the programme continues to develop", Neumann adds. Both the personal perspectives and, crucially, the social perspectives are relevant here, as weltwärts contributes significantly to strengthening international partnerships.

Further information

To the weltwärts festival website

To the engagement strategy

Go back

Print page
Back to top