weltwärts
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weltwärts
informs
Interview with the organisers of the partner conference in Nagpur, India, 2024: “The conference boosts and inspires people”
We spoke to Maitreyee Kumar, founder of the education NRO Dream School Foundation (DSF) and Jona Aravind Dohrmann, CEO and chairman of the German-Indian Cooperation Organisation (DIZ) about their joint partner conference, bringing together organisations from Germany, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. As well as discussing the importance of collaboration, people also brought up hurdles and challenges.
Which topics were discussed most at the conference?
Maitreyee Kumar: One of the key areas was the continuing problem of acquiring visas for volunteers wishing to travel to India.
Jona Aravind Dohrmann: This is clearly a politically charged subject. The BMZ is currently trying to reopen a dialogue. But what’s clear is this: India is a country that won’t just be told what to do and what not. At the end of the day, we don’t really know what goes on behind the scenes. We are working with what we have.
Maitreyee Kumar: There were a lot of conversations about different experiences, advice and things like that. Over the years, we’ve noticed that the behaviour of volunteers has changed. Several places of assignment are reporting an increased amount of effort required to support young volunteers, along with a lack of commitment (cancellations, increased requests to return home). It hasn’t been this way before. We had very open discussions about these problems at the partner conference.
What effect did the partner conference have on weltwärts as a joint operation?
Maitreyee Kumar: This feeling of ‘us’, which developed at the conference, meant that it feels like a joint operation. You really have the feeling that everyone’s on the same team. Meeting people and getting to know them gives you a boost and inspires you. You have the feeling that we’re really getting something done. Partnership and co-operation are strengthened across national borders.
Why are these partner conferences so important?
Jona Aravind Dohrmann: It is the instrument available to partners in the Global South. Apart from that, partners are relatively limited in terms of opportunities to exchange thoughts and ideas with different stakeholders. Here in Germany we can travel to Bonn, we have the Stakeholder Conference, we have the quality associations which meet regularly. There are a number of forums which offer interaction and support. But, in practical terms, our partners in the Global South only have these conferences.
What was the atmosphere like?
Maitreyee Kumar: Everyone felt comfortable. The mood at the conference was very friendly and everyone was very cordial with one another.
Jona Aravind Dohrmann: Every conference probably says this about themselves. But this time, so many people noticed and commented on the positive atmosphere – like Maitreyee just said – I’ve never seen anything like it. It was the fifth conference we have hosted in Nagpur. The sixth overall, if you include the one we held in Germany.
How has collaboration worked between the German and Indian partner organisations?
Maitreyee Kumar: Collaboration among the various organisations has been absolutely seamless. It was also very pleasant to spend time together outside the formal setting of the conference. For example, when we ate together in the evening or when German and Asian partners sat down and had a cup of tea together.
Jona Aravind Dohrmann: Of course, we can’t forget our moderation team. We selected a dual nationality couple: Daisy Shekhawat, a former South-North volunteer, who returned to India just a few months ago, and Benjamin Haas, a well-known face at weltwärts. They both did amazing work. Everyone who attended lives weltwärts.
What role does sustainability play in the planning and holding of a partner conference?
Jona Aravind Dohrmann: It’s impossible to put on an international conference like this without having an ecological footprint. Of course, we always try to make everything as environmentally friendly as possible. For example, we banned plastic bottles from the venue. These small 0.2 litre bottles are pretty popular in India, you see them everywhere. The Indian partner has a central water dispenser with filtered water. Where possible, we utilise reusable cutlery and crockery or paper plates. Apart from that, everyone is encouraged to make use of the partner conference as an opportunity to visit partners – thereby avoiding the need for a second trip.
Maitreyee Kumar: That was actually a big benefit. Because lots of partners were visiting the conference for the first time. Or even visiting India for the first time. The conference offered a great opportunity to combine visits in one place.