weltwärts
informs
weltwärts
informs
Partner conference in Ghana: five days of networking and dialogue
February’s partner conference in Ghana provided a forum for a total of 60 participants from Ghana, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon and Germany to discuss organisational and content-related topics relating to the weltwärts programme.
The 41st weltwärts cross-organisation partner conference – only the second to be held in Ghana following its debut there in 2016 – opened with a special guest appearance from Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Ghana’s Minister of Education, who welcomed the participants and provided fascinating insights into the importance of intercultural exchange and recent developments in the Ghanaian education system. The attendees were also delighted to hear from Ms Nehring and Mr Lawer, both representing the German embassy, who actively worked to build contacts with partner organisations (PO) and answer questions.
The conference offered a highly engaging and welcoming atmosphere that fostered lively discussions on topics such as the cooperative work carried out by the West African weltwärts Network (WAwN)/Réseau Ouest Africain Weltwärts (ROAW), as well as how to incorporate the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) into the weltwärts programme. Those present showed a particular interest in the topic of mental health, which is becoming more and more relevant to the programme, and many found the input provided by a partner organisation and the very animated exchange of experiences on this to be extremely helpful.
The attendees were also interested in the support offered to volunteers with pre-existing mental health conditions to help with their inclusion-related additional needs, and representatives of the Programme Steering Committee (PSC) and weltwärts Coordination Unit provided essential, up-to-date information from the weltwärts programme.
Among those invited to attend the partner conference were members of weltwärts partner organisations from across West Africa, their German partner implementing organisations and delegates of the Programme Steering Committee.
The conference was hosted by One World Net NRW (Eine Welt Netz NRW e.V.) and its Ghanaian partner organisations, Royal Beam Preparatory School and the Anidaso Woho Ghana Foundation.
Partner conferences stimulate cooperation and networking between partner organisations from countries in the Global South (PO) and German implementing organisations (IO). They also offer an excellent opportunity to discuss programme-related issues with representatives of the PO and PSC.