The Kreisau-Initiative was founded in 1989 and thus started its activities in this year; however, the Kreisau-Initiative was registered in 1990, due to German jurisdiction. Its mission is to support the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe in Poland ideally and materially, while also being the German contact office to the Polish Foundation. Through its projects, the Kreisau-Initiative aims to bring youths from all over Europe and other parts of the world together in order to foster dialogue and inter-cultural communication. Other objectives of the organization include building up a European platform for exchange of knowledge and improvement of understanding of the functions and politics of EU institutions, while spreading EU values and goals, stimulating active youth participation in civil society projects and engagement in political decision-making processes and creating networks between schools, academia, governmental and nongovernmental organizations and EU-institutions.
More information www.kreisau.de
The Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe initiates and promotes activities that develop peaceful relationships between nations, social groups, and individuals. The Foundation applies social concepts developed by the World War II German resistance group, the Kreisau Circle, by advancing European mutual understanding.
The Foundation runs four main programs: The International Youth Meeting Centre, The Historic Site, The European Academy, and The Conference Centre. The Foundation has the goal of establishing an ecological farming project.
The work of the International Youth Meeting Centre (IYMC) is at the heart of the foundation's activities. The IYMC organizes programmes and seminars for young people from Eastern and Western Europe throughout the year. The programmes address a broad palette of topics: Europe, multi-cultural art, the environment, history of resistance against totalitarian systems, and intergenerational encounters. Working together in these projects makes it possible for participants to replace nationalistic and cultural stereotypes with curiosity, trust, acceptance, and willingness to engage in dialogue.
More information: www.krzyzowa.org.pl
The Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” is an expression of the responsibility of the state, industry and society to continue to confront National Socialist injustice and to work for understanding between peoples.
The Foundation supports international projects in the following areas:
- A critical examination of history
- Working for democracy and human rights
- Humanitarian commitment to the victims of National Socialism
The Foundation was established in 2000 to make payments to former forced labourers. The payments were completed in 2007. A total of EUR 4.37 billion was disbursed to more than 1.66 million people in 98 countries. Other victims of National Socialism received altogether EUR 545 million.
The Foundation’s capital of DEM 10.1 billion (EUR 5.2 billion) was provided by the German government and German industry.
More information: www.stiftung-evz.de
The Polish Red Cross (Polski Czerwony Krzyż) with its place of residence in Warsaw is the Polish member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and was founded in 1919.
According to the mission of the International Red Cross Movement, also the Polish Red Cross aims at:
- protection of human life and health
- protection of human dignity
- assistance in the situation of war or other critical situations
- humanitarian diplomacy
The main ideas of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are best expressed by these two mottos: Inter arma caritas and Per humanitatem ad pacem.
More information: www.pck.org.pl