Portrait einer Frau mit Kopfbedeckung und Farmwerkzeug über der Schulter
Strategy 2021+

A Good Life for All

This is the key question of our time: How can we make it possible for everyone to enjoy a good life and preserve the Earth for future generations? The answers we find will reach far into the future.

Coronavirus as a Reflection of the Bigger Picture

The situation we are currently living in can be viewed from two perspectives. The first perspective is that the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated a trend that had already begun with the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. While there had been progress in the fight against extreme poverty, hunger, child mortality and social inequality up to that point, a steady decline set in afterwards, which is now picking up speed. Despite the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015 having been signed into international law, greenhouse gas emissions are continuing to increase unchecked. We can no longer shut our eyes to the harm being caused to humankind and to nature. Moreover, the pandemic that swept across the world last year has even more mercilessly exposed the social, ecological and financial fault lines.

The second perspective is that people often excel during times of crisis. They find unconventional solutions to urgent problems and inspire others to get involved. Thus, the dramatic pressure of this pandemic is also driving long overdue processes of change – such as digitalisation – that will increase resilience to external shocks in the future.

No Letting Up in the Effort to Bring About Change

A crisis of such historic proportions as the coronavirus pandemic reminds us only too clearly that we cannot let up in our efforts to bring about socio-ecological change. The countries of the Global North in particular have a special responsibility in this regard. Over decades, they have established an economic consumption-based model that is based on continuous growth, exploitation of resources and people, and shifting the social and environmental impacts onto others. The United Nations Agenda 2030 must now be the basis for all our actions. Its 17 goals for sustainable development are not just about improving people’s living conditions: they are also about dignity and humanity – the foundations for coexistence in our one world.

A Strategy for a Whole Decade

In Germany, Europe and around the world, we are working to bring about a change in mindset towards a fair and sustainable global community: through our work in development education, through our political action, and through our engagement with our partners and for their concerns.

We have to halve global greenhouse gas emissions within the next 100 months. In light of the challenges this target poses, we have developed our strategy with a time horizon that spans the whole decade. To achieve our goals, we have to be a trustworthy and reliable partner: globally and in Germany. We have therefore made it our mission to try out new types of collaboration with partners and in networks. We want to inspire more and more young people about the areas we are involved in and work with them to make socio-ecological change possible. We are bringing fresh ideas to the increasingly difficult financial environment and are continuously improving the way we work. We will regularly check if we are on the right track.

Change has to Succeed

We firmly believe that the key to change lies in a strong civil society. We are encouraged by how many people share the belief and hope that change can succeed – and how many are getting actively involved. Around the world, people are taking a stand against racism. Women are defending their rights and their freedom to act. Also, growing numbers of people and organisations are campaigning for policies oriented towards the common good, for an economy of solidarity suited to a climate-friendly future – especially the younger generations. Day by day, this strengthens us on our chosen path, where our Strategy 2021+ will guide the way.

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Huma 17, and her mother, Nargis 40, live in the LNJP Colony settlement in Delhi. Our partner organisation Ankur runs a literacy project in this slum in which Huma also participates.

Strategy 2021+

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For a life of dignity - Strategy 2021+