Friendship society

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A friendship society , also a society abroad, is understood to mean associations that strive for international understanding , intercultural dialogue and cultural exchange between two countries. Although all of these are purely interest groups, they traditionally play an important role in high diplomacy alongside state foreign cultural policy and development cooperation , as informal procedures can be carried out through such connections. The friendship societies are typical NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) .

Basics

history

Network organizations for respective foreign citizens have existed since the Middle Ages, for travel stays for example the Fondaco dei Tedeschi as a trading office in Venice (around 1200), in the church environment the Anima Brotherhood  (1350) for Imperial Germans in Rome, the compatriots of the early student system, or emerged from the diaspora of certain ethnic groups ( parishes abroad in exile, organizations of expellees , and the like). Conversely, in the multi-ethnic state of the Habsburg Monarchy , interest groups of most ethnic groups (such as Hungarians, Czechs) emerged in Vienna as early as the 19th century , and after the collapse of the monarchy, foreign societies of the successor states in Austria developed from these. This inevitably gave them a political, or at least a lobbyist, aspect. In the course of the 20th century, organizations emerged in the spirit of friendship among peoples that primarily endeavored to reduce resentment through mutual contacts, i.e. cultural exchange organizations in the true sense. These were then given a further boost by global tourism , when "exotic" countries became worth knowing, and in the course of globalization there are now friendship societies between many of the around 200 countries, and also various groups of these countries, for example ethnic, linguistic or political groups, as well as entirely international societies. So

"[...] step by step, through the formation of one association after the other, a supportive and top-class network of 'silent diplomacy' was installed and carefully expanded; It worked as a well-positioned lobbyist and popular figure [...], the club structures chosen were unsuspicious organizations. "

- over the years 1946 to 1956 in Austria

Internationally, there are terms such as English Friendship Association, Friendship Society, International Society , French Association d'amitié .

Functions

The friendship societies are non-state actors in international relations and foreign policy , and thus characteristic non-governmental organizations (NGOs), even if they are small and often organized on a voluntary basis and clearly differ from global players such as Greenpeace or Amnesty International. The term non-governmental organization  (NSO) describes a somewhat more comprehensive term than NGO, in particular “it is not entirely excluded that there is a connection between the respective actors and the government”, i.e. “these organizations [do not] operate completely independently of the state (can). ”The influence can also take on more extreme forms, for example the friendship societies in communist countries, which emerged from the socialist idea of ​​the International , very soon became politically instrumentalized organizations. A special case is also Sweden, for example, where many friendship societies emerged within the framework of the parliament ( Riksdag ) and the latter itself is still involved in 50 “international friendship associations and networks”. Otherwise the societies are mostly ad hoc apolitical and only intertwined as a person through the participation of high political or diplomatic actors.

Smaller, far apart countries that do not have an extensive diplomatic network in particular like to cultivate their bilateral contacts through friendship societies in which some high-ranking political or economic personalities are usually represented. But there are also small societies that arose out of purely private enthusiasm.

In addition to maintaining social contacts and lobbying for mutual interests, typical agendas of friendship societies include looking after and assisting national comrades in legal and economic matters, but also educational issues such as lectures and publications on regional studies , regional cultural events, or arranging stays abroad and scholarships , in the case of poorer countries, in particular, help in development - all tasks that the state consular system and state foreign cultural policy also pursue, as is also maintained at the embassies .

So they are not in competition, but in addition to the official state representation system. The somewhat derogatory term "hyphenated societies" on the part of high diplomacy characterizes the relationship between the two.

National

Austria

The oldest of today's foreign companies is the Swiss Society of Vienna , which was founded in 1892 in the style of the Landsmannschaften . The friendship societies begin immediately at the beginning of the occupation in 1946 with the establishment of the Austro-American , Austrian-Soviet and Austrian-Swedish Society . As early as 1956/59, within the framework of the Austria House in Palais Pálffy, the working group of Austrian-foreign companies , meanwhile VÖAG, today the umbrella organization of all Austrian-foreign companies - called PaN (partner of all nations) . This accepts only one representative for each state and is considered the recognized body of bilateral and multilateral associations for Austria. With around 120 full members, it represents around 60% of all countries worldwide.

On the part of politics, the friendship societies were supported "because of the cultural and therefore harmless focus of the activities", initially by the Ministry of Education , since 1976 by its arts section, and subsequently by the respective Ministry of Culture .

Umbrella organizations

Selection:

See also

literature

  • Michael Wögerer: Influence of non-governmental organizations on Austrian foreign policy using the example of the Austrian-Cuban society . Diploma thesis University of Vienna. Vienna 2012 ( (pdf) , othes.univie.ac.at).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cf. as an example: Richard Basler: A brief overview of the situation of the Viennese Czechs . In: integratio, Ernö Deak (ed.): From minorities to ethnic groups . Vienna 2004, A Brief Historical Review , p. 85/86 ( article pdf , kulturklub.at; there p. 3 f - full article p. 83–99).
  2. ↑ Claus Walter (ed.): Umbrella association of all Austrian-Foreign Societies - PaN: Red-white-red PaN stories: 1945-2005. Vienna 2005, OCLC 895161582 , p. 7 f; quoted from Michael Wögerer: Influence of non-governmental organizations on Austrian foreign policy . 2012, p. 91 . “Not suspect” here refers in particular to the situation after the Second World War and the beginning of the Cold War (footnote 420 ibid.). The statement can, however, be transferred to other geopolitical areas of tension and countries under construction.
  3. ^ "NGO research on the micro level", Michael Wögerer: Influence of non-governmental organizations on Austrian foreign policy . 2012, p. 5 (detailed discussion of this: 1.3.1. Non-governmental organizations and bilateral solidarity societies. P. 7 ff and 1.4.1. Basic considerations on research design p. 17 ff).
  4. ^ Quotes from Michael Wögerer: Influence of non-governmental organizations on Austrian foreign policy . 2012, p. 7 .
  5. ↑ cf. about Hans-Georg Golz: Ordained friendship between nations: the work of the friendship society GDR-Great Britain and the Britain-GDR Society: possibilities and limits. Leipziger Universitätsverlag, 2004, ISBN 3-937209-25-5 , esp. The party and its state. P. 21 ff. ( Limited preview in Google Book search).
  6. ^ Friendship associations and networks. riksdagen.se, accessed March 4, 2015.
  7. ^ Claus Walter: Red-white-red PaN stories. 2005, p. 10
  8. ↑ a b History: A red-white-red success story of recent and current Austrian history. ( Memento of the original from March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. dachverband-pan.org.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.dachverband-pan.org
  9. ^ A b c Wögerer: Influence of non-governmental organizations on Austrian foreign policy . 2012, 2.6 .: Excursus: PaN - partner of all nations , p. 91 ff .
  10. ↑ Union of Friendship Associations in Finland (ysl.fi) - see International Friendship Associations and Societies in Finland , expat-finland.com
  11. ↑ Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations (haufo.org.vn) .