UNESCO club
UNESCO clubs are the basic organizations of UNESCO . Its aim is to spread the ideals of UNESCO among the population and thus to support the work of UNESCO and its national commissions.
Legal basis
The German Commission for UNESCO (DUK) granted at the request of such associations pursue UNESCO Constitution the right to use the name and emblems of UNESCO, which exclusively according to its statutes and simplifying legal framework charitable purposes within the meaning of. For this purpose, the DUK has adopted "Guidelines for the formation of circles of friends". The UNESCO clubs consist exclusively of honorary members. They are financed by membership fees, sales campaigns and donations.
History, legal form and organization
The first UNESCO clubs were founded in Japan in 1947. Today there are around 5,000 UNESCO clubs, associations and centers in 120 countries worldwide. They are part of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs and Associations: WFUCA.
Goals and Activities
While the UNESCO commissions, as constitutional partners, represent the national body of UNESCO in a member state, the UNESCO clubs, as institutional cooperation partners, complement UNESCO's work on the grassroots. In order to bring the aims of UNESCO closer to the population, the clubs distribute UNESCO publications and go public with events and exhibitions. Its program includes topics such as UNESCO World Heritage, to convey the importance of non-European cultural assets, or study trips that are intended to promote intercultural understanding. When traveling abroad, the clubs value contacts with like-minded people and exchanges with UNESCO clubs in other countries. Personal contacts deepen the knowledge of foreign languages and cultures and help to build bridges.
An important field of work for the UNESCO clubs is fundraising for so-called co-action projects with partners, especially in the poorest countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The co-action projects involve setting up schools, kindergartens, libraries and training workshops, but also building irrigation systems or purchasing agricultural equipment. The projects offer help for self-help. They serve as models and also take into account the cultural traditions and economic conditions of the respective region. German UNESCO clubs have supported many such co-action projects, including a handicapped project in Sri Lanka, a training center for girls in Burkina Faso, school projects in Ghana and Tanzania, a center for street children in India and a village library in Douka, Senegal. The UNESCO clubs provide information about their projects on their website.
UNESCO clubs in Germany
In Germany, the first UNESCO club was founded in 1951 in Berlin. There are currently clubs organized under association law in Aachen, Berlin, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Essen-Kettwig, Frankenthal, Hanover, Joachimsthal, Kulmbach, Munich and Wuppertal.
The German clubs have come together in the "Forum of German UNESCO Clubs". They meet every six months to coordinate joint projects and discuss current UNESCO issues. They are jointly members of the world association WFUCA and take part in international seminars and conferences that take place in cooperation with the world association. The Forum of German UNESCO Clubs has been an elected member of the German UNESCO Commission since 1996 . It is represented by the coordinator Rosemarie Landgrebe.