Support projects, petitions and campaigns

The German association "Teachers on the Road" came to life after the founding members of the initiative had toured through many refugee camps in Germany, finding the locations and living conditions of the refugees in a desolate state. The goal of the many volunteers was to break the isolation under which most refugees have to suffer and allow them more social participation by learning the local language.

The "Teachers" offer free German language courses for refugees and migrants in general regardless of their residence status, origin or language skills. With currently 120 volunteers, they organize daily low-threshold courses in in many urban areas of Germany. Their offers create spaces for an appreciative togetherness, for friendship and active solidarity. The volunteers support participants in the areas of education, work, asylum, housing, financial distress and practical everyday life. They also finance public transport tickets, enabling mobility and social participation - a key measure for a succesfull integration of newcomers.

Now their project is in need of new funding possibilities to maintain their free of cost offers. That is why the initiative started a campaign on the crowdfunding platform startnext.com, applying for the German Integration Prize of the Hertie Foundation.

If you wish to support them in their funding goal of 10.000 €, you may choose to donate a small amount for extra credits on your Karma account or get an "Isolation-Breaking-Package" as a goody, if your possbilities to give are less limited. Whatever you decide to give, support this great and important project with your donation, or simply share and like the contents of the "Teachers" in your circles.

Yemen is a catastrophe -- millions are on the brink of starvation, cities lie in ruins, and the largest cholera outbreak ever recorded grips the country.

For three years, Saudi Arabia has led a vicious bombing campaign, while at the same time blocking humanitarian aid from reaching desperate civilians. 

They aren't doing it alone -- the US is actively participating, sending them weapons and sharing targeting advice, even refueling Saudi bombers during airstrikes.

Now US senators from both parties, horrified by the slaughter, have introduced a bill to stop US participation in this tragedy. If the US steps away, it could finally stop the war. The vote will be close but they believe a massive show of public support could make the difference to fence-sitters. 

Add your name now to the petition for peace.

You can read more about the situation in Yemen in our story here.

As post-migrant activists, Tamer and Taudy launched the project "KANAKISTAN"in 2016, organizing an event series that brings together artists of multiple backgrounds and disciplines in Erfurt (Thuringia/Germany) to discuss (post)migrant perspectives, racism, art and culture and to make these perspectives visible.

Now the project is about to publish a (post)migrant poetry book called "HAYMATLOS" (meaning "homeless"). In January 2018, Taudy and Tamer launched a call to send in poems addressing racism, discrimination, migration, family histories, right extremism, (post) migrant and other perspectives. Many poems were sent in and a selection of them will be published in a poetry book by the left political publishing network "edition assemblage".

To be able of financing the printing costs, the activists of KANAKISTAN still need support. For this reason a Crowdfundig campaign was established on the platform "Startnext".

Feel encouraged to donate and support this creative and important project, raising awareness for (post)migrant perspectives not only for Germany-based migrants, but many diasporic communities all over the globe!

Fortunately, just as in 2014, worldwide outrage over this culling has apparently changed officials' minds. Instead of euthanizing the dogs, sports minister Pavel Kolobkov has recommended that host cities create temporary animal shelters in which the strays can be housed during the World Cup games.

There are about 2 million homeless dogs and cats roaming the streets in the 11 cities hosting the World Cup this year. Instead of killing them – which costs about $100 per dog – that money would be better spent on spay-and-neuter programs.

As a first step, all of the dogs that are housed in those temporary shelters during the World Cup should be spayed and neutered during their stay.

Influential World Cup sponsors like Coca-Cola, Visa and Adidas should also put pressure on Russian officials not to kill strays.

Please sign and share this petition urging World Cup sponsors to pressure Pavel Kolobkov to require that street dogs be sterilized, not killed, in cities hosting the World Cup!

Wolves had been eradicated in Germany for a long time. For about 150 years, they did not exist. Since only a few years have they returned to their traditional habitat. But they could quickly disappear again, for there are more and more voices calling for shooting down wolves in order to limit or even reduce their numbers.

Wolves are part of the native wildlife in Germany, as are deers and stags. They help preserve the regional biodiversity and play an important role in the ecosystem.

The successful return of the wolves to Germany began in 2000, when a she-wolf in Saxony raised her offspring. Today most wolves live in Brandenburg, Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Lower Saxony. Educational work is of fundamental importance so that the animals can return to their natural habitat in the long term.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Germany helps shepherds and other grazing animal owners to protect their animals from wolf attacks. The organization clarifies how conflicts between grazing animals and wolves can be avoided. This includes targeted information, on-site consultations, the provision of suitable fence material, the support of shepherds in keeping work and the work with herd protection dogs.

The IFAW is ready to do their utmost to protect both these rare wild animals as well as the grazing animals. If you want to help and ensure that the wolf gets a second chance in his old, new habitat in Eastern Germany, feel encouraged to donate and spread this appeal through your preferred channels.

Amy and Ben Wright are the parents of four children – the two youngest, Bitty & Beau, having Down syndrome. As advocates for the value, inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), the Wrights have dedicated their lives to making the world a better place for their children and others living with IDD. The couple's vision for changing the 80% national unemployment rate for people with IDD, led them to founding Bitty & Beau’s Coffee.

The Wrights developed the first business model for employing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the financial services sector and later formed the non-profit ABLE to Work USA. The shop as well as the headcquarters of Bitty & Beau’s Coffee is located in Wilmington/North Carolina and currently employs 40 people with IDD.

If you consider Amy and Ben Wright's idea of labour possibilities for people with IDD worthy, you're invited to donate via their webpage to the project or simply grab a cup of coffee at Bitty & Beau's Coffee to support them!

The Shalom Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria is campaigning against the holding of the annual “Lukov March” in Sofia in February 2018, calling for an effective ban on an event that honours the pro-Nazi general Hristo Lukov. During WWII Lukov was the leader of the Union of Bulgarian National Legions, a pro-Nazi organisation that held considerable influence over the government of Bulgaria during the Second World War, when the country was allied to Nazi Germany.

The Lukov March has been held for the past 14 years in Sofia, without municipal permission, but with a substantial police escort.

This year Bulgaria will hold the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. The global Jewish community, together with Shalom Organization argue on behalf of the common values of the European Union in their petition adressed to Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borissov:

"In this position, the nation of Bulgaria will be looked to for leadership and to uphold the shared values of the European Union, including those of tolerance and the rejection of extremism and anti-Semitism. It would be anomalous for the country at the helm of the EU to permit a parade of torchlight-wielding, dark-clad supporters of a man and an ideology that epitomised the darkest period of 20th century."

Support the global Jewish community and demand the Bulgarian authorities to ban the anti-semitic Lukov-March in Sofia by signing their petition and sharing it via your preferred channels!

Photo: sofiaglobe.com

Initiatives of Change, USA is part of a diverse global network with an 80-year track record of peacebuilding, conflict transformation and forging partnerships across divides of race, class, religion and politics. It grew out of the work of Frank Buchman (1878-1961), an American Lutheran minister. Buchman affirmed that there is a divine purpose for the world and everyone in it, and demonstrated the connection between faith and change in society. Over the years his work expanded to include people of different religions and none.

Initiaves of Change's mission lies in the equipment of leaders to build trust in diverse communities through a process of personal change, inclusive dialogue, healing historical conflict and teambuilding. They connect core values with personal and public action with a focus on racial reconciliation, economic inclusion and interfaith understanding.

"Hope in the Cities" is a special training program of Initiatives of Change offering workshops on dialogue facilitation and design, acknowledgment of painful history, trustbuilding, and building and sustaining diverse teams in communities divided by race, ethnicity, class, or religion. In the past 20 years this program helped transform the city of Richmond/Virginia - known as the second capital of the Confederate States of America  during the Civil War - from a symbol of racial division to a model for reconciliation.

Support Initiatives of Change and spread their contents through your preferred channels, like and share their contents in Social Media or simply donate to maintain their important work against all types of social division.

Tibetan writer Druklo, known by his penname “Shokjang”, was sentenced to three years in prison on February 17, 2016 due to his essay Is Nationalism a Good Thing? in which Shokjang wrote:

“You may say that you do not want self-determination but you must know that it’s no different from saying you want to be a slave or a serf.”

On March 19, 2015, Shokjang was arrested and taken to Menyuan prison and held without being charged. He was not granted family visitation rights. In the days leading up to his arrest, he wrote a blog post about the deployment of Chinese security forces in Tibet. He has responded to authorities and rejected their sentence and maintains his innocence.

Shokjang was born in Sangchu County, Tibet (ch. Xiahe County, Gansu Province) and was previously detained for one month in 2010 for his involvement in student protests during the 2008 Uprising in Tibet.

Students for a free Tibet created a petition webpage for Shokjang and other Tibetan activists. In order to support their initiative, spread Shokjang's case and make it more public. Demand the Chinese government for his immediate release and his right for a regular and unrestricted access to his family and a lawyer of his choice.

photo: freetibetanheroes.org