Our network of committed individuals, groups, and organizations is constantly evolving, searching for pathways toward a just and sustainable future. We advocate for global cohesion and solidarity.
Global Solidarity Niedersachsen.GLOBAL stands for global social cohesion and is committed to a peaceful world where people live free from oppression, with self-determination and dignity, regardless of their origin or social status.
Active Civil Society Niedersachsen.GLOBAL supports individuals in their commitment to shaping society and advocates for a strong democracy where civil society is involved in decision-making processes.
Critical Perspective Shift Niedersachsen.GLOBAL questions (even its own) perspectives on the world, using power-critical approaches as a fundamental basis for its work. The goal is to promote diversity and a variety of perspectives in engagement.
Global Encounters Niedersachsen.GLOBAL fosters exchange among people worldwide, building global connections to collaboratively find sustainable and globally just solutions.
Sustainable Transformation Niedersachsen.GLOBAL is part of a global movement dedicated to preserving the natural foundations of life and promoting the necessary economic and societal changes, both locally and globally.
As early as the 1970s and 1980s, groups of committed individuals from the so-called "Third World Movement" emerged in many places across Lower Saxony. They criticized unjust trade, the exploitation of nature, and wars worldwide, advocating for solidarity, global encounters, and a just world order. This civil society, including churches and trade unions, became increasingly interconnected. In 1991, representatives from many of these groups came together and founded their statewide umbrella organization, known as "VEN – Verband Entwicklungspolitik Niedersachsen" (Association for Development Policy in Lower Saxony). VEN created favorable conditions for civil society engagement and focused on networking and supporting activists. It also emphasized "development policy work within Germany," including information campaigns, educational programs, and political dialogue formats in Lower Saxony. A major success was VEN's support for the nationwide introduction of the "Eine Welt-Promotor*innenprogramm" (One World Promoters Program), which enabled funding for regional and specialized advisory centers for activists.
For its 30th anniversary in 2021, the association took a comprehensive look back at its work and asked itself: Who are we, really? How has the commitment to global justice evolved? The result was a sharpened profile and a new name designed to provide a networking hub for as many organizations as possible around their global engagement: Niedersachsen.GLOBAL e. V.