Who we are

The Association for Development Politics of Lower Saxony (Verband Entwicklungspolitik Niedersachsen, VEN) is an independent NGO network that consists of more than 100 organizations, grass root initiatives, fair trade shops, "one world groups" and individuals in the north German state of Lower Saxony. Mission of our work is an engagement towards a sustainable world, the achievement of global social justice and equal development rights for all. Development cooperation is not our focus. We believe that, for an ecologically sustainable and socially just world, Western/European consumption patterns and our economic priorities need re-orientation.
   

What we do

The VEN was founded in 1991. Since almost 20 years, VEN supports its member organizations in their local activities, offers capacity-building and strengthens civil society.
VEN reminds the Lower Saxon government and the parliament of their responsibility towards sustainable development and the alleviation of global poverty. Our themes encompass a wide range of global issues:
  • The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
  • Food Sovereignty, Biofuels and sustainable land use management
  • The economical, social and cultural human rights (ESC-rights)
  • Climate change and gender justice
  • World trade and fair trade
  • Accountability, transparency and sustainable public procurement
  • Education for Sustainable Development, Development Eduaction (DE)
We support local events and strive for strengthening especially small groups in rural areas in their involvement in development politics. We offer trainings and workshops. And we coordinate locally-based "One-World-Promoters" who counsel to groups in the different regions of Lower Saxony.
We also implement own campaigns and projects on regional level, mostly with local partners. To raise awareness and to inform about north-south issues we organize events, conferences and workshops. The publication of media and materials such as journals, bulletins, audio-CDs, exhibitions, CD-ROM and didactical handouts is also part of our work.
   

Our regional projects

Hungry for fuels?

On biofuels and their impacts on food production in the global south

 

Human.Rights.Opportunities

tackles the human rights to food, education, work and health

 

Empowering women. Changing the climate!

brings up the situation of women/gender in the context of climate change (you can find a portrait book of engaged women in Tanzania, Bolivia and Germany in English/Spanish/German as pdf-file here)

 

Planet 8

on the eight Millennium Development Goals that seek to accomplish a 50% reduction of the worst forms of poverty up until the year 2015

   

Networking

VEN, via its national roof organizations, is part of the European Association of Developmental NGOs CONCORD.
VEN is part of the AGL (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Eine-Welt Landesnetzwerke), the national working group of all regional development associations in the 16 federal German states.
VEN is also engaged in VENRO which is the umbrella association of non-governmental development organizations (NGOs) in Germany.
Within our project activities, we are cooperating with INADES Formation in Dodoma/Tanzania, CENPROTAC in La Paz/Bolivia, the Letsema Center in Pretoria/South Africa, the Universidad Técnica de Ibarra/Ecuador and others.