Partnership Rhineland-Palatinate/Rwanda

Partnerschaft Rheinland-Pfalz/Ruanda (officially Partnerschaft Rheinland-Pfalz-Ruanda e. V.) is a registered non-profit association that organizes and coordinates the partnership between the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate and the East African country of Rwanda. Founded on 11 March 1982, it grew out of a desire to reshape development cooperation around citizen engagement, decentralized structures and solidarity rather than purely governmental aid. Today it is widely regarded as a recognized example of cooperation on equal footing, a so-called grassroots partnership. The association is supported by the Rhineland-Palatinate state government and brings together a broad cross-section of society: representatives of the political parties in the state parliament, the state government and ministries, municipalities, schools, churches, the chamber of crafts, the chamber of industry and commerce, local partnership associations and private individuals. Its statutory purpose is to promote the partnership and to support aid and development projects in Rwanda, pursuing recognized charitable and benevolent goals including international understanding, education and training, public health, child and youth welfare, sport, development cooperation, refugee assistance, family support and individual case aid. Operationally, the association coordinates cooperation among local, regional and supra-regional organizations working for and with Rwanda, organizes the transport of relief supplies, and runs a coordination office in Kigali. That office serves as the point of contact and cooperation hub for Rwandan partners, handles project implementation and fund management on the ground, and ensures a regular flow of information between Rwanda and Rhineland-Palatinate. It has become a contact point in Rwanda for people seeking help. The association's work spans education, health promotion, sustainable development and intercultural exchange, and it organizes numerous events, encounters and study trips. It publishes a newsletter, the journal Ruanda Revue, annual reports and teaching materials. Financially, it can invest roughly 3.5 million euros per year in Rwanda, of which about 1.3 million euros comes from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate; the partnership office in Kigali and the head office in Mainz are additionally financed through the state budget. From its founding in 1982 through 2019, projects in Rwanda were supported with a total of around 100 million euros.

The association Partnerschaft Rheinland-Pfalz-Ruanda e. V. was founded on 11 March 1982. It emerged from the wish to reshape development cooperation, emphasizing citizen engagement, decentralized structures and solidarity. From the outset it was supported by the Rhineland-Palatinate state government and structured to include representatives of the political parties in the state parliament, the state government and ministries, municipalities, schools, churches, the chamber of crafts, the chamber of industry and commerce, local partnership associations and private individuals. Its statutory purpose is to promote the partnership between the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate and Rwanda and to support aid and development projects there. The association pursues recognized charitable and benevolent purposes, explicitly including international understanding, education and training, public health and public services, child and youth welfare, sport promotion, development cooperation, refugee assistance, family support and individual case aid. Over the decades the partnership has become known as a grassroots partnership and a recognized example of cooperation on equal footing. The association coordinates the work of local, regional and supra-regional organizations engaged with Rwanda, organizes the transport of relief supplies, and operates a coordination office in Kigali. That office acts as the point of contact and cooperation hub for Rwandan partners, manages project implementation and funds on the ground, and maintains information flow between Rwanda and Rhineland-Palatinate; it has also become a contact point in Rwanda for people seeking help. Financially, the association can invest roughly 3.5 million euros per year in Rwanda, of which about 1.3 million euros comes from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The partnership office in Kigali and the head office in Mainz are additionally financed through the state budget. From its founding in 1982 through 2019, projects in Rwanda were supported with a total of around 100 million euros. The association's organs are the members' assembly, convened at least once a year, and the board, consisting of a president, two deputies, eight assessors and a youth representative. In 2009 Richard Auernheimer, a former state secretary, was elected president for the first time. His deputies are Anke Beilstein, a member of the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament, and Manfred Schnur, district administrator of the Cochem-Zell district. The association publishes a newsletter, the journal Ruanda Revue (one to two issues per year), annual reports from the Mainz office and the Kigali coordination office, and teaching materials.

• 2019

  By 2019, projects in Rwanda had been supported with a total of around 100 million euros since 1982.

• 2009

  Richard Auernheimer elected president for the first time.

• 1982

  Association founded on 11 March 1982.

A state-supported grassroots development partnership promoting citizen engagement, decentralized structures and cooperation on equal footing between Rhineland-Palatinate and Rwanda.

• Coordination office in Kigali

  Point of contact and cooperation hub for Rwandan partners; handles project implementation and fund management on the ground.

• Ruanda Revue

  Journal of the partnership, published one to two times per year.

• Newsletter

  Newsletter of the association and the coordination office in Kigali.

• Annual reports

  Annual reports of the Mainz office and the Kigali coordination office.

• Teaching materials

  Educational materials produced by the association.

1. 1Partnerschaft Rheinland-Pfalz – Ruanda | Gemeinsam für eine nachhaltige Zukunftrlp-ruanda.de
2. 2Partnerschaft Rheinland-Pfalz/Ruandawikidata.org
3. 3Partnerschaft Rheinland-Pfalz-Ruandade.wikipedia.org