Symposium - Global (School) Partnerships as a Key to a Sustainable and Just Future
| Date: | Thursday, 6 November 2025 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 10 am – 6 pm |
| Location: | Leipzig |
| Sender: | ENSA - Entwicklungspolitisches Schulaustauschprogramm |
| Registration deadline: | Sunday, 26. October 2025 |
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You can find the link to the registration form at the end of this page.
Organiser
The Entwicklungspolitisches Netzwerk Sachsen e.V. (ENS) is an association of Saxon groups, initiatives and organisations that are committed to sustainable development. It implements the Uganda-Saxony Partnership in the areas of civil society and schools and cooperates with the Katosi Women Development Trust.
In cooperation with...
...the Development Policy School Exchange Programme (ENSA) which is part of Engagement Global on behalf of the BMZ. It offers educational programmes and funding for development policy school partnerships.
If you have any questions about the event, please send an email to ENSA-Fortbildungen@engagement-global.de or Ulrike.Rosemann@einewelt-sachsen.de
The event…
…is aimed at anyone who:
- are interested in partnerships between schools and organizations from Saxony and countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, or Southeast Europe, or who coordinate such partnerships.
- Teachers from all types of schools, representatives of civil society organizations, and all other interested parties are warmly invited to attend.
The event offers information, inspiration, and guidance on:
- cooperative and sustainable organization of North-South (school) partnerships
- the status of implementation of Agenda 2030 with its 17 sustainability goals locally and globally.
- the integration of education for sustainable development in schools and international project work
- funding opportunities through ENSA and Engagement Global.
...enables peer exchange:
- on the opportunities and challenges of development policy project work.
…includes:
- inputs, workshops, and plenty of space for networking and exchange.
Program:
| Time | Program Item |
|---|---|
| 10:00 | Arrival, information on funding opportunities through Engagement Global and Saxon organizations |
| 10:30 | Welcome & opening remarks Christoph Schmitt, Senior Government Official, Saxon State Chancellery Moderators: Joseline Amutuhaire-Ondrušek, Silvia Hauffe |
| 11:30 | Keynote: How can North-South (school) partnerships contribute to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals? |
| Margaret Nakato, Managing Director, Katosi Women Development Trust (works with women's groups in fishing communities in Uganda in partnership with a German organization) | |
| Dr. Gloria Conrad, Headmistress, Wiprecht-Gymnasium Groitzsch (partner school: Mješovita srednja škola “Travnik”) | |
| Teacher at a school in Uganda with a partner school in Saxony (Kololo Senior Secondary School in Kampala has been requested) | |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
| 1:30pm | Workshops: |
| 1: North-South school partner-ships as a motor for implementing ESD in schools (Susanne Scholle & Micha Baenitz, Development Policy School Exchange Program ENSA) | |
| 2: Sustainably effective projects – how does it work? (Ulrike Lauerhaß, Nord-Süd-Brücken Foundation) | |
| 3: SDG 10 Reduced inequalities: What does this mean for my project work? (Magdalena Scharf, Berlin Working Group for Political Education - bapob e.V.) | |
| 4: Peer exchange on development policy project work (Barbara Carneiro, Bluo Verda e.V.), in English | |
| 4:30pm | Compilation of results in plenary session |
| 5:00pm | Networking & music: Spielplatzcombo from Leipzig will perform |
| 6:00pm | End of the event |
Description of the workshops
Working together with students from a country in the Global South on a global learning topic that is relevant to both sides makes these issues even more tangible. This is made possible by establishing a sustainable school partnership and joint mutual encounters. In this workshop, we will take a closer look at the school partnership format. What is important when establishing an equal, sustainable school partnership? How can the topics of the school partnership be made useful for the entire school? Which top-ics are suitable for international student groups? We want to discuss these questions together in the workshop.
- Susanne Scholle and Micha Baenitz are responsible for training and networking events related to North-South school partnerships in the ENSA program since eight years.
Whether on a small or large scale, we are constantly concerned with the sustainability and effectiveness of our actions. But what exactly constitutes the future viability of development cooperation projects? What questions should we ask ourselves and our partner organizations during the design and planning stages? What adjustments can we make together to ensure that projects are sensibly structured, solidly planned, and have a broad impact beyond the project's duration?
- Ulrike Lauerhaß is a consultant at the Nord-Süd Brücken Foundation and is responsible for development cooperation project funding from Saxony and the BMZ.
In this workshop, we will reflect on the dimensions of inequality that play a role in our South-North projects, how power relations work, and what scope there is for action to promote greater justice. Using examples and interactive exercises, we will develop ideas on how projects can be designed to contribute to greater participation, sensitivity, and justice. The workshop offers space for exchange, critical reflection, and practical approaches to strengthen your own project work in the long term.
- Magdalena Scharf is a political scientist and experienced trainer, instructor, and speaker who now lives in Berlin after spending many years in Brazil, France, Iran, Turkey, and the US. Her international background and selfcritical reflection on her experiences in the Global South shape her educational work, which focuses on examining power relations and inclusion, privilege, and discrimination. Previously, she worked for Action Reconciliation Service for Peace and the Berghof Foundation, among others.
Workshop 4: Peer exchange on development policy project work (in English)
This interactive workshop invites participants to reflect on their own experiences in development-oriented project work, both in Germany and abroad. Together, we will explore what has worked well, the challenges we face, and strategies to overcome them. Through peer exchange and collaborative methods, participants will gain new perspectives, share practical tools, and identify lessons that can be applied to their own projects. The workshop creates a space for mutual learning and collective inspiration to strengthen global partnerships for a just and sustainable future.
- Barbara Carneiro is a certified trainer for education for sustainable development and a board member of ENS and BluoVerda e.V. She is a biologist from Brazil with a master's degree in environmental planning from the Technical University of Berlin and has been a project officer at BluoVerda e.V. since June 2022. She has been involved in numerous international projects dealing with sustainable development, nature conservation, environmental education, and citizen science, among other topics.
The event will be held in German. Some parts will be held in English. Interpretation in both directions will be provided. If you require interpretation, please indicate this on your registration form.
Getting there
The following stops and lines are within walking distance of the venue:
- Karl-Heine-/Gießerstr. stop (tram line 14) – 170 meters
- Leipzig-Plagwitz stop (S-Bahn lines 1 and 10) – 600 meters
Event location
VDI GaraGe
Karl-Heine Str. 97
04229 Leipzig
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