Pandemic-beating partnership
German and Tanzanian organisations hold joint conference
International youth work is one of the many segments facing major challenges two years into the pandemic, as we all know. So the fact that the German Association for Arts Education and Cultural Learning (BKJ) and its Tanzanian partner held a joint conference to reinvigorate dialogue was all the more important.
The pandemic has had a significant impact on international youth work over the past two years. Planned projects had to be called off and new ways found to maintain a minimum level of communication.
So the BKJ (the AGYO’s strategic partner) and its partner, the Tanzania Youth Coalition (TYC), provided an opportunity for organisations on both sides to start communicating (again), the aim being to develop and nurture partnerships. They held a joint conference in Dar es Salaam and online on 8 and 9 March, bringing together more than 20 cultural education and international youth work organisations from Germany and Tanzania - including existing partners and new organisations interested in getting involved.
Teams up! isn’t about working on a project together. It’s about committing to a long-term partnership. To build a partnership, we need to have trust and that means we really have to take the time to get to know each other properly.
The conference participants looked at the biggest challenges facing transcontinental partnerships: how to ensure fair and respectful collaboration and transparent and balanced use of finances on joint youth exchange projects. Their main focus was on the lessons learned on the Teams up! programme, which is a key funding instrument for Tanzanian-German youth exchanges.
The conference showed that new ideas are still possible and both sides extremely motivated to overcome any obstacles together - despite the continuing Covid restrictions.
Further information
Teams up! Youth Exchange for Sustainable Development Projects specifically seeks to attract funding applicants from the world of cultural education. The aim is to reach target groups that have previously had little or no exposure to development issues. With this aim in mind, the programme collaborates with the German Association for Arts Education and Cultural Learning (BKJ).