SPECIAL, APRIL 2005

PerspeCtives Newsletter of the association of Exposure– And Dialogue programme Contents of this issue Special - edp cooperation with german parliament • EDP briefing session with MPs • Impacts of EDP - an EDP briefing sessions with MPs example Former EDP participants from President of the German parlia- organisation”, said Dr. Elke • Participants‘ reports - among the members of the ment, who emphasised the posi- Löbel (EDP e.V.) giving an highlights German parliament hosted an tive experiences which the Ger- overview of the contents and EDP briefing session with the man parliament has made with organisational aspects of EDPs. • Looking back: cooperation title “Development has got a EDPs and promised to partici- MP, Peter with the German parlia- face”, which took place on the pate in one of the next pro- Weiß MP and Hartwig Fischer ment premises of the German parlia- grammes. Mrs. Karin Kort- MP explained to what extent ment on 16 March 2005. Inter- mann MP gave a brief report on their exposure experiences ested MPs were invited to ask her EDP learning experience influenced their evaluations of questions with regard to con- with participatory poverty alle- the current conflicts in Bolivia. tents and organisation of EDPs viation and the practical impact In this special you will find and to discuss them with for- of the Bolivian Popular Partici- further information on this mer MP participants and the pation Act, which is a highly briefing session and on the co- EDP e.V. team. topical political issue in this operation between EDP e.V. 19 MPs followed the invitation Latin American country. and the German parliament. and contributed to a lively dis- “Bolivia is one of the countries With kind regards, Dr. Susanne Kastner, cussion. They were welcomed where EDP e.V. cooperates your EDP e.V. team Vice president of the Ger- by Dr. Susanne Kastner, Vice with an experienced partner man Parliament Impacts of EDPs - an example

Moved by her experience with bers to come to and drawn people have turned the EDP carried out in coop- coordinated meeting contacts in into active project partners.” eration with Watershed Or- Germany in 2002, among oth- And the process is going on: ganisation Trust (WOTR) in ers with the German-Indian fund raising activities and India, former Federal Min- parliamentary group which she return visits with Indians ister Claudia Nolte MP had joined after her EDP par- attending seminars on devel- reported on her activities fol- ticipation. Claudia Nolte sup- opment policies in Illmenau lowing her participation. The ports a WOTR project focus- (Germany) help to promote „Programmes like these are a EDP on the General conditions sing on self-governed water partnerships at local level. A perfect way for MPs and other for the self-government of water- supply in favour of the highly trainee from her constituency office-holders to make experien- shed areas helped her to under- discriminated indigenous peo- is currently staying in India. ces so deep they can change stand the critical factors for ple. Fascinated by the potential Claudia Nolte is planning to their attitudes and consequently successful development coop- of people struggling to escape visit India together with peo- the actions they take…“ . eration. After the EDP, she poverty in extremely barren ple from her constituency in Claudia Nolte, MP stayed in touch with the Indian areas, Claudia Nolte visited December 2005. partners on an unofficial basis. tribal villages in 2003 and 2004: She invited WOTR staff mem- “The formerly shy and with-

SPECIAL, APRIL 2005

Participants‘ reports - highlights Around 30 politicians (MPs Political decisions are needed “This was the most important from European, Federal and – in Bolivia and in Germany.” point for me: I realized that, regional parliaments) have Lothar Binding, MP, EDP Bolivia despite all doubtful side ef- participated in EDPs until 2004 fects, at least in the medium today. term, stabilising and “When you learn from experi- (temporarily) expanding infor- “Exposures are so important ence what it means to be poor, mal labour is the only way for because they provide new even if it is only for some days, many people in the developing insights based on one’s own this will change your personal countries to be integrated into experience gained in unfamil- perspective. Then you will see the productive process. […]” iar situations of life. They many things from a different , MP, EDP Do- make us realize that our own point of view. Programmes minican Republic 2003 Hartwig Fischer, MP knowledge is limited… The like these are indispensable for “Migration and distribution of group reflection, especially the cross-cultural understanding. I property” EDP in Bolivia, dialogue with the Bolivian hope that as many people as 2004 participants, revealed that the possible will have the chance various families and villages do to participate in such a pro- have comparable problems gramme.” which promote certain devel- Hartwig Fischer, MP, EDP Bolivia opments and impede others. 2004

Looking back: cooperation with the German parliament

Some selected milestones and In 1994 and 1998, after the participation in these pro- results of the cooperation be- first MPs had participated in grammes to the members of tween EDP e.V. and the Ger- EDPs, Dr. Rita Süssmuth, parliament. In 2003, after his man parliament: In 1992, the then president of the German meeting with a family in Bo- committee on economic coop- parliament, called MPs to par- livia, , Presi- eration (AwZ) recommended ticipate in EDPs in a letter dent of the German parlia- participation in EDPs: “The addressed to the parliamentary ment, again recommended Federal Government is called to committees: “This is a good participation in EDPs to all expand exposure and training pro- opportunity to gain personal in- parliamentary committees. On grammes in developing countries to sight into self-help oriented pov- 3 March 2003, EDP e.V. and enable decision-makers and Govern- erty alleviation.” In 2002, after 8 partner organisations from Karin Kortmann, MP und ment officials in Germany and a visit to SEWA (partner or- Asia, Latin America and East Peter Weiß, MP abroad as well as staff members of ganisation of EDP e.V.), the Europe presented and dis- EDP briefing session, th the partner organisations to gain women’s self-help organisation cussed their common activities March 16 2005 personal insight into self-help ori- in India, the inquiry commit- and results in the AwZ. ented poverty alleviation. The tee on “globalisation of the For more detailed information Government is called to create the world economy” of the Ger- please contact the EDP e.V. necessary budgetary prerequisites.” man parliament recommended office.

Exposure- und Dialogue Programme 2005: IMPRINT

Indien: EDP on „Decent Work for All“ in cooperation with SEWA, DGB and J&P EDITOR & LAYOUT: DR. ANGELIKA STAUDER Uganda: (V.I.S.D.P.) EXPOSURE- UND DIALOGUE PROGRAMME E.V. (EDP) EDP in the context of the UN International Year KAISER-FRIEDRICH-STR. 9 D - 53113 BONN PAGE 2 of Microcredit in cooperation with BKU, UMU PHONE +49-228-103 337 FAX +49-228-24 39 532 E-MAIL: [email protected] and CERUDEB WEB: HTTP://WWW.EXPOSURE-DIALOG.DE