International Activities

The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation’s international work is an important and extensive part of the Foundation’s overall endeavors. The Foundation is committed to international solidarity and operates within the framework of German foreign and development policy.

The activities of the German political foundations are set in the context of the social and welfare policy work conducted by German institutions and organizations internationally, with a focus on promoting the peaceful reconciliation of interests and understanding between nations. The foundations consider themselves an integral part of German foreign, development and security policy; however, they are largely independent in their choice of aims, subjects and locations.

The plurality of the work carried out abroad by party-affiliated political foundations is an expression of the political plurality in Germany reflecting the composition of the German parliament.

Proceeding from its understanding of democratic socialism and the goals of the World Social Forum movement, and in clear agreement with the UN Millennium Declaration, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation  pursues two overriding aims in its international work:

• In a dialogue among equals with its partners in Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa the Foundation actively elaborates and implements plans to give every individual access to the basic necessities for a self-determined existence (democratic participation, education, healthcare, social security, housing, employment, environment, cultural diversity). The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation thus helps to overcome social injustice rooted in gender or ethnicity and to promote active democratic participation and the non-military, peaceful resolution of conflict.
• The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation supports political and civil society structures, organizations and instruments which comply with the Foundation’s statutes and share its ideals. Their activities are aimed at creating the necessary political, social and cultural conditions which enable individuals to develop freely.

The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation works on a variety of projects using different forms of cooperation in the following regions:

• Central and Eastern Europe: EU accession and subsequent developments, transformation;
• Post-Soviet area: Peace and international security, transformation;
• South and Central America: Democratic and social participation, local politics;
• South Asia: Peace and international security, intercultural and interfaith communication, gender relations;
• South-East Asia: Transformation, “socialist market economies”;
• Southern Africa: Strengthening civil society, democratic and social participation, empowering marginalized groups;
• Middle East: Promoting values of peace and tolerance, strengthening democratic structures, integration of minorities.

Within the European Union, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundationis a member of transform! a network of several European organizations involved in political education and critical academic analysis. The paramount objectives of this network are to overcome the dominance of capital, patriarchy, imperial rule, militarism and racism. The equality and solidarity of all people represent the most important values transform! is based on. Transform! is interested in cooperating with every European and non-European organization committed to the above-mentioned aims and prepared to make an active contribution towards achieving them. www.transform-network.org