International Tasks
The Social Welfare Service of the Protestant Churches in Württemberg is a member of the Social Welfare Service of the Protestant Church in Germany (Diakonisches Werk der EKD). In this capacity, it actively supports the international aid work of Diakonie:
The Action Programme “Bread for the World” started in 1959. All Regional and Free Protestant Churches are involved. The financial means for the projects are acquired through private donations and church collections. The idea is to contribute to the improve ment of the living conditions of the impoverished and disad vantaged in the developing countries by projects encourageing self help.
The donation collection programme “Hope for East ern Europe“ initiated in 1994, was the response of the Protestant Churches witnessing the social changes in Central and Eastern Europe.
The Emergency and Disaster Relief Programme mostly provides rapid aid by distributing food, tents, blankets, clothing etc. on-site in the distressed areas. Assistance may also be organized on a medium-term level, for instance by providing seeds and tools. The funds for this aid come mainly from private donations, but also from grants allocated by the German Federal Government and the European Union. Diakonie Kastastrophenhilfe often cooperates with other non-governmental donor agencies.
Partnerships
In addition to this support for international relief work, the Social Welfare Service of the Protestant Churches in Württemberg supports German Protestant church communities and diaconal service units to build up relationships in other countries. Diakonie in Württemberg, on her part, maintains strong contacts to countries in Eastern Europe. A strong and lively relationship exists with the church district of Kronstadt / Brasov in Romania which has also assumed a leadership role for the building up of the partnership of „The three Churches“ between the Protestant Church AB in Slovakia, the Protestant Regional Church in the German state of Thuringia and of Württemberg. Social projects are supported in Kosovo.