Welthaus Bielefeld / Worldhouse Bielefeld

With 14 salaried staff and approximately 80 volunteers, the Welthaus in Bielefeld is more of an institution. It is maintained by a registered association founded in 1980 having presently 70 active members.

Geographically, Africa and Latin America are the central fields of activity. Its focal objective is briefing and educational work on development and the support of projects abroad. Aim of the work is to overcome poverty and hunger, racism and suppression and, at the same time, to change structures in our own society.

The Welthaus publishes teaching aids and specialized literature, advises on problems about didactics and selection of subjects, holds seminars and courses for further education, is in charge of school partnerships and runs a lending multi-media library and archive of periodicals.

Over the last years, organizing nationwide and international campaigns has especially been intensified as well as networking between different groups and organizations working on a certain subject or region. In this connection, the Welthaus took over responsibility for an umbrella organization named KOSA that campaigned for the free trade agreement between the EU and South Africa and has now become an autonomous association.

Special emphasis is placed on cultural co-operation and exchange – for everyday consumption, the shop sells fair and alternatively traded goods.

As to the region of Southern Africa, the Welthaus is also concerned with subjects like debts, education, structural adaptation and African literature.

It addresses teachers, pupils, people interested in and disseminating information on development policy as well as the general public.

The Welthaus not only largely maintains the KOSA office but is also closely connected with the work of KOSA on Southern Africa.