Diversity is our strength – the executing agencies of the CPS
The work of the Civil Peace Service is carried out by German peace and development organisations. The variety of governmental and non-governmental executing agencies is its strength. The organisations each possess individual networks of access to various civil society organisations within our partner countries. They devote themselves to a variety of tasks and facilitate our work through the wide spectrum of experiences, expertise and approaches that they offer. The CPS executing agencies have combined to form the Civil Peace Service Group. The CPS is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
With the active involvement of development and peace services, the BMZ has set out the framework conditions for the Civil Peace Service in terms of content and organisation, and has provided corresponding budget funds. In consultation with the Auswärtiges Amt [Ministry of Foreign Affairs], the BMZ rules on executing agency applications for project funding. The BMZ funds the Civil Peace Service.
Secretariat of the Civil Peace Service (CPS secretariat)
The CPS secretariat acts as a link between the BMZ and the Civil Peace Service’s executing agencies, receiving, checking and forwarding applications to the BMZ. The secretariat provides the BMZ with evidence of the employment of funds, and produces overviews of project data and the status of advanced funds. In addition, the secretariat provides information on the overall position of project funding, and arranges the provision of further contact partners.
The Civil Peace Service Group (CPS Group)
The executing agencies of the Civil Peace Service have combined to form the Civil Peace Service Group. The group's task is to further develop the content of the CPS's work, to exchange experiences, to improve administrative frameworks and to make representations to the BMZ and to the public on joint matters of concern.
Membership of the group is filled by recognised development agencies: Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Entwicklungshilfe [Association for Development Cooperation] (AGEH), Christliche Fachkräfte International [Christian Services International](CFI), Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst [German Development Service] (DED), EIRENE – Dienste in Übersee [International Christian Services for Peace], Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst [Church Development Service] (EED), Forum Ziviler Friedensdienst [ForumCPS] (forumZFD), and Weltfriedensdienst [World Peace Service] (WFD), as well as the umbrella association of peace organisations, Aktionsgemeinschaft Dienst für den Frieden [Action Committee Service for Peace] (AGDF).
The Action Committee Service for Peace (AGDF) is a specialist, umbrella association of peace services connected to the Protestant Church.
Some member organisations of the AGDF carry out CPS projects autonomously:
KURVE Wustrow – Bildungs- und Begegnungsstätte für gewaltfreie Aktion e.V. [Education and Meeting Centre for Non-Violent Action] – was founded in 1980. It helps to convert shock at violent confrontations, ecological destruction and social injustice into considered non-violent action.
Peace Brigades International campaigns for the protection of human rights and supports threatened defenders of human rights in crisis areas.
The Association for Development Cooperation (AGEH) is the German Catholic Church's human resources service for development cooperation. It provides qualified, specialist human resources for development and peacebuilding projects on a worldwide basis.
CFI arranges the seconding to Africa, Asia and Latin America of committed Christians with specialist training to help people in their trained professions and bear witness to Jesus Christ. The main focus of their work is the provision of support and training for local employees.
The DED is one of the leading European human resources secondment agencies. Since its founding 45 years ago, it has sent about 15,000 development assistants to Africa, Asia and Latin America. This year, more than 100 CPS experts are working for the DED.
The EED is a development agency of the Protestant Church in Germany, providing advice and financial support to its partners. The EED provides German experts for projects overseas and awards scholarships to up-and-coming staff from partner countries. In Germany, the EED supports the development politics educational work of 500 groups and parishes.
EIRENE is an ecumenical peace service, whose experts work alongside partner organisations campaigning in Africa and Latin America for the peaceful resolution of conflicts, the protection of human rights and sustainable development.
The Forum CPS is a federation of over 40 organisations from the peace movement and the development cooperation sector whose joint aim is to promote the concept of civil conflict resolution on a worldwide basis. The Forum CPS has experts working on its behalf in the Philippines, the Middle East, the Western Balkans and in Germany, and sponsors the Akademie fr Konflikttransformation [Academy for Conflict Transformation], a training centre for peace workers.
The Forum CPS carries out projects working in conjunction with the following member organisations:
Pax Christi works as a Catholic peace movement across the world, defending the causes of peace and justice and the non-violent settling of conflicts. It opposes high military spending and arms exports, and aims to promote a culture of peace. The German branch and diocesan departments of Pax Christi run peace service projects in war and crisis-torn areas in the Balkans, South East Asia, Colombia and the Middle East.
The Evangelische Arbeitsgemeinschaft zur Betreuung von Kriegsdienstverweigerern [Evangelical Work Association for the Support of Conscientious Objectors](EAK) is a Church-run agency for conscientious objectors to armed military service and people undertaking civilian service. It additionally offers support to anyone facing the decision between military service or conscientious objection, and campaigns for a non-violent path to peace, both within states and between peoples.
The Willy Brandt Center Jerusalem Support Association supports and coordinates the work of the Willy Brandt Center (WBC) in Jerusalem, where the Civil Peace Service has been undertaking initiatives since 2000. The WBC is located right on the 'Green Line' between East and West Jerusalem, and is a place where young adults can meet on equal terms. The WBC aims to build trust and solidarity between young people, and work with them to create a pathway towards a peaceful future.
The World Peace Service (WFD) was founded in 1959. Since then, its experts have supported grass-roots groups in the South. In Germany, the WFD uses innovative educational work to ensure that the problems of the South remain on the agenda.