The first participants in the Federal Foreign Office’s new cultural volunteer programme “kulturweit” (Bridging Cultures) will soon depart for their host countries. To mark this occasion, Gernot Erler, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, is inviting the nearly 200 “kulturweit” volunteers and the ambassadors of the host countries to a farewell celebration at the Federal Foreign Office on 8 September 2009.

The “kulturweit” volunteer programme is the Federal Foreign Office’s newest cultural relations and education policy initiative. By volunteering for “kulturweit”, young people between the ages of 18 and 26 have the opportunity to live and work in another culture for 6 or 12 months. These young volunteers will help convey a current and modern image of Germany abroad.

The partner organizations offering placement for the volunteers abroad include: the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), the German Commission for UNESCO (DUK), Deutsche Welle (DW), the Goethe-Institut (GI), the Educational Exchange Service (PAD) and the Federal Office of Administration – Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA).

The German Commission for UNESCO is responsible for coordinating and implementing “kulturweit” and has established a coordination office for the volunteer programme in Berlin.

The “kulturweit” programme was presented to the public in mid-February 2009, and in mid-September the first nearly 200 volunteers will go abroad with the programme.

The next cohorts of volunteers are scheduled to depart in March and September 2010, however, the application deadline for March has already passed. Applications for September 2010 will be accepted from 1 – 31 October 2009. For more information please visit: www.kulturweit.de