Austausch e.V. - Für eine europäische Zivilgesellschaft

Austausch e.V., known until 2022 as Deutsch-Russischer Austausch e.V., is a non-governmental non-profit organization founded in 1992 in Berlin. The association focuses on strengthening civil society in Western and Eastern European countries.

Our goal is to promote democracy, European cooperation, and civic engagement. We advocate for the values of democracy, human rights, environmental protection, education, and ethnic reconciliation. Through our work, we support the development of an active and engaged civil society in Central and Eastern Europe.

• Exchange Programs: We offer various exchange programs, including internships for Russian journalists in German media, volunteer services in non-governmental organizations and social institutions, student exchange programs, and internship exchanges in Russia, Eastern and Central Europe[1][4].
• Projects and Events: In cooperation with international and local partners, we implement projects on topics such as conflict resolution, climate and environmental protection, media, education, and human rights. We organize conferences, advise actors from politics and society, and publish specialized publications[1][5].
• Professional Exchange: We take on core tasks in organizing youth encounters and professional exchanges within the framework of city partnerships, such as between Berlin and Moscow[1].

• International Cooperation: We collaborate with partners in over 20 countries to implement projects and exchange programs aimed at long-term sustainability.
• Environmental and Climate Protection: An important focus of our work is environmental and climate protection. We initiate and support projects aimed at protecting the environment and promoting climate-friendly practices[5].
• Human Rights and Democracy: Through our projects and initiatives, we advocate for the strengthening of human rights and democratic structures in the countries where we operate.

In May 2021, the association was classified by the Russian authorities as an "undesirable NGO," which severely restricts our legal activities in Russia. Despite this challenge, we continue our work in other Eastern European countries, such as Ukraine and Belarus, and expand our international partnerships[1].

Austausch e.V. is a member of various networks and associations, including the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum, the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband Berlin, and the Federal Working Group of Volunteer Agencies. For our civic engagement in Eastern Europe, we were awarded the Theodor Heuss Medal in 1998[1].

Through our diverse activities and partnerships, we contribute to fostering a closer and more cooperative relationship between Eastern and Western Europe and strengthening civil society in the region.

• 1 - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austausch_e._V.
• 2 - https://www.brd.nrw.de/Themen/Schule-Bildung/Internationaler-Austausch/Individueller-Austausch
• 3 - https://austausch.org
• 4 - https://austausch.org/ueber-uns/
• 5 - https://www.betterplace.org/de/organisations/18370-austausch-e-v