History
EIRENE has been working for justice, peace, and the integrity of our one world since 1957.
60 years of EIRENE: a timeline
1957 |
EIRENE founded by the historic peace churches (Brethren, MCC); Work starts in Africa. Since then EIRENE has worked with partner organisations in Morocco, the West African Sahel (Niger, Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso), the Great Lakes region (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda), and other regions/countries in Africa. |
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1971 |
Official recognition of EIRENE in Germany as a sending agency for development service. |
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1977 |
Work starts in Western Europe and North America. Since then EIRENE has worked with partner organisations in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Canada, the USA, and other countries. |
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1981 |
Work starts in Latin America. Since then EIRENE has worked with partner organisations in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Bolivia, and other countries in Latin America; Introduction of equal pay for all employees in the international office as an act of solidarity. |
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Seit 1983 |
Stronger involvement in the peace movement in Germany, e.g. participation in demonstrations against the deployment of Pershing II nuclear missiles and vigils against military intervention by NATO and the Bundeswehr (German armed forces). |
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1985 |
Participation in successful protests against a nuclear power station at Mülheim-Kärlich. |
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1987 |
Official recognition as a sending agency for the Alternative Service Abroad under the Alternative Service Act; Creation of the Senior Peace Service. |
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1993 |
Work starts in Southeast Europe. Since then EIRENE has worked with partner organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Serbia, and other countries. |
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1995 |
Participation in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. |
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1997 |
Founded, jointly with other organisations, the Chad/Cameroon Oil Project campaign, which continued its work under the name AG Chad until 2013 and is now called Fokus Sahel. |
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2000 |
EIRENE Foundation established; Official recognition of EIRENE as a sending agency for the Civil Peace Service (CPS). |
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2002 |
More than 50 office staff and former volunteers provide emergency aid during flooding of the river Elbe. |
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2003 |
Organisation of a demonstration against the Iraq War in Neuwied. More than 1,000 people take part. |
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2007 |
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2011 |
Suspension of compulsory military service and discontinuance of the Alternative Service Abroad as a consequence; EIRENE becomes a sending agency for the International Youth Volunteer Service (IJFD), which is set up in place of the Alternative Service Abroad. |
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2012 |
EIRENE joins Aktion Aufschrei - Stoppt den Waffenhandel (Outcry: End the Arms Trade) |
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2015 |
New programme - International Peace Service in Germany - started. First ten volunteers arrive in Germany. |
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2016 |
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2017 |
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