Achieving Change Together

Brot für die Welt works to influence political decisions in the interests of the poor and to create awareness for the need for a sustainable and fair economy and way of living. The goals of our work are overcoming poverty, preserving creation, realising human rights and building just and peaceful communities. We act as part of a global church and an international civil society that is committed to the social participation of all and that clearly affirms the option for the poor and the powerless.

In our lobbying and advocacy work, we represent the perspectives and concerns of partner organisations worldwide. Among our contacts are members of the German Parliament, representatives of the federal government, the European Parliament, the UN and other international institutions, as well as the church and decision-makers in business and society. We pose inconvenient questions, take clear positions and seek to influence political decisions. We have repeatedly succeeded in drawing the attention of the German government and international institutions to the concerns of our partner organisations and thus supporting them. We develop our political positions in dialogue with our partner organisations and empower and encourage them to strengthen their own lobby and advocacy work on national and international level.

We shape the building of alliances through active networking and continuous dialogue with partner organisations and churches at home and abroad. The ACT Alliance, the international church network for humanitarian work and development aid, plays a prominent role in this. Along with our partners we attend international conferences and organise civil society forums in order to influence the political decision-making process.

Through in-field studies and discussions with our partners, we develop expertise on different fields of global development. These positions are then laid down in sectoral and regional policies which determine our organisation's work and its dialogue with partners, politics and civil society.

We support the peaceful commitment of women and men worldwide for the protection and promotion of civil, political, economic and cultural human rights. The space for these peaceful and legitimate activities is shrinking a human rights violations are carried out by governments, business or other actors. We support partners with legal advice and other emergency measures to enable them to live in safety and security.

The policy department deals with, among others, the following topics:

1. Human Rights and Peace
   • Human Rights
   • Migration
   • Peace Work and Civil Conflict Transformation
   • Shrinking Spaces for Civil Society
2. Economy and Ecology
   • Climate Change
   • 2030 Agenda
   • Global Trade and Fair Trade
   • Sustainable Tourism
   • Finance and Global Economy
3. Basic Social Services and Food Security
   • Food Security and Agriculture
   • Gender Equality
   • Health
   • Social Security
   • Urbanisation.