Our Mandate
The German Africa Foundation (DAS) is a non-partisan foundation committed to the successful implementation of the Africa policy guidelines of the German Federal Government. As a facilitator, we offer a platform for partnership-based exchange between German and African actors and thus strengthen cooperation with the states and institutions of our neighbouring continent. Hereby, we particularly focus on the work in the parliamentary sphere. In the context of expert talks, parliamentary breakfasts and panel discussions, we bring together members of the German Bundestag, specialist ministries and other political decision-makers from Germany and Africa. At the same time, we advocate greater involvement of representatives of African embassies and the African diaspora in German politics.
One of our core tasks is to convey a differentiated image of Africa in the political arena and to the German public. Since 1993, we have been awarding the German Africa Award every year, honouring outstanding personalities from the neighbouring continent who have rendered outstanding services to democracy, peace, human rights, accountability, art and culture, social market economy and social issues. In this way, we bring new developments in Africa to the attention of the German public and promote a differentiated perception of our neighbouring continent.
In our weekly press review we provide an overview of current political developments in Africa and offer a collection of online reports on Africa by German-speaking as well as selected English and French-speaking media. With our Africa Info Hub we furthermore offer an overview of Africa-relevant institutions, country-specific information as well as selected professional articles and are thus the first contact point for people interested in Africa.
Our History
The German Africa Foundation has been committed to promoting German-African relations for 40 years. On 10 May 1978, the Foundation was founded as a member association by a number of politicians of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU). In the same year, the Foundation was included in the institutional support of the Federal Foreign Office. From the very beginning, the DAS worked closely with the political foundations and advised the German Federal Government on African policy issues.
Under the chairmanship of Karl-Heinz Hornhues (CDU), Member of the German Bundestag, the Foundation underwent a reorientation and increasingly positioned itself non-partisan: in 1991, members of other parliamentary groups joined the Foundation for the first time and members of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and Free Democratic Party (FDP) were elected to the board. A second wave of expansion followed in 1994, in which Dr Uschi Eid, the current president of the DAS, also became a board member. Under her leadership, the DAS was transformed into the cross-party foundation that exists today in Parliament. This is also reflected in the current composition of the board, which includes the foreign and development policy spokespersons from the CDU/CSU, SPD, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, FDP and DIE LINKE as well as non-parliamentarians interested in Africa.
Dr Uschi Eid
President
Dr Uschi Eid was a member of the German Bundestag for 20 years, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development/BMZ (1998 – 2005) and Personal Representative for Africa of Chancellor Schröder. She worked in Eritrea for three years and has been President of the DAS since 2015.
Dr Uschi Eid
President
Dr Uschi Eid was a member of the German Bundestag for 20 years, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development/BMZ (1998 – 2005) and Personal Representative for Africa of Chancellor Schröder. She worked in Eritrea for three years and has been President of the DAS since 2015.
President of the German Africa Foundation
Spokesperson for foreign cultural policy of the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Parliamentary Group
Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on Water and Sanitation
G-8 Africa Representative of the Federal Chancellor
Parliamentary State Secretary at the BMZ
Member of Parliament for the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Parliamentary Group
Vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development
Member of Parliament for the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Parliamentary Group
Bild: test
Prof Dr Karl-Heinz Hornhues
Honorary President
For many years, Prof Dr Karl-Heinz Hornhues chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag and served as president of the German Africa Foundation. In 2008, he and his wife founded the Ellen und Karl-Heinz Hornhues Stiftung ProAfrika.
Prof Dr Karl-Heinz Hornhues
Honorary President
For many years, Prof Dr Karl-Heinz Hornhues chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag and served as president of the German Africa Foundation. In 2008, he and his wife founded the Ellen und Karl-Heinz Hornhues Stiftung ProAfrika.
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee
Deputy Chairman of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group
President of the German Africa Foundation
Member of Parliament for the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group
Alois Karl
Vice-President
Alois Karl was a member of Parliament from 2005 to 2021. Here, he was, amongst other post, member of the Budget Committee and the Committee for Human Rights. Before joing the German Bundestag, he was the Mayor of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. As a mountaineer, he climbed the Kilimanjaro.
Alois Karl
Vice-President
Alois Karl was a member of Parliament from 2005 to 2021. Here, he was, amongst other post, member of the Budget Committee and the Committee for Human Rights. Before joing the German Bundestag, he was the Mayor of Neumarkt i.d.OPf. As a mountaineer, he climbed the Kilimanjaro.
Member of the Budget Committee
Member of the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid
Member of the Interior Committee
Member of Parliament for the CSU
Christoph Matschie
Vice-President
Christoph Matschie was head of the Africa discussion group of the SPD parliamentary group and deputy foreign policy spokesperson. He was a member of the German Bundestag from 1990 to 2004 and from 2017 to 2021.
Christoph Matschie
Vice-President
Christoph Matschie was head of the Africa discussion group of the SPD parliamentary group and deputy foreign policy spokesperson. He was a member of the German Bundestag from 1990 to 2004 and from 2017 to 2021.
Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag
Minister for Education, Science and Culture in Thuringia
Chairman of the SPD Parliamentary Group in the State Parliament of Thuringia
Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Chairman of the Committee on the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
Dieter Härthe
Treasurer
Dieter Härthe is Chairman of the Senate of Economy International and Honorary Chairman of the Senate of Economy Germany. For more than 20 years he has been Consul General of the Republic of Senegal for the federal states of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. He is co-author of the BMZ study “Marshall Plan with Africa” and advocates investments in Africa by German companies.
Dieter Härthe
Treasurer
Dieter Härthe is Chairman of the Senate of Economy International and Honorary Chairman of the Senate of Economy Germany. For more than 20 years he has been Consul General of the Republic of Senegal for the federal states of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. He is co-author of the BMZ study “Marshall Plan with Africa” and advocates investments in Africa by German companies.
Chairman of the Senate of Economy International
Honorary Chairman of the Senate of Economy Germany
Member of the Board of the Global Economic Network
Honorary Consul of the Republic of Senegal
Klaus A. Hess
Legal Adviser
As President of the German-Namibian Society, the publisher and journalist Klaus A. Hess promotes relations between Germany and Namibia, a country he has known for decades. His publishing house publishes the Namibiamagazin.
Klaus A. Hess
Legal Adviser
As President of the German-Namibian Society, the publisher and journalist Klaus A. Hess promotes relations between Germany and Namibia, a country he has known for decades. His publishing house publishes the Namibiamagazin.
President of the German-Namibian Society (DNG)
Publisher
Dr. Karamba Diaby, MP
Assessor
Dr Karamba Diaby is a member of executive board of the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag. He is also a full member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development and the Subcommittee on Global Health.
Dr. Karamba Diaby, MP
Assessor
Dr Karamba Diaby is a member of executive board of the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag. He is also a full member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development and the Subcommittee on Global Health.
Bild: Deutsche Afrika Stiftung e.V. Vorstand Dr. Karamba Diaby
Dr Volker Faigle
Assessor
Dr Volker Faigle worked as a Protestant pastor in Kenya for six years and was Africa advisor of the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) for 13 years. Today he is the Sudan and South Sudan representative of the EKD and works as an ecumenical adviser for South Africa.
Dr Volker Faigle
Assessor
Dr Volker Faigle worked as a Protestant pastor in Kenya for six years and was Africa advisor of the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) for 13 years. Today he is the Sudan and South Sudan representative of the EKD and works as an ecumenical adviser for South Africa.
Representative of the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) for Sudan and South Sudan
Theological Advisor to the Plenipotentiary of the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) at the Seat of the Federal Government and the European Union
Dr Christoph Hoffmann, MP
Assessor
Dr Christoph Hoffmann is a forestry scientist, Member of the German Bundestag of the FPD parliamentary group and Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development.
Dr Christoph Hoffmann, MP
Assessor
Dr Christoph Hoffmann is a forestry scientist, Member of the German Bundestag of the FPD parliamentary group and Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development.
Member of Parliament for the FDP parliamentary group
Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development
Member of Parliament for the FDP parliamentary group
Development policy spokesman of the FDP parliamentary group
Member of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development
Mayor of the municipality of Bad Bellingen
Volkmar Klein, MP
Assessor
Volkmar Klein is the development policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag. In his private capacity, he is involved in the implementation of projects in Ghana.
Volkmar Klein, MP
Assessor
Volkmar Klein is the development policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag. In his private capacity, he is involved in the implementation of projects in Ghana.
Member of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development
Development Policy Spokesperson of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag
Substitute member of the Budget Committee
Member of the Supervisory Board of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ)
Member of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development
Development Policy Spokesperson of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag
Member of the Budget Committee and the Subcommittee on European Union Affairs
Member of Parliament for the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group
Andreas Lämmel
Assessor
Andreas Lämmel was chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group’s working group Africa from 2013 to 2021. He regularly travels to Africa and passionately committed to promote German investments in Africa.
Andreas Lämmel
Assessor
Andreas Lämmel was chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group’s working group Africa from 2013 to 2021. He regularly travels to Africa and passionately committed to promote German investments in Africa.
Chairman of the Working Group Africa of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group
Deputy member of the Foreign Affairs Committee
Member of Parliament for the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group
Sabine Odhiambo
Assessor
Sabine Odhiambo lived in Nairobi for eight years and developed into a specialist for the East African region. In addition to various Kenyan NGOs, she also worked for the Goethe Institute as well as the German Embassy. Having already led the Foundation on an interim basis and served as Deputy Secretary General, she has been Secretary General of the German Africa Foundation since 2022.
Sabine Odhiambo
Assessor
Sabine Odhiambo lived in Nairobi for eight years and developed into a specialist for the East African region. In addition to various Kenyan NGOs, she also worked for the Goethe Institute as well as the German Embassy. Having already led the Foundation on an interim basis and served as Deputy Secretary General, she has been Secretary General of the German Africa Foundation since 2022.
Secretary General, German Africa Foundation
Deputy Secretary General, German Africa Foundation
Acting Director, German Africa Foundation
Scientific Advisor, German Africa Foundation
German Embassy Nairobi, Kenya
Goethe Institut Nairobi, Kenya
Kenyan NGOs, Nairobi, Kenya
Magister Politikwissenschaft und Afrikanistik, Universität Leipzig
Magister Politikwissenschaft, Afrikanistik und Islamwissenschaft, Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Bonn
Heiko Schwiderowski
Assessor
Heiko Schwiderowski is head of the Africa department and the African expert of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce/DIHK. The creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area is of particular concern to him. He stayed in Namibia for several years.
Heiko Schwiderowski
Assessor
Heiko Schwiderowski is head of the Africa department and the African expert of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce/DIHK. The creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area is of particular concern to him. He stayed in Namibia for several years.
Director of the Office of the President of the German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) Dr Eric Schweitzer
Head of the Policy Department for Foreign Trade, Foreign Trade Promotion and Development Policy of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK)
Head of the Sub-Saharan Africa and Development Policy Department of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK)
Kordula Schulz-Asche, MP
Assessor
Kordula Schulz-Asche is Chair of the PG East Africa, lived in Africa for 13 years and worked for the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), among others.
Kordula Schulz-Asche, MP
Assessor
Kordula Schulz-Asche is Chair of the PG East Africa, lived in Africa for 13 years and worked for the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), among others.
Dr. Wolfgang Stefinger, MP
Assessor
Dr Wolfgang Stefinger is a chairman of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development (since 2017 member of the EEPC), vice-chairman of the PG Southern Africa, full member of the PG Eastern Africa.
Sabine Odhiambo
Secretary General
For eight years Sabine Odhiambo lived in Nairobi and became a specialist for the East African region. In addition to working for various Kenyan NGOs, she has also held positions for the Goethe Institute and the German Embassy. Having already led the Foundation on an interim basis and served as Deputy Secretary General, she has been Secretary General of the German Africa Foundation since 2022.
E-mail: odhiambo@deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de
Phone: +49 (0)30 28 09 47 29
Sabine Odhiambo
Secretary General
For eight years Sabine Odhiambo lived in Nairobi and became a specialist for the East African region. In addition to working for various Kenyan NGOs, she has also held positions for the Goethe Institute and the German Embassy. Having already led the Foundation on an interim basis and served as Deputy Secretary General, she has been Secretary General of the German Africa Foundation since 2022.
E-mail: odhiambo@deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de
Phone: +49 (0)30 28 09 47 29
Secretary General, German Africa Foundation
Deputy Secretary General, German Africa Foundation
Acting Director, German Africa Foundation
Scientific Advisor, German Africa Foundation
German Embassy Nairobi, Kenya
Goethe Institut Nairobi, Kenya
Kenyan NGOs, Nairobi, Kenya
Magister in Political Science and African Studies, University of Leipzig
Magister in Political Science, African Studies and Islamic Studies, Friedrich-Wilhelms University, Bonn
Silke Degen
Scientific Advisor
Silke Degen has several years of experience in development cooperation and humanitarian aid as well as in public affairs. At the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, she was responsible, among other things, for the Africa portfolio in the area of crisis management and reconstruction. Private travels have taken her to Morocco and Mauritius, among other places. She joined the DAS team at the beginning of 2022.
E-mail: degen@deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de
Phone: +49 (0)30 28 09 47 28
Silke Degen
Scientific Advisor
Silke Degen has several years of experience in development cooperation and humanitarian aid as well as in public affairs. At the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, she was responsible, among other things, for the Africa portfolio in the area of crisis management and reconstruction. Private travels have taken her to Morocco and Mauritius, among other places. She joined the DAS team at the beginning of 2022.
E-mail: degen@deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de
Phone: +49 (0)30 28 09 47 28
Scientific Advisor, German Africa Foundation
Desk Officer, German Red Cross
Working for terre des hommes, Johanniter International Assistance, Save the Children
Senior Policy Officer, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
Political and Government Relations, MTU Aero Engines AG
Directrice Générale, Johanniter International, Brüssel
Working for organisations in Monterey and Washington, D.C., USA
Freelancer, Südwestrundfunk, CNN, ZDF
Postgraduate Studies, Master in International Policy Studies (International Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Arms Control), Monterey Institute of International Studies, USA
Study Abroad, Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA
Magister in American Studies, British Studies and Political Science, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz
Svenja Schindelwig
Scientific Advisor
In her dissertation Svenja Schindelwig focused on the repression of the Algerian war as a topic within French society. She has been working for the DAS for eight years now and has established herself as an institutional memory over time.
E-mail: schindelwig@deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de
Phone: +49 (0)30 28 09 11 66
Svenja Schindelwig
Scientific Advisor
In her dissertation Svenja Schindelwig focused on the repression of the Algerian war as a topic within French society. She has been working for the DAS for eight years now and has established herself as an institutional memory over time.
E-mail: schindelwig@deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de
Phone: +49 (0)30 28 09 11 66
Scientific advisor, German Africa Foundation
Diploma in French Studies, Free University, Berlin
Larissa Pflüger
Scientific Advisor
Larissa Pflüger is our expert for Southern Africa – several stays abroad took her to South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, among others. She worked for a year in Cape Town with an NGO in the field of HIV and is still active as a volunteer for the Botswana Centre for Public Integrity. She joined the DAS team in March 2020.
E-mail: pflueger@deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de
Phone: +49 (0)30 28 09 47 28
Larissa Pflüger
Scientific Advisor
Larissa Pflüger is our expert for Southern Africa – several stays abroad took her to South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, among others. She worked for a year in Cape Town with an NGO in the field of HIV and is still active as a volunteer for the Botswana Centre for Public Integrity. She joined the DAS team in March 2020.
E-mail: pflueger@deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de
Phone: +49 (0)30 28 09 47 28
Scientific advisor, German Africa Foundation
Botswana Centre for Public Integrity (volunteer), Gaborone, Botswana
Master International Studies/ Peace and Conflict Studies, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt a.M.
Bachelor Political Science and Management, University of Erfurt
HOPE Cape Town, Kapstadt, Südafrika
Doreen Brüggemann
Foreign Languages and Administration
Doreen Brüggemann is a professional interpreter and management consultant. She has studied and worked in Berlin, Prague and Moscow. A private trip took her to Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya. She has been part of the DAS team since the end of 2021.
E-mail: brueggemann@deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de
Phone: +49 (0)30 28 09 47 27
Doreen Brüggemann
Foreign Languages and Administration
Doreen Brüggemann is a professional interpreter and management consultant. She has studied and worked in Berlin, Prague and Moscow. A private trip took her to Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya. She has been part of the DAS team since the end of 2021.
E-mail: brueggemann@deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de
Phone: +49 (0)30 28 09 47 27
Foreign Language Assistance, Humboldt University Berlin
Site management, Studienkreis GmbH, Berlin
Cultural manager for political satire in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Freelance translator for Russian, Czech, English and French
Dambisa Dube
Fellow German Chancellor Fellowship Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Dambisa joined the DAS team as a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s Federal Chancellor Fellowship since October 2022. Her research project will explore the topic of youth engagement and participation comparatively in Germany and South Africa, specifically exploring the effects of digitalisation and what role is plays in shaping political discourse and activism of younger voices. The aim here is try to understand the cost of excluding or downplaying young people’s participation in a democracy and to draw up corresponding policy recommendations.
E-mail: dube@deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de
Billy Nyongesa
Project Assistant
E-mail: team@deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de
Phone: +49 (0)30 28 09 47 27
Dr Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate
Chairman
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Dr Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate
Chairman
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Founder Pactum Africanum
Established the Orbis Aethiopicus for the preservation and promotion of Ethiopian culture
Press Officer of the Düsseldorf Media Company
Founding of the first human rights organisation in Ethiopia: Council for Civil Liberties in Ethiopia
Prof Emeritus Robert Kappel
Member
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Prof Emeritus Robert Kappel
Member
President of the German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA) in Hamburg and Professor at the University of Hamburg
Professor at the Institute for African Studies at the University of Leipzig and founder of the study program Small Enterprises and Training
Research Associate of the postgraduate programme Third World Studies at the University of Bremen
Egon Kochanke
Member
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Egon Kochanke
Member
Ambassador in Dar es Salaam, for Tanzania and the Comoros
Regional Representative for Sub-Saharan Africa and Sahel at the German Department of Foreign Affairs
Ambassador to Namibia in Windhoek
Assignments abroad and positions at the Federal Foreign Office
Robert von Lucius
Member
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Robert von Lucius
Member
Recipient of the Honorary Award of the German Africa Foundation
FAZ Africa Correspondent
Publisher and Editor of Africa Law & Economy
Dr Stefan Mair
Member
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Dr Stefan Mair
Member
Member of the Executive Board of the Federation of German Industries
Research Director at Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP)
Member of the SWP Institute Management
Research group leader of the SWP
Africa Consultant at the SWP
Dr Michael Rabbow
Member
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Dr Michael Rabbow
Member
Chairman of the GIZ Economic Advisory Board; Member of the Africa Advisory Board of the German Healthcare Partnership (GHP); Senior Advisor for E&P Focus Africa Consulting GmbH
Team Leader of Corporate Public Affairs at Boehringer Ingelheim
Chief Medical Officer for the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs in Namibia
Marina Schuster
Member
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Marina Schuster
Member
Freelance political analyst and intercultural trainer
Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; Vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Member of Parliament; Member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs and Chairwoman of the Committee for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid
Dr. Johannes Singhammer
Mitglied
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Dr. Johannes Singhammer
Mitglied
Vizepräsident des Deutschen Bundestages
stellvertretender Fraktionsvorsitzender der CDU/CSU-Fraktion im Deutschen Bundestag für die Bereiche Gesundheit, Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz
Vorsitzender der AG Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend der CDU/CSU- Fraktion
Dr Dr h.c. Peter Spary
Member
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Dr Dr h.c. Peter Spary
Member
Owner of SNC Spary Network Communication
General Manager of the Federal Association of the German Wholesale and Foreign Trade
Managing Director of the Parliamentary Group for Medium-Sized Businesses and Chief Executive of the CDU/CSU Association of Medium-Sized Businesses
Internships
We are looking for a full-time intern (m/f/d) to support our team with immediate effect for a period of 3 months each. We are also pleased to accept applications for a later start of the internship.
Tasks
- Collaboration in the planning, preparation, implementation and documentation of events
- Supporting the team in looking after African visitors (groups)
- Maintenance of the website
- Preparing a weekly press review with commentary on news about Africa
- Preparation and supervision of foundation-relevant committee meetings
- Representation of DAS e.V. at conferences and information events
- Participation in the organisation of the German Africa Award
Requirements
- Advanced German language skills (minimum B2-Level)
- The internship will be completed during the course of studies
- Solid knowledge of the English language is desirable, knowledge of French is an advantage
- The curriculum vitae should have a recognisable reference to Africa
- Special interest in the political field of Africa and German Africa policy
- Solid computer skills
Remuneration, duration and working hours
The internship lasts three months in full-time (39 hours/week) and is remunerated with 450 Euro per month.
Please send your detailed application to Larissa Pflueger (bewerbung@deutsche-afrika-stiftung.de), stating the possible duration of the internship. I will also be happy to answer any questions you may have.