The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) as a political foundation in Germany is committed to the values, principles and traditions of the German labour movement. It has close relations to the Social-Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), German trade unions under the umbrella of the German trade union federation (DGB) and respective international bodies.

In its objective to promote social democracy – not necessarily social democratic parties - the FES is involved in political education in Germany. For more than 35 years, it has also supported political development and political education in many countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Annually, the FES conducts approximately 650 national trade union activities in almost 50 countries and about 120 international trade union activities in almost 60 countries. This is in addition to conferences and seminars which involve politicians, academics, non-governmental organisations and trade unions.

After many years of supporting trade union development, particularly trade union education, FES has redefined its priorities. With FES activities and the co-operation of the ICFTU, ITS’s, the American Solidarity Centre, Scandinavian and Dutch Institutions and, of course the ILO, many trade unions are now in a position to run their own trade union training with very few exceptions.

New political challenges require new answers and also new approaches to trade union education. These challenges include globalisation, international policies affecting labour relations and social policies, and changes in the internal relations of institutions within political systems. In view of these developments, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung will concentrate its support for trade unions in order to:

• strengthen their political capacity;
• support their role in the national and international political process;
• support the co-operation of different institutions and /or networks on a national and international level (particularly South/South co-operation).

In FES’s view, programmes and activities to develop new policy approaches, seminars, conferences and research to create new national social policy networks or new forms of international co-operation are of higher priority than support to organisational structures or core funding. The promotion of human, trade union and social rights, progressive gender perspectives and appropriate economic policies can only be achieved, if trade union organisations have adopted the right policies and attitudes to convince their own organisation and are able to find partners on a national and international level.

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung pursues these objectives by co-operating with national and international trade unions and other political organisations. For country projects as well as international co-operation projects (regional and world-wide), we determine concepts based on long-term objectives and short and medium term tasks. This should coincide with a set of activities, which must contribute to the tasks and objectives. The FES considers its activities as a contribution towards the tasks and objectives pursued by our national and /or international partners.