Heinrich Böll Foundation

Welcome

Photos by Gillian Benjamin, David Harrison and David Cohen

The Heinrich Böll Stiftung (HBS), associated with the German Green Party, is a legally autonomous and intellectually open political foundation.

Our foremost task is civic education in Germany and abroad with the aim of promoting informed democratic opinion, socio-political commitment and mutual understanding. In addition the Heinrich Böll Foundation supports artistic and cultural as well as scholarly projects, and co-operation in the development field. The political values of ecology, democracy, gender democracy, solidarity and non-violence are our chief points of reference. Heinrich Böll’s belief in and promotion of citizen participation in politics is the model for the foundation’s work.

Democracy

PUBLICATION SERIES

Perspectives #01/2013: Movers and Shakers? Youth and Political Change in Africa

April 30, 2013 - Africa is the world’s youngest continent, with people under the age of 35 constituting about 65 percent of the population. This edition of Perspectives sheds light on youth politics and youth in politics in the continent and asks: Are the youth a political force? more»

REPORT

Town Hall Meeting - Enhancing State Response to Gender Based Violence in Khayelitsha

- April 9, 2013 -

Khayelitsha township experiences one of the highest rates of violence against women in the Cape Town metro. In October 2012, the Heinrich Böll Foundation in partnership with Free Gender hosted a town hall meeting that sought to engage all relevant stakeholders in order to identify priority interventions for local government.

REPORT

The State of the Nation, Government Priorities and Women in South Africa

- April 2, 2013 - This review of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) for 2013, as delivered by President Jacob Zuma in parliament on 14 February 2013, gauges how government’s priorities for the year will affect the social, political and economic status of women. It also measures the advances made with regards to the five priorities the president set in the 2009 SONA, namely: Decent work, education, crime, health and rural development and agrarian reform. more»

REPORT

Shelters Housing Women Who have Experienced Abuse: Policy, Funding and Practice

- December 6, 2012 - Violence against women is a significant societal problem but despite its pervasiveness in South Africa and its recognised status as a severe form of discrimination, it does not appear to feature significantly on the political agenda. more»

PUBLICATION

Not Waiting for An Invitation

- September 10, 2012 - A strong parliament requires a civil society that is informed, organised, self critical, responsive and most importantly, tenacious in its efforts to engage with it as an institution. We hope that this small publication contributes to this project. By Keren Ben-Zeev and Samantha Waterhouse more»

Sustainable Development

STUDY

Powering Africa Through Feed-In Tariffs

March 20, 2013 - The Heinrich Böll Stiftung and the World Future Council commissioned a comprehensive study to assess the existing and drafted REFiT policies in 13 African countries with the aim of examining the policy drivers and socio-economic effects of REFiTs and analyse both supportive and obstructive factors for their effective implementation. The study shows that, REFiTs are a promising mechanism to unlock renewable energy development in Africa. more»

REPORT

Towards a Framework for National Climate Finance Governance in Africa

- January 25, 2013 -

The central ambition of this paper is to offer a framework for the appropriate climate finance architecture, one that identifies the key elements for a national set of institutional arrangements, and that would in its design serve to foster improved access and efficient, cost-effective, transparent, accountable, and equitable utilisation of climate finance by countries in Africa.

PUBLICATION SERIES

Perspectives #03/2012: What Are Sustainable African Cities?

- December 6, 2012 - This edition of Perspectives offers a snapshot of Africa’s urban sustainability challenges, ranging from tensions between heritage and urban renewal in Addis Ababa to building climate resilience in poor African households. It also highlights selected sustainable development initiatives offering innovative solutions that are sensitive to the overwhelming challenges posed by urban African informal settlements. more»

ANALYSIS

Renewables in South Africa: The Need for a Developmental Case

- December 10, 2012 - In contrast to Germany, environmental questions are not yet a voting issue in South Africa. However, providing greater access to energy is a high priority. What can a developing country take away from Germany’s experiences? What are the chances of South Africa taking a leading role in Africa’s Energiewende? By Emily Tyler more»

International Politics

PUBLICATION SERIES

Perspectives #01/2012: A Fractious Relationship - Africa and the International Criminal Court

July 20, 2012 - Although there continues to be widespread popular support across the African continent for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its mandate to prosecute high-level individuals accused of perpetrating international crimes, strong anti-ICC sentiments are brewing among parts of Africa’s political elite and state actors. more»

E-NEWSLETTER

G20 Update #12: A Wedding of the G20 and the B20?

- June 6, 2012 - Read the latest edition of the G-20 Update, a regular newsletter covering the G20 summits, and related processes and outcomes. more»

PUBLICATION SERIES

Perspectives #03/ 2011: Politics, Principles and Practice: Zimbabwe's Diamonds and the Kimberley Process

- October 14, 2011 - Zimbabwe's Marange diamonds have been tainted by reports of violence, human rights abuses and smuggling, fuelling doubts about the credibility and effectiveness of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KP). How could the Marange impasse be resolved? more»

Human Rights

PRESS RELEASE

Statements by the Alliance for Rural Democracy on the Traditional Courts Bill

The Heinrich Boell Foundation supported the formation of the Alliance for Rural Democracy aiming to promote networking and coalition building. The following press statements (re-) affirm the Alliance’s position on the controversial Traditional Courts Bill currently tabled in the South African parliament. more»

STUDY

The Anatomy of Terror

- November 4, 2011 - This research analyses how militia bases in the countryside of Zimbabwe have been used as an instrument of terror and intimidation, and identifies possible interventions to avoid a repetition of widespread human rights abuses during forthcoming elections. more»

CONFERENCE REPORT

Struggle for equality: Sexual orientation, gender identity and human rights in Africa

- November 19, 2010 - The conference sought to analyse the challenges faced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) communities in Africa. It provided a platform for the discussion of strategies aimed at creating an environment on the continent where sexual minorities can enjoy the full range of human rights and are recognised as full citizens. Kristin Palitza reports more»

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PUBLICATION SERIES

Perspectives #04/2010: Struggle for equality: Sexual orientation, gender identity and human rights in Africa

- October 26, 2010 - This issue of Perspectives sheds light on the ongoing struggle of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people for equality in Africa. The articles demonstrate that despite the myriad of challenges and hostile environment there is a growing movement towards changing Africa into a continent where LGBTI people enjoy the full range of human rights. more»