Content

0 General Project Description
1 Aims
2 Pre-existing factors
3 Prerequisites to be created
4 Financial plan
5 The course of ISWI 2009
6 Group work
7 Public lectures and debates
8 Lectures by the participants
9 The Workshop Day
10 The Thüringen Experience Day

International Student Week in Ilmenau 

 May 8th till 17th, 2009

"ISWI 2009 - Right now!"

"Be the change you want to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi

Human rights are the inalienable and indivisible rights to which every person is entitled as ahuman being. Enforcing human rights for every human being worldwide is one of the majorchallenges of the 21st century.

Since the approval and announcement of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the general assembly of the United Nations on December 10th 1948 at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, a great dear of work has been done to raise consciousness of human rights, actively exercise them and defend them even under adverse conditions.

Now, after 60 years one can summarize that some goals have been reached. For instance, human rights are a subject that has found its way into many school curricula. Many different human rights organisations have been founded and are fighting for the preservation and enforcement of specific rights. They inform continuously about human rights and about the abuse of human rights.

At political level, institutions have been founded which monitor and ensure adherence to human rights. Examples are the United Nations, the European Court of Justice for Human Rights in Strasbourg and the International Court of Justice in Den Haag.

This progress is currently endangered, however. Since September 11th 2001 world politics have changed dramatically. With the attack on the World Trade Center and the war on terror human rights are gradually eroded. For political or economical reasons, the issue of human rights abuse is incompletely addressed and in our opinion the importance of human rights is not enough discussed in public.

For this reason, we have decided to make "human rights" the main topic for ISWI 2009. Together with the invited international participants, the students, the professors of the Ilmenau University of Technology, the speakers, the citizens of Ilmenau and all other contributors we want to debate our basic rights as human beings.

The focus of interest will not only be limited to the meaning and value of human rights in general since this should be beyond all question. We rather want to focus on how to realize those rights which are written down on paper and guaranteed to every human.

The participants of ISWI 2009 shall think about the present problems but, more important is, they shall develop ideas and possible solutions on how human rights really can be enforced worldwide. They won?t be left alone with this difficult task. Professional human rights activists with many years of experience will support them through workshops, presentations and debates. On this account a close collaboration is planned with several human rights organisations, among them Amnesty International.

"Human rights have been proclaimed for a long time. Now it is time to proclaim human responsibilities. Not through restricting people from doing things but through requiring them to do all that one should do."¹

"We have to fight for human rights over and over again!"²

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¹ Erhard Blanck (*1942) German alternative practitioner, author and painter (The translation of this quotation was kindly supported by Susan Kubitz.)
² Dr. Wendelin Weingartner - Innsbruck, May 9th ,1999, celebration for the anniversary of the Council of Europe (The translation of this quotation was kindly supported by Susan Kubitz.)

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• The NGO entitled "Initiative Solidarische Welt Ilmenau - ISWI" was founded to foster tolerance, understanding among nations and an international attitude. The ISWI 2009 will be the 9th, providing a platform for intercultural meetings and intercultural exchange.
• Young people with different cultural backgrounds will get to know each other and present their points of view. The purpose of the intercultural dialogue is to improve tolerance and open mindedness among guests and local people. With this 9th ISWI we want to widen this platform and start new initiatives.
• Our motto "Right now!" will gather young people of different political descent to express their personal opinion. Present and global problems will be analysed in conversations and discussions about the main topic "human rights" from many different positions. The developed approaches will be spread by participants acting as multiplicators in their countries and will have a positive impact there on local policy.
• With this conference we want to contribute to the erosion of prejudices and xenophobia, advance mutual appreciation among cultures promote the spread of liberal minds. The intercultural meeting shall allow mutual understanding and relieve conflicts.
• Especially for students from Ilmenau the event is an outstanding possibility to broaden their horizon and make international friends. By courtesy of our host programme, where the participants are accommodated at the homes of students and other residents of Ilmenau, guests and inhabitants meet at very close quarters.
• Numerous lectures and cultural events as well as the arisen friendships are a great publicity for the Ilmenau University of Technology, the town of Ilmenau and the "Land" of Thüringen.
• Furthermore we want to show Germany to be a liberal minded, tolerant and hospitable country and counter any impression of hostility towards foreigners. Improved cooperation between university, city and other universities in Thüringen shall ensure the achievement of this aim.
• Group leaders and assistants at ISWI 2009 will improve their social skills and broaden their cultural horizon by their collaboration with the participants. Independent working is required of the group leaders and especially the organisation committee.
• The students life as well as living in Ilmenau will be enriched both by the subjects and the incoming culture. We want to work against the image of the "unworldly academic". For citizens of the whole region this event will be an outstanding enrichment.

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The NGO "ISWI e.V." forms the organisational basis; it is admitted as non-profit and benevolent. The organisation of the International Student Weeks '93, '95, '97, '99, '01,'03, '05 and '07, of the student meeting "People Next To You", the "International Peace Camp in Ilmenau 2000" and the SORCE network conference 2004 (supported by the Youth program of the EU) constitute much experience: more than 15 years of continuous work in the fields of youth work and organising huge events.

Connections have already been built up with the following associations:

• Federal ministries
• Ministries of the "Land" of Thüringen
• District office of the district "Ilmkreis"
• Municipality of Ilmenau
• Ilmenau University of Technology
• The "Studentenwerk Thüringen" student union
• The "Studentenrat" student council
• The socioculture working party of the "Land" of Thüringen
• The Ilmkreis regional youth committee
• Ilmenau Volkshochschule (adult education centre)
• Ilmenau’s student clubs association "Ilmenauer Studentenclub e.V."
• Student radio "hsf Studentenradio e.V."
• Research Association in electronic media "Forschungsgemeinschaft elektronische Medien e.V."
• Media network association "Medienverbund e.V."
• Cultural coordination association "KuKo e.V."
• "Swing e.V." Association of Ilmenau Economics
• Organisation committees of student conferences in Belgrade (Serbia), Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), Eindhoven (the Netherlands), Greifswald (Germany), Krakow (Poland), Lodz (Poland), Maribor (Slovenia), Novosibirsk (Russia), Pécs (Hungary), Stockholm (Sweden), Sumy (Ukraine), Timisoara (Romania) and Trondheim (Norway), organised in the SORCE (Students Organizing Conventions Everywhere) network

The Ilmenau University of Technology gives full moral and physical support to our project. Furthermore we are allowed to use telephone, fax, Internet access and offices without rental fees. In 2009, cultural events and workshops will again be organised in cooperation with the Ilmenau student clubs association "Ilmenauer Studentenclub e.V." and the cultural coordination association "KuKo e.V.".

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The participants will be accommodated in a host programme with Ilmenau students and Ilmenau citizens as their personal hosts.

• The rooms for the events will be made available by the Technische Universität Ilmenau, the student union "Studentenwerk Thüringen", the town of Ilmenau and other institutions in town.
• Financial expenses:
1. Preparation and follow-up of the student week:
   • seminars to prepare the group leaders (content, English, rhetorics)
   • expenses for mail, telephone, fax
   • printing costs for posters, the info-booklet and other publications
2. Accomplishment of the student week:
   • subsistence and accommodation costs for the participants
   • fees, travelling, subsistence and accommodation costs for speakers and translators
   • expenses for the workshops
3. Cultural part of the student week:
   • fees, travelling, subsistence and accommodation costs for artists
   • advertising, brochures, posters
   • expenses for the "experience" day (transportation, guided tours…)

The organisation committee of the ISWI 2009 is responsible for financing the student week. The money will come from the association's own resources and from public funds, sponsoring and foundations.

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• The basis for financing ISWI 2009 are ISWI’s own resources, work done voluntarily, and the use of private equipment as well as donations and income from cultural events.
• Through financial support of our sustaining members further expenses can be covered.
• Public funds, sponsoring and foundations will cover the budget.
• The host programme imposes only a small financial burden on the budget, because no accommodation costs arise.
• The "Finances, public funds and sponsoring team" of the ISWI organisation team works out a detailed financial plan that will be accessible to the supporters of ISWI 2009.

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"A little smile, a friendly word given by the most varied of people to each other is the best recognition for human rights."³

The official language of ISWI 2009 will be English. During the convention, approximately 350 students from all over the world will discuss current global problems and work out possible solutions to particular questions. This will mainly happen during the group work and debates, which will be supplemented by lectures and speeches. The results will be published in a brochure as well as on the Internet. A new focus to be introduced to ISWI is the Workshop Day. On this day the participants of the different workshops will gain practical skills and knowledge about becoming activist.

Besides the topical work, there will be a cultural framework of concerts, theatre performances and movies. In cooperation with the Student’s Clubs a multicultural Get-to-know-Party in the cafeteria, an Open-Air concert, concerts in the clubs and further events will be organised. Furthermore a movie night and a theatre performance are planned. Following the ISWI philosophy, the food for the participants shall come from ecologically produced and fairly traded production. At the same time we do not want to disrupt the trade of our sponsors. Through a cooperation with regional producers it is planned to reach the same cost level of past international student weeks. We do not only want to promote this kind of economy but also show that it is a real alternative for the food supply of such big events as the ISWI.

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³ Hans Lind (The translation of this quotation was kindly supported by Susan Kubitz.)

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For each main topic, from one to three discussion groups will be formed, depending on the number of applications. A group level of 15 to 20 participants has proved convenient in the past years. The group work will be mainly led by Ilmenau students. The group leaders are prepared and accompanied by members of the organising committee. For every workshop a lecture will be given by a competent expert who will also 'parent' the groups during the conference.

In the workshops the participants will share their experiences and views, try to develop solutions for concrete controversial subjects and think of new project ideas. The results of the workshops will be summarised, published and presented during the closing ceremony.

In addition to the thematic groups, six art groups will try to interpret the motto "Right now!" and other aspects of the festival by artistic means such as theatre, singing, dancing and photography.

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During ISWI 2009 several lectures and panel discussions for large audiences will take place. These events deal with specific questions relating to the topic "human rights".

They will be open to the general public (held either in the Main Lecture Hall or the Ilmenau City Hall) and are meant to address participants, students, university staff as well as everyone living in Ilmenau and its neighbouring cities. We will invite well-known experts in their specific fields as speakers who will state their points of view and are expected to lead into fruitful critical discussions on the topics stated below.

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Besides the regular group work our participants will get the opportunity to give speeches about topics of their own choice, reporting on current developments in their home countries. We see this as a very effective way to point out problems which normally would never become public because of the selectivity of media, for example. This will establish a basis for profound discussion between participants of different backgrounds. Considering the great interest in participants’ lectures in recent years we are going to give them notably more space.

Furthermore we are planning to organise a "NGO-Fair". Members of institutions and associations will get the chance to present their projects, to establish new contacts or to deepen existing ones with the aim to foster international cooperation.

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At ISWI 2009, for the first time, there will be a Workshop Day. Many participants of the last ISWIs had wished for more practical appendage and support besides the theoretical discussion. The Workshop Day is our reaction to this wish. At different events the participants should learn about how they can get practically involved, e.g. how to become a member of an association, plan and arrange activities or how to found an NGO on their own.

We would like to accomplish the different workshops in the most professional way that is possible. For this reason, we want to work really closely in cooperation with different organisations and persons from professional spheres.

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In return for all the impressions and experiences we will gain from our participants, they should get to know Germany, especially Thuringia, better. We would like to present our beautiful home country to the world. This is the aim of the Experience Day - our participants will be taken on an excursion within Thuringia.

We are planning trips to the cities of Erfurt, the state capital; Weimar, European’s cultural capital in the year 1999; Eisenach; and Jena. After guided tours to historically important places, the participants will have the chance to explore the cities by themselves. We want to underline the important cultural and historical contributions of Thuringia to Germany’s and Europe’s

development. Besides that we will offer walking tours for smaller groups with different levels of difficulty. The participants may enjoy the beautiful nature of the Thüringer Wald and its wooded hills near Ilmenau.

Our participants shall take their impressions and experiences back to their home countries and thereby promote Thuringia and Germany.

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