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Tag: Berlin

Tracing Sister Cities through Berlin’s neighbourhoods / Auf den Spuren von Berlins Partnerstädten

Four Cities, Three Walks, One Berlin

What connects Kottbusser Tor—beloved by some and avoided by others—with Jakarta, a lively metropolis of 42 million people?

What does contemporary music by Namibian artists tell us about the city partnership between Berlin and Windhoek?

How do we experience remembrance culture in Mexico City when visiting a mural in Haus Schwarzenberg on Rosenthaler Str.?

The new Sister Cities Audiowalks take an unusual perspective through the streets and neighborhoods of Berlin, uncovering surprising connections between the sister cities.

The project was developed in cooperation with the Berlin Project Center and is part of “Sister Cities in Action.” Its aim is to make city partnerships tangible, to highlight global challenges and initiatives that adress these within the urban context.

We are currently finishing the editing of the guides. Once this is done, we warmly invite you to discover the audiowalks, join the discussion, and explore Berlin from new perspectives – subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on insta to stay updated.

The Audiowalks will be available to the public free of change on the plattform https://de.guidemate.com/.

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Vier Städte, drei Spaziergänge, ein Berlin

Was verbindet das Kottbusser Tor – von manchen geliebt und von anderen gemieden – mit Jakarta, einer lebhaften Metropole von 42 Millionen Menschen?

Was verrät uns zeitgenössische Musik namibischer Künstler*innen über die Städtepartnerschaft zwischen Berlin und Windhoek?

Wie erleben wir Erinnerungskultur in Mexiko-Stadt, wenn wir ein Wandgemälde im Haus Schwarzenberg in der Rosenthaler Str. besuchen?

Die neuen Sister Cities Audiowalks führen mit einer ungewöhnten Perspektive durch  Straßen und Kieze Berlins und spüren dabei überraschenden Verbindungen zwischen den Partnerstädten nach.

Das Projekt wurde in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Berlin Project Center entwickelt und ist Teil von „Sister Cities in Action.“ Ziel ist es, Städtepartnerschaften greifbar zu machen und globale Herausforderungen sowie Initiativen, die diese im städtischen Kontext adressieren, hervorzuheben.

Momentan sind wir dabei die Guides zu editieren. Sobald wir das abgeschlossen haben, laden wir Euch herzlich ein, die Audiowalks zu entdecken, an der Diskussion teilzunehmen und Berlin aus neuen Perspektiven zu erkunden – bestellt unseren Newsletter oder folgt uns auf Insta um darüber informiert zu bleiben.

Die Audiowalks werden auf der Plattform https://de.guidemate.com/ kostenlos angeboten.


Project launch- “New Roots – Migration and Capital Cities. Cities in Transition: Berlin–Mexico City 2026”

Photo exhibition and panel discussion 

📅 Thursday, 20 August 2026
🕟 4:30–7:00 pm
📍 Berlin Global Village (Gallery Patrice Lumumba & Foyer)

How do migration and diversity transform our cities? What stories connect Berlin and Mexico City?

We warmly invite you to an evening that brings together past, present, and future perspectives on migration in Mexico and Germany.

✨ Opening of the photo exhibition “Memorias del camino” on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Casa Tochan – a journey through memories and a retrospective of the joint projects carried out by Migrantas in Mexico City (2015–2016)✨

Remember – Understand – Reimagine

Programme:

4:30 pm – Arrival & visit to the exhibition “Memorias del camino”
5:00 pm – Welcome
5:15 pm – Panel discussion with:

  • Pía Berghoff (Institute for Latin American Studies, FU Berlin)
  • Valeria Peña Beltrán (Casa Tochan, Mexico City)
  • Alexandra Torres (BENN Buch, Berlin)

6:15 pm – Migrantas: A visual language of migration and coexistence
6:30 pm – Closing, exhibition visit & networking

🗣️ The event will be held bilingually in German and Spanish.

The event evening is organized by Migrantas e.V. in cooperation with México vía Berlín e.V., the project Sister Cities in Action, and Berlin Global Village, in collaboration with BENN Buch and Casa Tochan.

For more Information or questions, please contact us at: staepa@mexicoviaberlin.org

The project “New Roots – Migration and Capital Cities. Cities in Transition: Berlin–Mexico City 2026” is funded by the Förderprogramm Städtepartnerschaften Berlin der Senatskanzlei Berlin – Der Regierende Bürgermeister.

The programme components “Memorias del camino” (photo exhibition and panel discussion) are part of Sister Cities in Action – Tandem Berlin–Mexico City and are funded by the Landesstelle für Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (LEZ) and the Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Energie und Betriebe.

Fandango and Celebration: For the networks that sustain us✨

Video presentantion, discussion and Son Jarocho

📅 Friday, 21 August 2026
🕟 5:00-9:00 pm
📍 Spore Initiative (Hermannstraße 86)
🎟️ Free admission
🗣️ The event will be held bilingually in German and Spanish.

How are community, memory, and the defense of life sustained in times of crisis and displacement?
What practices of care and resistance are woven through everyday life?

Fandango and Celebration: For the Networks That Sustain Us brings together experiences from Mexico and Berlin to explore how communities accompany migration, care for territories, and keep networks of solidarity alive.

The event will begin with a video celebrating Casa Tochan’s 15th anniversary. Through images, memories, and testimonies, it tells a story of solidarity, collective work, and the networks of care that have sustained the project over the past fifteen years. After the screening Valeria Peña, member of Casa Tochan and coordinator of the Sister Cities in Action project in Mexico City, will join us for a conversation about these collective experiences and the networks of care and solidarity that support migrants.

Afterwards, we will share an open Son Jarocho Fandango with guest musicians from Mexico and members of the Son Jarocho community in Berlin and beyond.

Originating in the Sotavento region of Veracruz, the fandango is much more than a concert. It is a space to come together, share, sing, dance, and build community. Through music and collective celebration, this Afro-Indigenous tradition keeps memories, connections, and forms of collective organizing alive.

We´re pleased to welcome:

  • Pablo Emiliano – jarana and vocals
  • Nirl Cano – requinto jarocho and vocals
  • Vico Díaz – leona
  • Jorge Caloyero – percussion

So, bring your instrument and join the fandango!

We will also have a community picnic, because celebrating also means sharing food together 🌽

For more Information or questions, please contact us at: staepa@mexicoviaberlin.org

Open Call: Creating a mural in a public space in Berlin

*Photo credits. *Berlin* Wandmalerei Holzmarktstr 30 (Frhai) Mural 2018 by By Fridolin freudenfett

Extension of Deadline: 19. July 2026

Subject of the Call for Proposals

The subject of this call for proposals is the implementation of a low-threshold participatory process involving members of Berlin’s urban community on the topic of positive visions of the future for a globally just city. The results of the process will then be visualized by one (or more) artist(s) in the form of a mural. In this way, the positive visions of the future contained therein will become visible in public space. Integrated QR codes will provide access to stories and perspectives from Berlin’s urban communities that were developed collaboratively during the participatory processes, documented through audio and video recordings, and uploaded to a digital platform. At the conclusion of the project, the mural will be unveiled at a festive ceremony.

Key Features:

  1. While your team carries out the process in Berlin, the same process will take place in Jakarta, Windhoek, and Mexico City.
  2. All four murals are to be interwoven through a shared visual-artistic framework. To this end, the four teams will coordinate their efforts through regular online meetings (approximately 6–8 times).

To lay a solid foundation for coordination and the collaborative process, one representative from each team will participate in a 5-day retreat in Jakarta in March/April 2027. During this retreat, key content-related and artistic parameters for the design of the murals and the digital platform will be agreed upon. This will also involve the further development of a common thematic thread that ensures all murals are interconnected while simultaneously reflecting their respective local contexts.

Project Objectives

The project “Sister Cities in Public Spaces: 4 Cities, 4 Murals, and Many Possibilities for a Globally Just City” pursues the following goals:

  1. Strengthen transnational networking and the visibility of sister city partnerships.
  2. Develop and promote citizen participation and positive collective visions for a globally just city.
  3. Create a mural that visualizes the results of citizen participation and makes them publicly visible.
  4. Develop content for a digital platform that can be accessed from all four cities (via QR codes) to view the respective murals.

Expected Outcomes

The freelance professional(s) responsible for the design, implementation, and documentation of the citizen participation process are expected to:

  • Design, implement, and document the participation process with citizens of Berlin’s urban community (expected to take 2–3 workshop days) in close coordination with the Sister Cities in Action team and the overall coordinator
  • Management of grant funds, including monitoring, accounting, preparation of expense reports, and contributing to status reports.
  • Participation in 6–8 online meetings (approx. 2 hours) as well as a willingness to collaborate with four teams across the four cities and coordinate within an international project environment.
  • Assistance in finding a suitable location for the mural.
  • Coordinating the audio and video documentation of the participatory process for the digital platform.
  • Helping to organize the opening ceremony for the unveiling of the mural.
  • A prerequisite for applying is that one person from the team be able to attend the 5-day retreat in Jakarta.
  • Ideally, you already know each other as a team and have gained experience working together.

The freelance artist(s) responsible for the artistic design and creation of a mural in a public space, based on the results of the participatory process, are expected to:

  • Participate in or facilitate the participatory process with members of Berlin’s urban community.
  • Designing a mural based on the workshop results, in close coordination with the Sister Cities in Action team and the overall coordinator
  • Assisting in the search for a suitable location for the mural
  • Participating in 6–8 online meetings (approx. 2 hours each) and being open to collaborating with four teams in four cities and coordinating within an international project environment.
  • A prerequisite for applying is that one person from the team be able to attend the five-day retreat in Jakarta.
  • Ideally, you already know each other as a team and have gained some experience working together.

Workload and Resources

The planned scope of work for the design, implementation, and documentation of the participatory process is approximately 400 working hours (based on the State of Berlin’s fee schedule). The 5-day retreat in Jakarta is not included in this estimate. Travel expenses, including airfare and lodging, will be covered, and a meal allowance will be provided.
The planned scope of work for the artistic design of a mural in a public space based on the results of the participatory process is approximately 250 working hours (based on the State of Berlin’s fee schedule). The 5-day retreat in Jakarta is not included in this estimate. Travel expenses, including flight, accomodation and meal allowance will be provided.

Available budget:

  • Fee Budget (for all contractors in total): €24,500
  • Material costs (mural production): €5,000

    Alternative proposals regarding the scope or the allocation between fee and material costs are possible, provided they are supported by a professionally sound justification.

Deliverables

  • Plan for conducting the participatory process
  • Documentation of the participatory process in the form of audio and video recordings for the digital platform.
  • Drafts and final version of the mural
  • Execution of the mural in a public space
  • Reporting with complete documentation of all expenses (lists of receipts and corresponding supporting documents)
  • Contributions to the interim and final reports.

Requirements for the Contractor’s Team

  • Proven experience in designing and implementing participatory processes
  • Proven experience in the artistic design and creation of a mural, or comparable qualifications.
  • Experience in managing grant funds.
  • Expertise in the field of urban development and urban policy debates in the context of the Right to the City and/or globally just cities.
  • Familiarity with working in international structures/teams (taking into account different work styles, time zones, and any language barriers that may arise)
  • Ideally, experience collaborating with international partner organizations in the Global South (preferred)
  • Very good English and good German skills (required)
  • Knowledge of Spanish and/or Indonesian (preferred)

Timeframe

  • Call for proposals and selection: Mid-July 2026
  • Preparations and first two digital meetings (approx. 2 hours): July–October 2026
  • Concept development and planning of the participatory process: November 2026–March 2027
  • Retreat in Jakarta: March/April 2027
  • Implementation and documentation of the participatory process: May–July 2027
  • Design and production of the mural: August–November 2027
  • Opening ceremony: tentatively November/December 2027
  • Preparation of supporting documentation (financial statements and report): Jan–Feb 2028

Documents to Be Submitted

Interested teams are asked to submit the following documents:

  1. A brief outline of a participatory process (max. 1–2 pages)
  2. A description of relevant qualifications and references
  3. If applicable, a description of existing networks in Berlin neighborhoods/districts
  4. Cost estimate
  5. Information on possible additional services

Questions and Submission of Proposals

If you have any questions regarding the call for proposals, please contact Rosa López. Proposals must be submitted by email to sister-cities@eineweltstadt.berlin by July 19, 2026.

Fundings

This project is made possible by funding from the Lotto Foundation Berlin.

*Photo credits from left to right: *Windhoek* by @sister_cities_in_action Stakeholder Meeting Okt 2025, *Mexico City* Los Metzican *Berlin* Wandmalerei Holzmarktstr 30 (Frhai) Mural 2018 by By Fridolin freudenfett *Jakarta* by @darbotz

Pari Island sues – Climate justice in court

The Indonesian Island of Pari, part of Berlin’s partner city Jakarta, is acutely threatened by rising sea levels – by 2050, it will largely be flooded. However, the residents are resisting: They have filed a climate lawsuit in Switzerland against the cement company Holcim – one of the largest CO₂ emitters in the world.

In this event, we discussed this groundbreaking lawsuit with Edi Mulyono, one of the plaintiffs from Pari Island, Suci Fitria Tanjung (WALHI Jakarta), Carolina Schröder (Germanwatch), Theresa Mockel (ECCHR) and Gusti Agung Made Wardana (UGM). What significance do climate lawsuits have beyond the individual case, and what value do even legal setbacks hold, as in the case of the Peruvian farmer Saúl Lliuya against RWE?  

More about the Pulau Pari case and the campaign: https://callforclimatejustice.org/de/webreport/

The event took place on July 14th, 2025; Berlin time: 2pm-4pm ; Jakarta-time: 7pm-9pm in Berlin Global Village and ONLINE.

A follow-up event on September 12th 2025 brought together three cases of how climate change is impacting local areas – all connected to water. The social and ecological costs of climate crisis are disproportionately borne by the Global Majority compared to the so-called Global North. These climate injustices significantly impact regional development issues in varied ways. Our event showcased examples from the Spreewald (120 km from Berlin), Pari Island (Jakarta), and Kupang (Timor) to spark an engaging discussion.

We welcomed Asmania and Suci Fitria Tanjung, two key figures in the climate lawsuit Pari Island against the Swiss construction giant Holcim, along with the Oebelo salt-farming community experts Untung Nomleni und Horiana Yolanda and Sabine Minninger, a climate policy expert at Bread for the World, specializing in climate change and development challenges. The audience from Berlin and Jakarta explored what climate justice looks like, how we can confront injustices, and the vital role the Global North must play in taking responsibility.

This events were organized by Watch Indonesia! and WALHI as part of the “Sister Cities in Action”  project, funded by the State Office for Development Cooperation (LEZ) Berlin.

Chili Cooking Event

Following the path of chili peppers from Mesoamerica through the Sister Cities

Why is Mexican and Indonesian food so spicy? In both countries, many people love to cook with chili. But why is this, and why do we find chili plants being cultivated all across the globe? In planning for our chili cooking event, the Berlin-Jakarta and Berlin-Mexico City tandem researched the history of the chili plant. We were surprised: Chili was unheard of in Asia before it traveled there abroad Portuguese ships during the early phase of colonization. It reached Goa, India, around 1520, and from there, it rapidly spread across Asia. Chilies are much easier to cultivate than black pepper, for example. Unexpected connections can bring new things to life: People adopted the spicy ingredient and experimented with it in gardens and kitchens from India through Thailand to the Philippines, leading to the creation of many new dishes.

Foto © Mutiara Tinellung

Chili peppers originated in Mesoamerica, a cultural region that includes Mexico and several Central American countries. Its name derives from the Nahuatl word “chilli,” and its cultivation began over 6,000 years ago. Even in pre-Hispanic times, chili peppers were not only a food source, but also a medicinal plant and a symbolic cultural heritage.

How chili is prepared and enjoyed can express a sense of identity and belonging. Our tandem-partners shared some insight into the role of chili in their cities:

While learning how to cook four Indonesian sambals (Sambal Bawang, Sambal Tuk-Tuk, Sambal Pecak and Sambal Matah) and three Mexican salsas (Salsa Macha, Salsa Verde, Salsa Roja), we invited participants to reflect on relationships between taste, memory, and belonging.

Here are some reflections participants shared on the night:

  • “I think chili is like sort of my way of life, like chili is just something I grew up with.”
  •  “I am actually not that good with chilli, but it brings cultures together.
  • “As an Indian, chili is part of our everyday food and usually when we go to get groceries, we get chili for free. But when I go to any Indian store here, I have to pay for it – so I am like, why am I paying for this I usually get it for free?!”
  • “I would say I associate chili with punishments, not for me but for my friends. They told me how their parents would punish them with putting chili in their mouths to punish them for something they did.”
  • “Tonight, I learnt that you can eat kaffir lime leaves! I always thought of them as something that you just use as seaoning and then you take it out, like bay leaves. But in the sambal that we made, sambal matah, you cut them up really thin and then you just add them to the sambal and then you eat it – and it was delicious!”

The chili cooking event was hosted by Watch Indonesia! and Mexico Via Berlin as part of the sister city initiative „Sister Cities in Action“, funded by the State Office for Development Cooperation (LEZ).

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Eine Veranstaltung von Watch Indonesia! und Mexico Via Berlin im Rahmen des Städtepartnerschaftprojekts „Sister Cities in Action“, gefördert von der Landesstelle für Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (LEZ) Berlin.

A place of hope in Windhoek

During the Stakeholders Meeting in October, the Sister Cities in Action team had the opportunity to visit the organisation ‘Family of Hope Services’ in Katutura, a neighbourhood shaped by a history of resistance and community-building in Windhoek. We were accompanied by Foibe, the centre’s director, and Elizabeth, one of the girls who benefits from the project. They showed us around a place that embodies dignity, care and opportunity.

Foibe and Elizabeth – Photo: Valeria Peña

From the very beginning, we understood that Family of Hope Services is more than just a community centre; it is a place where children’s human rights are upheld and respected every day. Every action here aims to guarantee the rights to education, food, play, holistic development, and a safe and nurturing environment in which to grow up.

Foibe shared the history of the project, explaining how it has evolved into a powerful community-driven response to the challenges faced by numerous families in Katutura. Many of these families are migrants from other regions of Namibia, as well as from Angola, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Instead of starting from a place of lack, they recognise the potential of every child and adolescent. The goal is not merely to “assist”, but to facilitate processes of empowerment and autonomy.

One of the classrooms – Photo: Valeria Peña

Among their core initiatives is educational support, which serves children and teenagers—many of them migrants without national documentation who are therefore unable to attend formal school. At the community center, they receive academic assistance, strengthen their learning, and develop essential skills that help them stay engaged and thrive. The organization also supports families in obtaining official documents so that these children can access the education system. This work goes beyond academic content; it fosters confidence, curiosity, and a genuine desire to learn, opening real pathways toward inclusion and opportunity.

One of the most meaningful spaces is the community kitchen, which provides nutritious daily meals for the children involved in the project. The kitchen is more than just a place to receive food; it is also a space for gathering and collective care, where sharing a meal becomes an act of community.

The project also runs a community garden to strengthen food security and serve as a living educational tool. Participants learn about sustainability, collaboration and caring for the land there. Every seed planted represents a commitment to the present and the future.

Community garten – Photo: Valeria Peña

In addition, Family of Hope Services has developed a bicycle repair and sales workshop, combining hands-on training and technical skill-building with economic sustainability. The workshop supports mobility and environmental care, and represents a concrete strategy to strengthen the organisation’s financial autonomy and increase its impact on the community.

Bycicle Workshop – Photo: Valeria Peña

Walking through these spaces with Elizabeth was a deeply meaningful experience. Seeing her attentive gaze, enthusiasm and confidence as she showed us what was being built there reminded us that children flourish when they grow up in environments that recognise their rights and nurture their abilities. These are not stories of victimhood, but of growth supported by respect and love.

Elizabeth – Photo: Valeria Peña

For Sister Cities in Action, this visit reaffirmed the importance of fostering connections between organisations dedicated to social justice and human rights, both internationally and across continents. These connections enable the exchange of knowledge, strengthen strategies and expand solidarity networks that transcend borders. When organisations from different regions engage in dialogue and collaboration, their capacity for impact and care is multiplied.

In a world where inequalities still impede the realisation of rights, spaces like Family of Hope Services remind us that transformation is possible when communities organise and maintain their commitment over time.

We are deeply grateful to Foibe and Elizabeth for generously and transparently opening the doors to this space. We leave feeling inspired and enriched by new insights, certain that the bonds we forge today will continue to bear fruit tomorrow.

México vía Berlín and Casa Tochan members with Foibe and Elizabeth from Family of Hope.

If you would like to learn more about their work and support this project, please visit the website of Familiy of Hope. Every contribution helps to ensure that more children in Katutura can continue to grow up in an environment that protects their rights and cultivates hope.

Historic album of Family of Hope – Photo: Valeria Peña

Film Screening: “FROM HERE”

“From Here” (USA, Germany | 2020 | English & German)

Monday, 22th September, 6 – 9PM, aquarium (Skalitzer Str. 6, 10997 Berlin)


A documentary film on immigration, belonging, and creative activism.

Set in Berlin and New York, FROM HERE is a hopeful story of four young artists and activists from immigrant families redefining belonging in an era of rising nationalism globally.The protagonists move from their 20s into their 30s and face major turning points in their lives: fighting for citizenship, starting families, and finding room for creative expression.

The film screening will be followed by a discussion with:

Canan Turan, ideologiy-critical film scholar & creative producer of the films (Berlin)
Victoria Kumala Sakti, sozial and cultur anthropologist (Jakarta)
Karl Ehlers, artist and journalist (Windhoek)
Liz Soto Rivas, activist and founder of Latinas en Alemania (Mexiko-City).

Event will be held in english and german.

Climate Justice: Global Inequalities and Local Development in Spreewald, Pari, and Oebelo

Join us as we bring together an audience from Berlin and Jakarta to explore what climate justice looks like, how we can confront injustices, and the vital role the Global North must play in taking responsibility.

Friday, Sept. 12th, 2025, 14-16:00, Berlin Global Village, Am Sudhaus 2, 12053 Berlin

English <-> Indonesian translation

The social and ecological costs of climate crisis are disproportionately borne by the Global Majoritycompared to the so-called Global North. These climate injustices significantly impact regional development issues in varied ways. Our upcoming event will showcase examples from the Spreewald (120 km from Berlin), Pari Island (Jakarta), and Kupang (Timor) to spark an engaging discussion.

We are excited to welcome Ibu Asmania and Suci Fitria Tanjung, key figures in the climate lawsuit from Pari against the Swiss construction giant Holcim, along with the Oebelo salt-farming community experts Untung Nomleni und Horiana Yolanda and Sabine Minninger, a climate policy expert at Brot für dei Welt, specializing in climate change and development challenges.

Registration

Background information about the climate litigation case of Pari Island vs. Holcim: https://www.ecchr.eu/en/case/indonesia-climate-change-pari/

Klimagerechtigkeit im Fokus: Globale Ungleichheiten und lokale Entwicklung im Spreewald, Pari und Oebelo

12. Sept. 2025, 14-16:00, Am Sudhaus 2, 12053 Berlin  

Die sozialen und ökologischen Kosten der Klimakrise werden im Vergleich zum sogenannten Globalen Norden unverhältnismäßig von der Globalen Mehrheit getragen. Diese Klimaungerechtigkeiten haben in unterschiedlicher Weise Auswirkungen auf regionale Entwicklungsfragen. Unsere Veranstaltung präsentiert Beispiele aus dem Spreewald (120 km von Berlin), der Insel Pari (Jakarta) und Oebelo (Kupang, Timor), um diese Themen zu diskutieren.

Wir freuen uns, Asmania und Suci Fitria Tanjung, zentrale Akteure der Klimaklage Pari gegen den Schweizer Baustoffkonzern Holcim, sowie Untung Nomleni und Horiana Yolanda, Expert*innen zur Salzbauern-Community in Oebelo und Sabine Minninger, Referentin für Klimapolitik bei Brot für die Welt mit dem Schwerpunkt Klimawandel und Entwicklungsfragen, willkommen zu heißen. Gemeinsam mit einem Publikum aus Berlin und Jakarta diskutieren wir, wie Klimagerechtigkeit aussieht, wie mit der Ungerechtigkeit umzugehen ist und welche entscheidende Rolle die Globale Minderheit bei der Übernahme von Verantwortung spielen muss.

Anmeldung

Information zur Klimaklage Pari vs. Holcim: https://www.ecchr.eu/en/case/indonesia-climate-change-pari/

Diese Veranstaltung wird von Watch Indonesia! und WALHI im Rahmen des Projekts “Sister Cities in Action” organisiert, gefördert von der Landesstelle für Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (LEZ).