The Senate Department for Economics, Technology and Research “Think global, act local” is the basis of the development policy of the state of Berlin. With the Development Policy Guidelines of the Berlin State, the Berlin Senate is committed to closely linking development cooperation as a cross-cutting issue with other international policy fields (integration, foreign policy, cultural exchange and higher education cooperation), and to ensure a balance of social, economical and ecological interests in its actions, in terms of Agenda 21. The aim is to strengthen Berlin as an international capital city, taking into account international actors, and to increase public interest in all forms of international cooperation.

The BGZ Berlin International Cooperation Agency GmbH (Project coordination) is a joint private and public sector institution, supported by the State of Berlin and the Berlin Chamber of Small Business and Skilled Crafts. BGZ is a non-profit organization, with a large network and close links to administration bodies, education institutions, but also to the economic sector and to civil society organisations across Europe. Since 1983, the BGZ has successfully administered more than 70 international cooperation projects with a total budget of over 50 million Euros. Development cooperation projects are a particular focus. In the project “TriNet Global”, BGZ takes over the coordination of the transnational partnership, the project initiatives and the evaluation. Furthermore, it supports the European exchange on awareness-raising and fair trade.

The Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences, Berlin is a prestigious university for social work, health and early childhood, steeped in tradition. With its approximately 3,400 students, it is one of the biggest independent universities of social affairs in Germany. It currently offers five undergraduate bachelor degree programmes (“Social Work”, “BASA-Online”, “Early Childhood Education”, “Health and Social Care Management” and “Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy”) and two consecutive master degree programmes (“Management and Quality Development in the Health Sector” and “Research in Social Work and Education”), as well as five advanced master degree programmes (e.g. “Clinical Social Work”, “Intercultural Conflict Management” and “Biographic and Creative Writing”). Aside from its study programmes, the ASH Berlin has a very diverse set-up. As well as a well-equipped library, the university has a computer centre, a music room, a multi-media room, an art studio, a learning centre and an ‘interaction space’. Moreover, the ASH Berlin cooperates with 40 partners all over the world. As well as universities in Europe, these also include universities in Costa Rica, Israel, Japan, Canada, Morocco, Tunisia and the USA.

The Berlin Development Education and Information Center has been supporting the networking of Berlin actors in the area of development policy educational work since 1986. EPIZ offers extensive resources on global learning, implements trainings for teaching staff on development policy educational work and advises schools on the implementation of global learning. In the framework of “Awareness for Fairness”, EPIZ developed teaching resources and e-learning courses, implemented trainings for teaching staff and multipliers and created educational offers on the topics of globalisation and fair trade. In the framework of the project, schools had the opportunity to prepare for becoming a “Fairtrade School” with a ‘future workshop’.

The non-profit association TransFair e.V. is responsible for the allocation of the international Fairtrade label for fair traded products in Germany. Its general aim is to support disadvantaged families involved in production in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and to improve living and working conditions through fair trade. Together with its 35 member organisations, TransFair campaigns for the acquisition of further partners and supporters for fair trade, with help from marketing measures, as well as information campaigns and publicity work. In the TriNet project, TransFair sets itself the task of supporting Berlin boroughs in gaining the title “Fairtrade Town”. Specific criteria must be fulfilled for this title, which prove the borough’s engagement for fair trade.

As a development non-governmental organisation, Südwind has campaigned for sustainable global development, human rights and fair working conditions worldwide for over 30 years. In Austria, through academic and extracurricular educational work in terms of global learning, publishing the “Südwind” magazine and other publications, Südwind broaches the issues of global contexts and their effects. With high-profile initiatives, campaigns and information activities, Südwind is committed to a fair world. Südwind’s work in Austria is conducted by a network of regional offices and partners. On local, regional, national, and international levels, Südwind cooperates with organizations and institutions in the fields of international development, education, environment, culture, and social issues, as well as with various civil society networks and important political figures. Südwind regularly carries out projects of its own, and makes its know-how available to other organizations and institutions.

The city of Linz is the capital of the state of Upper Austria. It forms an administration parish and is at the same time regional authority with the right to self-govern. Linz has to fulfil the tasks of the borough administration, as well as the tasks of the municipal administration. The city is a self-regulated economic body and has the right, in the framework of financial administration, to manage its budget autonomously. Within the framework of the project “TriNet Global”, the City of Linz is cooperating with the development organisation Südwind Agentur. Over the three-year project duration, Linz supports the project with a maximum of 20,000 Euros, but with a minimum of 15,000 Euros per year. Contentswise, Linz supports the project focuses sustainable economies (“green economy”; CSR), increasing engagement with development policy issues, as well as engagement in global responsibility and cooperation with the Global South. The corresponding activities will be undertaken in cooperation with Südwind Agentur.

Hammershus Fairtrade Concert in 2001) is a non-profit Fairtrade organisation. It works for sustainable development and poverty reduction in Africa, by importing and selling Fairtrade products, as well as by providing professional and technical support to African producers and collaborators. Foreningen Hammershus Fairtrade Concert arranges, among other things, concerts on the topic of fair trade. A part of the concert revenue goes towards development projects. Educational trips to Africa are regularly organised. In 2011, FHFC was given an award in 2011 by the Danish NGOs Association.
The focuses of the work within the framework of the project “TriNet Global” are dissemination activities with 30 SMEs (from the food, handcraft and tourism industries), state institutions and the municipality. FHFC will implement trainings for multipliers and will develop – together with the regional municipality – a fair procurement strategy for the Municipality of Bornholm. In addition, a Fairtrade shopping guide will also be developed. Further highlights include a support concert as part of the Bornholm Fairtrade Festival and a study trip to Ghana.

In July 2009 Bornholm was certified as a Fairtrade Municipality – it is the first Fairtrade Island of the Fairtrade initiative. The Municipality of Bornholm is intensively working on establishing a dialogue on sustainable development. Regular information events and PR activities will support this dialogue. The motto: through fair trade, we can make a difference – particularly for some of the world’s poorest people. A part of our procurement in the municipality is therefore in the meantime Fairtrade certified.
Together with Foreningen Hammershus Fairtrade Concert (FHFC), the Municipality of Bornholm will develop a 3-year strategy within the framework of the project “TriNet Global”, how procurement of Fairtrade products can be further increased in the municipality. The Municipality of Bornholm will support FHFC in its work with the three state institutions on Bornholm (regional branches of the Danish Nature Agency, the Army and the Danish Emergency Management Agency) and implementation of the two annual Fairtrade events (with 10,000 participants) and the national political summit (with 30,000 participants), which are used for awareness-raising.

The Ecumenical Academy Prague e.V. is a non-profit organisation for adult education. Focuses are the church and society, social justice and sustainable development. The academy has been active in fair trade since 2004 and has been a member of the World Fair Trade Organisation (the first Czech organisation) since 2010. In the framework of the project, the academy is working on strategic guidelines on Fairtrade Town, Fairtrade School and Fairtrade Church, implementing school events on fair trade, creating a catalogue of learning resources in Czech and organising an exhibition on global learning.

The municipality supports environmental activities and organizes public events supporting awareness raising in sustainable development, where the CSOs can present their activities and address the citizens. Some important NGOs are seated in the district, like Arnika. The Municipality fulfils its tasks according to the law which includes founding of kindergartens and primary schools, taking care of socially excluded citizens, social protection of children in need, care of the environment etc.
This is the first international project in the field of awareness raising on development issues. At city level, there exists a city partnership between Prague and Berlin. Along with many different connections in the cultural sector (and especially good example of which is the well-known “Prague-Berlin Festival of Czech Art and Culture”), one focus of this partnership is sharing experience on the administrative level in areas like urban renewal, renovation, environmental protection, traffic and transportation policy.