“As National President of the Kolping Society of Germany, I have been impressed by the Association’s international character from the very beginning. The democratic structure of KOLPING INTERNATIONAL worldwide and the active shaping of civil society are exemplary. These experiences are also very important for my work as a European and foreign policy expert.
The many different projects, which have a different focus in Africa, Latin America or Asia, show how diverse and colourful the work of KOLPING is worldwide. In the past 50 years, it has established an enormous amount of expertise on how to eradicate poverty effectively – and how to inspire people to work for their community and the common good. By the way, women are a key to the success of many projects. This is why “empowerment”, i.e. the strengthening of girls and women is a special concern of my heart. Through access to education and protection of their human rights, we enable women and girls to lead financially independent and self-determined lives which is also beneficial to their families and ultimately to society as a whole.”
Ursula Groden-Kranich (CDU), Member of the German Bundestag and National President of the Kolping Society of Germany
