Who We Are

For more than 30 years, the Heinrich Böll Foundation has supported and promoted the consolidation of democracy, human rights, gender justice, ecological justice and constructive dialogue in the Southern African region.

We work in Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, and proudly identify with the struggles and victories of progressive civil society and non-state actors in the realization of a just society. Our work is under-scored through strong partnerships, alliances and networks across the rights spectrum. For many organisations and individuals, the Foundation has become a reliable funding partner, a collaborator, a promoter of constructive dialogue and a pathway to an international network of progressive rights organisations. The Foundation also contributes research and analyses of contemporary political events in the region, on the continent and across the globe. Our Focus Areas in Southern Africa consists of four programmes: Democracy & Social Justice, Human Rights & Gender Justice, Ecological Justice and International Dialogue & African Perspectives.

The Green Political Foundation

The Heinrich Böll Stiftung is the German Green Political Foundation. Affiliated to the "Alliance '90 / The Greens" political party represented in Germany's federal parliament and based in Berlin, it conducts and supports civic educational activities worldwide.

Heinrich Böll

Heinrich Böll is one of the most important and best-known writers of the Federal Republic of Germany. "Bound by the times and my contemporaries, to what my generation has lived through, experienced, seen, and heard," as he himself wrote, he was the critical chronicler of Germany’s history at mid-century.

Mission Statement

Our main tenets are ecology and sustainability, democracy and human rights, self-determination and justice. We place particular emphasis on gender democracy, meaning social emancipation and equal rights for women and men. We are also committed to equal rights for cultural and ethnic minorities and to the societal and political participation of immigrants.

Our Mission

Fostering democracy and upholding human rights, taking action to prevent the destruction of the global ecosystem, advancing equality between women and men, securing peace through conflict prevention in crisis zones, and defending the freedom of individuals against excessive state and economic power – these are the objectives that drive the ideas and actions of the Heinrich Böll Foundation. We maintain close ties to the German Green Party (Alliance 90/The Greens) and as a think tank for green visions and projects, we are part of an international network encompassing well over 100 partner projects in approximately 60 countries.

The Heinrich Böll Foundation works independently and nurtures a spirit of intellectual openness. We maintain a world wide network with currently 30 international offices. We cooperate closely with 16 state-level Böll Foundations in each of Germany’s federal states, and we support talented, socio-politically engaged undergraduate and graduate students in Germany and abroad.

We gladly follow Heinrich Böll’s exhortation for citizens to get involved in politics, and we want to inspire others to do the same.