Munich trains city staff to build fairer international partnerships

Munich city council staff and representatives of civil society met at the Bellevue di Monaco to discuss how the city's international development work can be made fairer and free of old power structures. The specialist conference was titled "On an equal footing? Shaping international partnerships fairly".

The event was organised by the European and International Affairs division of the city's Department of Labour and Economic Development, together with the Nord Süd Forum München, the Bellevue di Monaco, the Netzwerk MORGEN association and the Department of Education and Sport.

After an opening panel discussion, participants examined practical approaches. Examples included Munich's 30-year twinning partnership with Harare and projects in Senegal and El Salvador.

The conference also offered targeted training for city employees. To mark the 30th anniversary of the partnership with Harare, the city worked with the Nord Süd Forum to provide a tailored training and awareness programme. Staff involved in international projects learnt to critically reflect on their own roles, reduce discrimination and power imbalances, and actively shape encounters on an equal footing.

According to the city, training its own staff in this way is intended to ensure that its global partnerships continue to be based on mutual trust, respect and genuine learning from one another.