„Ideas are flowing“

Rhineland-Palatinate, 25 to 30 November 2018. After the successful kick-off trip to Rwanda in July 2018, another important milestone in the partnership work could be reached just a few months later. An administrative delegation from the Rwandan districts of Karongi and Nyamagabe visited their partner municipalities Bad Kreuznach and Birkenfeld to exchange administrative know-how and to agree on further cooperation steps.

'Ideas are flowing' – this is how Bonaventure Uwamahoro, Mayor of Nyamagabe District, summed up the first days of the mission. Together with Juvénal Habayo Sinibagiwe from the district, he was getting to know the combined municipality of Birkenfeld from various perspectives. The agenda included working meetings with the municipal administration, various appointments, and tours on the topics of tourism, energy efficiency, renewable energy and solid waste management.
One particular highlight of the mission was a meeting with the Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, Malu Dreyer, at the beginning of the week. This was organised by the partners from Birkenfeld in conjunction with an event to present an electric citizens' car.

The Bad Kreuznach – Karongi partnership also focused its agenda for the entire week on the results of the kick-off mission. The key topics of land use and town planning were addressed at various meetings and workshops. The two sides quickly identified links to planning processes in Karongi District, and in connection with that planned knowledge sharing and staff training activities.

To support the two partnerships in working together, the project's cooperating partners – the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of the Interior and Engagement Global's Service Agency Communities in One World – held a workshop on 28 November. The workshop focused on elaborating the topics already agreed in further detail, and planning ahead for 2019. Going forward, the partnerships will continue working on their joint plans of action, which will define not only the key areas ofcooperation but also the communication structures.

At the end of the joint week, the two sides agreed on concrete next steps: In addition to the exchange of important documents, in 2019, the partners plan to conduct further mission phases and extended temporary placements. These structures form the basis for the planning of joint projects, which are to be initiated during the course of the project until the end of 2020.