The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom – established in 1958 by the first president of the Federal Republic of Germany, Theodor Heuss, and a group of committed Liberals – is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation that is committed to promoting liberal policy and politics in Germany, Europe and worldwide. Based in Potsdam, Germany, the foundation has seven offices in Germany and more than 40 offices worldwide through which it promotes its core concepts such as the protection of human rights, civil society, market economy, free trade and rule of law.

Over the last 51 years the activities of the foundation have expanded beyond their original civic educational task in the young Federal Republic of Germany. A scholarship programme, a think tank (the Liberal Institute), a press and media department was established and the engagement in international politics became an important part of the foundations assignments.

Together with our partners – which include liberal political parties as well as non-governmental organisations – we support the development of constitutional and democratic institutions as well as the civil society.

For the international work the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom has seven regional offices, 44 project offices and is active in over 60 project countries worldwide. More than 100 individual projects are implemented by over 250 staff members in the various project regions. Funding is partly provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the German Federal Foreign Office and, increasingly, by the European Union. Our activities in third countries are part of Germany’s development cooperation and foreign policy work.

Issues

The principles of liberalism as a political philosophy underpin all the work of the Foundation. In the 2008-2011 period we shall focus on the following issues:

Freedom and property: private property and its protection through the legal system are essential conditions for wealth creation, economic growth and, furthermore, for self-confident civil society.

Freedom and civil society: active citizens are the lifeblood of a liberal society. It is people, not government bureaucracies, who can bring freedom to life and secure it on a lasting basis.

Freedom and the rule of law: only a state governed by the rule of law can sustainably perform the core functions liberals assign to it, namely, the protection of freedom, security and property.

Aims and methods

The main objectives of our international work are:

Our activities are as varied as our cooperation partners or the regions we work in. They are based on long-standing experience and are constantly evolving.

Political education aims at helping increasing numbers of people to become involved in political and social processes.

Political dialogue offers politicians and civil society representatives the opportunity to exchange experiences, learn from each other and find solutions to conflicts.

Political consultancy provides liberal political decision-makers with skills, knowledge and experiences that are important for strengthening political parties and implementing liberal policies.

Contact person: Dr. Jürgen D. Wickert, juergen.wickert@fnst.org, +32 (2) 282 09 30