CSR & NGO Management Students on a Lobbying Excursion

Donnerstag, 4. August 2016

In the first week of July the students of the MBA in CSR & NGO Management went on an excursion to Berlin on the topic of „Lobby and Advocacy of NGOs in the Capital – Protagonist, Instruments and Methods“, which gave the students comprehensive insights in the lobby and advocacy work of different organisations.

Ms. Prof. Dr. Warning, who is responsible for the seminar “NGO Business Strategy and Organisation” in the MBA programm and who is also the director "International and Domestic Programme” at Bread for the World, organized the one-week excursion for the students. During this week the students visited different NGOs like Bread for the World, the Diakonie Germany, the BUND und the umbrella organisation of NGOs VENRO; as well as state actors in the field of development cooperation like the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) or the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The students met several NGO representatives, who are responsible for lobbying and advocacy (L&A) in their organisation. But they had also the opportunity to speak to the adressees of lobbying for example: Thilo Hoppe (former MP, Die Grünen - The Greens), Arnold Vaatz (MP, CDU – Christian Democrats) and Luise Amtsberg (MP, Die Grünen – The Greens).

The meetings focused on issues such as reasons for and against lobbying and advocacy of NGOs, instruments of L&A as well as the goals and succes factors of L&A. The disscusions took place in an open and honest atmosphere, where the speakers shared also personal experiences. That way the students gained deep insights into the dynamics of policy making within a capital above and beyond the sheer technical processes.

The group of students from 11 countries and 5 continents did of course not miss the chance to visit some of the tourist attractions of Berlin, which included a visitto the Bundestag(German Parliament) , a boat tour on the river Spree and a city walk on the political development of Berlin and Germany in the 20^th century. And also the football match Germany versus France was not to be missed, which the group watched in a beergarden right next to the chancellery.

A very special thanks goes to Prof. Dr. Warning and her team for the well organized and varied program. The trip was a great success and a brillant experience for the MBA students, which is why it is planned to make this excursion an integral part of the MBA program.