Our idea

  • Rethink development co-work
    • establish an open dialogue
    • national global
    • exchange knowledge within and outside of our cultural area
    • space for ideas

Many people think about problems in our society and how to solve them. They develop ideas and create concepts. But many of these ideas are given up as fast as they were developed, because there is no way of realizing them. No organization that really fits the ideas. No people who can help.

People are often motivated to initiate a positive change. However, as they do not see the possibility to realize their idea, they never get started.

It is the goal of UWA to change that. It is our ambition to help developing new ideas and to offer a space with motivated young people coming from different fields of expertise.

Everyone with an idea to improve the status quo, who needs support for realizing his/her idea, is welcome at UWA. Your idea has no local or thematic restrictions – but it has to be a nonprofit project that fulfils our statutes.

Everyone who hasn´t thought of an own project yet, but wants to work with other like-minded people, is welcome too. It is the goal of UWA to bring all of you together. We want different people to meet and work together on ideas and projects they really care about. Every UWA-member and our partners will support with their expertise and experience.

It´s not important how small or big your project might seem – all that matters is that everyone involved is completely behind it. Projects like these show that everyone can get active and change things. It will inspire and encourage others to realize their ideas.

It is important for us that your contribution makes a difference. Together we can evolve.

UWA – What does that even mean? 

The word “uwa” comes from the Igbo-language und means – quite banal translated – “world”. However, if you look closely and trace back the roots of the word, it means “the great unfolding”. It describes – in a cosmological sense – the unfolding and formation of the world from one single point. It is a concept that one can find in many old religions and traditions, on every continent.  

We want to give the word “Uwa” a modern interpretation. With “Uwa” we want to point out that the world is ultimately a great whole and things are always connected with each other.

Especially sustainability, education, cultural and technical exchange must presuppose this principle, as well as every anti-racist orientation. It´s all about the rational but important fact that social topics like climate-change and educational deficits don´t know any national borders. Above all, the word has to do with the principle of the equality of all human beings. 

(This notion of the word “Uwa” is inspired by the Text “Transcending cosmopolitanism”, written by the South-African philosopher Mogobe B. Ramose. Recommendation!)