Portrait
Mission 21 is a global community of partner churches and partner organizations in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. For over 200 years, we have been working together on the basis of Christian faith for a life in dignity for all people. In doing so, we align our work with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals ("Agenda 2030"). In particular, we are guided by the SDG 16+ goal of building peaceful, just and inclusive societies.
Mission 21 is supported by the Swiss Protestant Reformed Church (EKS), foundations and political bodies, private donors and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Mission 21 is recognized as a non-profit organization and is certified by ZEWO and EduQua.
Our offer is open to all people, regardless of religion, origin or gender.
Our fields of activity
Our understanding of mission is based on the belief that all people are created differently, but with equal value and dignity. Therefore, all people should have the same opportunity to live together in peace and justice, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, religion or geographical origin. We work towards this in respectful dialog with people of different religions and world views and are committed to the following fields of action International learning community and International development cooperation.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have questions about the financing of our work, our understanding of mission or our global commitment? We have compiled the most frequently asked questions for you. â–º FAQs
International learning community
As an international learning community, we create space for transcultural exchange and interreligious cooperation and promote an understanding of global connections: we enable participation in the global church, network committed young people in our global youth movement and advocate decolonization. This includes supporting historical research into the links between mission and colonialism as well as maintaining and cataloging our research archive with the aim of facilitating transparent research into missionary history. We also align our international cooperation with the principles of decolonization and work on an equal footing with our partner churches and partner organizations. â–º further information
International cooperation
In international cooperation, we work with over 70 partner organizations in various areas to empower vulnerable people: We provide humanitarian aid in crises and conflicts and are involved in peacebuilding. We help to secure livelihoods by providing education, promoting basic medical care and food sovereignty. We firmly oppose violence against women and children and support educational activities for social change. We also encourage our partner organizations to align their activities with the principles of good governance and to commit to respecting human rights. We are committed to gender equality and climate justice in all our programs and projects.
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Our areas of activity
Peacebuilding
In many partner countries, tensions or violence are on the rise. We work at eye level with local people to resolve conflicts and structural violence peacefully. We work to prevent violence against women and children. Religious or ethnic aspects often play an important role in conflicts. Mission 21 brings its expertise in interreligious and intercultural peacebuilding to bear here.
Education
Education enables people to shape their own lives and take responsibility in society. We promote literacy in our partner countries: basic education projects for reading, writing and arithmetic. We enable vocational training and adult education. We promote the self-confidence of people from marginalized population groups so that they can work independently for a life in dignity.
Food Sovereignty
The right to food is a fundamental human right. Although enough food is produced globally, around 870 million people go hungry and another billion are chronically malnourished. Mission 21 supports projects that enable disadvantaged people in particular to eat healthily and live in dignity.
Health
For over one billion people worldwide, access to healthcare is not guaranteed. Mission 21 helps people in remote and rural areas access healthcare. We support projects that promote the sexual and reproductive health of vulnerable populations. We are committed to the fight against HIV and discrimination against people living with HIV.
Humanitarian action
Mission 21 is active in countries where crises and conflicts have a severe impact on people's everyday lives. We are particularly active in places where government agencies and other aid organizations have withdrawn. Together with our partner organizations, we provide humanitarian aid in the form of food aid, medical care and the distribution of tents, blankets and hygiene articles, as well as activities that give internally displaced people a new perspective on life. In line with the "Triple Nexus", we combine humanitarian aid with peace-building measures and support for an independent future.
Annual report and financial report
The Annual Report provides information on the impact of our work in the past year and shows how the donations received were used on the basis of specific projects. It contains the annual financial statements, including information on the origin and use of funds. It also contains information on the structure and committees of the missionary organization as well as a brief portrait of Mission 21. The annual report is published in July following the international Mission Synod of Mission 21.
