Seminars and Online Events

Our events are aimed specifically at professionals who have undertaken development service or civil peace service, and any partners who accompanied them. These events give you the opportunity to share your experiences and reflect on them together with other returnees.

"Peer-to-peer dialogue” is a special feature of our seminars. The participants and most speakers have themselves undertaken development service or civil peace service. Dialogue about this unusual experience and future personal and professional orientation releases great creative potential. And it facilitates mutual understanding of the issues that people are concerned about. We engage experienced trainers and experts who use creative methods of interaction and foster an atmosphere of appreciation. Experts give presentations to help you work through your concerns in a purposeful manner.

The seminars that we offer are centred around the question as to how you can make use of the competences that you acquired abroad in your future professional life. You will also be able to enjoy opportunities to learn about new options and explore a variety of future career paths.

To facilitate this, we invite selected experts and "older" returnees from various fields of work to join us as speakers. They contribute reliable information from a variety of perspectives and are also available to engage in conversation with you and answer any questions that you might have. This enables you to gain realistic insights into different fields of work and useful hints from other people with practical experience. You will also be able to expand your network of contacts.

When we design the programme for a seminar, we gear the activities toward the needs of participants and the recommendations of those who have participated in previous seminars. Our interactive seminars involve a variety of activities and ways of working to create a stimulating and open atmosphere. Depending on the topic of the seminar, we call on experienced trainers, coaches, and people who work for interesting organisations and companies. 

We also regularly run online seminars which take place in a virtual seminar room. You can read more about our online seminars here. 

Weekend seminars usually run from 6 pm on Friday evening until 12:30 pm on Sunday afternoon - unless otherwise stated. One-day events run from 9 am to 5 pm.
You will receive a final programme with the timing of the sessions approximately four weeks before the start of the seminar.

Our online seminars take place at different times of day to enable people in other time zones to participate. The times indicated are the time in Germany (CET or CET+1 in the summer). The dates and topics of our seminars are listed on the online seminar calendar (see above).

Participation

Participation is open to development workers and peace workers who have completed a contract under the German Development Workers Act – together with the partners who accompanied them during their service – regardless of when they returned to Germany (or elsewhere in Europe). Participation in more than one event is permitted. Under certain circumstances other people may participate on an individual basis, subject to prior arrangement.

The number of participants is limited, but we keep places open for professionals who have only just returned from service.

It is possible to book a place, at least provisionally, at any time. Around 4 to 6 weeks before the start of the event, potential participants who have made a provisional booking will be invited to make a firm reservation.

Cost

AGdD covers the cost of accommodation and meals in the conference centre for professionals who have served under the Development Workers Act and any partners who accompanied them. In accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Federal Travel Expenses Act, the cost of travel within Germany from your place of residence to the seminar venue can be reimbursed (up to the price of a second-class rail fare).

We encourage seminar participants to choose climate-friendly modes of transport, i.e., public transport, wherever possible. Please book tickets as far in advance as possible and take advantage of special offers (which allow for cancellation) and check whether it is worth purchasing a (trial) BahnCard 25 (German railcard valid for one year which reduces the cost of rail fares by 25%). Travel expenses, including any cancellation fees and the cost of a (trial) BahnCard 25, can be reimbursed if the conditions of the Federal Travel Expenses Act are met.

If you are permanently resident outside Germany, you must clarify the reimbursement of your travel expenses individually with us in advance.

Please read the notes for your information on our travel expenses claim form before completing the form: Go to the application form here

We charge a participation fee of 30,- euro per person for seminars that last longer than one day. Participation in online seminars and one-day exchange forums is free of charge.

Questions or suggestions?

We will be happy to advise you. Please use our contact form.

Go to the contact form here