Friendship Bench Global visits Friedensau

From July 7–14, we received a visit from Ethel Manda, the head of the Training and Education Department at Friendship Bench (FB) Global. The two project leaders, Prof. Dr. Dr. Silvia Hedenigg and Prof. Andreas Bochmann, provided her with an overview of the university’s historical and theological roots, its academic structures, and our study programs. In discussions with Prof. Dr. Roland E. Fischer, the rector, and Tobias H. Koch, the university chancellor, we were able to discuss our cooperation to this point and the next steps in our partnership. Despite it currently being the summer break, Ethel Manda had the opportunity to meet some trainees from our English- and German-language Friendship Bench training groups and to speak with FB facilitators. Furthermore, we were able to present an external participant with a certificate of completion for the Friendship Bench training program. At the end of her stay, she had the opportunity to take a short trip to Berlin, where she got a sense of the city’s historical and political center during a bicycle rickshaw tour.

We are pleased that Ethel Manda had such a positive experience during her stay in Friedensau and Berlin and that we were able to further strengthen our partnership with Friendship Bench.