welcome – salām – shalom – hos geldiniz – ahoj – kalos órisate – teple pryvitannya – namaste – karibu!
A warm welcome to you!
Winner of the European Diplôme d’Honneur award from the Fondation du Mérite Européen
Latest news from 05.12. 2025 (further information in the current newsletters): JIK-Newsletter from 15.12. 2025
Dear members and donors, dear people interested in our association’s activities,
Thank you very much for your generous donations! We hope that you will continue to support us as benevolently as in the past, for example through this Christmas fundraising campaign 2025 incl. the ToN tree planting campaign support.
ToN tree planting campaign Daoud Nassars (target: 500 trees)
as a sign of hope for justice and peace. We are all invited to support this campaign not only by donating trees (€ 20 per tree), but also by actively helping to plant trees as volunteers in the first quarter of 2016. JIK will subsidize the flight costs for 2-3 weeks on the ToN (information on request). Bank details + donation receipt (see below).
Purpose: ToN tree donation, address + e-mail address (or by e-mail), so that I can e-mail you the certificate of the tree donation (e.g. as a Christmas present or another name) before Christmas. International presence is still the best protection against settler attacks/expropriation. It also avoids the impression of wasteland. Information on this can be found in the circular mail attachment to the JIK newsletter of 5.12. After a provisional, very fragile ceasefire in the Middle East, we are also hoping for a ceasefire in Ukraine that is not the beginning of a humiliating dictatorial peace.
JIK newsletters offer a wide range of topics for very different target groups.
(Attached JIK newsletter from 5.12.25, 2. ToN tree planting campaign and Advent message 2025, 3. certificate for ToN tree planting campaign 2025, 4. poster African Pulse & Nordic Space)
13./14.12.25: Jerusalem – A look behind the scenes (2-day seminar at the Thomas Morus Academy in Bensberg with Prof. Katja Soennecken and Prof. Dieter Vieweger)
06.03.26: World Day of Prayer for Women from Nigeria: “Bring your burden”. The services are prepared worldwide by women from Nigeria who live in rural areas and are confronted with dangers and obstacles on their way to the fields. 
Sun, 15.3.26, 19:00: Hüsch’s Peace Psalms with harp accompaniment, St. Augustin (info to follow)
18.-20.3.26: Planned dates for Best of Poetry Slam with Florian Stein and others (information to follow)
28.3.-6.4.26: 8-day preparatory trip for (especially future) accompanying persons to Israel-Palestine
(Easter vacations, 4/5 participants – low cost contribution, info on JIK start page below, application and further info from me, 0163-6335535), program similar to March 25 (see under Youth Exchange Reports). You will get a very authentic, intensive and unique insight into the current situation and perspectives for the Middle East with many important personalities (incl. family visits on site and the ToN). Please send me your application as soon as possible.
1.5.-3.5. 2026: JIK trip to Paris (only for active and potential JIK employees, small contribution to costs, contact me for more information), we will also book Eurostar Cologne-Paris + accommodation before the end of the year. (See also the report from the last JIK staff trip to Berlin in the newsletter archive).
13.-17.5.2026: Katholikentag in Würzburg(with Daoud Nassar as speaker, among others: Thu, 14.5., 16:30)
10 – 18.7.26: planned new date for the visit of the youth group from Bethlehem
11.-16.7.26: New, attractive JIK cultural program (free tickets for members, information to follow)
15.07. 2026: possible new date for the Trialogue panel discussion in Sankt Augustin The aim of the Trialogue events is to talk about the Middle East and the consequences for Muslim/Jewish life in our country while recognizing the suffering of both sides.
Fall 26: African Pulse & Nordic Space / with Indian musical genius (info to follow)
17.10-1.11.26: Israel-Palestine-Jordan trip (NRW fall break), 16 participants (18 years and older) We very much hope that this 1st trip since 7.10.23 can take place.
(The December news of my website are online: www.gregorschroeder.de – for all who love humor, literature
(+ interpretation) as well as creative political-satirical and poetic texts of all kinds – new every month)
Situation at the ToN (05.12.25), Daoud’s Advent message of 30.11.(www.tentofnations.com)
There are currently around 6 volunteers working at the ToN. (New volunteer reports in the January newsletter). 6 Israeli families (25 people) are now living in the mobile living containers right next to the ToN fence. At the moment the situation is quite stable. The mobile checkpoints continue to cause problems. In Bethlehem there is once again a Christmas market in Manger Square with the lighting of the lights on the central Christmas tree (6.12.25). Fortunately, there are now significantly more tourists in Bethlehem. Adult volunteers are still urgently needed for 2026, preferably to help out at the ToN for a longer period of time (registration on the website www.tentofnations.com).
JIK supports the ToN stay of volunteers from 2-3 weeks by subsidizing/covering the flight costs (for information contact me: 01636-335535). Thanks to our help, volunteers will once again be able to help out there for longer periods of time.
With the help of all ToN supporters, we are endeavoring to launch a permanent initiative to save the ToN, among other things. Perhaps you also have important contacts/suggestions for us!
Your donations will also help to ensure that the many Christian institutions in Bethlehem/Jerusalem, and especially the Jahalin Bedouins, do not have to give up.
Appeal for donations and large ToN tree planting campaign Christmas 2025
The financial situation of many people in the Middle East remains catastrophic despite a temporary ceasefire and more aid deliveries to Gaza. The return of pilgrims/tourists, e.g. to Bethlehem, is very hesitant. Christian institutions, monasteries (e.g. the Birgittinnen), schools, universities, but also large parts of the Palestinian population in the West Bank, especially in Bethlehem, are facing ever greater financial hardship or are even threatened with extinction.
The greatest concerns are still the famine, the 80% destruction of Gaza and the aggressive, forced settlement policy in the West Bank and its planned partition.
Therefore, once again my urgent request: Transfer a generous donation also for the Mount of Olives Monastery, the University of Bethlehem and the 5,000 Jahalin Bedouins who are to be forcibly resettled next to a garbage dump (see below legal costs + international aid) !!! |
Successful fundraising campaign since 1.1.23: 575 T € for Ukraine, Africa, Latin America, India, the Middle East, etc.
As our donations are also declining overall, we will focus in future on the many threatened and disadvantaged people in the Middle East (ToN, monasteries, schools and universities in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jahalin Bedouins, Angel of Cultures, etc., see bank details below).
Our bank details (with information on donation receipts)
JugendInterKult e.V., Volksbank Köln-Bonn; BIC: GENODED1BRS; IBAN: DE09 3806 0186 0704 8870 19
(If you provide your address + e-mail address or send an e-mail, you will receive a donation receipt by e-mail for donations of €100 or more. Donations up to 300 € are recognized by the tax office without a donation receipt). If you would like to donate to a specific fundraising campaign or a special project, please state this in the reference (e.g. Birgittinnen-Kloster, Uni Bethlehem, Jahalin-Beduinen, ToN).
| With the help of your donations, many thousands of children and their families, but also Christian institutions (monasteries, schools, etc. in Palestine, among others) and persecuted Christians around the world, especially in disadvantaged countries that have fallen into particularly great need due to the current wars, could and can be helped through food and medical aid and care in all areas of life. We would like to thank all donors once again for their extremely generous support of our projects! We hope you will continue to support our work as benevolently as before. |
Stay healthy and, despite all the discord, remain confident and happy to donate!!!
Kind regards
Your Gregor Schröder (0163-6335535), schroedergregor@aol.com
Am Köppekreuz 21, 53225 Bonn – www.jugendinterkult.de
Founded in 2011, our Sankt Augustin-based association has both a local and global focus and is committed to intercultural understanding, justice as well as sustainable development worldwide as a basis for peace.
- We would like to inspire adolescents for intercultural youth exchange with Israel-Palestine-Jordan through specially sponsored and inexpensive bilateral youth encounters.
- JIK promotes intercultural creative projects (music, theater, dance, art) with socially and otherwise disadvantaged young people, young talents, refugees in many countries as well as volunteer work in Christian institutions, e.g. in Palestine.
Art project in Bethlehem
Music project in Zanzibar
- We support 50 aid projects in Colombia, Afghanistan, India, Congo, Palestine, etc. in over 25 countries worldwide.
- Total JIK funding for all projects and fundraising campaigns since 2011: over € 2.5 million
With the help of the donations, tens of thousands of children and their families, as well as Christian institutions (monasteries, schools, etc. in Palestine, among others) in many countries that have fallen into great need as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the Middle East war, could and can be helped with food and medical aid as well as support in all areas of life.
Street children Colombia – Don Bosco
Afghanistan Aid – Caritas International
- We still need more people for our projects, people to accompany us on our trips, but also support through membership and of course especially donations for our many aid projects.
- Accompanying persons urgently needed for bilateral youth exchange with Palestine. We are not only looking for volunteers for the ToN and other employees for our projects, but also urgently for accompanying persons (e.g. religious teacher) for our bilateral youth encounters with Palestine from 2026, who would like to prepare and accompany these trips as leaders after participating in the trip in October 2026 and intensive JIK training. Applicants should be between 30 and 50 years old(preferably female), live in the Bonn – Leverkusen area, have good English skills and pedagogical experience in dealing with projects and adolescents, and preferably already be familiar with regional studies, the Middle East conflict and the 3 world religions. As a responsible manager from 2027, you will receive an expense allowance.
Participation in the following trips/two-sided youth encounters is welcome:
1. 28.3.-6.4.26 (approx.): Preparatory trip to Israel-Palestine (approx. 4/5 participants), small cost contribution from participants
2. 10-18.7.26: Visit of approx. 15 participants from Bethlehem in Bonn
3. Trip to Israel-Palestine-Jordan: 17.10. -01.11. 2026 (maximum 16 participants aged 18 and over)
Email applications to: schroedergregor@aol.com
Let yourself be inspired by the variety of our activities and take advantage of our offers by participating in international youth encounters, our creative projects, fundraising activities and/or by joining or becoming a member of us. As a member, you take part in all activities free of charge, have the opportunity to get free tickets for all cultural events from the JIK free ticket contingent and receive an early bird discount of €160 on trips.
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