About us

Welcome

Freedom, justice and solidarity are the basic principles underlying the work of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS). The KAS is a political foundation associated with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU). As co-founder of the CDU and the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Konrad Adenauer (1876-1967) united Christian-social, conservative and liberal traditions. His name is synonymous with the democratic reconstruction of Germany, the firm alignment of foreign policy with the trans-Atlantic community of values, the vision of a unified Europe and an orientation towards the social market economy. His intellectual heritage continues to serve both as our aim as well as our obligation today.

In our European and international cooperation efforts we work for people to be able to live self-determined lives in freedom and dignity. We make a contribution underpinned by values to helping Germany meet its growing responsibilities throughout the world.

We encourage people to lend a hand in shaping the future along these lines. With more than 80 offices abroad and projects in over 120 countries, we make a unique contribution to the promotion of democracy, the rule of law and a social market economy. To foster peace and freedom we encourage a continuous dialog at the national and international levels as well as the exchange between cultures and religions.

Human beings in their distinctive dignity and with their rights and responsibilities are at the heart of our work. We are guided by the conviction that human beings are the starting point in the effort to bring about social justice and democratic freedom while promoting sustainable economic activity. By bringing people together who embrace their responsibilities in society, we develop active networks in the political and economic spheres as well as in society itself. The guidance we provide on the basis of our political know-how and knowledge helps to shape the globalization process along more socially equitable, ecologically sustainable and economically efficient lines.

We cooperate with governmental institutions, political parties, civil society organizations and handpicked elites, building strong partnerships along the way. In particular we seek to intensify political cooperation in the area of development cooperation at the national and international levels on the foundations of our objectives and values. Together with our partners we make a contribution to the creation of an international order that enables every country to develop in freedom and under its own responsibility.

The KAS Indonesia Office has been established in 1968 and looks back on a long history of bilateral cooperation and understanding. In 2002 we have expanded our activities and are since then covering East-Timor/Timor-Leste from our office in Jakarta.

The KAS Indonesia and East-Timor currently focuses on three areas of operation:

• Political Parties and Parliament
• Democracy, the Rule of Law and Civil Society
• Social Market Economy

In our work we feel committed to three guiding principles:

Firstly, we strive to conduct activities in all 33 provinces of the county. This decentralised approach helps us to take the country’s geographic, religious, ethnic and cultural heterogeneity and diversity into account.

Secondly, every activity (seminar, workshop etc.) is being held in close cooperation with a local partner organization such as Think Tanks, NGOs, universities and state/official authorities. Tremendously adding to our knowledge this ensures that specific needs and necessities of the respective place and people/participants are met in our activities. At last this leads to increased efficiency of the work of KAS in Indonesia.

Thirdly, while democracy promotion being the overall aim of KAS Indonesia and Timor-Leste, we do not try to copy and paste any forms of government or social and political systems that might be working in Europe or the western world. Trough its activities, seminars and workshops KAS rather submits an offer to cooperatively work on the further democratic and constitutional development of Indonesia taking into account the country’s very own preconditions.

KAS Indonesia and Timor-Leste would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us anytime.