Sieker, Marianne

Research Topic

The German political foundations’ role in international relations

The phenomenon of party-affiliated political foundations as international actors is still world-widely unique. The political foundations are a distinctive feature of German development policy. They mainly help build democratic structures. Having been financially supported by the German Development Ministry since 1962 and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the international work of the Stiftungen plays an important role in German foreign relations.

The research project aims at analysing the German political foundations’ role in international relations by using a theoretical framework in which the two approaches of neo-realism and neo-liberalism/ institutionalism are juxtaposed. In investigating the functions of the German political foundations’ international activity, the foundations’ uniqueness as players of global presence can be understood. Moreover it can be estimated why the German foundations provide a role model for other countries, particularly with regard to their activities in the framework of German foreign relations. It will be scrutinized how the German political foundations can be regarded as civil diplomats and how democratisation processes in third countries are promoted and assisted. Furthermore it will be explored how the German political foundations are active in the field of conflict prevention and whether the emphasis has been shifted from simple democracy assistance to the prevention or mediation in conflict situation.

Research Supervisors

Andrew Denham and Neville Wylie

Primary Funding Source

Self-funded

 

Research Centre

  

Research Interests

• Diplomacy (second track, public)
• NGOs
• Conflict transformation
• Democratisation
• Globalisation
• IR Theory
• International law
• German foreign policy
• South East Asia