About us

"Internationale Begegnung in Gemeinschaftsdiensten e.V.", IBG for short, was founded in 1965 with the aim of contributing to peace and international understanding through international youth community services (workcamps).

Since 1965 we have...

• ... organized more than 1,500 international workcamps in Germany and other German-speaking countries
• ... worked together with over 15,000 participants in our workcamps.
• ... placed more than 10,000 volunteers in charitable projects worldwide.
• ... advocated for sustainability, inclusion, equality and solidarity in our camps.

Our mission

Under the motto “... peacing the world together!” we want to empower young people around the globe to help build a more peaceful world. Volunteering in international workcamps is not only a valuable and unforgettable experience, but also a learning opportunity for all of us. IBG wants to involve as many volunteers as possible to work together on making our world a better place.

Board

The honorary board of IBG meets regularly to exchange ideas and to decide on projects and the association's matters. Usually, the meetings are public and open to all interested members! Since the 2022 General Assembly of IBG, the organisation is represented by:

Employees

IBG currently has five employees who are working mostly part-time for the IBG office.

Volunteers & Interns

Currently, Romany and Andrea are supporting us as a volunteers through the European Solidarity Corps.

Organisation and Network

IBG is a non-profit association. In addition to some part-time employees, the organisation's work is supported by an honorary board, about 150 members and many indispensable dedicated volunteers. IBG is neither religiously nor politically bound and is recognized as an organisation of extracurricular youth education.

IBG is a member of the UNESCO's Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS) and the network of "Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organizations ". On a national level, IBG is a member of the Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Offene Jugendbildung (LAGO) Baden-Württemberg.

The workcamps in Germany are funded through grants from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth as well as the Erasmus+ programme and the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) of the European Union. In addition, local sponsors support the projects.

Join us!

IBG is an association of and for volunteers. You want to get involved? Get to know the world of international volunteering as a participant of a workcamp, as a group leader of an international project in Germany, or support us as an intern in the office! You have already been volunteering with us and would like to further shape the organisation's life? Then support us in trainings or info events, or simply become a member!

Become a member of IBG

We are happy about each new member of IBG, because the organisation's members carry our work and determine the future direction. Members' newsletters and the annual general meeting bring you up to date with the organisation's activities; the board meetings are public. The membership fee is 18€ per year.

How can you join? Just fill in the Mitgliedsantrag and send it to our office in Stuttgart.

Internship at the IBG office

You can also support us as an intern in our office in Stuttgart. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the world of international volunteering work, help us with project coordination, manage the applications for workcamps, support the preparation and facilitation of seminars and trainings, or help with public relations and promotion.

Requirements? Good English and German skills, experience in working with MS Office (Word, Excel), a sense of responsibility, good self-organisational skills and ideally workcamp experience.

Support IBG with your donation

With your support, we can continue to realize great project ideas or support volunteers who would otherwise not be able to participate in a workcamp.

Our account details:
Vereinigte Volksbank Sindelfingen
IBAN: DE74 6039 0000 0041 1450 03
BIC-Code: GENODES1BBV

... or simply via Paypal .

Donations are tax deductible and we will of course be happy to send you a donation receipt.