The Heinrich Böll Stiftung stands for green ideas and projects, is a reform policy workshop for the future and an international network. We work with over a hundred partner projects in more than 60 countries and currently have offices in 34 countries.
The Heinrich Böll Stiftung maintains close ties to the German Green Party (Alliance 90/The Greens) and as a think tank for green visions and projects, we are part of an international network encompassing partner projects in approximately 60 countries.
Heinrich Böll's encouragement of civil society interference in politics is a model for the work of the foundation. Its primary task is political education in Germany and abroad to promote the democratic will, the socio-political commitment and international understanding. It is guided by the basic political values of ecology, democracy, solidarity, and nonviolence. The foundation is particularly interested in the realization of a democratic immigration society as well as gender democracy as a relationship of the sexes that is free of dependence and domination.
In addition, the foundation promotes art and culture as an element of its political educational work and as an expression of social self-understanding. Currently, the study program of the Heinrich Böll Foundation supports about 1.200 students and doctoral candidates with scholarships. The general meeting, consisting of 49 persons, is the supreme decision-making body and chooses a. o. the board.
Presently, the full-time executive board is formed by Dr. Imme Scholz and Jan Philipp Albrecht. The management is held by Steffen Heizmann. The statutes provide for a quotation for women and migrants for the Foundation's bodies and the full-time positions.
hbs currently has offices in Belgium, France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Greece, Georgia, Ukraine, Bosnia, Serbia, Albania, Israel, Lebanon, the Arab Middle East, Tunisia, Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, India, China, South Korea, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, El Salvador, and the USA.
Istanbul office
The Istanbul office of Heinrich Böll Stiftung has been active since 1994 and currently operates as an association.
Since its establishment, the Turkey office has supported political dialogue between Türkiye, Germany and the European Union, and has closely followed Türkiye’s EU accession and negotiation process.
The association conducts academic studies and research, publishes reports and books, and organises conferences and symposia. It also runs two scholarship programmes at undergraduate and graduate levels in the fields of ecology and democratisation.
In addition to its own projects, it supports rights-based civil society initiatives that advocate for human rights and equality before the law for everyone without exception; are founded on the principles of the rule of law; uphold integrity and transparency; work to safeguard a democratic social order; and are attentive to gender and ecological concerns.
Heinrich Böll Stiftung Istanbul is committed to creating space for diverse voices and fostering intellectual diversity.
Our office’s areas of work:
- Ecology and climate change
- Democratisation and human rights
- Foreign policy and security, as well as migration and refugee rights