VIDC - Wiener Institut für internationalen Dialog und Zusammenarbeit

The Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation was founded in 1962 and is a non-profit, international non-governmental organization. The main political focus of the VIDC is to enhance a critical public debate on issues related to colonialism and racism and to establish an international dialogue based on equality and respect. The VIDC wants to initiate a social change, at the same time considering cultural hegemonies in order to offer people from different backgrounds a forum for a just discourse. In the awareness of the responsibility for this one world, the VIDC wants to foster alliances between civil societies of different backgrounds. In this context the VIDC acts on the assumption of the necessity to learn from one another and to cooperate in partnership. By intervening in society and by working with grassroots the VIDC wants to make different approaches, moral values and ways of life visible in their global context and the diversity of living realities understood as an expression of cultural wealth. As a consequence the VIDC sees its place in the working fields of science and culture as well as in the world of sports as an emancipatory contribution for showing solidarity against all forms of discrimination and racism in society. On this note the VIDC tries to create awareness among the Austrian public with its work. The goal is to change the living conditions for marginalised and excluded people and to support their self-organisation.