English
Seniors without Borders – SwB is an association of seniors in Denmark. Through projects and local activities they work to stop worldwide hunger and poverty, on a voluntary basis. Focus of the efforts is to help people so that they can help themselves, and sustainability at all levels – political, economical and social within education, health, environment and production.
SwB is an NGO built on the basis of civil society both in the North and in the Global South. SwB works to mobilize and empower communities among citizens around common interests, norms, and values.
About SwB
The initiative to the foundation of the association Seniors without Borders was taken by Stig Elliot Nyegaard in the beginning of 2004. Several talks with enthusiasts who had started projects in the third world at their own expense convinced him that others would offer knowledge and experience as a help to countries that show interest in development.
The goal was to create a network for active seniors so that their experience could be of benefit to the poor and suppressed. Everybody was to work without pay. Implemented projects should be kept under the device ”help people to help themselves”, and it was important that everything was locally rooted.
The mission of SwB
- to improve the living conditions for the poor of the world
- to contribute to development of civil society in the Global South by implementing development projects in close cooperation with local organizations
- to develop local people’s innovative competences by helping them to help themselves
- to contribute to building the basis of a sustainable development
The vision of SwB
- to develop civil societies without hunger and poverty, with equal access to education, health, and an environmentally correct and sustainable economic production
- that all people obtain lives with human and economic resources, freedom with a right to influence the development of society, and energy and will to engage in the development of the local community
The organization of SwB
SwB is a national association with one board and four departments. SwB has a national board with an annual general meeting. The board prepares annual accounts of the activities and projects of the association.
SwB is a locally rooted organization with focus on participatory development work both in Denmark and in the Global South. This is ensured by the fact that the locally elected chairmen of the departments are members of the SwB board together with the chairman of the board, the deputy chairman and treasurer, who are elected at the annual general assembly.
Every year local members are assigned to the four permanent committees of SwB: Project Committee, Economy Committee, Communication Committee, and Fundraising Committee.
SwB cooperates with other NGOs in Denmark and countries in the Global South where the development measure takes place. The cooperation is based on values such as trust, respect, openness and responsibility.
The members of SwB
The members of SwB represent very broad, professional competences, which give SwB its special strength when planning, developing and implementing projects and activities.
SwB works independently of party-political, ethnical, gender-specific and religious views.
The economy of SwB
The economy of SwB is based on subscriptions, collections, donations, inheritance, and applications to CISU – Civil Society in Development and other public funds and private firm funds.
SwB secures that all resources are used for the approved purposes. The demands of SwB and the donors are fulfilled and documented. The board and the four central committees define the standardized procedures for approving project applications, financial management and communication in relation to SwB projects and local work.
The departments focus on developing the professional content of the projects, mediation and follow-up. They also work to intensify the activities of the members in Denmark which allow participation in the local SwB departments.