Association of binational families and partnerships

Thinking along with all families and couples

The Association of Binational Families and Partnerships works at the intersection of family, migration, education and anti-discrimination policy. It represents the interests of binational, migrant and transnational families and is committed to fair participation and inclusion for all couples and families - regardless of origin, sexual orientation or religion.

The Familienportal.NRW asked the North Rhine-Westphalia regional office to briefly present its work, goals and commitment.

What are the goals of the Association of Binational Families and Partnerships?

Born out of a self-help organization, we have been campaigning for the rights of families and partnerships with multiple cultural backgrounds in NRW and nationwide since 1972. At the intersection of family, migration and education policy, we are committed to the fundamental and human rights of all families living here in a way that is critical of discrimination and racism. We work with and for our families in our full-time regional office and in numerous volunteer contact points in North Rhine-Westphalia. This special proximity allows us to constantly adapt our work to the very different concerns and needs in the regions.

Who is the association addressing?

We are aimed at all people, families and couples in Germany who have multiple cultural roots - no matter where they come from, what their sexual orientation is or what religion they belong to. Together with them, we create protected spaces for exchange and actively show how valuable multiple cultures are.

How are families and couples supported?

We offer various support services such as psychosocial and legal advice as well as family and network meetings. We organize workshops and events on the topics of our families. One focus in NRW is the topic of multilingualism. Over the years, we have developed free material for this and set up a library in the regional office. We have also recently started organizing very special events for children and adults at our regional office in NRW: The events combine diversity-conscious topics and nature conservation and take place in the "Cultural Diversity" garden in Bonn.

What are the three most pressing issues at the moment?

The three most pressing issues for our association are:

The way in which the topic of migration is politically debated promotes a negative perception in society and thus puts a strain on our families!
The threat to democratic society posed by extremism, populism and hate crime.
Recognition of the positive aspects that different cultures bring to families and, through this, fair participation and involvement of all families.

Why is it worth getting involved in the association's work?

Community is our force field! There are regional and nationwide meetings where families and couples can meet and network. Participation also means helping to shape things: Contributing your own ideas and experiences to discussions and topics for the association and continuing to work on them together. So that together we can also voice our concerns in politics and have our interests taken into account in legislation. Join us and become part of our diverse community!