The Friedrich Naumann Foundation established in 1958 by the first German Federal President, Theodor Heuss, is the Foundation for liberal politics from Germany. Its programs at home and abroad aim at promoting the principle of freedom of the individual in human dignity. The Foundation sees itself as an agent of organized liberalism. It enjoys close links with Germany's Free Democratic Party (FDP) and Liberal International (LI). The Foundation follows the ideals of its namesake Friedrich Naumann: At the beginning of the last century the Protestant theologian was a leading liberal thinker and politician in Germany. He resolutely backed the idea of civic education. Naumann believed that a functioning democracy needs politically informed and educated citizens. According to him civic education is a prerequisite for political participation and thus for democracy.

Apart from Germany, the Foundation has numerous offices in Europe, Africa, America and Asia. Civic education is the Foundation's main activity both at home and abroad. This task is flanked by programs enhancing international political dialogue and providing political counselling. While the Foundation's activities in the field of civic education consist of seminars, conferences and publications aimed at promoting liberal values and principles, the international political dialogue provides a discussion forum for a wide range of liberal issues. The Foundation's counselling programmes focus on candidates for political office, liberal political parties and other democratic organizations. The Foundation also co-sponsors leadership training in Germany for suitable candidates from abroad. In close cooperation with the Center for Local Autonomy and the Graduate School for Local Autonomy at Hanyang University in Seoul, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation supports research, the exchange and training of academics, civil servants and politicians particularly between South Korea and Germany as well as knowledge transfer and exchange through expert study tours and international conferences and seminars. The political dialogue program involves policy makers, party officials, civil servants, researchers and the private sector in intense discussion and intellectual exchange on various issues of high political relevance. The Foundation also promotes dialogue and cooperation between the two Koreas by bringing in the very unique German experience of national reunification and European integration.

Mr. Walter Klitz