(ANS – Bonn) – On Thursday 1 September Christian Osterhaus was appointed the Director of Don Bosco Jugend Dritte Welt (JDW), to take the place of  the Salesian Brother Jean Paul Muller, who last January was appointed Economer General of the Salesian Congregation.

Dr. Osterhaus has many years of experience in positions of responsibility in various organisations in the field of cooperation in sustainable development, public relations and fund raising, with companies such as Christoffel-Blindenmission, Karlheinz Böhms Äthopienhilfe and Welthungerhilfe. His main tasks will be to make the organisation better known, to take care of the professional administration of JDW and develop fund raising. The Bonn Mission Office is very pleased with the appointment of an expert and qualified Director which will enable Don Bosco Jugend Dritte Welt to move forward in its development.

In the last two years Jean Paul Muller SDB, as a member of the Executive Committee was responsible for  the management of the organisation. However, since at the beginning of this year he was appointed Economer General of the Salesians as Mission Procurator he will continue in his role as a member of the Executive Committee. Hans-Jürgen Dörrich, for many years Director of JDW  will continue to work in building up collaboration with businesses, a sector of growing importance.

Jugend Dritte Welt was founded in 1980 to support the Salesian Mission Office in Bonn, with human resources and funding. At present as a NGO, JDW is involved in human, social and sustainable economic development and the elimination of poverty  with special regard to children and adolescents. JDW maintains the pedagogical heritage of Don Bosco as a extremely effective means for development.

It undertakes projects in developing countries in collaboration with Salesian institutions working for young people and children in 130 countries in the world. JDW cooperates in 92 countries, in Africa, Asia, South America and East Europe. Usually the Salesian institutions have many years experience in the countries in which they are working and are registered as NGO according to local laws. They plan and coordinate their activities through Project Development Offices which draw up strategies and prepare programmes which are then presented to JDW for their cooperation.

Published 05/09/2011