Welcome to the Homepage of Rev. Dr. Claudia and Rev. Dr. Dirk Haarmann,
Our studies and work in the field of development and theology have led us from Germany, to South Africa, Namibia and to Switzerland. Both of us hold a PhD in Social Development from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and are ordained pastors currently serving two congregations in Sils. i.D. and Mutten in the Swiss Alps (
www.kirche-sils.ch). At the same time we work as social policy advisors with the Economic Policy Research Institute (
EPRI), Cape Town. Among other projects we currently are the regional coordinators for Southern Africa, in particular for Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, for the Advanced International Training Programme (SIDA-ITP) in Social Protection for Sustainable Development.
From 2003 to 2009, we together coordinated the Basic Income Grant (BIG) Coalition in Namibia as well as the implementation and impact assessment of the worldwide first BIG Pilot Project in Otjivero in Namibia (
www.bignam.org). In 2013/14 we organised the Namibian Drought Relief Cash Grant of the Lutheran churches and the ACT-Alliance. In the 90s, we studied social development and theology in Southern Africa and Germany, and worked, inter alia, for the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), two South African Government Commissions and the South African Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Social Development.
Our interests are: economic and social security, poverty, HIV-AIDS, alternative economic models, participatory action research and micro-simulation, contextual theology and theology and development.
Our webpage puts together some highlights, research projects, publications and pictures of our work and provides links to other organisations in the field.
Please feel free to contact us. We are happy to exchange experience and assist, where we can. Towards a better world for all!