Ibn Rushd e.V.

The Ibn Rushd Fund for Freedom of Thought

About us

The Ibn Rushd Fund for Freedom of Thought was founded on December 10th, 1998, in commemoration of the 800th anniversary of Ibn Rushd´s (Averroes´) death, and on the 50th anniversary of the declaration of Universal Human Rights. It is an independent organization registered in Germany. Its founding members are mainly of Arab origin who live in Germany. Meanwhile, the fund´s members and sponsors are spread all over Europe, the Arab countries and North America. The sphere of activity, however, is the Arab world.

The aim of the fund is to support and promote freedom of thought, creativity, democracy and research in the Arab world. This is to be realized particularly through awards given in the fields of science and research, arts, politics, education and teaching to people who have rendered outstanding services to their Arab homeland. The fund is independent of politics or religions. Other cultural activities of the fund can be taken at proper time when sufficient financial and human resources are available.

The fund´s goals
The fund´s goal consists in fostering freedom of thought, democracy and the courage to stand up for one´s beliefs in the Arab world. The Ibn Rushd Fund wants Arab culture to strive for rationalism and tolerance. Supporting the ideas of freedom of thought and democracy is an important starting point to catch up with the process of world civilization. To this end, the fund collects money to honour people who have rendered outstanding services to these goals. In this way, endeavours for freedom and democracy in the Arab World will be supported.
The fund also launches campaigns in favour of persons who because of their political or social activities and beliefs come into conflict with their governments.

Principles and goals:
• The fund declares its support for democracy, which grants freedom, equality and social justice to everyone.
• It supports constitutions that guarantee these values, which are not to be violated by anybody, neither in the name of the nation, of religion, nor in the name of ethnic groups or clans.
• The fund supports the dialogue between all political groups in an atmosphere of free speech and democracy. The fund views human beings as the center of all interests of society and state.

Magazine (Minbar Ibn Rushd): On the website of the Ibn Rushd Fund a forum is offered to Arab and non-Arab intellectuals where ideas can be exchanged on transformation processes in der Arab World between tradition and modernity. Academic analyses, conference papers and reports to be published in the fund´s magazine Minbar Ibn Rushd can be sent to the fund´s adress below (preferably by eMail).

Events
The Ibn Rushd Fund organizes events in various fields – lectures, book presentations, round table discussions, film screenings, and many more. All these activities aim to foster Freedom of Thought, no only in the Arabic World, but also on the other side of the Mediterranean. The events take place in different locations.
• My Makhzen and Me
• Ibn Rushd Lectures
• School Project

Cora Josting is the Secretary to the board of the Ibn Rushd Fund for Freedom of Thought.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.