Mennonite Central Committee

The Mennonite Central Committee (MCC ) and Mennonite Central Committee is an international relief organization and a globally active NGO peace organization under the auspices of 15 national associations of the Mennonites, the Mennonite Brethren, the Amish and also Anabaptist Brethren in Christ in North America. The central offices are located in Akron (USA) and Winnipeg ( Canada). The representation of the MCC for Western Europe is based in Strasbourg.

History and Scope

The Mennonite Central Committee was established in 1920. During the first years, especially living in Russia and Ukraine, Mennonites ( Russian Mennonites ) with food donations and in part been supported with donations. In addition, the MCC helped in the settlement of Mennonites who fled Eastern Europe in Canada. After the Second World War, the MCC was also active in Germany and other Central European countries by initiated including the development of programs for displaced people and handing out packages of food, clothing and medicines. The packages of the MCC were recognizable by the word In the name of Christ. The MCC also supported the non-denominational utility CARE and later Eirene. Between the years 1945 and 1950, the MCC had so invested about 30.5 million pounds in direct aid programs. About 1,000 volunteers participated in the relief operations.

Today, the MCC has a wide range of tasks. In addition to concrete development assistance, the MCC also initiated actions such as jute instead of plastic, which Bangladesh should come to the rescue. In North America, built MCC among other specialist shops on fair trade ( world shops ) under the name Ten Thousand Villages. In 1976, the MCC for the first time the alternative cookbook More -With -Less issued that short time in collaboration with Bread for the World under the name Less is more later also appeared in German language.

In August 2010, an employee of the MCC, who was involved in a development project of the International Assistance Mission, was killed in Afghanistan.