MS cuts back on staff in Copenhagen

- fundraising and marketing efforts are put in focus

16. June 2005

MS has seen it necessary to dismiss 10 employees in the management secretariat in Copenhagen this past week due to a difficult economical situation. The reasons are a combination of expected appropriations that MS has not been granted and worsened results in some of the private financed areas.

”It is a difficult process to make these necessary decisions. I am utterly sorry to say goodbye to such good and skilful employees,” Secretary General Lars Udsholt says.

Library and etcetera are shut down
The lack of grants affects the MS Library and the work with ethnic minorities in the shape of consulting and the periodical “etcetera”. Severe cut backs in the grants from The Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs and The Danish Ministry of Culture mean that both the MS Library and the work with minorities are shut down during 2005.

The MS Library is considered a unique resource to everybody working with international and cross cultural issues and MS will try to ensure that the materials somehow will be available to the public in the future. ”It must be an important political task in a time where globalization is challenging us all,” Lars Udsholt says.

MS Travels changes focus
MS Travels will also be affected by the cut backs. As a consequence MS Travels will focus on exchange of youths in the countries where MS is working with development. In addition, a few work camps in connection with the development work will be carried out in Denmark. MS will attempt to see the remaining part of the programme continued in another form. The changes kick in from 2006, they will not affect this season.

Extra focus on fundraising
”With these cut backs and changes in the organization I am convinced that we have created the basis for making MS a more acting organization with a political agenda. It requires a larger degree of independence where we can have the disposal of our own means made up by of member fees, contributions and sale of products and services. That is why we will put extra focus on fundraising and marketing which will be coordinated with our communication. I expect this will create appreciable results in 2006,” Lars Udsholt says.

At the same time MS looks ahead. During the last months MS has received grants from Danida for the involvement in The Arabian Initiative and only last week MS was granted the necessary amount of money to participate in the peace work in Southern Sudan.