THE ch FOUNDATION FOR THE FEDERAL COOPERATION	[back]

The ch Foundation for the federal cooperation was founded in 1967 together with the cantons and the New Helvetica Society, with the participation of the Confederation. Since the revision of the 1993 Foundation Act, the ch Foundation is an institution sustained exclusively by the assembly of cantons. The domain of activities is principally centered on federalism. All the members have the same conviction that the multiple cultures and languages of our country have a political reflection in the federal structure of our state.
The foundation act proves the basic conviction and defines the object pursued by the Foundation, for "the problems that the cantons face, also the other corporations of public rights, regions or groups" and on the other side the elaboration of a "scientific documentation on Swiss federalism".
The well managed activities by the ch Foundation concentrate today on a certain number of practical projects clearly defined, that we can divide into three large sectors : cultural exchange beyond the language borders, presence of services for the cantonal governments, practical work conception dealing with the questions of federalism. This variety of activities allows the ch Foundation to fulfill its contract on the cultural level as well as on a political level.

CULTURAL EXCHANGE

ch Youth Exchange exists since 1976, a center for coordination and promotion for the intercultural exchange for students, teachers and apprentices.
The literary exchange is covered by the ch Collection. This is all about a collection of Swiss literary contemporary works translated into the other languages of the country, which is subsidized by all the cantons and the Foundation Oertli. In this respect it is advisable to mention the yearly literary manifestation "Un bateau interlignes", which is devoted to the translation theme, materialized for the first time in 1993.

ANALYSIS OF QUESTIONS DEALING WITH FEDERALISM

For a number of days every year, unfolds the seminar ch "Govern today", the program embraces beyond the permanent service devoted to the questions outlining federalism, technical, management and organization lessons, it also deals regularly on the future situation of the cantons within the heart of the confederation.

With the intention to confer a scientific basis to the idea of federalism, the ch Foundation created in 1975 the Research Institute on Federalism and regional structures. Today the Federal Institute is linked to the faculty of law at the Fribourg University of which the ch Foundation has remained connected by contract. This self-disciplined Research Institute serves to promote teaching in the field of federalism and directs a documentation center on cantonal law.

PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR THE CANTONAL GOVERNMENTS

In addition to other services given to the cantonal authorities, the ch Foundation takes care of the Administration for the Conference
of the governmental cantons (CdC), which was created on October 8^th 1993. The above mentioned tends to encourage the collaboration between the cantons in their domain of competence and to assure the necessary coordination and the information of the cantons in the business of the Confederation relevant to those concerned. The CdC is before anything else active in the formation of goodwill and the preparation of decisions in the heart of the Confederation as well as in the integration and outside politics. This field of activity is comprised at the moment to participating in the central projects and renewal of the federal states, like the Federal constitution reform, the federal law on the participation of the cantons on foreign policies, sharing of bilateral negotiations with the UE and the reform of the financial partition of the Confederation.


ch Youth Exchange - Jugendaustausch - Echange de Jeunes - Scambio di Giovani CH-4501 Solothurn / Hauptbahnhofstrasse 2 / Tel. 032 625 26 80 / Fax 032 625 26 88	[Home]