Many years after the war the situation remains tense in former Yugoslavia – conflicts between different ethnic and religious groups still exist. The social situation is precarious in some regions and democratic structures develop slowly. Therefore the schwelle Foundation continues to support peace work and social projects in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is a lot to be done in order to reconcile these people who were once neighbors so that they may finally live together peacefully and with dignity. 

In the early 1990s with the beginning of the violent conflicts in former Yugoslavia, the schwelle Foundation started supporting peace work in the successor states of Yugoslavia. The schwelle supported refugees from Bosnia seeking asylum in Bremen, as well as refugees from Kosovo fleeing to Albania. Furthermore, it supported local people and organizations in former Yugoslavia promoting a peaceful living for all communities and ethnic groups. 

Many people seeking protection in EU countries are stranded at the EU's external borders. When they try to cross the border, they are mistreated and forcibly returned. This is where No Name Kitchen comes in. Even when refugees arrive in Bulgaria, an EU country, there is no guarantee that they will be able to claim their rights. The Centre for Legal Aid provides support in these situations.

In the southeast of Turkey, where different ethnic groups and many people who fled from Syria live together, poverty and lack of prospects intensify violence. The state intervenes with a hard hand, torture in prisons is not uncommon. Sohram Casra's work is a counter to this: Reconciliation, interreligious understanding and support for torture victims.