District Administrator Dr Gallo, Chairman of the German-Polish Society Saar and member of the Federal Board, has been appointed a full member of the Council of the German-Polish Youth Office (DPJW) by resolution of the Federal Government on 4 December. The German-Polish Youth Council is the highest body of the DPJW. It is chaired by the German Minister for Family Affairs, Lisa Paus, and the Polish Minister for Education, Barbara Nowacka.
District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo commented: "I feel very honoured to hold this office. The decisive factor for the appointment was certainly the very good relations between the Saarpfalz district and our Polish friends through our partnerships, but also personally. I am now also looking forward to supporting and promoting encounters and cooperation between young Germans and Poles at a national level. It is and remains my concern to explore with our local schools whether school partnerships with Poland are possible. If young people are given the opportunity to experience and act together internationally, they not only do something for their personal development, they also learn to change perspectives and respect things that were previously foreign - and certainly much more."
The Youth Council is made up of 24 people, twelve from each country. Representatives of ministries and government institutions from Germany and Poland each occupy six seats. Organisations involved in youth work are represented on the Youth Council with six seats per country. District Administrator Dr Gallo represents the Federal Association of Central Municipal Associations via the German Association of Districts, which includes the German Association of Cities, the German Association of Districts and the German Association of Towns and Municipalities. The members of the Youth Council are appointed for three years. The current term of office expires at the end of 2025. The German-Polish Youth Council usually meets once a year. It adopts the annual programme and approves the budget of the DPJW