Monday, October 31, 2016

Syrians make love, not only war. This could be the title to Antonio Suleiman's biography, porno actor originally from Syria, now a refugee in Germany. Only ...

from
http://www.west-info.eu/some-syrians-took-to-heart-the-saying-make-love-not-war/

The reception of asylum seekers in Rome

In Italy, 163,910 asylum seekers are received. 77% of them are hosted in the temporary structures called Cas. According to the latest figures, updated October, ...

from
http://www.west-info.eu/the-reception-of-asylum-seekers-in-rome/

Statement by Foreign Minister Steinmeier on the election of Michel Aoun as President of Lebanon

Foreign Minister Frank‑Walter Steinmeier issued the following statement today (31 October) on the election of Michel Aoun as President of Lebanon:

Zusatzinformationen

I congratulate Michel Aoun on his election today as President of Lebanon by the Lebanese Parliament. His election is a sign of political movement and marks the end of a political blockade that lasted over two years. It gives us hope that democracy in Lebanon is strong enough to also overcome other challenges facing the country.

Lebanon has earned our recognition and support for taking in over a million Syrian refugees. In a region ravaged by conflicts and civil wars, the example of Lebanon shows how people of different convictions and religions can live together. Stability and prosperity in Lebanon are also important to us, and we will continue to do everything in our power to support the country.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2016/161031_LBN_Aoun.html?nn=479796

No safe refuge for LGBT asylum seekers

LGBT asylum seekers experience shocking levels of abuse in the UK system. New research from leading LGBT charity Stonewall and the UK Lesbian and Gay ...

from
http://www.west-info.eu/no-safe-refuge-for-lgbt-asylum-seekers/

Pain in the machine

LGBT asylum seekers experience shocking levels of abuse in the UK system. New research from leading LGBT charity Stonewall and the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group has found that people escaping homophobia and transphobia abroad are subjected to furtheraaa

from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODw5Eu6VbGc

Statement by the Federal Foreign Office on the latest escalation in the conflict in Yemen

A Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson issued the following statement today (30 October) on the latest escalation in the conflict in Yemen:

Zusatzinformationen

The German Government is gravely concerned about the latest escalations in the conflict in Yemen, in which missiles have been fired from Yemen to Saudi Arabia and air strikes have claimed the lives of many civilians in Yemen. We call on all sides to work on a comprehensive political solution under the aegis of the United Nations in order to end the violence and enable the people of Yemen to receive the humanitarian assistance they so urgently need.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2016/161030_AA_Jemen_Konflikt.html?nn=479796

Speech by Minister of State Roth at the opening of the exhibition Martin Luther: Art and the Reformation at the Minneapolis Institute of Art

Ladies and gentlemen,

Yesterday, in Chicago, I met Father Mike Pfleger, a priest who does outstanding work for his deeply troubled community, against violence, unemployment and hate. This impressive man lives the very values that Martin Luther stood for. Father Mike, no wonder, was also a real admirer of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior - the great hero of peacefulness and tolerance. The work of Father Mike gives proof to the fact that the man and his mission whom we are talking about today - the historic Martin Luther - are topical today and still inspire many to do good things.

Not only in Chicago, but no matter where I go in Europe and the world, almost everywhere people are well acquainted with Martin Luther and his writings. You could certainly say he is one of our greatest national exports – “made in Germany” – and has been for almost 500 years.

Now, with this fantastic exhibition, Martin Luther has arrived here in Minneapolis. I warmly welcome you to the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

The Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany is pleased to support this exhibition. We think that the 500th anniversary of the Reformation is a good opportunity to celebrate and preserve its legacy. The Reformation Jubilee is bringing together people from around the world – and events are therefore being staged worldwide to mark the occasion. We want to take the core idea of the Reformation out into the world – from Copenhagen and Warsaw to Guatemala, Australia, and the United States. Some may ask why a secular country such as Germany is keeping alive the memory of the Reformation? Because it was by no means only a religious and spiritual event. It also had a political and, above all, a deep cultural impact. You will get a sense of this when viewing the exhibition. With its unique works of art, it gives you insight into the cultural and historical environment that gave birth to the Reformation, as well as into the life and work of Martin Luther.

The exhibition “Martin Luther: Art and the Reformation” includes several works that have thus far never been on display in the United States. I want to thank the Minneapolis Institute of Art for making available to us its Target Galleries and the Marvin and Betty Borman Gallery. Many thanks also to everyone who has worked so hard to make possible this wonderful exhibition.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The French author André Maurois once wrote: “We owe to the Middle Ages the two worst inventions of humanity – romantic love and gunpowder.” The Renaissance, on the other hand, gave us the printing press. What a milestone! And hardly anyone has used this mighty communication tool as wisely, skillfully, and professionally as Martin Luther.

When Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg in 1517 – near our present capital, Berlin – he set in motion a process that would transform first Germany, then Europe, and ultimately the whole world. The invention of the printing press helped him spread his writings in no time, not only within Germany.

Luther made use of the media revolution of his day. Today, as well, we are experiencing dramatic transformations and changes in the way we communicate. For Luther was always one step ahead of his time. He did more, after all, than rely on the printed word. He also used the well-suited medium of painting, spreading his ideas through the art of the workshop of Cranach. This gave him a decisive advantage over all of his political and theological opponents, whether it be the Emperor or the Pope. He and his teachings became popular at what in his day and age was breakneck speed. I am quite sure that, if he were alive today, he would be an enthusiastic user of Twitter! In his day, he translated “In the beginning was the Word”. Now, Luther might well be merrily typing hashtags into his smartphone. And I would certainly be retweeting his tweets with great eagerness.

Today, more than 400 million Protestants around the world share the same faith and are bound by the ideas of the Reformation. However, the Reformation was not the work of one man alone, considering that parts of Luther’s personality are also to be criticized, for example, his aggressive anti-Semitism, or his call to brutally put down the peasant uprisings. Other countries, too, brought forth their own reformation movements: just think of Huldrych Zwingli and John Calvin in Switzerland, Mikael Agricola in Finland and Jan Hus in Bohemia.

The Reformation is a true citizen of the world! It has left a lasting mark on societies in Germany, Europe, and far beyond. That includes the United States of America. The Enlightenment and the concept of freedom connect us with the United States more than with any other country outside of Europe. In a world that is out of joint as a result of crises and conflicts, we would be wise to re‑examine the central issues of the Reformation: What is the relationship today between religion and order, faith and peace, freedom and responsibility?

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today, 500 years later, we remember a courageous man and his fellow reformers who lived on the brink of the modern era and played such an important role in the development of a modern society. Martin Luther shook up the order of the 16th century. He set boundaries for secular and clerical power. He emphasised freedom of conscience, critical judgement, and the personal responsibility of the individual. We owe the crucial impetus for how we understand freedom, education, and social coexistence today to Luther and other reformers.

For Luther was always a little ahead of his time. With the translation of the Bible into German and his efforts to establish schools, he also turned the Reformation into a unique educational movement. He wanted to put people in a position to develop their consciences and their minds and enable them to make their own decisions. In so doing, he laid the foundation not only for a church, but also for a society, that feels committed to freedom.

This exhibition is truly special. I am certain that it will appeal not only to Protestants and Lutherans. On the contrary – this project may also build a new bridge of understanding and exchange between the United States and Germany. That is my heartfelt wish.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Reden/2016/161029-StM_R_Here_I_Stand.html?nn=479796

Sunday, October 30, 2016

"Transatlantic Challenges – a European Perspective" - speech by Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth at the University of Illinois in Chicago

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me first of all thank you for having me here. It is a pleasure being here with you in Chicago, the city the 44th President of the United States calls home. And I think it is more than timely to talk about the state of the European Union and transatlantic cooperation.

If I just look at the past week:

- we had a Normandy format meeting under Chancellor Merkel’s leadership in Berlin with Presidents Putin, Hollande and Poroschenko, again trying to make progress on the path towards finding a lasting and peaceful solution to the crisis in Ukraine,

- we continue to oscillate between hope and frustration as we support the discussions between Russia and the US to bring a ceasefire – let alone a lasting solution for stability – to a deprived Syria.

And we are witnessing some turbulent efforts to forge a transatlantic trade deal with our friends in Canada, where I just paid a visit yesterday. This issue has not only huge ramifications for the future of international trade in general, but more immediately for our transatlantic trade negotiations with the US and for Europe’s future competitiveness,

It all shows: the world is in a difficult shape. Challenges are tremendous and long-established mechanisms to confront crises are increasingly put into question.

All this demands for strong and close transatlantic cooperation at times when the United States are deeply torn into the current – I am tempted to say: unprecedented – election campaign. And when Europe is in the midst of a difficult process shaping its own future.

So let me have a closer look at Europe today, which is undoubtedly my area of expertise:

The last two years have been extraordinary times for Europe. Our continent is facing major challenges. It appears as if the fundamentals of European politics cannot be taken for granted any more: neither the notion that European integration is irreversible, nor that peace on the continent is sustained by a unique security order based on a common set
of rules and principles.

Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Eastern Ukraine were a watershed moment for European security. Equally, the instability and disruptions in Europe’s Southern neighborhood will impact Europe’s security for years to come. They have long reached our doorsteps – through a mass movement of refugees, and major terrorist attacks in European cities – just recently Germany avoided an attack on its airports in Berlin.

The immediate and existential threat regarding the euro zone seems to be over; but the far-reaching social implications of the financial crisis are still felt in many countries.

In June the British people voted to leave the EU. In many other EU Member States we are also confronted with anti-European, anti-elites, nationalist – often even xenophobic movements and parties. With concern, I do see parallels to some of the debates during the election process here in the US.

And now the delays on the side of the EU to sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada.

It may sound like a contradiction, but these various crises we are facing today re-assert us in our conviction that the EU is and remains the relevant framework for Germany’s foreign and domestic policy. Yes, the EU is a complex animal. But to call into question the entire project of the EU is irresponsible populism. The EU remains the best instrument we have to address the challenges we are facing in a more and more globalized and complex world. Disunity only plays into the hands of those who want a weak Europe.

For Germany, European integration forms part of its DNA, for two reasons: Because the European Union has been founded to overcome a legacy that weighs heavily until today: its history of war, mutual resentment, nationalism and racism. And because thanks to the EU, we have more leverage than single nation states alone, for the challenges at home and at the international level. This holds also true for a bigger member state like Germany. In the globalized world of the 21st century, even Germany, every member state can realize and defend its interests within and through Europe. We’re all pretty small fishes in a very large pond if we are on our own! Today, Europe accounts for 8 percent of the world population – 2050 it will be a mere 5 percent. No single European country will figure amongst the leading economic nations, but together, in the EU, we will still be one of the front-runners.

So let me be very clear: The EU is our past, our present and our future. Germany will continue to assume its particular responsibility for the European project, in close cooperation with the EU institutions and its partners in the EU.

We are ready to redouble our efforts to shape globalization in a way that makes it
a socially inclusive process, thereby overcoming current anti-globalization tendencies; furthermore we will confront a growing anti-European mood, often based in reality on
anti-establishment views. Finally and most importantly, we will redouble our efforts to deconstruct the nationalistic and populist discourse according to which a retreat on the national level would increase control of our own fate – the opposite is true: it would make us all more vulnerable and irrelevant on the international level.

President Obama has said it in Hannover this year: “Your accomplishment -- more than 500 million people speaking 24 languages in 28 countries, 19 with a common currency, in one European Union -- remains one of the greatest political and economic achievements of modern times.” You might remember this speech. But the President went on; he also said: „Remember that every member of your union is a democracy. That's not an accident. Remember that no EU country has raised arms against another. That's not an accident. Remember that NATO is as strong as it’s ever been.

Remember that our market economies are the greatest generators of innovation and wealth and opportunity in history.” End of quote; I can only agree to the fullest extent.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

You might be surprised that I paint the EU in such a positive way. It is true: Very often the EU is nowadays reduced to the crises it is facing and to the potential threat of disintegration. But: This image is misleading. Although the challenges seem to pile up in an unprecedented way, the EU has been effective in the last months and years and has made a significant difference to the better.

But we do not speak enough about these accomplishments. This is why I would like to do it today. Let me first focus on the three areas: Security, Migration, and Economy. Then I will give you a brief outline on our strategy for the way forward.

First: Security

The EU is already an important contributor to peace and stability at a global scale. Together with the US the EU played a critical role in concluding the negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program. The EU has adopted a common stance on Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Eastern Ukraine and continues to contribute to a peaceful solution to the conflict. I already mentioned the so-called “Normandy” format summit in Berlin. European countries contribute to the joint international efforts to combat ISIL in Syria and Iraq. Germany is the largest contributor of humanitarian aid for the suffering people in Syria, I am proud to say. And the EU has significantly contributed to making the Horn of Africa safer by completely eliminating the scourge of piracy with its maritime operation and its capacity-building missions in Somalia. We have just agreed on the new “EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy” last June 2016, framing our foreign and security policy in the years to come. We aim for a stronger Europe in security and defense matters. And in July 2016, the NATO Summit in Warsaw set the direction towards enhancing the strategic EU-NATO partnership.

Second: Migration

We have managed to find a common answer to the unprecedented flow influx of migrants and refugees into the European Union in recent months: The EU-Turkey Agreement has led to a tremendous fall in the loss of life and in irregular border crossings into the EU. Numbers of arrivals went down from a daily average of 1,700 persons before the implementation of the Statement to a daily average of 100.

Moreover, we have set up a new European Border and Coast Guard, to ensure full control of our external borders, and we will considerably strengthen the Common European Asylum Office.

Furthermore, we have set-up hotspots in order to efficiently register all migrants and refugees that reach the European Union in Greece and Italy.

And, last but not least: We have stepped up our cooperation with countries of transit and origin. Through tailor-made partnerships with key countries of origin and transit in Africa, we are using all policies and instruments at the EU's disposal to ameliorate the humanitarian situation of refugees by investing into housing, medical care and education. This will enable migrants and refugees to stay closer to home and, in the long term, to help third countries' development in order to address root causes of irregular migration.

Third: Economy

Within the EU, we have successfully stabilized all members of the Euro zone, growth and jobs are – very slowly - coming back. The EU unemployment rate was 8.9% in January 2016, down from 9.8% in January 2015. This is the lowest rate recorded in the EU since May 2009.

Youth unemployment is still far too high, especially in countries like Greece or Spain,
but it also is declining since 2013. In February 2016, the youth unemployment rate in the EU was 19.4%, compared to 20.9% one year ago. The numbers show that we are on the right track and we will continue our joint efforts to provide better opportunities for the young Europeans.

In order to boost investments, we are successfully implementing the European Investment Fund and we are envisaging to extend and to strengthen it.

Let me also underline that enhancing high-standard 21st century trade is an essential part of our economic agenda. We have all witnessed the controversial debate on trade here in the US. And we in Europe faced the challenge to overcome opposition to a trade agreement with Canada which I personally strongly believe in.

Despite this delay, we should not step back from pursuing our ambitions for a high-standard transatlantic partnership for trade and growth which fosters the high standards with respect to labor protection, protection of the environment, health and cultural heritage which are very dear to us on both sides of the Atlantic.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Europe is at a decisive junction to prove that it can improve its performance; we have to become more efficient in delivering tangible results and give solutions for the specific preoccupations of our citizens.

That is what we are currently doing within the so-called Bratislava Process. In the run-up to the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome in March 2017, we have agreed to implement an ambitious and focused agenda, mainly in the three areas outlined above: to strengthen our Common Foreign and Security Policy, to establish a workable European asylum policy and to complete our Ecomomic and Monetary Union in a way that creates not only growth, but employment and social inclusiveness for all.

And this includes more honesty in our communication on Europe, taking the form of a credible commitment to the EU as our framework for action, also to clearly delimit us from Eurosceptics.

Second, it would be wrong to allow the shock of the British referendum to paralyze us,
to abandon the idea of further integration. It is true: Not all 28/27 will be ready to move forward on integration at this point in time. But multiple speeds have long been a reality in Europe and should enable us to move ahead with a group of member states, while remaining open for others to join at a later stage. This is why we call for a more flexible European Union.

Let me assure you: The EU will live up to the challenges it is facing. The leaders of the EU Member States know exactly what is at stake. A strong and united Europe will remain an important and attractive partner for the United States and will play its role on the international level, alongside our American friends and partners, for peace and security in its neighborhood and in the world.

I am confident that the new US Administration will likewise value and appreciate this close partnership as one of the key assets to work with from Day 1.

Germany will play its part to preserve these achievements, unparalleled in human history, and to shape the future of Europe as best we can in order to ensure the liberal order, pluralism, open societies, political stability, economic prosperity, social inclusiveness and absence of major conflict that so far have distinguished the European model.

One thing is crystal clear: Transatlantic cooperation, close partnership between the United States and Europe and unity are key in this endeavor.

Thank your for your attention.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Reden/2016/161028-StM_R_University_of_Illinois.html?nn=479796

Friday, October 28, 2016

Second generation EU immigrants more educated than indigenous people

Second generation EU immigrants on average are more educated than the indigenous population. In fact, 37.5% of the 18.4 million young people residing in Europe with ...

from
http://www.west-info.eu/second-generation-eu-immigrants-more-educated-than-indigenous-people/

Plant ‘thermometer’ triggers springtime budding by measuring night-time heat

Second generation EU immigrants on average are more educated than the indigenous population. In fact, 37.5% of the 18.4 million young people residing in Europe with foreign born parents have either a Bachelors degree or a Master against their European friendsaaa

from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MeGOYVR9TU

Statement by Foreign Minister Steinmeier on the death of Manfred Krug

Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued the following statement today (27 October) on the death of Manfred Krug:

Zusatzinformationen

With the death of Manfred Krug, Germany has lost an outstanding actor and a unique character, whose virtuosity had an enormous impact on film and television in East Germany, West Germany and the reunited Germany. In his roles as Detective Inspector Paul Stoever in “Tatort” and truck driver Franz Meersdonk in “Auf Achse”, Manfred Krug moved millions of viewers with his characters, which were derived from real life, and his authentic manner.

Above all, in his role as worker Hannes Balla in the film “Spur der Steine”, which was ultimately censored for being anti-state and anti-party, Manfred Krug, along with Frank Beyer, who directed the film, portrayed the difficulties of daily life in the GDR and denounced the hypocrisy of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany’s regime, in the knowledge that he was openly challenging the elites in East Germany just a few years after the building of the Berlin Wall. Manfred Krug’s courageous decision to support the protest against Wolf Biermann’s expulsion from the GDR, thus putting his own career at stake once again, will never be forgotten. Manfred Krug was multi-talented. He was an actor, an author and a jazz singer. He had a mind of his own and did not allow himself to be easily swayed. At the same time, his friendly and humorous manner made him a part of us all. We will miss him.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2016/161027_BM_Tod_Manfred_Krug.html?nn=479796

Foreign Minister Steinmeier on Anne Imhof’s design concept for the German Pavilion in Venice

Artist Anne Imhof is to design the German Pavilion for the 57th International Art Exhibition in Venice in 2017. Germany’s contribution will be curated by Susanne Pfeffer, director of the Museum Fridericianum in Kassel. Foreign Minister Steinmeier issued the following statement on this today (26 October):

Zusatzinformationen

I am most delighted that Anne Imhof is to design the German Pavilion at the 57th International Art Exhibition in Venice in 2017, and I would like to congratulate Susanne Pfeffer on making this choice.

With her brilliant art performances and choreographies, Anne Imhof has frequently taken the artistic world by storm, not only in Germany, such as recently at the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, but also internationally.

Anne Imhof stands for a vibrant art form that unites different styles and genres and brings people together beyond borders, thereby promoting international cultural exchange. This is another reason why I will endeavour to see Germany’s contribution to the International Art Exhibition for myself in the coming year.

Background information:

From Basel to New York, Anne Imhof has exhibited her innovative works around the world. She was a Villa Aurora scholarship holder in 2015 and received the National Gallery Prize for Young Art in the same year.

In December 2015, Foreign Minister Steinmeier appointed Susanne Pfeffer as curator of the official German contribution to the 57th International Art Exhibition in Venice in 2017. The appointment was made following a recommendation by the Federal Foreign Office Art and Exhibitions Committee, whose members include art experts and directors of leading German art museums.

Germany traditionally makes a national contribution to the International Art Exhibition in Venice, which is commissioned and largely co-financed by the Federal Foreign Office. The Foreign Office thus helps to foster a lively arts scene in Germany and promotes international cultural exchange as cultural co-production. The German contribution will be realised in cooperation with the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa) in Stuttgart.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2016/161027-Dt-Pavillon_Biennale.html?nn=479796

Words of welcome by Minister of State for Europe for the prizewinners of the Tolerantia Awards 2016, Belfast

Distinguished prizewinners of Tolerantia Awards 2016,

In 1948, the General Assembly of the newly founded United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whose first article awards all people the same dignity and rights by birth. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people are protected under existing international human rights law in the same way as every other individual. Unfortunately, this is still far from being a reality even today. In 2016, seventy-six countries still use criminal law to prohibit homosexual acts, and homosexuality is still a capital offence in seven countries.

At the Federal Foreign Office, we are following these developments around the world very closely and are supporting efforts to promote gender equality through a wide range of projects around the globe, for example in regions such as the Middle East and the Balkan countries.

We are witnessing encouraging developments in several countries, for example in South Eastern Europe. I recently attended gay pride parades in Belgrade and Bucharest – cities where such parades were impossible just a few years ago. In many countries, from Montenegro to Viet Nam, governments now acknowledge LGBTI rights. Most countries in Europe and North and South America have introduced civil partnerships for same-sex couples. And in the summer, the international community established a new mandate in the Human Rights Council in Geneva for a UN expert to investigate violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

However, it is important not to lose sight of one thing, namely that there is still a lot of work to do on the domestic front. Discrimination, ostracism and violence remain a sad reality in Germany too. And legal equality for same sex couples has also not been achieved across the board – despite some polls showing widespread support for it. But I hope that, for the sake of those concerned, we will finally be able to make real progress in this matter.

Distinguished prizewinners,

While it is important to delete discrimination from legal texts, it is even more important to banish it from people’s mindsets.

You are advocating the promotion and protection of LGBTI rights in Poland, France, Ireland, Switzerland and Germany with immense dedication. Thanks to your courageous commitment, you are raising overall awareness for LGBTI rights and contributing to our common fight for an open, tolerant and liberal society in which everyone is treated as an equal citizen. I would especially like to thank the three German Protestant churches that are being awarded today. With your courageous decision to allow same-sex civil partners to enjoy exactly the same ceremony as heterosexual married couples, you are sending a vibrant signal of tolerance and respect for the dignity of all human beings.

Moreover, your decision clearly illustrates the situation in Europe: on the one hand, there are countries such as Germany where public acceptance is high and politicians lag behind. And then there are other countries, including Slovenia and Malta, where the policymakers are moving ahead, but where the public still needs to catch up. In both cases, we have to close the gap between political will and public acceptance.

Distinguished prizewinners, you are playing a key role in taking both our society and our politicians in a positive direction. You will be honoured in Belfast for your dedicated work. Allow me to offer you my most sincere congratulations!

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Reden/2016/161025-StM_R_Tolerantia_Award.html?nn=479796

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Fossilised dinosaur brains

from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T5_NlRs-5o

Immigrant entrepreneurs in food sector employ 100,000 in Italy

The number of restaurants owned by foreigners is continually on the rise in Italy. They make up 11.4% of the total and have increased 45.7% ...

from
http://www.west-info.eu/immigrant-entrepreneurs-in-food-sector-employ-100000-in-italy/

"Europe at Crossroads" - speech by Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth in Ottawa/Toronto

Ladies and gentlemen,

It would have been wonderful to stand here before you tonight speaking about the upcoming EU-Canada-Summit in Brussels, hailing the signature of far-reaching Strategic Agreement including a ground-breaking trade deal. But this might not going to happen as you have surely followed in the news.

Believe me: I am at least as disappointed as you are about our - European - difficulties to sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, called CETA, at least for now. I have been and still am a staunch supporter of this agreement. I believe globalization is an opportunity that can be shaped – in a social, democratic and sustainable way through clear, binding and predictable rules in such agreements. Especially Germany takes advantage of open borders, exchange and trade. Our prosperity and a large number of our jobs depend on this.

And yet, globalization and free trade have come increasingly under fire. Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in Germany against the TTIP, the trade agreement with the U.S., but also against CETA. Therefore, allow me to use this opportunity to explain to you where these reservations stem from, not only in the tiny Wallony, but in many places in Europe.

For many people, TTIP and CETA are symbols of unfettered market radicalism. They fear that the social welfare state will be dismantled, standards watered down and that jobs are under threat.

As a progressive politician, as a Social Democrat, I have to admit that we have obviously not done enough to explain how trade and welfare actually go hand in hand. In hindsight the secrecy around these trade negotiations was counterproductive. We should have been much more vocal in saying that the answer to these fears is not to close the door on the rest of the world and stop developing.

The solution is to be part of the development and to offer a strong safety net and an active labor market policy that can build bridges between old and new jobs. People with secure jobs are not afraid of progress.

But in the environment that I have just described it became virtually impossible to distinguish between the two agreements, CETA on the one hand and TTIP on the other hand. With CETA we had successfully completed seven years of negotiations with Canada. The new progressive Canadian government under Prime Minister Trudeau had made tremendous efforts to forge compromises on issues that are also very sensitive to Canadian interests.

With TTIP, on the other hand, we have not advanced so far yet; many crucial issues still remain open and it will take still some time to negotiate a comprehensive deal in the best interests of both sides. This made it easy for those in Germany and Europe who criticize the deal to abuse this discussion, by playing to deep-rooted Anti-Americanism which remains prevalent in some parts of our societies.

Ladies and gentlemen,

One has to admit: The European Union is not a simple structure, it is a rather complex organism. Normal trade agreements fall under the sole competency of the EU Commission. But comprehensive trade agreements as we have now negotiated with Canada and the U.S. touch also upon the competencies of member states. Therefore, it required not only votes by the European Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, but also by all member states. According to their constitutional requirements it can take up to 40 national and regional parliaments to give their consent. I know: many find it infuriating that a small regional Chamber can block an international trade deal. But this touches upon the very essence of our European dilemma between parcipatory democracy and global efficiency.

With this in mind, I can only express my gratitude and great respect to the Canadian Government. It negotiated in good faith, in a spirit of compromise and with extreme patience. You came a long way to acquiesce those European concerns that I described earlier.

I still hope that soon we will be able to sign this agreement to strengthen our strategic cooperation. Europe needs reliable partners in these challenging times. Let me just remind you of the political upheavals Europe is facing:

Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Eastern Ukraine were a decisive turning point for European security. Equally, the instability and disruptions in Europe’s Southern neighborhood will impact Europe’s security for years to come. They have long reached our doorsteps – through the influx of refugees and major terrorist attacks in European cities.

The immediate and existential threat regarding the euro zone seems to be over. But the far-reaching social implications of the financial crisis are still felt in many countries, for example in Greece, Portugal and Spain.

In June the British people voted to leave the EU: And also in many other EU Member States we are confronted with bigotry and anti-European, nationalist – often even xenophobic – movements and parties.

The UK has opted to leave the EU, much to our regret. But that doesn’t change things for the rest of us: We are more than ever convinced that the EU is and remains the relevant framework for Germany’s foreign and domestic policy.

Yes, the EU is a complex animal. But to call into question the entire project of the EU is irresponsible populism. The EU remains the best instrument we have to address the challenges we are facing in a more and more globalized and crisis-ridden world.

And because the EU provides us with more leverage than a single nation state would have alone, for the challenges at home and at the international level. This is also true for a bigger member state like Germany. Even Germany, though apparently politically and economically a heavyweight, can only realize and defend its national interests within and through Europe. We’re all pretty small fishes in a very large pond if we are on our own! Today, Europe accounts for 8 percent of world population – 2050 it will be mere 5 percent. Soon no single European country will be amongst the leading economic nations, but together, in the EU, we will still be one of the front-runners.

So let me be very clear: The EU is our past, our present and our future. Germany will continue to take responsibility for the European project, in close cooperation with the EU institutions and its partners in the EU.

We are ready to redouble our efforts to confront a growing anti-European mood. And we will redouble our efforts to deconstruct the nationalistic and populist discourse according to which a retreat on the national level would increase control of our own fate. The opposite is true: it would make us all more vulnerable and irrelevant on the international level.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We need to prove why people are better off with more Europe than without. First of all, we need to regain trust, by better showing people that Europe offers concrete solutions and answers to their worries. That is what we are currently doing within the so-called Bratislava Process.

In the run-up to the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome in March 2017, we have agreed to put in place an ambitious and focused agenda, mainly in three areas: to strengthen our Common Foreign and Security Policy, to complete the Ecomomic and Monetary Union in a way that creates not only growth, but employment and social inclusiveness for all and to establish a workable European asylum policy.

Allow me to focus here on the issue of migration, the greatest challenge for a Europe surrounded by extreme instability in the Middle East and Africa:

Moreover, we have set up a new European Border and Coast Guard, to ensure full control of our external borders, and we will considerably strengthen the Common European Asylum Office.

Furthermore, we have set-up hotspots in order to efficiently register all migrants and refugees that reach the European Union in Greece and Italy.

Europe must advance. It would be wrong to allow the shock of the British referendum to paralyze us, to give up the idea of further integration. It is true: Not all member states will be ready to move forward on integration at this point in time. But multiple speeds have long been a reality in Europe and should enable us to move ahead with a group of member states, while remaining open for others to join at a later stage. This is why we call for a more flexible European Union.

Let me assure you: The EU will live up to the challenges it is facing. The leaders of the EU Member States know exactly what is at stake. A strong and united Europe will remain an important and attractive partner for Canada and will play its role on the international level, alongside our Canadian partners, for peace and security in its neighborhood and in the world.

This was the very signal, which we wanted to send out with the EU-Canada summit. If we look at the world, there are hardly any closer partners than Canada and the European Union when it comes to shared values and ideals we not only live up to, but we would like to promote around the world.

Germany will play its part to preserve these achievements, unparalleled in human history, and to shape the future of Europe as best we can in order to ensure the liberal order, pluralism, open societies, political stability, economic prosperity social inclusiveness and absence of major conflict that so far have distinguished the European model.

One thing is crystal clear: Transatlantic cooperation, close partnership between Canada and Europe unity are key in this endeavor.

The famous German filmmaker Wim Wenders once said:

"Europe is heaven on earth, the promised land, as soon as you look at it from the outside. I have seen Europe from Chicago and New York, from Tokyo and Rio, from Australia, from the heart of Africa, the Congo, and from Moscow. I am telling you: In each case, Europe appeared in a different light, but always as paradise, as a dream of mankind, as a stronghold of peace, prosperity and civilization."

Today I’m looking forward to looking at the European Union together with you from a Canadian perspective. And I’m quite curious which Europe you perceive: A continent of crisis or a continent of hope? For me personally Europe will remain a unique project of peace, prosperity and civilization - despite of all the current difficulties and challenges.

Thank your for your attention.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Reden/2016/161027-StM_R_Europe_at_Crossroads.html?nn=479796

Immigrant women have contributed most to increase in US birthrate

In the last decades, the immigrants in North America have contributed significantly to the birth rate and, consequently, to the change in the mosaic of ...

from
http://www.west-info.eu/immigrant-women-have-contributed-most-to-increase-in-us-birthrate/

EU Member States issued 2.6 million first residence permits in 2015

In 2015, 2.6 million first residence permits were issued in the European Union (EU) to non-EU citizens, a record number since the data collection began ...

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http://www.west-info.eu/eu-member-states-issued-2-6-million-first-residence-permits-in-2015/

Monaco di Baviera e l'Oktoberfest! #youngGermany

In 2015, 2.6 million first residence permits were issued in the European Union (EU) to non-EU citizens, a record number since the data collection began (2008) and up by 12.1% compared with 2014. Accounting for 28.9% of all first residenceaaa

from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8teZJY1X1o

GNTB Luther-Hologramm "Luther tells his story"

from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWnIx-Lly1Y

THE OLD LIBRARY, ST JOHN'S COLLEGE - OCT 91 - Clip b001g0msyo

from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z745X2MKi0

OSCE Ministerial Council in Hamburg

In his capacity as Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has invited the Foreign Ministers of the participating States to Hamburg for the 23rd OSCE Ministerial Council, which is scheduled to take place from 8 to 9 December.

Alongside conflict resolution in the OSCE area – including, in particular, the OSCE’s work in Ukraine, Transdniestria, Nagorno-Karabakh and Georgia – this year’s Ministerial Council, which will be held on the premises of the Hamburg Messe, will focus on terrorism and arms control, as well as on efforts to strengthen the OSCE as a whole.

The OSCE Ministerial Council is the OSCE’s principal decision-making body. It meets annually and provides an opportunity for the Foreign Ministers of the 57 participating States to take stock of the Organization’s activities over the past year and to strengthen the dialogue on security issues.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2016/161026_OSZE_Hamburg.html?nn=479796

Gorino should not become a trophy for the Northern League

Just like Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino, perhaps the residents of Gorino needed a little time to come to terms with those who are different. ...

from
http://www.west-info.eu/gorino-should-not-become-a-trophy-for-the-northern-league/

7 Signs You're a Mathematics Student

from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OO0nF6vKl4

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Speech by Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth on the rights of LGBTI* people in Germany and Canada on 25. October 2016 in Ottawa

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you very much for having me here. I am delighted to have this opportunity to talk to you all and it is a great pleasure to be here with you.

Today’s panel is not only testimony to Canada’s outstanding leadership as regards promoting diversity, tolerance and respect for minorities. I believe that it is also testimony to new public and political energy following last year’s election.

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states in very clear words: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Perhaps this is one of the most important and powerful phrases ever written. This phrase leaves no doubt that human rights belong to everyone, without exception – regardless of their ethnic or religious background, gender or sexual identity.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people are protected under existing international human rights law in the same way as every other individual. States must respect, protect and promote the human rights of all individuals. Let me be clear: when we talk about LGBTI rights, we aren’t thinking about exclusive rights or privileges for minorities. Quite the opposite, in fact – what we are fighting for is an open, tolerant and liberal society, in which everybody is treated as an equal citizen. Love is love – and it doesn’t matter if men love men, women love women or men love women.

It is sad that in 2016 we can see a worrying backlash in a number of countries around the world. Seventy-six countries still use criminal law to prohibit homosexual acts. In seven countries, homosexuality is still punishable by the death penalty.

This underlines how important it is that we continue to fight for equal rights for LGBTI people, both at home and abroad. LGBTI rights should be respected worldwide as an intrinsic part of human rights. We must stand up together resolutely against any violation of human rights, including violations of LGBTI rights, wherever they occur. It is equally important that we do not merely react to negative developments, but that we also work to bring about positive long-term social change. It is thus our duty to provide political and financial support to the work of courageous people who can promote such change.

The joint efforts of the Canadian and the German Governments in this area are a great example of our close cooperation in foreign policy and highlight our shared commitment to our values.

We are witnessing encouraging developments in several countries, for example in South Eastern Europe. I recently attended gay pride parades in Belgrade and Bucharest – cities where such parades were impossible just a few years ago. In a wide range of countries, from Montenegro to Vietnam, governments now acknowledge LGBTI rights. But on the other hand, there are some countries – notably Russia and Turkey – where new legislation or government repression are threatening the LGBTI communities.

At the Federal Foreign Office, we follow these developments worldwide with great attention and try to play our part in bringing about positive change through resolutions, public awareness campaigns, diplomacy behind closed doors and a variety of projects.

However, we must not forget that our most powerful tool is providing a good example back home. We should therefore also look at the state of play of LGBTI rights in our own countries.

Pierre Trudeau, father of current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, famously said: “There’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation.” This set the tone for a development starting with decriminalisation of same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults in 1969, and culminating in 2005, when Canada – as the first country outside Europe and the fourth country in the world – legalised same-sex marriage nationwide. Today, same-sex adoption is also legal in all Canadian provinces and territories, and federal law protects people against discrimination based on sexual identity.

Since 2001, same-sex couples in Germany have the option to enter into a civil partnership, which provides most of the rights granted to married couples.

But same-sex marriage is still not legal in Germany – despite some polls showing widespread support for it. My Social Democratic Party advocates changing the relevant legislation, but unfortunately we don’t have a consensus with our current conservative coalition partner.

That illustrates the situation in Europe pretty well: on the one hand, we have countries such as Germany where public acceptance is high and politics lag behind. And then there are other countries like Slovenia or Malta where politics are moving ahead, but the public still needs to catch up. In both cases, we have to close the gap between political will and public acceptance.

We have seen great progress in our two countries and worldwide. Although discrimination is still widespread, we do see great public support for LGBTI rights reflected in advanced rights in legislation and court decisions. None of this would have been possible without civil society. Together – politics and civil society, Canada and Germany – we will continue our work to fulfil the promise of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Thank you very much.

*LGBTI: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Reden/2016/161025-StM_R_Kanada_LGBTI.html?nn=479796

4 migration challenges needing urgent action

Numerous challenges still remain to safeguard asylum seekers and migrants. The latest summary report on migration-related fundamental rights of the European Union Agency for Fundamental ...

from
http://www.west-info.eu/4-migration-challenges-needing-urgent-action/

Exhibition on Women and the United Nations in the Atrium of the Federal Foreign Office

On Wednesday, 26 October 2016, Minister of State Maria Böhmer will be opening the exhibition on Women and the United Nations in the Atrium of the Federal Foreign Office.

The exhibition showcases women’s rights in the United Nations over time and presents selected notable women’s rights activists who, throughout the course of history, were among many women who did outstanding work for the cause of gender equality. The exhibition also displays historic milestones such as the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Beijing Platform for Action, and Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. In recent decades, these achievements have made a major contribution to eliminating discrimination against women in the United Nations and its member states.

The Federal Foreign Office is presenting the exhibition together with the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the UN Women Nationales Komitee Deutschland e.V.

The exhibition can be viewed in the Atrium of the Federal Foreign Office from 26 October to 25 November.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2016/161025-StM_B_Ausstellung_Frauen_Vereinte_Nationen.html?nn=479796

Special Representative of the Federal Government for the Middle East Stability Partnership travels to the Turkish-Syrian border

Ambassador Joachim Rücker, Special Representative of the Federal Government for the Middle East Stability Partnership, issued the following statement today (25 October) prior to departing for Gaziantep on the Turkish-Syrian border:

Zusatzinformationen

Turkey – along with Lebanon and Jordan – has assumed enormous responsibility by sheltering Syrian refugees close to their home country. This is not at all to be taken for granted. We are backing efforts to meet this challenge and stand firmly by the side of Syria’s neighbouring countries, which are directly affected by the conflict and are providing shelter to people who have fled violence, persecution and bitter hardship.

Germany is supporting Syria’s neighbours, and thereby also the people in Syria and in neighbouring countries, more than ever before. For 2016 alone, the Federal Government has committed funds in the amount of 1.3 billion euros. In doing this, we have one chief aim, namely to create prospects for those who have often enough lost everything by fleeing their home country.

In addition to providing humanitarian assistance, it is of key importance that children and young people are given the opportunity to pursue an education. There are nearly one million Syrian refugee children in Turkey, and according to UNICEF only just under one-third are currently able to attend school. Our Turkish partners are aiming, by the end of this school year, to give every refugee child the opportunity to pursue his or her education. This is something we will continue to actively support.

It is just as important to create prospects for refugees as long as the conflict is still raging in Syria. This means creating jobs and giving people the opportunity to earn their own incomes. During my trip, I will gain an impression of the progress that has been achieved through projects in the region that are being carried out with, and thanks to, Germany’s support.

Background information:

On Wednesday and Thursday (26 and 27 October), talks are planned with representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), the White Helmets, the Director General of European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). Ambassador Rücker will also visit, among other things, a cash-for-work project that provides training to Syrian refugees.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2016/161025-SMO_B-TUR-SYR-Grenze.html?nn=479796

Attack on police training academy in Quetta, Pakistan

A Federal Foreign Office spokesperson issued the following statement today (25 October) in response to the attack on a police training academy in Quetta, Pakistan:

Zusatzinformationen

We condemn the horrific attack on a police training academy in Quetta, which has cost the lives of more than 60 people. Our thoughts are with the victims’ friends and families. We express our heartfelt sympathy with the people of Pakistan. This despicable attack demonstrates yet again that international terrorism is a threat to all of us which we must combat in unison.

Terrorists seek to divide societies by means of violence and hatred. We must and shall resolutely oppose that treacherous logic.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2016/161025-Anschlaege-Pakistan.html?nn=479796

Designing better schools

Attack on police training academy in Quetta, Pakistan

A Federal Foreign Office spokesperson issued the following statement today (25 October) in response to the attack on a police training academy in Quetta, Pakistan:

Zusatzinformationen

We condemn the horrific attack on a police training academy in Quetta, which has cost the lives of more than 60 people. Our thoughts are with the victims’ friends and families. We express our heartfelt sympathy with the people of Pakistan. This despicable attack demonstrates yet again that international terrorism is a threat to all of us which we must combat in unison.

Terrorists seek to divide societies by means of violence and hatred. We must and shall resolutely oppose that treacherous logic.

from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOY3xcJHP84

Les Coflocs en Thuringe - Le cœur vert et culturel de l'Allemagne

from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfWPySlODsA

Monday, October 24, 2016

Speech by Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the German Bundestag: approving a mandate for German participation in the anti-IS coalition and the related air surveillance support by NATO AWACS planes

Mr President, Fellow members of this House,

The images and news from Aleppo depict unparalleled cruelty – a sea of rubble where life used to thrive. The people are traumatised. Children have lost their homes and families. I must say – and this is something we made clear to President Putin yesterday in what was certainly not an easy discussion – we cannot and must not allow this insanity to continue. We must put an end to it.

Our priority now must be to provide the men, women and children of Aleppo with the essentials they need to survive. People are starving and dying of thirst. We need secure ways of accessing them to bring help. We are currently working flat out, including all day today, with the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and partner organisations to achieve this. This evening I will talk to the Saudi Arabian and Qatar foreign ministers to ensure that opposition groups also pledge to guarantee the safety of aid organisations.

Moscow’s announcement that there will be a brief pause in the fighting must only be the beginning. Eight hours – or now that it’s been prolonged – eleven hours, three or four times over is a start. However, it’s far from enough to provide the city’s besieged people with relief supplies. And it certainly isn’t enough to unbundle the opposition from radical and terrorist groups. It is indeed possible that in East Aleppo, terrorist groups such as al-Nusra are using people as human shields and seeking out hospitals and schools to hide in. But even 1,000 or a possible 1,500 al-Nusra fighters do not justify reducing Aleppo to ash and rubble.

That’s why we are doing everything we can to bring about a ceasefire. It’s true that our efforts to reach a political solution have not been successful so far, but that’s no reason to give up. I maintain that it will never be possible to resolve this conflict through military means. Those who still believe this will see themselves proved wrong.

Colleagues,

We all know that Aleppo is just a snippet of a significantly bigger arc of crisis – characterised by crumbling authoritarian structures, sectarian divides, social unrest and fragile statehood.

In recent years, it is above all the terrorist militia IS who have benefitted from this conflict; the battle for Mosul is making this extremely clear to us at the moment.

Moreover, the barbaric rule that IS has imposed reaches far beyond the region. IS is threatening our security here in the heart of Europe, as evident from the attacks in Paris, Brussels, Nice, Rouen as well as elsewhere. Again, this is why it is so important for us to be united and resolute in countering this terror. Naturally we will not do so through military means alone, but neither can we do so without them.

In the meantime, 67 countries and three international organisations have come together to form the international anti-IS coalition. We have participated through aerial reconnaissance measures, in-flight refuelling as well as by providing an escort to protect a French aircraft carrier. We want to continue to do so, complemented by AWACS reconnaissance elements that we’ll work with others in the anti-IS coalition to incorporate. To clear up any misunderstanding from the start: this will take place exclusively from Turkish and international airspace and without the accession of NATO as an official member of the anti-IS campaign. This is something we attached great importance to in the consultations regarding the deployment of AWACS planes and I think that it would also be in the interests of this house.

We know that fighting on the ground will have to be carried out by regional and local forces – another reason why our training and equipment support for the Peshmerga in Iraq is so important. Back then, we had an open and balanced discussion about the risks of providing such assistance, and I still think that we took the right decision at the time. The seemingly unstoppable advance of IS into northern Iraq was indeed stopped.

There’s no reason to be euphoric. We’ll be dealing with the situation in the Middle East – the erosion of state order and ethnic or religiously motivated power struggles – for a long time to come. But even though we’ll still be grappling with these issues in the future, we should fully acknowledge the changes that have taken place in the past year.

The fight against IS has changed the situation on the ground. A look at Syria shows this: there, IS has lost a fifth of its territory to the opposition and the Kurds, including strategically important cities such as Manbij, Jarabulus and Dabiq.

Iraq also demonstrates this in no uncertain terms: since the summer of 2014, IS has lost over half its territory there.

And last but not least, this change can be seen in the battle now starting for Mosul where, with the support of the anti-IS coalition, the Iraqi army and Peshmerga troops are advancing into the last IS stronghold in the country. If Mosul falls, then IS will no longer hold any notable contiguous territory in Iraq.

No one is under any optimistic illusions. The battle being waged there will not be easy to win. At the moment, no one can say how long it will last. We can however say one thing for sure: we now need to do everything possible to prepare for the day it ends.

That’s why our engagement in Iraq and in the region is not limited to our support for the anti-IS coalition, which we’re asking you to approve today. We want to offer the people better prospects for their long-term future and therefore we’re embedding our action in a comprehensive approach that incorporates elements ranging from humanitarian assistance to political efforts and the increasingly key topic of stabilisation.

With regard to Mosul that means that what we need to do now is alleviate need and help the people who are fleeing the embattled city to the camps that have been set up in the surrounding area. Germany is already one of the main donors of humanitarian assistance to Iraq. We have once again made 35 million euros available specifically for Mosul.

We must start working on what will happen in Mosul when the city is freed from IS. To this end, today we’re meeting with a large group of states in Paris – and will meet them again in Berlin in November – in order to prepare Mosul for ‘the day after’.

It makes sense to do so, because although Mosul has not yet been freed, we already have experience from other situations, such as the liberation of Tikrit. There, working with the United Nations and using resources from Germany, we rapidly restored electricity and water supply lines and ensured that there was at least a basic level of healthcare provision. These measures led 90 percent of the displaced population to return to the city. That is why I believe that this is the right path.

Water, schools, hospitals – people will need all of these services when they return. However security also plays a crucial role: we’re talking to our partners in the Iraqi Government, saying that once Mosul has been liberated it will be important to avoid a relapse into old ethnic or religiously motivated conflicts.

If after the city is liberated, the scourge of IS is simply replaced by a power struggle between Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites then the people of Mosul will be no better off. We have thus proposed a ‘Mosul stabilisation council’ to the Iraqi Government, a council in which significant local players sit down together now to start jointly planning and organising the city’s reconstruction. A first meeting to discuss humanitarian aid has already taken place. It was an initial meeting, a first step and yet I was very encouraged by this initial phase and the discussions between the participants.

Colleagues,

Aleppo, Mosul, Falluja, Tikrit and Ramadi – we need a comprehensive approach if we are to live up to our responsibility towards this truly battered region. Participating in the anti-IS coalition is one component of it. That’s why I’m asking you to support the proposed mandate today.

Thank you.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Reden/2016/161020_BM_AntiIS.html?nn=479796

Speech by Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on civilian crisis prevention as a key element of contemporary Social Democratic foreign policy

Thomas Oppermann,
Edelgard Bulmahn,
Rolf Mützenich,
Ute Finckh-Krämer,
Esteemed colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Honoured guests!

I have two speeches with me today: one for our conference and one that I will give to the Bundestag later on. The Bundestag is about to debate Germany’s military involvement in the fight against the barbarism of IS. In my speech, I will be calling on the Bundestag to approve that military deployment. And for now, I’m speaking here at a conference held by my parliamentary group to discuss civilian crisis prevention. You might wonder how the one cause can be reconciled with the other. Isn’t this a contradiction within German foreign policy, or particularly within Social Democratic foreign policy?

I say no – and moreover, I say these topics have to be thought about and approached as a pair.

We need to stand together and do all we can to oppose these IS thugs. And we clearly need military means to do that. You cannot hold peace talks with suicide squads.

However, though we are forced to turn to military means to fight the barbarous thugs of IS, those means alone will never suffice as a solution. It is clear that we need civilian measures to stabilise the areas liberated from IS, enable people to return to their homes and create the conditions for reconciliation. In Iraq, we have succeeded in providing 185,000 people in liberated areas with water, electricity and healthcare services. As a result, not only have 90% of Tikrit’s displaced residents been able to return, but we’re also seeing more and more success in Ramadi and Fallujah too, in spite of the difficult circumstances. Of course I’m saying that because I am thinking about Mosul next. We are providing aid there in a situation of extreme emergency – Germany is the largest humanitarian aid donor in Iraq – and we are preparing to support the people of Mosul when, as we hope, it too is liberated from IS. In Syria too, we have been building civilian infrastructure in areas controlled by the moderate opposition. 300,000 people have regained access to electricity. I am citing these examples primarily because they show that we need civilian instruments even in the most brutal of today’s conflicts, to open up roads to stabilisation and, in the long term, reconciliation.

This conference today could not be any more vital. My heartfelt thanks, therefore, to everyone who helped organise it.

***

In discussions with my fellow foreign ministers these days, I am often asked, sometimes in a somewhat bemused tone, why Germany sets so much store by civilian elements of conflict management. One of the answers I might give them is that, historically speaking, we Germans have a special responsibility to stand up for alternatives to military intervention. But that’s probably not the whole answer; it doesn’t cover everything. Another part of it is that, as we have had to learn over the last two decades, military means – even where they are essential – can never establish stable peace alone.

What is more, we cannot take the approach of only paying attention to a conflict once the fires have broken out.

It is therefore correct to say that the most effective policy for peace is preventive in nature, which contains conflicts before they break out and degenerate into military confrontation. Since the Social Democratic-Green coalition government published its action plan in 2004, we have established that approach as a hallmark of German foreign policy.

It has also, I would add, become a hallmark of Social Democratic foreign policy. On this very day 45 years ago, the Nobel Committee announced that Willy Brandt was to receive the Nobel Prize. That was of course in recognition of his Ostpolitik, but that wasn’t the only policy Willy Brandt pursued. He also focused on North-South relations. He realised earlier than others that, if we are to prevent conflicts before they arise, we need to ensure that people have equal opportunities, that social justice becomes a tangible reality and the people have prospects. We need to build on that!

***

Someone once described the German author Kurt Tucholsky as “a fat little Berliner using his typewriter to try to avert catastrophe”. For me, that affectionately mocking description contains a very key question which I ask myself all the time in my job: how can we, in practice, oppose chaos and violence by civilian means? What tools do we have for that in our foreign-policy toolkit?

***

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me give you a quick briefing from the factory floor, as it were, on our day-to-day crisis prevention and management work around the world. Edelgard, Ute – did I read that correctly, we have until 6 p.m.?

Not to worry, I’ll keep it short!

As many of you will know, the self-critical inspection that I launched at the Federal Foreign Office has involved setting up a new department, namely the Directorate-General for Crisis Prevention, Stabilisation and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding. This is where we now pool all the capabilities that enable us to deal with the whole spectrum of crises more concentratedly – not only engaging in acute crisis management, but also bringing the instruments of precautionary foreign policy under one roof and making them deployable.

Political mediation, i.e. searching for political ways to resolve acute crises, is certainly the highest discipline in our work. That’s what I spend a major part of my days doing at the moment – and sometimes longer, like last night.

If one sees the crisis phenomenon as a whole, one cannot simply doggedly focus on seeking a comprehensive political settlement in conflict situations as intractable as that in Syria – although one must do this too! – but must also, wherever possible, help people and provide support. I told you earlier about our work on the ground in Syria and Iraq that aims to do exactly that.

We are also active outwith the major current trouble spots, often under the public radar. In Mali, for example – whose challenges will be discussed later – we are involved through diplomacy, development cooperation and a military peace mission. And that’s not all. We are also using other means of post-conflict peacebuilding, with German experts from the Max Planck Foundation advising our Malian partners as they prepare extremely politically sensitive constitutional reform – a crucial building block for the country’s peaceful development.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We focus most particularly on the tools of crisis prevention, even if they draw the attention of the public far less than our work in current trouble spots. In practical terms, that means for instance supporting the establishment of the rule of law in Nepal, Jordan and Ethiopia. We are assisting mediation processes in the Sudan and Georgia.

We are now also taking a closer look at countries and regions where the risk of escalation is high, in the hope that strategic foresight will enable us to spot crisis brewing more quickly and accurately. That enhanced analytical capability is important. In terms of policy though, it means not just recognising things early but also responding early. That, esteemed colleagues, is our job; Government and Bundestag need to work together on that!

We are also enhancing our cooperation with the other Government departments and our international partners, such as the United Nations. It is furthermore essential that we have dialogue with civil society, our research institutes and the many experts who support us in implementing difficult projects. You all have my heartfelt thanks!

Let me highlight one particular organisation at this point: the Center for International Peace Operations, or ZIF. We are turning the ZIF into a full sending organisation. It is important to us that our civilian staff be not only extremely well trained for their complex tasks as, for example, OSCE observers in eastern Ukraine. These people deserve our complete backing for their often dangerous work – including the appropriate care after their assignments. That will be assured by our Posted Workers Act which will enter the parliamentary process before the end of the year.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have to be realistic. Civilian crisis prevention and peacebuilding work is always slow, often arduous and sometimes simply impotent. I am thinking, for instance, of our work in Yemen. Since 2012, we have been working behind the scenes to set up contacts between the conflict parties. This has not been enough to prevent the horrific escalation of the conflict. But we do at least have the hope that we can fall back on those reliable contacts when a peaceful solution for Yemen becomes more of a possibility. As I see it, that example demonstrates that we cannot always make the desired outcomes happen – but this shouldn’t stop us trying. Engaging in crises is a high-risk investment. We should therefore be prepared to acknowledge, when necessary, that a project has not succeeded as planned – and draw the right conclusions from that. That is why we at the Federal Foreign Office are subjecting our projects to greater scrutiny. Edelgard, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you most sincerely for doing so much to advance the topic of evaluation and for remaining at our side in that endeavour in future too!

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have advanced considerably during this legislative term. Despite the crises raging around us, we have managed to get ourselves into a better position strategically and invest more in crisis prevention and management. Thanks not least to the work of the SPD group in the Bundestag, we have been able to keep funding stable at a high level this year. That must be an incentive, esteemed colleagues, to do even better in the 2017 financial year.

At the same time, we want to consolidate our experience and keep developing our conceptual positions. That’s why we established an elaborate public debate process called PeaceLab2016 – A Fresh Look at Crisis Prevention. More than 20 events will be held in various formats before the end of November. Many of you are already actively involved. You have been giving us suggestions, food for thought – and we have been gleaning lots of important ideas. Our aim is to collate it all into a central strategic government document. The Cabinet will adopt those new Guidelines on Crisis Engagement and Peacebuilding in the coming year. This will give us a new long-term frame of reference for the political pursuit of peace twelve years after the action plan.

***

Esteemed colleagues, we can think ourselves lucky that, unlike Kurt Tucholsky, we have not only a typewriter but a well-stocked diplomatic toolkit at our disposal. Let us use it together for the good of our fellow human beings. We have a duty to them!

Thank you for your attention.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Reden/2016/161020_BM_zivKrisenpraevention.html?nn=479796

Closing speech by Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth at the OSCE Conference on Tolerance and Diversity

– Translation of advance text –

Ms Mijatovic, Michael Link, Ladies and gentlemen,

Where better to practise tolerance than in lively debates and discussions? After a long conference day full of working sessions, you will all know a thing or two about that. Since the conference started yesterday you have been engaged in an intensive debate on the need for and the possible forms – and limitations – of tolerance. You have voiced engagement. And conviction. And, yes, the occasional controversy.

But it is precisely this broad range of views and feelings that is the best possible proof of the enriching impact diversity has in practice. Because we are primarily required to show tolerance where differences become obvious, where we see diversity in all its glory, but also where the resulting conflicts emerge.

We have seen this very clearly over recent months in Germany, where hundreds of thousands of people have sought refuge from war and terror. Their arrival has increased the diversity, the cultural mix, in our country. But there is no doubt that this increasing diversity has put many citizens’ tolerance severely to the test.

This is the question: how much diversity is possible and how much common ground is necessary for peaceful coexistence in our country, indeed in Europe as a whole? Admittedly, the coexistence of different cultures, religions and ethnic groups is demanding, but it is also enriching and rewarding.

However it won’t work without tolerance. Tolerance is very far from being static; it is not a stance you adopt once and never shift. No, tolerance is something that has to be relearnt and relived, over and over again. Again and again, it has to adapt to new questions and new developments.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Tolerance and dialogue are inseparably coupled. Without tolerance, without a willingness to respect differing opinions and views, dialogue is simply impossible. And without a real dialogue, without a serious consideration of other opinions and views, tolerance will remain abstract and passive.

Hans-Georg Gadamer, that great philosopher on dialogue, put it very aptly when he said that anyone who focused on differences was at the beginning of a conversation, not the end.

In that same spirit, we regard this conference not as an endpoint, but as a cordial invitation to continue the dialogue embarked on here. The question of how the increasing ethnic, religious and cultural diversity in our societies will affect our day-to-day lives together is one that will occupy us long after the close of this conference.

Tolerance also requires that we are willing to deal with each other with respect and to question our own standpoints. Tolerance is the admission that others might actually be right. And tolerance is the ability to bear contradiction. So to display tolerance is most definitely not a sign of weakness, but rather of self-assurance and inner strength.

Tolerance is a precious commodity. That’s why governments and state institutions too must respect, defend and uphold it. Every day anew. Along with all other engaged groups in society. In my work as Minister of State for Europe, I am driven by a commitment to fight the marginalisation of and discrimination against minorities. On almost all my trips, I meet representatives of minorities – be they refugees, Sinti and Roma or members of the LGBTI community.

Each and every one of us must live a life of tolerance, without giving in to the temptation to take what seems to be the easy course. We must not allow tolerance to be abused by those who cite it in order to spread their hatred and prejudice.

Or, as the philosopher Karl Popper put it: “We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant.” How right he is. I would add this: otherwise dialogue in an open society will die.

We need the willingness to enter into genuine discussion, also in the international framework, like in the OSCE. We need a frank exchange – one open to criticism – on the best experiences and solutions when it comes to handling diversity and tests of tolerance. This includes our experiences of how to combat hate crime and discrimination on the internet.

And it includes very specific projects designed to promote tolerance and diversity through education. One example you learnt about today was the fantastic online project “Stories that move”, which presents young people’s very personal experiences of discrimination and intolerance. These young people were robbed of their dignity. But this project gives them a voice, a loud and articulate voice.

The project also tells the story of the increasing diversity of orientations, affiliations and identities in our societies. It tells of the opportunities inherent in this diversity. And that, I believe, is the most important message at a time when unfortunately many people see diversity more as a threat.

In order to flag up these opportunities, ladies and gentlemen, we must continue and use the dialogue on diversity and tolerance – within the group of OSCE participating States, in cooperation with our civil societies and in our own immediate day-to-day environment. We are all citizens, and we should set a good example.

I hope this conference has given you great impetus and a wealth of suggestions to that end. And I can already promise you this: this evening’s visit to the Zeiss Grossplanetarium, to which I warmly invite you once again, will be a source of further inspiration. Maybe you’ve always wanted to reach for the stars?

Thank you very much indeed to all those who organised this conference and made it possible. And a big thank-you to all of you for attending and for your lively contributions to the discussions. Keep talking – for tolerance and diversity!

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Reden/2016/161020_StM_R_Toleranz.html?nn=479796

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Federal Foreign Office condemns North Korean missile tests

A spokesperson for the Federal Foreign Office issued the following statement today (20 October):

Zusatzinformationen

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the missile tests recently conducted by North Korea on 15 and 20 October. These unsuccessful attempts are further clear evidence that North Korea is not only accelerating its nuclear efforts, but also further expanding its missile programme. In so doing, it is continuing to irresponsibly undermine stability in its neighbourhood. Like the nuclear test on 9 September, these most recent missile tests are in violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

North Korea must understand that, with this behaviour, it is choosing to continue down the path towards complete international isolation. We are campaigning for a strong tightening of existing sanctions by the United Nations Security Council, in response to this behaviour by North Korea.

We again expressly urge North Korea to immediately abandon this reckless course and to comply with all relevant UN Security Council resolutions without delay. It must not conduct any further ballistic missile launches, for any reason whatsoever, or any nuclear tests. These programmes must be terminated.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2016/161020_AA_Nordkorea.html?nn=479796

The new Italian law against illegal recruitment of agricultural workers

Hard times, in Italy, for those who exploit seasonal workers in agriculture. Both national and immigrants. The Chamber of Deputies, in fact, gave the final ...

from
http://www.west-info.eu/the-new-italian-law-against-illegal-recruitment-of-agricultural-workers/

Speech by Foreign Minister Steimeier at the OSCE Conference on Tolerance and Diversity, 20 October 2016

Ministers, Nikola Poposki, Andrei Galbur,
Ms Mijatovic,
Mr Link,
Mr Muiznieks,
Mr Barenboim,
Ms Demirkan,
Ladies and gentlemen,

‘Discrimination and intolerance have never worked before, and won’t work now. “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” the saying goes.’

These are words that a major Canadian newspaper recently used to describe its great concern vis-à-vis the situation here in Europe, and especially in Germany.

What on earth is going on here right now?

On the one hand, we are currently witnessing the incredible willingness on the part of countless Germans to help their fellow human beings, people who have sought refuge here in Germany – from war and violence. They are teaching German, training refugees in their companies, looking after their new neighbours – with openness, a thirst for knowledge and empathy.

However, at the same time, we are also hearing very different sentiments on Germany’s streets and squares. We are witnessing nastiness against anything that is foreign and insults against people with a darker skin colour or foreign appearance, and where those who have different opinions or beliefs are being shouted down with mindless slogans. Isolation is being called for, a return to nationalist policies, and “an end to tolerance” for other cultures and religions. The Internet is being used to issue threats, harass people and stir up fears. And, yes, we are even seeing stones being thrown in Germany. Incendiary devices are being hurled at religious buildings and refugee accommodations.

It seems to me that my country still has a great deal to learn in the search for responses to intolerance, hate and hate speech.

And it is also for this reason that I am delighted that you have all accepted our invitation to discuss the topic of tolerance and diversity with us here today.

I am looking forward to your views, your insights and your experiences and to as enriching a discussion as possible – that is also part and parcel of diversity. After all, I strongly believe that the question as to how we promote tolerance and diversity, but also how we handle growing intolerance, concerns all of us – from Vancouver to Berlin and further to Vladivostok.

***

The philosopher Rainer Forst emphasises that tolerance requires us to consciously endure and respect especially those ways of life, practices and opinions that we consider to be wrong – up to a point that marks the limits of tolerance. However, this point must, Forst contends, neither be determined by religious norms nor by the “house rules” of the majority of a society, but by principles of justice, especially human rights.

One thing is clear to me personally, which is that we need a framework of principles in order to identify and stake out the limits of tolerance. And, to my mind, this framework stands on firm and tried and tested foundations, namely our Basic Law in Germany and the principle that is the rule of law. These are our fundamental rights, with human dignity at the forefront.

I cannot and will not tolerate actions or attitudes that violate or jeopardise people’s lives, freedom or equality. We must stand up to such behaviour across the board. And this goes for each and every one of us – the rule of law, we who shoulder responsibility as politicians, and also civil society.

This, ladies and gentlemen, has to do with how we coexist within our society.

***

However, I believe there is also a clear system of principles and values at the international level that regulates our coexistence within the international community. These are the comprehensive bodies of rules of international law, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and all of the agreements and treaties to which we have committed ourselves both nationally and internationally.

Moreover, the principles and obligations that we have elaborated in the OSCE for over four decades are an integral part of this system of values.

The OSCE’s security order based on the Helsinki Final Act has made it possible for countries with different political systems and interests to coexist peacefully for decades. This is founded on our shared rules and principles, the principle of non‑violence and mutual recognition that we are equals and with equal rights.

In international affairs, too, tolerance should not be misunderstood as mere endurance or disinterest. We also need to make a special effort to communicate with people whose opinions we do not share. We must stand up for tolerance also in our capacity as participating States of the OSCE. But at the same time it is important that we must not tolerate any actions that compromise our common principles and threaten our common order.

Back in the 1990s, we created institutions at the OSCE in order to support our mutual efforts to combat intolerance, including the High Commissioner on National Minorities, the Representative on Freedom of the Media and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

And, together with these institutions, we have made the fight against intolerance and discrimination a key focus of our Chairmanship.

***

This is, ladies and gentlemen, what this conference is all about. And I am looking forward to our discussions.

Before we do that, allow me to make two further points.

Firstly, about the breeding ground of populism and intolerance, and secondly about the role of foreign policy.

There is no doubt in my mind that if we intend to oppose attitudes and actions that we cannot tolerate, then we must watch and listen carefully to establish how and why such attitudes spread.

What are the concerns of the people who are susceptible to the temptations of crude populists?

We can see that monster of nationalism that is rearing its ugly head once more feeds on only one thing: fear. Whether Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, Marine Le Pen in France, the AfD in Germany or Donald Trump, these people play on people’s fears. They are turning fear into policies.

And what is particularly unsettling is the fact that the rules of political debate appear to be turned on their heads here. Indeed, debate no longer seems to be desirable. People no longer aspire to convince others with facts and arguments. Instead, fears and emotions are played upon that have nothing, literally nothing, to do with facts.

How else can we explain the fact that voters are so vehemently opposed to refugees precisely in regions where scarcely any refugees live? How else can we explain the fact that political solutions or demands are often absent from political demonstrations these days, with demonstrators contenting themselves with mindless slogans and attacks on the so-called establishment instead, be it in the political arena, church or other institutions.

It is enough to drive us to despair. But that won’t help us. Complaining about this so-called “post-factual world” won’t help us. We must instead devote ourselves to tackling this phenomenon.

We must be steadfast in our arguments against simplifications and twisting of facts. We must come up with better answers for how we can master the great challenges of the present in the long term.

And, ladies and gentlemen – and this is my second point – I believe that foreign policy in particular has a special obligation here.

For if people are afraid of the future,

•          if they are afraid that the political leaders are losing control,
•          if they feel that they are not sufficiently protected against the risks of globalisation,
•          if they are no longer able to cope in the face of an increasingly confusing world with many different conflicts,

Then the call for isolation might appear to be advisable. However, we must be even more passionate and patient when explaining why it is that isolating ourselves from each other is actually not the solution.

And then we must be even better at explaining that we will only be able to find solutions to precisely those problems that worry so many people right now by working together.

What we need on this path is multilateralism, taking responsibility together and a plurality of voices and experiences.

• This applies to seeking solutions to crises and conflicts:

- This is demonstrated by the agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme, which we were able to conclude in 2015 after years of negotiations. It was thanks to the success of an international negotiating team – the US, Russia, China, the UK, France and Germany – that we managed to arrive at a solution here and avoid a war.

- And, turning our focus to Ukraine, I would like to say that, even though we are still far from a solution right now, the OSCE in particular continues to bring a measure of stability to the situation in the region through its Special Monitoring Mission.

• The fact that we can only get ahead when we work together also applies to the fight for greater justice. I am well aware of the fact that many people feel “abandoned”, that they sense that the promise of greater prosperity driven by globalisation just does not ring true for them. However, if we intend to create a more just world, then we must also work together here. We took an important step in this direction last year with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Agenda is a global pact on the world’s future that sets out concrete objectives. It is the focal point, the point of convergence for our joint actions. It will be the benchmark for our success.

• The fact that we can only make progress by working together applies to the great challenges of the 21st century – the climate, water, energy and migration. We are increasingly powerless to address these issues by ourselves and must cooperate with other partners ever more often.

Populism and isolationism are not the answer, nor is pulling up the drawbridge. They are a threat.

· Isolationism poses a threat to our societies – because it stokes intolerance, racism and discrimination.

· Isolationism poses a threat to our economy as it fuels protectionism.

· And isolationism has the potential to wreck our foreign policy because going it alone prevents us from making any progress at all – with the great global challenges of our age.

Let us therefore point to the better solutions – and approach them together by allowing our diversity and the richness of our experiences and traditions to come to the fore, not seeing these as a threat, but as an opportunity.

I am extremely delighted that we now have an opportunity to listen to someone who has taken these words more profoundly to heart than scarcely anyone else: Daniel Barenboim. Welcome!

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