Intro
Germany and the Refugee Story
What was the impact of Angela Merkel’s decision to open the borders to thousands of refugees in the summer of 2015? How do decision-makers in Germany and around the world see the current political situation? And what are the biggest challenges of integrating the newly arrived migrants into the labor market and society?
Join our international experts for a Virtual Tour of Germany
During the Academy on Tour, the Fellows spoke with politicians, such as the Head of the Federal Chancellery and Federal Minister for Special Tasks Peter Altmaier and the Prime Minister of Saxony Stanislaw Tillich, as well as representatives from public administration and civil society institutions, lawyers, and volunteers.
Fellows
Topics:
Foreign and Security Policy, Peace and Human Rights, Political Order and Governance (worldwide)
Regional focus:
Global, North America
Origin:
Canada
Topics:
Education
Regional focus:
Asia and the Pacific, Oceania
Origin:
Australia
Topics:
Environment and Resources, Political Order and Governance (worldwide), Public Health
Regional focus:
Global, Europe
Origin:
Italy
Topics:
Environment and Resources, Foreign and Security Policy
Regional focus:
Global, Asia and the Pacific
Origin:
India
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change, Education, Political Order and Governance (worldwide)
Regional focus:
Europe
Origin:
Greece
Topics:
Foreign and Security Policy
Regional focus:
Global, Europe, Middle East and North Africa
Origin:
France
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change, Science and Technology
Regional focus:
Global
Origin:
Japan
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change, Foreign and Security Policy, Political Order and Governance (worldwide)
Regional focus:
Europe
Origin:
Serbia
Topics:
Political Order and Governance (worldwide)
Regional focus:
Europe
Origin:
Slovakia
Topics:
Culture and Media, Foreign and Security Policy, Peace and Human Rights
Regional focus:
Global, Europe
Origin:
France
Topics:
Foreign and Security Policy, Political Order and Governance (worldwide)
Regional focus:
Europe, Middle East and North Africa
Origin:
Turkey
Topics:
Culture and Media, Peace and Human Rights
Regional focus:
Europe
Origin:
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change, Peace and Human Rights
Regional focus:
Europe
Origin:
Croatia, Slovenia
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change, Culture and Media
Regional focus:
Sub-Saharan Africa
Origin:
South Africa
Topics:
Culture and Media, Peace and Human Rights
Regional focus:
Russia and Eurasia
Origin:
Russian Federation
Topics:
Foreign and Security Policy
Regional focus:
Europe, North America
Origin:
Poland
Topics:
Economics
Regional focus:
Asia and the Pacific
Origin:
China
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change
Regional focus:
Europe, Russia and Eurasia
Origin:
Hungary
Topics:
International Development, Peace and Human Rights
Regional focus:
Global
Origin:
United States
Topics:
Foreign and Security Policy, Political Order and Governance (worldwide)
Regional focus:
Global, Asia and the Pacific, North America
Origin:
China
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change, Foreign and Security Policy, Political Order and Governance (worldwide)
Regional focus:
Global, Middle East and North Africa
Origin:
Palestinian Territories
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change, Peace and Human Rights
Regional focus:
Middle East and North Africa
Origin:
Israel
Lloyd Axworthy
is Chancellor of St. Paul’s University College in Waterloo (Canada). He served as Minister of Employment and Immigration and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Topics:
Foreign and Security Policy, Peace and Human Rights, Political Order and Governance (worldwide)
Regional focus:
Global, North America
Origin:
Canada
Stephen Dinham
is Chair of Teacher Education and Director of Learning and Teaching at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne.
Topics:
Education
Regional focus:
Asia and the Pacific, Oceania
Origin:
Australia
Roberto Bertollini
was Chief Scientist and WHO Representative to the European Union.
Topics:
Environment and Resources, Political Order and Governance (worldwide), Public Health
Regional focus:
Global, Europe
Origin:
Italy
Brahma Chellaney
is Professor of Strategic Studies at the Centre for Policy Research.
Topics:
Environment and Resources, Foreign and Security Policy
Regional focus:
Global, Asia and the Pacific
Origin:
India
Anna Diamantopoulou
is President of the “DIKTIO” – Network for Reform in Greece and Europe. She is a former European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change, Education, Political Order and Governance (worldwide)
Regional focus:
Europe
Origin:
Greece
François Heisbourg
is Chairman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London.
Topics:
Foreign and Security Policy
Regional focus:
Global, Europe, Middle East and North Africa
Origin:
France
James Kondo
is Co-Chair of SocialEmergence.org and has been Vice President of Twitter Inc and Chairman of Twitter Japan.
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change, Science and Technology
Regional focus:
Global
Origin:
Japan
Sonja Licht
is the President of the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence in Belgrade.
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change, Foreign and Security Policy, Political Order and Governance (worldwide)
Regional focus:
Europe
Origin:
Serbia
Iveta Radičová
is Special Advisor to the EU-Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality. She served as Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic and Minister for Labour and Social Affairs.
Topics:
Political Order and Governance (worldwide)
Regional focus:
Europe
Origin:
Slovakia
Natalie Nougayrède
is an Editorial Board Member and columnist at The Guardian.
Topics:
Culture and Media, Foreign and Security Policy, Peace and Human Rights
Regional focus:
Global, Europe
Origin:
France
Soli Özel
is a Professor of International Relations at Kadir Has University in Istanbul and Columnist at Habertürk daily newspaper.
Topics:
Foreign and Security Policy, Political Order and Governance (worldwide)
Regional focus:
Europe, Middle East and North Africa
Origin:
Turkey
Mirsad Purivatra
is Director of the Sarajevo Film Festival.
Topics:
Culture and Media, Peace and Human Rights
Regional focus:
Europe
Origin:
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Vesna Teršelič
is Founder and Director of the organization Documenta – Center for Dealing with the past based in Croatia.
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change, Peace and Human Rights
Regional focus:
Europe
Origin:
Croatia, Slovenia
Mike van Graan
is Executive Director of the African Arts Institute (AFAI), a South African NGO based in Cape Town.
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change, Culture and Media
Regional focus:
Sub-Saharan Africa
Origin:
South Africa
Maxim Trudolyubov
is a Senior Fellow at the Kennan Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Editor-at-Large of Vedomosti, an independent Russian daily.
Topics:
Culture and Media, Peace and Human Rights
Regional focus:
Russia and Eurasia
Origin:
Russian Federation
Saran Kaba Jones
is the Founder and CEO of FACE Africa, a non-profit organization that provides access to clean and safe drinking water for rural communities in Liberia.
Janusz Reiter
is Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Center for Internationals Relations. He is a former Ambassador to Germany and the US.
Topics:
Foreign and Security Policy
Regional focus:
Europe, North America
Origin:
Poland
Amel Karboul
is Founder of Change, Leadership & Partners, Secretary-General of MEF (Maghreb Economic Forum) and former Minister in the Tunisian Government
Yao Yang
is Director of the China Center for Economic Research (CCER) and Dean of the National School of Development (NSD), Peking University.
Topics:
Economics
Regional focus:
Asia and the Pacific
Origin:
China
Sándor Köles
is a Senior Advisor to the Budapest-based International Center for Democratic Transition (ICDT) and the Prague-based Institute for Stability and Development.
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change
Regional focus:
Europe, Russia and Eurasia
Origin:
Hungary
Michael Th. Johnson
is a Senior Fellow for Law and Missions in the Deputy Director’s Office of DCAF and Chairman and Director of Professional Accountability at the Institute for Justice Sector Development.
Topics:
International Development, Peace and Human Rights
Regional focus:
Global
Origin:
United States
Huang Jing
is a Lee Foundation Professor on US-China Relations and Director of Centre on Asia and Globalization (CAG) at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP).
Topics:
Foreign and Security Policy, Political Order and Governance (worldwide)
Regional focus:
Global, Asia and the Pacific, North America
Origin:
China
Atallah Kuttab
is the Chairman and Founder of SAANED for Philanthropy Advisory in the Arab Region based in Jordan.
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change, Foreign and Security Policy, Political Order and Governance (worldwide)
Regional focus:
Global, Middle East and North Africa
Origin:
Palestinian Territories
Mohammad Darawshe
is Director of Planning, Equality and Shared Society at Givat Haviva Educational Center.
Topics:
Civil Society and Social Change, Peace and Human Rights
Regional focus:
Middle East and North Africa
Origin:
Israel
Berlin
BerlinIn the Berlin Representative Office of the Robert Bosch Stiftung the Fellows discussed with leading German experts challenges and chances of the current situation.
Holger Lösch, Member of the Executive Board of the Federation of German Industries (BDI)
“I don’t like the discussion about whether the refugees are needed in the labor market – they came because of wars. Most of them want to go back once it is possible.”
Christian Reuter, Secretary General of German Red Cross e.V.
Klaus Kandt, Chief of the Berlin Police Department
“The problem is that we lack the capacity to prevent conflicts – not only in the police force but also in schools and daycares.”
Rainer Wendt, Federal Chairman of the German Police Union
“The main problem is the potential for violence at the heart of our society – it’s not about the refugee crisis.”
Thomas Fischer, Presiding Judge at the Federal Court of Justice of Germany
Lloyd Axworthy calls for more leadership in German politics
The Fellows at the German Bundestag
The Fellows expressed their approval and respect for the role that Germany has taken on in recent years, and discussed the controversies regarding Germany’s treatment of European countries taking a different path. Part of the debate touched upon was Germany’s current foreign policy strategy, in particular the EU-Turkey Refugee Deal, which was explored further in a talk delivered by Fellow Soli Özel.
Saxony
Mohammad Darawshe on how the mayor impressed him with his leadership
Bautzen (Saxony)
Spreehotel Bautzen
German citizens and civil society initiatives quickly began helping the newly arrived migrants, a phenomenon that became known by the German term “Willkommenskultur” (welcoming culture). But the immigration wave also created new business opportunities, especially in terms of providing shelter.
The “Spreehotel Bautzen” is one such example. The former hotel was converted into refugee housing. Peter Rausch, owner and manager of the hotel, was close to bankruptcy before the refugees came last year. Now, he hosts around 300 refugees and employs five social workers. “I’m earning money – but it is a hard job,” he says.
Dresden (Saxony)In Dresden the Fellows met Stanislaw Tillich, Prime Minister of Saxony.
“It’s the government’s duty to provide fair proceedings for people who come to Germany. People have a right to stay here and the right to be deported.”
“It is disastrous to tell people at the peak of the refugee crisis that all refugees who arrived are well educated. It is disastrous to say that refugees are only fleeing wars when people know that a lot of them are also fleeing for economic reasons.”
Stanislaw Tillich, Prime Minister of Saxony
Cologne
Cologne
The Diocesan Caritas Association is made up of 14 city and district Caritas associations and employs 57,000 full-time staffers. Furthermore thousands of volunteers are involved in the association.
“We don’t differentiate between those who stay and those who go back to their home countries soon. That’s why we also offer language classes to people who didn’t get a spot in a state-sponsored language class.”
“I think that the government is shying away from its initial position. Somebody who is fleeing a war has the right to come. That has no limit. But now policies are made with the attitude that you can limit refugee numbers. That is a problem of the preservation of power: fear of one’s own courage.”
Frank Hensel, Director of the Caritas, Archdiocese of Cologne
Meeting with Henriette Reker
The mayor of Cologne Henriette Reker – who survived a knife attack in October 2015 by a man suspected to be a right-wing extremist – shared her first-hand experiences with the Fellows.
Representing Muslim Interests in Germany Associations, initiatives and welfare organizations are a very important component in the integration of refugees.
The Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) is the biggest Muslim organization in Germany, representing 900 local congregations. North-Rhine Westphalia has the highest percentage of Muslims of any federal state: approximately one-third of the German Muslim community lives here.
DITIB performs diverse activities in the area of refugee work: they offer courses in German and the Koran, sports activities and excursions.
Mohammad Darawshe on the identity of the German-Turkish community
“We need to increase the visibility of Muslims in our society. But it is not that simple. Many don’t feel like they belong, because many believe they are not welcome.”
“Right now we have our hands full justifying our own existence. That is why we can’t touch upon other important topics.”
Representatives of the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs
James Kondo on why this meeting was one of his highlights
Sports: Tool for Integration
“Playing sports is a very good way of establishing connections without using words – sports are a common language.”
Stuttgart
James Kondo on the scalability of Lapp's approach to integrating refugees into the labor market
Stuttgart
According to representatives of the Lapp Group, one of the major challenges in integrating refugees into the labor market is the language barrier. Even for those who have received a university degree in their home country, it can still make sense to obtain an additional degree in order to learn the complex technical language. It can take up to five years to fully integrate refugees into the German labor market.
Germany and the Refugee Story
Join our international experts for a Virtual Tour of Germany
The Richard von Weizsäcker Fellows at a Glance
Berlin
The Fellows at the German Bundestag
Bautzen (Saxony)
Roberto Bertollini on the mayor's campaign and what other politicians can learn from it
Spreehotel Bautzen
Dresden (Saxony)
Cologne
Meeting with Henriette Reker
Representing Muslim Interests in Germany
Mohammad Darawshe on the identity of the German-Turkish community
Sports: Tool for Integration
Stuttgart
At the Headquarters of the Robert Bosch Stiftung
Participating Speakers and Moderators
