Conference Draft Program
"A Player and not just a Payer?"
The Work of German Political Foundations abroad
with a special focus on Israel and the Palestinian Territories
Ruhr-University of Bochum, Technologiezentrum Ruhr (TZR)
Room: Witten/Hattingen
June 1, 2016:
13:00-13:30 Welcome and Opening
* Anna ABELMANN, Ruhr University Bochum
* Katharina KONAREK, University of Haifa
13:30-15:30 Panel I: The Work of German Political Foundations and other NGOs from a Historical Perspective
Chair: Katharina KONAREK, University of Haifa
* Ido PORAT, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
* Anna ABELMANN, Ruhr University Bochum
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
16:00-18:00 Panel II: German Political Foundation and Think Tanks in Foreign Policy Analysis
Chair: Anna Abelmann, Ruhr University Bochum
* Walter KLITZ, Director Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation Jerusalem
* Dr. Ernst KERBUSCH, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Bonn
* Muhammed AMMASH, Global Political Trends Center Istanbul
18:00 Light Buffet
June 2, 2016
09:00-11:00 Panel III: Work in Peace and Conflict Situations: German Political Foundations between Ramallah, Tel Aviv and Berlin
Chair: Prof. Michael WALA, Ruhr University Bochum
* Marc FRINGS, Director Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation Ramallah
* Idit SELTENREICH, Israeli Embassy Berlin (ret.)
* Prof. Dani KRANZ, University of Wuppertal
11:00-11:30 Coffee Break
11:30-13:00 Discussion Round: Die Quadratur des Kreises? Zur Auslandsarbeit deutscher politischer Stiftungen
Moderation: Christopher DINKELAKER (Journalist) & Tobias PIETSCH (Journalist)
* Dr. Aref HAJJAJ, Palestine Forum
* Riad OTHMAN, Medico
* Idit SELTENREICH, Israeli Embassy Berlin (ret.)
* Walter KLITZ, Director Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation, Jerusalem
13:00-14:30 Lunch
14:30-16:00 Panel IV: At Home and Abroad: German Political Foundations and the legal Aspects
Chair: Anna ABELMANN, Ruhr University Bochum
* Prof. Eli SALZBERGER, University of Haifa
* Dr. Heike MERTEN, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf
16:00-16:30 Coffee Break
16:30-17:30 Keynote Speech: "Germany in Israel - Now and Then"
Prof. Fania OZ-SALZBERGER, University of Haifa
19:00 Conference Dinner
(participants only)
June 3, 2016
09:00-11:00 Panel V: Looking back, looking ahead: German Political Foundations in a Globalized World
Chair: Prof. Dani KRANZ, University of Wuppertal
* Katharina KONAREK, University of Haifa
* Amaal ABU GOSH, International Peace & Cooperation Center Jerusalem
* Jörg SCHULTZ, Rosa-Luxemburg-Foundation Berlin
11:00-11:30 Coffee Break
11:30-12:00 Closing Remarks & Feedback
* Anna ABELMANN, Ruhr University Bochum
* Katharina KONAREK, Haifa University
End of Conference
***
Announcement:
Conference at the Ruhr University Bochum, June 1-3, 2016:
A Player and not just a Payer?
The Work of German Political Foundations abroad
with a special focus on Israel and the
Palestinian Territories
What role do the German political foundations play in the international arena? What impact do they have on the German foreign policy? Are they think tanks, independent political actors or an instrument of the foreign office? How do they influence the political landscape in the countries, they are working in? How did and do they influence the development of bilateral relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and other countries? These questions should be discussed during the conference. A special focus should be on the case study of German political foundations in Israel and Palestine as a sample for the worldwide work of the foundations and with regard to the unique character of the German-Israeli relations and its development during the last 60 years. Today, all six German foundations have been active in the region for many years. The development of the bilateral relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and Israel and the German approach towards the Palestinian questions as well as the large amount of projects in a geographically small area offers a great opportunity to analyze the work of the foundations and their influence. Furthermore, the case of Israel and the Palestinian Territories are a blue print of the problems of strengthening democracy in the specific political and social framework of the Middle East. Politics in Israel and Palestine have nationwide relevance and are also one of the main topics in German foreign policy. That is why these cases are (1) ideal to show the foundations capacity to act as a pioneer in complicated or non-existing bilateral relations between two states and (2) ideal for monitoring the influence of German political foundations on German foreign policy and on the political landscape itself.
***
Pictures
from our Workshop on "New Gatekeepers in a Globalized World?
The Israeli Transparency Bill" are now available here
and here.
***
Workshop at HCGES, Haifa University, March 16, 2016
New
Gatekeeper in a Globalized World?
The Israeli Transparency Bill
Legal and Political Aspects of the Work of Israeli NGOs Supported from Abroad
Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Venue: Dormitory Club, University of Haifa
9:00-9:15 Welcome
Prof. Eli Salzberger, Director, HCGES
9:15-9:45 Keynote Speech
NN, Ministry of Justice
9:45-11:15 Session 1: Legal Perspectives
Chair: Prof. Amnon Reichmann, Faculty of Law
- Prof. Jonathan
Yovel, University of Haifa
- Debbie Gild-Hayo, Association for Civil Rights in Israel
- Dr. Giovanni Quer, University of Haifa
11:15-11:30 Coffee Break
11:30-13:00 Session 2: Political Perspectives
Chair: Dr. Ayelet Banai, HCGES and School of Political Science- Kerstin Müller, Director, Heinrich Böll Stiftung Israel
- Yariv Oppenheimer, Director, Peace Now
- Anna Abelman, Ruhr-University of Bochum
13:00-13:15 Conclusion
Katharina Konarek, HCGES
Program as PdF
***
About the Project
The research field of political foundations in Germany and their international activities, networks and history is a relatively new aspect in the academic discourse regarding international relations. What are the foundations’ roles in the international arena and within the German foreign policy itself? How do they influence the bilateral relations between Germany and other countries? Do they have an impact on the political development in their host countries and if they do, what are the results, goals and motives?
Based on two PhD
projects, this project seeks to explore the field of German
political foundations work abroad with a special focus on
Israel, the Westbank and Gaza as case studies of the
foundations' worldwide activities and with regard to the
unique character of the German-Israeli relations and the
constant conflict situation in the region.
Within the framework of a workshop at the University of Haifa
and a three-day conference at the Ruhr University of Bochum,
we aim to explore the role, goals, functions, development and
history of German political foundations in this region by
bringing together representatives of the political
foundations, partner organizations and academic researchers
from Germany and the Middle East to discuss various aspects of
this research field and to strengthen the network between
researchers and professionals.
The project is organized by Anna Abelmann (Ruhr University of
Bochum, Germany) and Katharina Konarek (University of Haifa,
Israel) and funded by the RUB research school.