The spread of COVID-19 and the ensuing global lock-down as governments try to slow the spread of the corona virus has tested individuals and institutions around the world. Since March of 2020, the ACG has stepped up its digital programming by hosting webinars and video discussions which bring together policy makers and thought leaders from both sides of the Atlantic to discuss some of the key issues shaping transatlantic relations in an unprecedented time. In addition to organizing events on its own, the ACG has also partnered with other organizations such as 1014 and Atlantik-Brücke to launch new series designed to reach beyond the ACG community.
In 2020 St. Louis and Stuttgart are celebrating the 60th anniversary of their sister city relationship which was established to encourage people-to-people and government-to-government interaction. Since 1960, numerous exchanges have taken place between the two cities that have included: business and government leaders, medical professionals, high school and university students and faculty, choral groups, chamber musicians, ballet troupes, orchestras, and athletes.
During this discussion Lyda Krewson, Mayor of St. Louis, and Fritz Kuhn, Lord Mayor of Stuttgart talked about about this successful sister city relationship, the local impact of COVID-19, and how they are addressing climate change, among other topics.
This event is part of a series of [Virtual] Transatlantic Town Halls: German-American Mayors Forum, which is being organized by the American Council on Germany under the auspices of WunderbarTogether USA 2020, a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by the Goethe-Institut.
On October 21, the Freunde des ACG and the ACG hosted a discussion on cybersecurity and the upcoming US election with Dr. Sandro Gaycken, Founder and Director of Digital Society Institute at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin, and Wolfram von Heynitz, Deputy Consul General of Germany in New York and former Head of Cyber Foreign Policy and Cyber Security at the Federal Foreign Office. The discussion was moderated by Young Leader alumna Kathryn Harrison, Founder and CEO of the DeepTrust Alliance.
The sister city relationship between Charlotte and Krefeld was established in 1986. Krefeld’s industrial economy and the common influence of the textile industries was one of the original reasons for the partnership. In the intervening years since then, both cities have undergone significant structural change. On October 20, the ACG talked with Julie Eiselt, Mayor Pro Tem in Charlotte, and Frank Meyer, Lord Mayor of Krefeld, about the current issues confronting their respective cities – and how they are preparing for the future.
This event is part of a series of [Virtual] Transatlantic Town Halls: German-American Mayors Forum, which is being organized by the American Council on Germany under the auspices of WunderbarTogether USA 2020, a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by the Goethe-Institut.
Over the past 75 years, globalization and global governance have been strongholds of universal peace and prosperity. More recently, multilateral institutions struggle to enable shared, fair and effective solutions for crisis phenomena such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. On October 16, 2020, the fourth #R2EN session “The Future of the Multilateral Order” featured Robert B. Zoellick, Former President of the World Bank, U.S. Trade Representative and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, and Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank. The virtual discussion was moderated by Dr. Stormy-Annika Mildner, Head of External Policy at the Federation of German Industries (BDI).
This event is part of the virtual Road to Election Night & Beyond, which the ACG organizes in cooperation with several Berlin-based transatlantic institutions and political foundations.
When the pandemic struck, millions of people across the United States and in Germany were forced to work from home and attend school remotely. While for many, this was an easy transition; others were left without access to high-speed internet and computers or tablets. The digital divide broke down along economic and racial lines – showing that structural racism runs deeper than many previously thought. On October 12, the ACG hosted a discussion on how the digital divide results from racial and income inequality with Janina Kugel, former Siemens AG senior executive who has extensive experience in the fields of human resources and diversity; and Apjit Walia, Managing Director and the Global Head of Technology Investment Strategy at Deutsche Bank.