The American Council on Germany and the Aspen Institute Germany have launched a virtual event series to provide a platform for subnational exchange and in-depth discussions amongst German and American state legislators on common transatlantic challenges. On April 21, Barbara Becker, Member of the State Parliament of Bavaria (CSU); Joschka Knuth, Member of the State Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein (Alliance 90/The Greens); Representative Ryan Mackenzie (R), Pennsylvania House of Representatives; and Representative Mari Manoogian (D), Michigan House of Representatives exchanged their views on how states deal with climate change and energy policy.
Each week, the American Council on Germany hosts a kaffeepause, or coffee break, with a journalist based in Berlin. On April 19, Sonja Gillert, Head of Audio for Die Welt, joined the ACG for a discussion on the political landscape in Germany, foreign policy, and the pandemic.
How does the climate crisis impact the current societal structures, both within and among nations? How can we use the climate crisis as an opportunity to reshape power structures? How is the fight for climate justice interconnected with the fight for feminism and how can a Feminist Foreign Policy address the current climate emergency? 1014 and CFFP, with the support of the ACG discussed these questions with Natalia Cardona Sanchez, Associate Director for Justice & Equity at 350.org, and Leonie Bremer, climate activist at Fridays for Future Germany. Moderated by Kristina Lunz, CFFP Co-Founder and Germany Co-Executive Director.
On April 13, the American Council on Germany, the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, the NVRC, and the Verband Region Stuttgart hosted a discussion with Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) and Cem Özdemir, Bundestag Member (The Greens) about the subnational dimension of foreign policy. The conversation was moderated by Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook, Executive Director of the Future of Diplomacy Project and Executive Director of The Project on Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship at the Harvard Kennedy School and Co-Director of the ACG’s Eric M. Warburg Chapter in Boston
Each week, the ACG hosts a Kaffeepause, or coffee break, with a Berlin-based journalist. On April 12, Gordon Repinski, Deputy Editor-in-Chief at The Pioneer, spoke about the political landscape of Germany leading up to the federal elections later this year.