2012

TWO-WEEK GERMANY PROGRAMS 2012
Summer and Fall


RIAS Germany Program – Summer
June 11–23, 2012

11 U.S. journalists participated in the 2-week Germany program. With Berlin as starting point they were also visiting Erfurt, Cologne, and the EU and NATO in Brussels.

 

 

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REPORTS OF PARTICIPANTS

Mike Cavender, RTDNA/F, Washington, D.C.

As RIAS celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and, with it, a partnership almost as long with RTDNF, it seemed an appropriate time for me to join the current class of RIAS Fellows during their intensive 2-week educational session in Germany and Belgium.

The goal of the RIAS program is to allow American journalists to get a first-hand look at the global events shaping the news and issues today in Europe. RIAS also provides for German journalists to learn about U.S. policy and media here in the states.

Of course, there couldn’t be a more opportune time for our visit than now, as the Euro crisis continues to grow and fester and Germany (as the continent’s leading financial power) finds itself pressured from all quarters to lead the efforts to pull Europe out of its mess. For an economic and policy wonk like myself, I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to visit with German leaders, EU policy makers and just regular Europeans — all of whom are wondering how the next chapter will play out.

From every indication, this group (like all those before) found the Fellowships both professionally rewarding and personally interesting. Some were seasoned travelers; some were first-time European visitors. But they all shared a common bond: to gain a better understanding of the world outside our own borders and a desire to see how those perspectives impacted the United States view of global affairs. And they came away with nothing less — and a whole lot more.

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RIAS Germany Program – Fall
September 3–16, 2012

The fall 2012 German-American Journalist Exchange Program featured briefings with top-level German political, business and media figures in Berlin and Dresden, along with international media figures in Prague, Czech Republic, before heading over to Brussels, Belgium, for meetings at the EU and NATO.

Berlin: meetings with commission members Peter R. Claussen and Dr. Richard Meng, Member of Parliament Hans-Ulrich Klose, Minister of State at the Federal Chancellory Eckhard von Klaeden, Member of State Parliament Berlin Özcan Mutlu, U.S. Deputy Charge of Mission James D. Melville, Jr. as well as visits to the public ARD and private N24/Sat1 news bureaus in Berlin
Dresden: talks with Dr. Georg Milbradt, former Prime Minister of Saxony, and Prof. Martin Gillo, Foreigners Commissioner of the Federal State of Saxony as well as visit of the VW Phaeton plant in Dresden
Prague: visits and talks to the German Embassy in Prague and to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Brussels: one-day visits to European Commission and NATO

 

 

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REPORTS OF PARTICIPANTS

Azadeh Ansari, CNN International, Atlanta, GA

Walking in the streets of Berlin, along the brick paved path where the Berlin Wall once stood, my mind’s eye would often wander through all the historical events that unfolded at the very spot where the soles of my green Puma shoes touched the pavement.

Just 25 years ago, it would be incomprehensible for anyone in the world to imagine the day where you could have your left foot in the former communist East and your right foot in the capitalist West, while snapping an Instagram photo on your iPhone with a mock Checkpoint Charlie security detail.

From the museums to the memorials and the hallmark pictogram signals of the pedestrian crosswalks, to the stark contrast in architectural styles — it’s evident just how much Germany’s past plays a prominent role in not only where it is today, but, where it is going in the future. The harmonious integration of old and new is omnipresent with every blink of an eye, turn of the head and step.

Through the entryway of The Brandenburg (Tor) Gate where Napoleon’s triumphant procession took place following the 1806 defeat of the Prussian army, the flags of the American Embassy blow in the wind, as tourists sit in Pariser Platz enjoying a Starbucks’ latte. A few blocks away, a 21st century futuristic glass dome protrudes from the reconstructed 19th century Reichstag (Parliament) building. It’s not just any glass dome, it’s German engineering at its best! Aside from being a major tourist attraction, The Reichstag dome is structured with a spiral ramp leading to a roof top terrace with a breathtaking, 360 degree view of some of the most iconic landmarks of Berlin (and might I add a great place to take a catnap).

The transparent design of the Reichstag dome and its central location symbolizes Berlin’s effort to move away from its dark past into a bright, unified future. An effort that was apparent at every level of Germany society.

From Potsdam to Prague, through the aesthetically jaw dropping city of Dresden, down the canals of the charming medieval landscapes of Bruges, the RIAS program exposed us to a kaleidoscope of experiences. All the while, spotlighting the integral role Germany continues to play both as a leader in Europe and on the world stage.

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