IBB News English

Europeans commemorate the catastrophe of Chernobyl from Sheffield to Charkiw

Tue, 08 May 2012 10:51:00 +0200

From Cadiz in South Spain over Münster in Germany to Sheffield in Great Britain – and from Huelva in Southwest Spain over Weimar until Doneszk in the East of the Ukraine the lights of solidarity are lit: In more than 110 cities in western and eastern Europe people lit candles on the 26^th anniversary of the reactor catastrophe of Chernobyl and commemorated its victims. The first Europe-wide action weeks for a future after Chernobyl and Fukushima (April, 22-29, 2012) – initiated by the IBB Dortmund – met an overwhelming positive response with candle events and around 300 time witness talks. “Just in Portsmouth 5000 people have listened attentively to the memories of time witnesses. In Poland the time witnesses were in great demand as well. By this kind of great feedback our partner organisations in Poland, Spain and Great Britain were positively surprised”, a positive summary is given by Peter Junge-Wentrup, CEO of the IBB Dortmund and initiator of the action weeks these days. 30 time witnesses from Belarus and Ukraine and for the first time also three time witnesses from Fukushima in Japan were placed by the IBB Dortmund with the participating constituencies and initiatives. They narrated in moving reports what kind of long-term consequences the radiation spread as a result of the Chernobyl tragedy has had on people and wide areas until today and under which existential fears the people live in the region Fukushima. For the time witness talks the IBB Dortmund has won the minister for Schools and Continuing Training in North Rhine-Westphalia, Sylvia Löhrmann, as a patron: “Chernobyl and now Fukushima are an admonisher for excessive believe in technology, and an admonisher for our manipulation of environment and energy. This technology is uncontrollable, because a single error leads to dramatic consequences.” She is glad to support the idea of the action weeks, she says in a greeting: “The action weeks create an European bond and testify the will to change.” The constituencies have enriched the action weeks with charity concerts (amongst others in Weimar) and many artistic projects and activities: Great attention received a German-Belorussian adolescent dance project in Mülheim, directed by choreographer Ulla Weltike for the 20^th anniversary of the Chernobyl children aid of Mülheim. The leader of the Duisburg dance-theatre performed Orff's Carmina Burana on 26^th April 2012 with around 80 adolescents from Germany and Belarus. The show in the nearly sold out city hall – under the patronage of the North Rhine-Westphalian health minister Barbara Steffens – was awarded with long-lasting elated applause. In Gelsenkirchen the exhibition “26 years after Chernobyl – a year after Fukushima” within the scope of “week of the sun” was opened. Time witness Jurij Watzkel is available for time witness talks until the 10^thMay 2012, amongst others within the scope of the job and education fair renewable energies and energy efficiency on the 4^th and 5^thMay 2012. A new memorial was uncovered to commemorate Chernobyl by the constituency Kamen within the scope of the Europe-wide action weeks. The constituency Rottweil pieced together origami cranes of hope, which were put together into a mobile. In Schneverdingen (Lower Saxony) special candles were cast for preparing the memorial event. The coalition Minden-Lübbecke sold artistic and philatelic rarities for a good cause: Stamps, which had been designed by Japanese students in 1991 at the Tajima-Festival in Fukushima under the direction of the mail-artist Peter Küstermann from Minden. The numbered original exemplars of the stamps , which were offered for sale, had warned amongst others about the dangers of nuclear energy already in 1991. “Chernobyl must not be forgotten, because with its consequences generations after us have to live”, asserts IBB CEO Peter Junge-Wentrup. The International Association for Education and Exchange in Dortmund had the idea for the action weeks in November 2011 and bundles the activities in the European network of the Chernobyl initiatives. Some activities in connection to the action weeks for a future after Chernobyl and Fukushima are being continued in the coming weeks and month: For example is the exhibition “Chernobyl – people - places – solidarity” shown on the 98. German Catholic Day from 16^th until 20^th May 2012 in Mannheim. Russian and Ukrainian versions of the exhibition are on their way since April for the European football championship 2012 in the Ukraine and are going to be exhibited in Belarus in autumn 2012. Photo: Former Liquidators commemorated the catastrophe at the Chernobyl memorial monument in Charkiw in the Ukraine. Photo: Oleg Zingerov

The German exhibition “Chernobyl: People. Places. Solidarity. Future” presented in Minsk

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 06:03:00 +0200

Opening of the exhibition in Dortmund in 2011 was dedicated to the 25^th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. The exhibition was shown in 50 cities and was visited by more than 42 thousand people.

- There are two main reasons for creation of this exhibition, - said Peter Junge-Wentrup, the chief executive officer of the Association for International Education and Exchange Dortmund. – Firstly it is necessary for preservation of memory about Chernobyl, because if we forget the disaster, we increase a possibility that it might repeat. When the exhibition was travelling around Germany the explosion in Fukushima occurred. This tragedy made the whole world look upon the issue of nuclear power in a different way. Secondly, we have no right to forget those people who sacrificed their lives in order to save the Europe.

The exhibition consists of a number of interactive stands devoted to different aspects of the catastrophe. Visitors can not only read the information, but also listen to recorded recollections of disaster fighters, watch the original video from the place of liquidation of consequences of the disaster, estimate a scale of the catastrophe with help of digital maps, get acquainted with information policy in the West and in the East in 1986 thanks to news items from German television.

Much attention is devoted to meetings with former disaster fighters and witnesses. In Germany about 870 such meetings were held, and all of them aroused interest of pupils and students.

- The meetings must be held also in those countries that suffered the catastrophe worst, - said Peter Junge-Wentrup. – It is also important to give the disaster fighters a possibility to participate in organization of the exhibition.

The exhibition will be adapted for Belarusians. It is planned to increase a number of stands devoted to the theme of energy sufficiency and renewable energy sources, as well as to a role of the government in a process of liquidation of the consequences of the disaster. All the suggestions will be received up to November, 2012 when the exhibition is planned to be opened.

After opening the exhibition will travel around Belarus and will visit 25 cities. Local initiatives will develop a support program which will include different additional events. For example, there were held 350 various support events in Germany during the exhibition tour. The organizations plan also to use the demonstration of the exhibition as a possibility to write down recollections of the witnesses.

- We look at the stands and see first of all the photos of our friends, of those who were with us in April 1986, - said Mikhail Obrazov, the disaster fighter. – It is really important to keep the memory about the heroism and those efforts that were made in order to save the life.

Much attention was paid also to the European solidarity movement which gave birth to a number of successful examples of cooperation between Belarus and Germany. Besides, as Peter Junge-Wentrup mentioned, Chernobyl is supposed to be regarded not only as the tragedy but also as a reminder about necessity to act, to implement renewable energy sources.

The book “25 Years after Chernobyl – European Solidarity and Culture of Memory” was also presented in IBB Minsk. This book is an attempt to systematize numerous initiatives working with Chernobyl issues. The book is free of charge. It can be ordered in IBB Minsk.

Foto: Evgenij Pomytkin

The Place of Common Work for the Future

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 19:55:00 +0200

On March, 22th, the History workshop of IBB Minsk celebrated its birthday. The celebration became a summing up of the carried out work. It has been done really a lot. More than 40 published books, organization of interest clubs for pupils, a number of projects covering work with former prisoners of concentration camps and Eastern workers – it is far not the whole list of programs accomplished by the History Workshop. - The History Workshop was created in order to discover “white spots” in the history of Jews nation’s suffering, - said Leonid Levin, the chief of the Union of Belarusian Jewish Public Associations and Communities. – From that time the Workshop has expanded a range of its work and turned also to other aspects of World War Two. Mr. Levin underlined that the History Workshop contributes much to strengthening of relations between Belarusian and German people. On the other hand, Leonid Levin made special mention of the Workshop’s work with the youth. - Most textbooks tell in few words about the tragedy of the Jew people. The School of the History Workshop will help the youth to comprehend this issue better. Pupils together with their teachers collect and record recollections of former prisoners. Volunteers work in all the regions of Minsk. During 2012 ten books with “living voices” were issued. Ten manuscripts were translated into German. Now a forming of a digital achieve is in process. - The History Workshop is a union of pupils and teachers, students and tutors, volunteers and diplomats, - Kuzma Kozak, the director of the History Workshop, is sure. Implementation of these books into the Belarusian system of education is supposed to become the next step, because, as Kuzma Kozak considers, our history is not complete without these memories. Thanks to the Workshop’s work seven stones in memory of deported and killed in Minsk Jews had been opened at the former Jewish cemetery near the house where the History Workshop is situated. The opening of the seventh memorial was held on the birthday day with participation of the delegation from Frankfurt am Main. - The History Workshop is a place, where people can meet each other, exchange their memories and let free their feelings, - said Peter Dettmar, the deputy ambassador of the Embassy of the Federative Republic of Germany in Belarus. – A person was and will be always in the centre of the History Workshop’s work. Geography of Kindness with Eternal Memory about the Victims March, 22 the ceremony of opening of a stone in memory of deported from Frankfurt am Main and killed in Minsk Jews was held. In the morning of 12 November 1941 about a thousand citizens of Frankfurt am Main were forced to board the train to Minsk with the aim to “settle in the Eastern Europe”. They had some luggage and a dim hope for salvation. The illusion dispersed at Minsk railway station. November, 17 they found themselves in the epicenter of the Wehrmacht’s terror. From a thousand of the deported only ten survived. - We do not know these citizens of Frankfurt am Maine, as we do not know personally other victims of the Nazi regime, but today they speak up to us: “Create your geography of kindness and accord”, - said Boris Gersten, vice chief of the Union of Belarusian Jewish Public Associations and Communities. – It is good that we open this memorial as a sign of our memory, but it would have been better if history had not given us a reason for remembrance days connected to the Holocaust. - We all are here because we are sure that the future is possible only if we keep the memory that will be a warning for the future, - said Friedhelm Pieper, the authorized representative on development and cooperation in Europe issues of the Ecumenist Centre of Evangelist Church of Gessen and Nassau. Mr. Pieper expressed his hope for the work carried out by IBB Minsk would continue to contribute to strengthening of relations between Belarusian and German people in order to find a way toward the peaceful Europe together. Mikhail Treister, the former prisoner of Minsk ghetto, a member of the Belarusian Public Union of Jews – Former Prisoners of Ghetto and Nazi Concentration Camps, made a short introduction into the history of development of the culture of memory. - Most citizens of Frankfurt am Main know little about the deportation, - said Mr. Treister. – That is why the opening of the memorial is important also with the purpose to inform a nowadays generation about the tragedy of the Holocaust. The pantheon of memory stones created according to the project of Leonid Levin, the architect and the chief of the Union of Belarusian Jewish Public Associations and Communities became a part of the History Workshop’s work aimed at preservation of the memory for the future. A member of the Board of Directors of IBB Minsk Manfred Zabel expressed gratitude to citizens of Frankfurt am Main and Minsk city administration for the possibility of establishment of this memorial. - We are staying on the graves of killed Jews from the whole Europe, - said Mr. Zabel, - that is why it is so important for us to manage to build the common society according to the principles of Johannes Rau who spoke about reconciliation and mutual understanding.
- The tragedy of World War Two concerns every Belarusian family, - said at the ceremony the vice chief of the Department on Culture of Minsk city executive committee Sergei Medvedev, – Opening this memorial we have a chance to pay tribute to the victims of genocide. Frida Reizman, the former prisoner of Minsk ghetto shared her recollections:
- Those departed loved their Motherland, Germany, they trusted their neighbors and classmates, but those people had already been butchers. A number a future writers, poets, scientists whom Germany could have been proud of, were killed. Today we must transmit our recollections to our children and grandchildren in order not to let such the horrible time be repeated, because the man is born to live and to create, and nobody has a right to take it away.

Aktion Mensch grants new project for Belarus

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:50:00 +0100

Green light for the follow-up project for further development of handicapped aid in Belarus: The Aktion Mensch has granted the Association for International Education and Exchange a subsidy of nearly 37 000 Euro. The IBB is able to continue its ongoing work for further development of specialists and leading co-workers in handicapped aid with it. “We have laid good foundation in the past years with different projects and in diverse target groups for a modern attitude towards handicapped people”, asserts Herbert Wohlhüter looking back on what has been reached, who formerly worked in the administration of the Bethel foundation in Bielefeld.

The current project schedules a period of six month for two big expert conferences in Belarus and two field excursions to Germany in. The target group are psychiatrists and medical experts, who work in the aid for handicapped and mentally ill people. The planed further education conferences and the field excursions are going to be realised in cooperation with the parent organisation BeladpiMi and the health ministry of the republic of Belarus. As regards content it is about the realisation of the UN conventions for the rights of disabled people.

For March 2012 a conference with international speakers is planned in Belarus. Two field excursions to Germany are going to follow and illustrate the theoretic knowledge with examples in practice in North Rhine-Westphalia. In September 2012 the project is supposed to end with an evaluation and closure conference in Belarus. With regards to content it is about new scientific insights and concepts for social inclusion of people with mental handicaps and chronically mentally ill people.

The leading member for years of the IBB programmes for further development of work with disabled people in Belarus has been Herbert Wohlhüter. The Bodelschwinghschen foundation Bethel have proven themselves as an expert cooperation partner. Wohlhüter was the chairman of the IBB from 2003 to 2008.

Chernobyl exhibition during the european football championship in the Ukraine

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:39:00 +0100

The new travelling exhibition “Living with Chernobyl” by the IBB is going to be officially opened in Kiev on 13. April 2012 and is to be shown afterwards in 25 cities in the Ukraine and from October 2012 in further 25 cities in Belarus. The exhibition is a further developed version of the exhibition “25 years after Chernobyl – people – locations – solidarity”, which was shown by the IBB in the past year in 49 cities in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. It reminds us of the facts about the reactor catastrophe, contains reports from time witnesses and information on the unrivalled European solidarity movement, which was generated by the disaster. For the Ukraine, which is going to be the venue of the European football championship in Spring, the display was complemented with information about renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Support programme Belarus enables partnership at eye level

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:14:00 +0100

On the 10. February the conference “Perspectives of social partnership” was opened in the International Education and Exchange site ”Johannes Rau“ Minsk (IBB Minsk). The event presents the results of German- Belorussian partnership projects within the scope of the fifth stage of the support programme Belarus “Overcoming boundaries” by the German federal government, which is going to be completed in March 2012. Another focus of the event is the strategic development of a partnership between Belorussian civil society, governmental structures and the economy. In the ten years of existence the support programme Belarus has realised 180 projects. Solely in the last phase 42 projects took part in the support programme. These centred on topics of energy efficiency & renewable energy, adult education, sustainable regional development and social affairs. “Central for these projects is the partnership between German and Belorussian initiatives”, explains Peter Junge-Wentrup, executive of the IBB non-profit close corporation Dortmund (IBB Dortmund). „These partnerships between Belorussian and German organisations live from the initiative of its supporters. It is important for us that they develop on their own outside of the support programme. The agents of civil society have reached a very high competence level and by now the process is highly networked, in which asides from initiatives also representatives of public authorities , churches and economy are involved. This fact makes the cooperation process even more successful.” Junge-Wentrup expressed his gratitude to all German and Belorussian politicians, who have promoted the support programme Belarus: ”Irrespective of all political conflicts of opinion and intermission of the dialogue, representatives of politics have understood that a National Diplomacy, like it exists in our projects, has to be retained.” His hope for a continuation of the constructive dialogue was also addressed by Sergej Malinovskij, deputy chief of the department Europe, and department chief for bilateral collaboration of the Belorussian foreign ministry. ”The manifold contacts between different Belorussian and German structures and the reliable human relationships are the basis of a global community and true amicable relationships between states.” Christof Weil, ambassador of the German Federal Republic in Belarus, praised the recipe for success of the support programme: “Building up trust – across boundaries - that is the most important aspect, way more important than cash resources, a sustainable progress in the issue is going to be reached when it is institutionalised, collaboration that transcends sectors and across boundaries and the use of the principle of subsidiarity, how they do it – which means, to choose the partner, who is closest to the problem – all of this constitutes the recipe for success of their work. Viktor Balakirev, the Belorussian director of the IBB Minsk, emphasises that in the support programme Belarus, in contrast to traditional humanitarian help, sharing know-how and innovative approaches is the main focus: “Hundreds of German initiatives tend their contacts to their Belorussian partners since the 1990s. In the past they brought us, metaphorically speaking, fish, thanks to the support programme we now have attained a fishing rod with which we can realise our own projects by ourselves and exert influence on different domains. The value of the partnership within the support programme lies in the possibilities, which are brought about by the exchange of experience, knowledge and experts.” Astrid Sahm, former German director of the IBB Minsk and chief of the fifth stage of the support programme Belarus, elucidated the developmental dynamic in the support programme: “On the one hand the main aims of the support programme stay the same – cross-border and intersectoral collaboration as well as principals of sustainable development. On the other hand we can see a dynamic development within the progress of the single phases of the programme: Today we do not talk about launching the dialogue between governmental and non governmental institutions in single projects any more. Rather, we have encouraged and accompanied a regular dialogue, which warrants that there is not only a spontaneous, but a systematic partnership in those areas, with which the support programme deals with. To name a concrete example: in all Belorussian regions act civil councils for agri-tourism now.” Igor Karpenko, deputy chairman of the executive committee of Minsk, assured the listeners of the partnership of the city council: “The city's executive committee is ready to support the support programme, take part in collaborative projects and carry out financial contributions.” “In the centre of the work of the support programme”, closed Junge-Wentrup the discussion, “are the human being and his dignity. The goal of the German-Belorussian partnership consists of the aim that children, old and disabled people can take part in the life of society. When realising projects of the support programme the German and Belorussian partners work hand in hand at eye level and can learn from each other.”

IBB Dortmund opens representation office in Berlin

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:18:00 +0100

For the International Association for Education and Exchange in Dortmund (IBB) a long fostered dream comes true: Today, Wednesday 1st February 2012, the IBB representation office opens its doors in Berlin. Dr. Astrid Sahm, political scientist and lastly German co-director of the IBB “Johannes Rau” in Minsk for six years, is going to be chief of the youngest branch of the IBB.

With the office in the capital the IBB wants to intensify the dialogue with political representatives. In the past IBB member Dr. Lutz Brügmann had taken on the task of the Berlin representative – but without an own office.

The new IBB branch is situated at the Ludwigkirchplatz, close to the Kurfürstendamm, which is not far from the German Bundestag (Federal parliament). In the house of the well-known foundation of science and politics the expert of Eastern Europe Dr. Astrid Sahm is going to be the contact partner for all questions concerning Ukraine, Belarus and the reactor catastrophe of Chernobyl and the consequences of radiation.

The representation office Berlin is going to be officially presented and ceremonially opened within the scope of the partnership conference 2012, to which the IBB is inviting to Berlin from the 18. until the 21st October 2012.

The contact coordinates of the new representation Berlin:

Internationales Bildungs- und Begegnungswerk (IBB)
Repräsentanz Berlin
Dr. Astrid Sahm
c/o Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik
Ludwigkirchplatz 3-4
D-10719 Berlin
Tel.: +49 (030) 88007-474.
E-Mail: sahmibb-d.de.

Holocaust memory: "Germans have found the strength to repend"

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0100

Before the International Holocaust Remembrance Day IBB History Workshop held a forum “Oblivion is not Possible: Lessons of the Holocaust”. Former prisoners of concentration camps and ghettos, volunteers, representatives of government institutions and non-government organizations gathered together at Minsk school № 133 in order to honor the memory of Jews killed during the World War II and to contribute to prevention of the Holocaust from repeat. "The Holocaust should never repeat, that is why we must develop common culture of remembrance", said Viktor Balakirev, director of IBB Minsk. "Today we must tell about fortunes of those whose human dignity was trampled during many years. We can feel the pain of the victims through acquaintance with biographies of concrete people."
Irina Schaja-Zubrova, the director of Minsk school № 133, is sure that recollections of witnesses of the war are essential for history studies: "Studying of war history may develop morality if it is based on learning of personal live stories. That is why we make an emphasis on reflection of the war through the eyes of our pupils’ grandparents. The witnesses pass away, and we must let them tell about the real face of fascism that they saw so closely. It will help our children understand that every single person has a debt not to tolerate violence, Nazism and chauvinism." From the very beginning of its existence the History Workshop has worked on publication of the war witnesses’ memories. Some former prisoners write their biographies themselves, stories of others are recorded by volunteers within the project “Verbal History”.
"More than 1 million 100 thousand Jews from different countries were killed only in Auschwitz. Among us there are people whose names were changed for numbers. They went through ‘hell on earth’, as Leonid Levin, the chairman of the Union of Belarusian Jewish Public Associations and Communities, called Auschwitz. We must listen carefully to them, because a nation that has forgotten its history is doomed to repeat it", Kuzma Kozak, the director of IBB History Workshop, summed up. The ambassador of the Federative Republic of Germany Dr. Christof Weil was also present at the meeting. "Germans of my generation were growing up with a burden of fascist crimes", the ambassador told. "The weight of historical responsibility for what has been done will lie also on next generations of Germans. I appreciate deeply those signs of reconciliation that I see in Belarus." Dr. Christof Weil wished those present to do everything to prevent the Holocaust from repeat. Leonid Levin, the chairman of the Union of Belarusian Jewish Public Associations and Communities added to these words a wish to stay always honest. " Today we can and we must tell the truth", underlined Leonid Levin. "Nazis brought a lot of pain to Jewish nation, the whole culture was destroyed. However it is not possible to live with a head turned back. Germans have found the strength to repent and to look into our and each other’s eyes."

Holocaust memory: IBB raises educational journeys to Auschwitz

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:15:00 +0100

The Association for International Education and Exchange Dortmund (IBB) has been offering educational journeys for pupils to Auschwitz since its foundation in 1986. The number of journeys has erratically increased in the year 2011 to 24, the number of participants to 848. This equals a doubling. “The interest has noticeably grown”, reports IBB employee Burkhard Grahn, who has planned the programme. The excursions are supported by grants of North Rhine-Westphalia’s new foundation called “Erinnern ermöglichen”. Nearly 70 years afterwards still encounters with time witnesses of national socialism
Every journey to the memorial place Auschwitz - which has become the symbol for the systematic holocaust of the Jews of Europe – the IBB designs individually. An important role play encounters with time witnesses of the holocaust, which the IBB can offer today – nearly 70 years afterwards. “25 years ago many adolescents had time witnesses in their family, who could report about the crimes and the victims of the holocaust out of their own view”, knows Grahn.
To see with one's own eyes what others know only from the schoolbook, leaves a deep impression with the adolescents. Capturing the size of the camp, entering the left over buildings, smelling the specific smell of the location and entering by oneself through its gate, over which the cynical heading “work makes (one) free” - opens an immediate access to this chapter of history, which dates back 67 years. Sorrow, mercy, anger or desperation are feelings, which have to be handled. Before the journey back the travellers hold a small commemoration ceremony in memory of the victims and express their hope for a peaceful joint future.
Our picture shows the results of an hour of remembrance by adolescents in Auschwitz (in January 20122): Red and white carnations are symbols of their grief and compassion, enclosed in quotes of famous contemporaries and the adolescents wish: “Never again!” is engraved on one ribbon, their request “Say no!” on another. The picture has been kindly made available to us by Thomas Oppermann.

Chernobyl weeks: IBB idea excites in Spain

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:35:00 +0100

The idea of European Chernobyl weeks also excites the Spanish. Dr. Isolde Baumgärtner, member of the IBB and author of the book “Chernobyl and the European solidarity movement”, had the chance to present the ideas in front of representatives from more than a dozen Spanish Chernobyl initiatives at the end of the ear 2011. The activists, who mainly came from Madrid and the Southern Spanish region Andalusia and Murcia, showed themselves impressed by the plans and agreed to support them. The offer to arrange time witness talks with former liquidators from the Ukraine and Belarus met great interest. The idea of the Chernobyl weeks is supposed to be supported around the 16^th anniversary, the 16. April 2012, in as many European cities as possible. Interested persons, who want to participate can informally contact the IBB via e-mail or telephone under 0049-231-952096-0. Our photo originated at a candle event for the 25^th anniversary in Spain.