Mar 10, 2017

Transatlantic Friendship

2017 marks the 100th birthday of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy. FEZ-Berlin (www.fez-berlin.de) together with the State Institute for Schools and Media, the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, the German-American Fulbright Commission, the American Jewish Committee, the Foundation “Topography of Terror” and the Ministries of Education of Berlin and Brandenburg will commemorate the memory of John F. Kennedy by focusing on democratic values and the future of the transatlantic friendship. On October 17, 2017, 300 pupils from 20 different schools in Berlin and Brandenburg will come together for a Youth Conference on Transatlantic Relations to meet with fellows of the Fulbright Commission, meet with witnesses of Kennedy’s visit to Berlin, and prepare a plenary discussion with high-ranking policy makers of transatlantic relations.

Learning about Senator Fulbright's vision from Charlotte Securius-Carr and Ines Horbert (Fulbright Commission)
As part of the preparations 12 pupils from the Paul Löbe Schule and the 3. Gesamtschule Eisenhüttenstadt are visiting important institutions in Berlin that are actively strengthening the transatlantic ties between Germany and the U.S. Together with the photographer Rainer Sioda (www.rainersioda.de) and FEZ-Project Manager Michael Kunsmann they will meet with these players and discuss their work while taking portraits. The first visit of the group was to the Fulbright Commission on February 15, 2017, where they learned about Senator Fulbright's vision for mutual understanding and the work of the Fulbright staff. On March 22, 2017, the pupils will be visiting the U.S. Embassy. The final exhibition will then be opened at the conference at FEZ-Berlin on October 17 and then travel to interested institutions and schools.


The program is part of an ongoing discursive educational work with the principal aim, in the words of Senator Fulbright: “What we can do through the creative power of education, is to expand the boundaries of human wisdom, sympathy and perception.”

The pupils were conducting interviews and taking photos in preparation for the conference exhibition.

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