Annual Report 2007 - Hanns Seidel Foundation€¦ · Heinrich Oberreuter(2nd from left),Paula Bockensteiner(3rd from left) and Hans Zehetmair (right) Retired German President Roman

Annual Report 2007

JB2007_englisch.qxd 04.06.2008 10:44 Uhr Seite 17

short version english

Dr. h.c. mult. Hans Zehetmair

Chairman

Hanns Seidel Foundation, Munich, Germany

Minister of State (ret.)

Hanns Seidel Foundation · Lazarettstr. 33 · D-80636 Munich · GermanyPhone: ++49 (89) 12 58-0 · Fax: ++49 (89) 12 58-356Internet: www.hss.de · E-Mail: [email protected].: H. Klingsbögl · Translation: Karin Weidlich · Layout: Adacon GmbH

Office for Foreign Relations

Academy for Politics andCurrent Affairs

Institute for Adult CivicEducation

Scholarship Organization Institute for internationalContact and Cooperation

General Manager

Dr. Peter Witterauf

Chairman

Dr.h.c.mult. Hans Zehetmair,

Liaison Bureaus

Hanns Seidel Foundation

Simplified organigram

Minister of State (ret.)


Dr. Peter Witterauf

General Manager

Hanns Seidel Foundation, Munich, Germany

MISSION ANDM I S S I O N A N D S C O P E

O F A C T I V I T I E S

SCOPE OFACTIVITIES

M I S S I O N A N D S C O P E O F A C T I V I T I E S 3

The Hanns Seidel Foundation currently fulfils its mission in a

true Christian spirit in no less than 58 countries the world over.

In all, 269 employees work for the Hanns Seidel Foundation in

Germany and abroad. They are spread out among the

Headquarters in Munich, 90 joint development projects, the

Banz Monastery and Wildbad Kreuth Training Centres, the

Munich Conference Centre, Berlin Office, and our Liaison

Bureaus in Brussels, Moscow, and Washington.

We have been committed to our fundamental philosophy of

“Serving Democracy, Peace and Development” since 1967.

The various activities of the Foundation are split up into four

Departments.

The Academy for Politics and Current Affairs conducts and

offers practice-oriented political advisory services. Fundamen-

tal data and information for political decisions are compiled on

a scientific basis, just as the Academy organises conferences

and publishes various studies, reports and other publications.

The Institute for Adult Civic Education promotes democratic

and civic education among broad groups of the population.

The primary objective is to increase and promote the political

involvement of citizens.

The Scholarship Organization promotes the development of

scholars. Further activities pursued by this Department are

media politics and the promotion of young journalists.The pri-

mary mission is to offer young, up-and-coming university and

college graduates specific support and promotion.

The Institute for International Contact and Cooperation pro-

motes international cooperation in development projects, con-

centrating on vocational training, the promotion of adminis-

trative systems, consultation and advice for parties and govern-

ments, activities for the improvement of the infrastructure, etc.

The Hanns Seidel Foundation is a registered association dedi-

cated exclusively and directly to public interests. The mission

and commitment of the Association is

➧ to promote the democratic and civic education of the German

population on the basis of Christian values,

➧ to promote education, popular and vocational training in-

cluding the support of students, in particular by giving indi-

viduals with appropriate talents and character values access

to scientific and research training,

➧ to promote science, in particular by conducting scientific

studies and research,

➧ to promote an international spirit and communication

among nations as well as the unification of Europe, in par-

ticular by inviting foreign groups and supporting travel

abroad,

➧ to promote cultural causes, in particular by supporting the

upkeep and maintenance of works of culture and support-

ing the care and preservation of monuments,

➧ to promote foreign aid and development.

For the complete text of the foundation’s statutes, please

see the internet at www.hss.de/downloads/statutes.pdf,

where further details may be downloaded.

The Hanns Seidel Foundation was founded in 1967 and is named

after Dr. Hanns Seidel (October 12th, 1901– August 5th, 1961),

Minister President of Bavaria from 1957 to 1960. For further

information please see the internet at www.hss.de/4343.shtml


4 A C A D E M Y F O R P O L I T I C S A N D C U R R E N T A F F A I R S

ACADEMY F0R POLITICS AND

CURRENTAFFAIRS

A C A D E M Y F O R P O L I T I C S A N D C U R R E N T A F FA I R S

MISSION OF THE ACADEMY FOR POLITICS

AND CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Academy for Politics and Current Affairs identifies and

analyses trends, focuses on new problems, and presents vari-

ous options for action based on different scenarios.We see our

mission in developing medium- and longterm problem

solution strategies in the most significant areas of political,

social, and economic life.

In its activities, the Academy focuses not only on the heuristic

values of scientific analysis, but also on the political and social

relevance of academic work. Providing practice-oriented polit-

ical advice, the results of such activities should provide the ba-

sis for political decisions.

In all, the Academy has conducted no less than 87 events

(expert meetings, workshop talks, and round tables) with a

total of 7,200 participants.

Academy for Politics andCurrent Affairs

Events and meetings have been held at the Munich

Conference Centre, the Wildbad Kreuth and Kloster Banz

Training Centres in Bavaria, and in Berlin.

The POLITICAL STUDIES have been published as six bi-month-

ly periodicals. The Academy has also published the series

“Statements and Materials on Contemporary History“, of

“Current Analyses“, and of “Reports & Studies“.

The winners of the Young Talent in Political Journalism Award 2006/07:Johann Osel, Matthias Bauer, Timm Betz and Maxim Garskov, withHeinrich Oberreuter (2nd from left), Paula Bockensteiner (3rd from left)and Hans Zehetmair (right)

Retired German President Roman Herzog was a guest at the speaking event“Europe – Vision and Reality” on 11 May 2007

“German reunification – Decisions and Failures” was the topic of theevent on 29 November 2007, at which Theo Waigel, WilfriedScharnagl and Richard Schröder gave speeches and participated indiscussions


I N S T I T U T E F O R A D U L T C I V I C E D U C A T I O N 5

INSTITUTE FORI N S T I T U T E F O R

A D U LT C I V I C E D U C AT I O N

ADULT CIVICEDUCATION

➧ Democracy and democratic reform

➧ Renewable energies

➧ Youth crime – causes and effects

➧ Is Islam a world power?

➧ Children and consumption

➧ The German Army and its deployment worldwide

➧ Training and education in Bavaria

➧ Demographic change in rural areas

➧ Climate change

➧ The professional future of Europe

➧ Private nursing insurance reform

➧ Protecting young people on the internet

➧ Business locations in rural areas –

future perspectives for communities

ACTIVITIES OF THE INSTITUTE FOR

ADULT CIVIC EDUCATION

The Training Institute offers seminars for political training

based on the values of Christianity. With each democracy

being required to rely on the active participation of democrat-

ically minded citizens, we seek to encourage participants to

show such a significant commitment and give them the neces-

sary skills.

Factual information, opportunities to discuss matters of inter-

est and exchange experience, as well as a close focus on the

subject matter involved all serve this cause in a particular

manner.

Seminars are conducted at the Kloster Banz and Wildbad

Kreuth Training Centres. Further events are held at the Munich

Conference Centre and in various parts of Bavaria.

In all, some 53,987 participants attended the 1,520 seminars.

Some examples of the seminars held in 2007:

➧ University research as part of the Bavarian cluster initiative

➧ Religion and politics

➧ Uni plus – qualification strategies for global competition

➧ Freedom in the era of scientific progress

➧ Market, might and morals

➧ Foundations of economic theory and economic policy

➧ Freedom and justice

➧ The People’s Republic of China

➧ Municipal politics seminar: Hospitals

➧ Municipal voting rights

➧ Seminar for farmers and forestry workers: communication

and conflict resolution

➧ Basic seminar for regional staff councils

➧ Regional history: Franconia’s federal jewels –

the history of the Imperial Cities

➧ Seminar for police officers

➧ Career coaching for women

➧ Workshops for team players

➧ Turkey – soon to be a new member of the EU7

➧ Seminar on association practices

➧ Preventing violence and addiction amongst young people

➧ Stabilising problem States

➧ Basic ecological problems of industrial societies

Institute for Adult Civic Education

Educational Centre Wildbad Kreuth

Educational Centre Kloster Banz


SCHOLARSHIPS C H O L A R S H I P

O R G A N I Z AT I O N

ORGANIZATIONPROMOTION OF SCHOLARSHIPS ABROAD

A total of 1,565 foreign scholarships in 62 countries have

been promoted ever since the start of foreign scholarship pro-

motion in 1981. Currently 96 scholars from 29 countries

receive scholarship funds.

The course-related measures that were carried out for foreign

scholarship holders included monthly meetings for the schol-

arship holders from Munich and the surrounding area and a

range of day-, weekend- and week-long seminars.

Follow-up contact conferences for scholarship holders who re-

turned to their home country after their scholarship holders

ended were organised in Romania, Ukraine, Poland, Thailand,

the People’s Republic of China, Mongolia and Indonesia.

The Final Evening of the Annual Conference of Foreign

Scholarship Holders held for 120 scholars from 32 countries at

the Banz Monastery Educational Centre, was organised and

conceived in its programme by the scholars themselves pre-

senting their local folklore. ◆

S C H O L A R S H I P O R G A N I Z A T I O N6

ScholarshipOrganization

Conference for former scholarship holders of the Hanns SeidelFoundation from the People’s Republic of China in Beijing

Participants in the follow-up contact conference for former scholarshipholders from Africa in Lomé, Togo

Foreign scholarship holders during a visit to the Bundestag, togetherwith the Vice-President of the Bundestag, Gerda Hasselfeldt MP


LIAISONL I A I S O N B U R E A U S

BUREAUSLIAISON BUREAUS

The L ia i son Bureaus in Wash ing ton , B russe l s,

Moscow/International Conferences have the task, reflecting

the Statutes of the Hanns Seidel Foundation, to promote the

understanding of nations and European unification through

international debates and conferences. Overview and particu-

lar highlights in 2007:

➧ Discussion on the ongoing development of the European

Union, inter alia on the following issues: political priorities

of the German EU-presidency, shaping the economic, social

and ecological future of Europe, perspectives in ratifying the

EU Constitution Treaty, ongoing development of a European

security and defence policy, securing the future supply of

energy in Europe, containment of illegal immigration

➧ Discussion on the perspectives of transatlantic cooperation

in the context of foreign, security and defence policies

➧ Promotion of a common understanding of domestic discus-

sion and decision-making processes in Germany and the USA

➧ Supporting the development of parliamentarism, political

pluralism, the principle of civic rights, the rule of law and a so-

cial market economy in the Russian Federation

➧ Development of perspectives in German – Russian relations

in the areas of foreign, security and economic policy

➧ Establishment of contacts and networks among young

German politicians and up-and-coming government officials

with their US and Russian colleagues

In cooperation with the three Liaison Bureaus in Washington,

Brussels and Moscow, a total of 72 events was held in

Germany and abroad in 2007, with 7,837 participants from

107 countries.

European political dialogue

– “The political and military role of the EU in preventing

conflict on the international stage”

– “50 years of European cooperation: opportunities and

requirements for the future”

– Brussels Interview 2007 with the Croatian Foreign

Minister Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic

– “Report on the German Presidency of the EU-Council”

– “Climate protection: A Driving Force for Innovation?”

– “New Atheism – A Threat to Western Civilisation?”

– “Applying Lessons from Afghanistan: Actions and out-

comes”

Development policy dialogue:

– “Hungary’s economic policy between European integra-

tion and Russian influence”

– “Euroregions in South-East Europe: A Successful Instru-

ment for Regional Development?”

– “Social Standards for China – Learning from the

European Union?”

– Bulgaria’s new Members of the European Parliament in

Brussels

– “Migration and development: challenges in Europe and

Africa”

– “Rural development and trade as key factors for deve-

lopmental cooperation in India”

Washington Liaison Bureau:

➧ Exchange of views and information with leading US-gov-

ernment officials, the US Congress, multilateral organisa-

tions (e.g. the World Bank, the UN), think tanks, universities,

the economy and the media

➧ Background analyses on relevant topics from American pol-

itics, commentaries and articles in renowned German,

American and Canadian media

➧ Discussion events and symposia, e.g. “Perspectives on a

deeper economic and political transatlantic cooperation”,

“22nd German-American Symposium for Congressional

Staff Aides”

L I A I S O N B U R E A U S 7

Liaison Bureaus

Peter Witterauf, Henry Kissinger and Hans Zehetmair


L I A I S O N B U R E A U S O F F I C E F O R F O R E I G NR E L AT I O N S

Moscow Liaison Bureau:

➧ Conferences, discussion programmes and symposia on

deepening German-Russian relations

➧ Youth politics dialogue: information programme for young

German politicians in Moscow and prospective Russian

government officials in Munich and Brussels

➧ Information and discussion programme on Russian parlia-

mentary voting

Foundation, and particularly for the Office for Foreign

Relations, whose chief responsibility is maintaining contact

and exchanging information with foreign partners from poli-

tics, the economy and society, this offers a new and interest-

ing link with the networks of the European People’s Party

(EPP).

Over the past year the Office for Foreign Relation has extend-

ed the international contacts of the Hanns Seidel Foundation

in Europe and world-wide: with member parties of the EPP, the

EPP-ED Group in the European Parliament, member parties of

the International Democrat Union (IDU) and all connected

political foundations and think tanks. A great advantage was

the fact that the IDU, the world-wide association of over

eighty Christian-Democratic and conservative parties from all

over the world, chose Dubrovnik in Croatia as the location to

hold its “Executive Meeting”. Following an invitation from

Prime Minister Dr. Ivo Sanader, Party Chairman of the HDZ,

party and foundation representatives gathered to participate

in an intensive exchange.

The work of the Office for Foreign Relations concentrates

mainly upon the analysis of European and extra-European

political party landscapes, in particular upon Christian-Demo-

cratic and Conservative parties. A series of Fact Finding Mis-

sions were carried out for this purpose, e.g. to the Former

Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Moscow

and Ukraine.

At the Munich Headquarters the work of the Office for Foreign

Relations has centred upon the co-ordination of information

visits from high-profile guests. Politicians, diplomats and rep-

resentatives from national foundations, for instance from

Hungary, Romania, Croatia and Slovakia, visited the Hanns

Seidel Foundation and took the opportunity to engage in in-

formation exchange with the Chairman of the Foundation,

Dr. h.c.mult. Hans Zehetmair or with the General Manager

Dr. Peter Witterauf. The Office for Foreign Relations also

brought foreign government or opposition politicians into

contact with politicians at all the levels of Bavarian politics as

well as with representatives of the Bavarian economy.

8 L I A I S O N B U R E A U S / O F F I C E F O R F O R E I G N R E L A T I O N S

The “Centre for European Studies”, the new think tank of

the European People’s Party (EPP), was founded in

Brussels on September 13, 2007.The Hanns Seidel Foundation

is one of a total of eight founding members of this new

European think tank, which is intended to promote political di-

alogue between national foundations, politicians and econo-

mists from the Christian-Democratic camp in Europe.

Other founding members are the Konrad Adenauer

Foundation, the Spanish Fundación para el análisis y los estu-

dios sociales (FAES), the Political Academy of the Austrian

People’s Party, the Constantinos Karamanlis Institute for

Democracy from Greece, the CDA Research Institute from the

Netherlands, the Swedish Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation and the

Foundation for a Civil Hungary. For the whole Hanns Seidel

Office for ForeignRelations

Representatives of the founding Members of the Centre for EuropeanStudies gather around EPP Chairman Wilfried Martens following thesigning ceremony


INSTITUTE FOR I N S T I T U T E F O R

I N T E R N AT I O N A L C O N TA C T A N D C O O P E R AT I O N

INTERNATIONALCONTACT ANDCOOPERATION

Institute forInternational Contactand Cooperation

HIGHLIGHTS OF COOPERATION IN

DEVELOPMENT POLICIES

➧ Activities in Socio-Political and Job-Oriented Adult Education

(NEPAD)

➧ Vocational and Management Training

Special focus on women in our initial and further training activities

➧ Support in Establishing Organizational Structures

Focus in particular on associations, federations, guilds, and cooperatives

➧ Promotion of Administrative Activities and Support in the

Establishment of State Institutes

Particular focus on the establishment of administrative systems oriented to the

citizen and individual performance, and on advisory services on legal and

administrative matters

➧ Consultation of Governments and Political Parties

Focus on political, economic and social reform

➧ Activities in Rural Development and the Improvement of

Infrastructure

OVERVIEW OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS:

UKRAINE

Support with the transformation process in politics, the economy and society towards a

social market economy and democracy ; promotion of internal security

WEST AFRICA (REGIONAL PROJECT)

Promotion of civil society in order to strengthen the notion of individual responsibility

(NEPAD)

JORDAN

Promotion of sociopolitical and vocational training for adults in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon

AFGHANISTAN

Management training and aid for institutions

NAMIBIA

Reinforcement of democratic and constitutional structures; conflict prevention; reinforce-

ment of civil society; combating poverty

ARGENTINA

Strengthening devolved government; decentralisation

PHILIPPINES

Promotion of rural development; dual vocational training for young people from low-in-

come families; programmes for public administration with regard to security; preparatory

measures for the ASEAN-EU cooperation programme

CHINA

Aid with the process of reforming education, in a corporate and social context; rural

development

9I N S T I T U T E F O R I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O N T A C T A N D C O O P E R A T I O N

PROJECTS 2007

Number, including transregional

projects and project measures 90

Number of project countries 58

SEMINARS, WORLDWIDE 2007

Number of seminars 7,850

Number of participants 178,500

DISTRIBUTION OF

PROJECTS BY REGION

as a percentage 2007

Central, Eastern and

South Eastern Europe 13

Asia/China 38

North Africa, Near East 13

Sub-Saharan Africa 19

Latin America 12

Brussels/EU 5

DIVISION OF FUNDS BY

REGION as a percentage 2007

Central, Eastern and

South-East Europe 15

Asia/China 26

North Africa, Near East 12

Sub-Saharan Africa 20

Latin America 12

Brussels/EU 15

OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES BY THE

INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL

CONTACT AND COOPERATION IN 2007


P R O J E C T S I N D E V E L O P M E N T – C O O P E R AT I O N

DEVELOPMENT POLICY DIALOGUE IN BRUSSELS

“Democracy enables people to live in freedom responsibly and

humanely. Democracy also means that citizens can take an in-

volvement in power and keep the State’s power in check.”This

was the motto for the opening event of the new “Develop-

ment Policy Round Table” series of development policy events,

held on 8 November 2007 in Brussels. The MEP Dr Gabriele

Stauner (CSU) spoke on the theme of “Young Democracies

and EU Promotion of Democracy as an Instrument for Deve-

lopmental Cooperation”, saying that the European Union had

no raw materials to use against other States as a means of

exerting pressure, and must instead rely on its Christian social

values and traditions to reach people in ‘political life’.

Dr. Andreas Schwab, MEP, Chairman of the Youth Group of the

EPP-ED fraction and himself a member of the Youth Union of

Germany for many years, praised the commitment made by

young democrats in Eastern Europe who are playing their part

in achieving more democracy for their homelands through

their involvement in membership associations like Yepp (Youth

of the European People’s Party).

Prof Ursula Männle, MdL, deputy Chairwoman of the Hanns

Seidel Foundation, underlined the transnational role of the re-

gions in her opening speech to the panel discussion on

“Euroregions in South-East Europe: A Successful Instrument

for Regional Development?” on 28 March 2007 in Brussels.

During the discussion, panel members Gerhard Stahl, the gen-

eral secretary of the Committee of the Regions, and Bernd

Posselt, MEP, together with representatives from selected

Euroregions, spoke of the experiences, problems, current chal-

lenges and future prospects for regional cooperation.

START OF A NEW ERA

Tourists and even many Israelis associate the word ‘Bedouin’

with the romanticised concept of life in tents, just as in the

time of Abraham. However, most of the approximately

170,000 Bedouin in Israel live no longer in tents but in one of

50 villages, located mostly in the south and north of the coun-

try, that are unrecognised as such. These villages have no con-

ventional infrastructure and no supply or waste disposal facil-

ities. Although the settlements are illegal, no-one has the

heart to tear them down, since this would result in thousands

of people losing their homes.

Children in Bedouin settlements, whose parents have acquired

a genuine right to the land they inhabit over the course of gen-

erations, live well below the poverty line. The State is provid-

ing financial aid to ensure that at least the most serious social

problems are addressed: schools are being built and children

are given breakfast and lunch at school so that they do not go

hungry. Unemployment is however still considerably above av-

erage and the level of education is generally poor.

Due to their high birth rate, Bedouins will represent the ma-

jority of the Arab population of Israel in future. Each Bedouin

woman has an average of seven to nine children. This is part-

ly the result of the traditional belief that a large number of chil-

dren is advantageous for the family and the tribe, and partly

the result of the modern health system, which ensures a low

child mortality rate and an increasingly long life expectancy.

Although the State devotes significant funds to guaranteeing

a form of primary health care for the Bedouin population, this

is nowhere near sufficient.

10 I N S T I T U T E F O R I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O N T A C T A N D C O O P E R A T I O N

Development Policy Round Table, with (from right) Gabriele StaunerMEP, Martin Kastler, Klaus Flesinger

“Euroregions in South-East Europe” with Ursula Männle



For a fairly long time now, the Hanns Seidel Foundation has

supported the Bedouin population in Israel via numerous proj-

ects that aim to give young Bedouin women a chance in Israeli

society. An example is the project to train mothers to be teach-

ers in Bedouin kindergartens. The Foundation furthermore

supports seminars run by the Beer Sheva Technology College

for female students in their last year of secondary school.

More work must be done, however, to prevent the alienation

of the Bedouin leading to fresh conflicts.

AFRICA: IMPROVING THE STATUS

OF WOMEN – A MAJOR FOCUS

OF THE WORK

In all the projects carried out in Sub-Saharan Africa, improving

the status of women in society is a major focus of the work

done by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. This work encompass-

es a broad range of activities. At grassroots level, seminars on

fundamental themes such as infant care, hygiene and AIDS

prevention address basic needs. In terms of promoting the

economy, special courses for women on subjects like account-

ing, tax law and business planning are offered. In Tanzania,

female Members of Parliament and delegates, acting as the

“Union of Women of Tanzania” (UWT), are an important part-

ner. With regard to aiding women in the workplace, the work

done by the Foundation in Tanzania is exemplary. An example

of this is the support for the Arusha Hotel Training Institute

(AHTI), in which the majority of students are female. In Benin,

the Organisation of Women from Abomey (UFAAD) is a major

partner in development work. Together with this organisa-

tion, seminars on AIDS prevention and seminars on promoting

small trades are run.

Alongside the projects carried out with women’s organisa-

tions, however, women are also important target groups in all

other project fields and countries. Thus, the EU project in the

DR Congo (an agroforest settlement project) includes – as well

as many other integrative measures – training for women in

fundamental areas. In Kenya, women are aided with their civic

education. In African societies, despite the fact that the role

of social multiplier is traditionally filled by men, women play

an important part in informal areas. Even in Muslim popula-

tion areas, where the concept of the patriarchate is even more

strongly reinforced, a correspondingly increased effort is being

made to reach out to women. Events in 2007 that took place

in predominantly Islamic regions, amongst other, showed that

the strategy of the Hanns Seidel Foundation is an effective

one. Improving conditions for women in Africa will therefore

continue to be a central theme for the Foundation’s work in

Africa in future.

LATIN AMERICA

International relations with Latin America were characterised

by the topic of left-wing populism in 2007. An international

I N S T I T U T E F O R I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O N T A C T A N D C O O P E R A T I O N 11

Bedouin children in a kindergarten in the town of Ragat in the Negev Pupils at the Arusha Hotel Training Institute

Muslim women at a seminar near the island of Lamu



seminar in San Salvador tackled this problem area: the Union

of Latin American Parties (UPLA) informed the Executive Board

of the International Democratic Union (IDU) of the conse-

quences of these populist tendencies. The UPLA thus once

more positioned itself as a mouthpiece for democratic party

associations in the region.

The daily work done in the Foundation’s projects concentrat-

ed on tasks relating to sociopolitical education. Two examples

provide a perfect illustration of the efforts made to increase

the participation of citizens and optimise the functioning of

the institutions:

In 2007 the Hanns Seidel Foundation and the Academia del

Pensamiento Conservador y Humanista ran a nationwide ed-

ucation programme in Colombia. The aim of the project was

to improve interested citizens’ chances of being elected to the

countries’ mayoralties and supervisory boards. In four months,

over 2,300 people attended the seminar proposed. According

to the philosophy that holds that professional skills should not

be reserved for career politicians, experts from prestigious uni-

versities spoke to participants about the legal situation and

political marketing and gave them a few insider tips from the

“carefully-guarded secrets of political advisors”. An average

female participation of 30% raised hopes that the percentage

of women in community administration offices will continue

to rise beyond its current ceiling of 13%.

In Argentina, cooperation between the Local Authorities

Association (FAM) and the Universidad Nacional de Quilmes

was intensified in 2007. Scientific accompaniment of the com-

munity political discourse is one way of raising the quality of

community actions. This does not involve merely training

elected officials in the local authority in question. Students

and holders of public office now have access to a database in

which community scientific literature is catalogued and suc-

cessful community projects are listed. In addition, guides on

community administration practices are published and a com-

parative investigation of community processes in Argentinian

and Chilean local authorities is being carried out. The

Argentinian and Chilean Local Authorities Associations or-

ganised a joint seminar at the end of August, with the in-

volvement of the Economic Commission for Latin America and

the Caribbean (ECLAC), that covered the initiatives and chal-

lenges involved in regional integration that were being carried

out by communes. The seminar underlined the significance

that the FAM and its Chairman Julio Pereyra have gained as a

mouthpiece in international relations between local authori-

ties.

PARTNERS IN THE RECONCILIATION

PROCESS

The Province of Gangwon has a history dating back many

thousands of years. When Korea was divided along the 38th

Parallel in 1945, Gangwon was the only Korean province to be

split in two. Although Gangwon is situated in a relatively ru-

ral region of South Korea, 87,000 students study at the

Province’s twenty universities and colleges. Tourism is one of

the largest sectors in its economy.

Since 2005 the Hanns Seidel Foundation has been working on

a pilot project for the sustainable development of border re-

gions in collaboration with the administrative district of

Goseong. One year after that, joint work began at the provin-

cial level. The Gangwon Development Research Institute, re-

sponsible for urban and regional planning, the region’s largest

newspaper Gangwon Ibo and the regional Gangwon National

University are among the partners.

On 20 November 1997, the Chairman of the Hanns Seidel

Foundation, Dr h.c. mult. Hans Zehetmair, received a visit from

Governor Kim from South Korea for a discussion in the Hanns

Seidel Foundation. The Governor praised the merits of the

Hanns Seidel Foundation in its efforts for peace in Korea, for


(from right: Juan Matteo, General Secretary; Julio Pereyra, Chairman of FAM;Peter Witterauf; and Dietmar Ehm at the Argentinian Local AuthoritiesAssociation



which it was awarded the ‘Gangwon Peace Prize’ in 2006, and

set out his predictions for the further political development on

the Korean peninsula following the meeting of the two heads

of state in October of that year. Although an improvement was

visible in the economic relations between North and South,

regulations for visiting family members (in North Korea) still

showed considerable room for progress.

Dr. Zehetmair told his guest how important ‘small’ border con-

tacts were at an administrative district level in the context of

the reunification of Germany and encouraged the Governor to

forge greater links with the northern part of the Province (on

the North Korean side). Both saw this as a further venue for

the Foundation’s work. At the close of the discussion,

Governor Kim invited the Chairman to visit South Korea, a vis-

it that is scheduled to take place in July 2008.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL

AREAS AS A CENTRAL THEME IN BAVARIA

AND IN CHINA

In Germany, as in China, the future of rural areas is one of the

most pressing topics on the political agenda. A stable and fu-

ture-proof urban sector contributes to the stabilisation and

safeguarding the future for the whole country – something on

which both countries agree. Strategies for maintaining the

quality of life in rural regions are urgently required in view of

the current and future challenges these regions may face. In

China in particular, increasing disparities between urban and

agricultural/rural regions, the depopulation of rurally struc-

tured areas and migration to urban agglomerations in the east

of the country, demographic change and preserving the sup-

ply infrastructure to the countryside are, together with man-

aging limited resources sustainably, issues of the utmost im-

portance.

As part of the week-long festivities to celebrate the 20th an-

niversary of the cooperation between Bavaria and the

Province of Shandong, therefore, “the sustainable develop-

ment of rural areas in Bavaria and Shandong” was therefore

the theme of an international conference held on 11-13 July

2007 and attended by many big names, organised by the

Hanns Seidel Foundation together with the Chair for Land

Division and Land Development at the Technical University of

Munich. 160 German and Chinese experts from the fields of

politics, administration, communes, economics and science

discussed problems and possible solutions on themes such as

“Settlement and Inhabitation in Rural Areas”, “Sustainable

Land and Resource Management” and “Work in Rural Areas”.

The future for rural areas, particularly in regions with structur-

al weaknesses, has been a central theme focused on by the

Hanns Seidel Foundation in its long-standing and multifaceted

cooperation with China, e.g. via the Education and Research

Institute for Farmland Reform and Land Development in

Qingzhou, Shandong Province, which was built in collabora-

tion with the Bavarian State Chancellery. The certification of

this Centre as a Further Training Institute for the National

Ministry of Land and Resources, which took place in

November 2007, meant that future training measures could

be carried out there for the whole of China, and thus a con-

tribution can be made to remedying the structural weakness-

es suffered by the rural regions of western China. These re-


Visit of Governor Kim from South Korea to the Chairman of the HannsSeidel Foundation

Discussion en panel en conclusion de la Conférence sino-allemandepour le développement de l’espace rural. Au centre le Président de laDiète régionale Alois Glück (quatrième de gauche) et la Ministre d’EtatEmilia Müller (troisième de gauche)



gions are set to be even closer to the heart of the Foundation’s

work in the future. In 2008 the Hanns Seidel Foundation is

scheduled to open a new centre in Gansu Province, in order to

be able to extend these training measures further to the west-

ern Chinese Provinces of Gansu, Xingjiang, Qinhal and Tibet.

OPENING OF THE NEW CENTRE

OF THE HANNS SEIDEL FOUNDATION

IN MONGOLIA

On 19 November 2007, the new centre of the Hanns Seidel

Foundation was opened in the Mongolian capital of

Ulaanbaatar by the Mongolian State President Nambaryn

Enkhbayar and Dr Rainer Gepperth. Over 100 invited guests,

including the President of the Mongolian Constitutional

Court, Jamsrangiin Byambadorj, the Deputy Justice and

Interior Minister, Ts. Sukhbaatar and the German ambassador

Pius Fischer, had the opportunity to explore the Foundation’s

new premises. Dr Rainer Gepperth emphasised in his wel-

come speech that the new centre was not only a Mongolian

centre but also a Bavarian and a German centre that provid-

ed legal advice and organised information events not only for

experts but also for the citizens of Mongolia. He expressed his

confidence that this would also be a further step towards con-

solidating good relations between Mongolia and Germany. In

its new premises, the Hanns Seidel Foundation will offer spe-

cialist courses and events for the general public alongside its

law and administration seminars, together with further train-

ing in IT and German language courses.

The first contact made by the Hanns Seidel Foundation with

Mongolia dates back to 1993. In collaboration with the coun-

try’s chief legal institutions, such as the Justice and Interior

Ministry, the Constitutional Court, the High Court and the

Legal Institute of the National University, various legal and ad-

ministrative topics have since 1995 been tackled as part of a

broad approach with a focus on public law (administrative

law, constitutional law) and criminal law. Advice on drafting

laws is also provided, as is further training for target groups

from legal and administrative institutions, and subject-rele-

vant nationwide public relations, encompassing TV, radio and

print media. One major partial project is the rehabilitation of

delinquent young people, which has been a very successful

measure, according to the acting Deputy Justice and Interior

Minister Ts. Sukhbaatar during his discussion with Dr.

Gepperth.

Legal aspects of the relationship between State and region

and land law will also be addressed jointly in the future.

PROJECT WORK IN CENTRAL, EASTERN

AND SOUTH-EAST EUROPE IN 2007

Even after the second EU expansion to include the States of

Bulgaria and Romania on 1 January 2007, this regional area

continues to form a major focus for our international work. In

Central, Eastern and South East Europe, where the Foundation

is either represented by a project office or involved in region-

al initiatives, our seminars are aimed at contributing towards

consolidating the integration process in the institutional and

sociopolitical sector.

In 2007, particular significance was attached to topics related

to border control police, intended to implement the ‘Schengen

standard’ internationally, in order to make a contribution to

maintaining internal security at home as well. Bilateral bor-

der police seminars on the so-called Schengen exterior bor-

ders, such as Slovakia/Ukraine or Hungary/Serbia, as well as

on issues within the Schengen area, such as the border be-

tween Bavaria and the Czech Republic, contributed to en-

abling the new Schengen Zone to come into effect on sched-

ule on 21 December 2007.

Another perennial fixture in the calendar is the Young

Diplomats’ Conference, which was held in October 2007 in


Mongolian State President Nambaryn Enkhbayar (right) together withthe German ambassador Pius Fischer (left) and Rainer Gepperth(middle)




Signature of a renewed cooperation agreement between the HannsSeidel Foundation, represented by the head of the Institute forInternational Contact and Cooperation, Rainer Gepperth, and theGovernment of Albania, in the presence of the Prime Minister SaliBerisha

State President Kurmanbek Bakiev expressed his thanks during an offi-cial meeting with Hans Zehetmair in Kyrgyztan for the work theFoundation is doing for his country

CEO Peter Witterauf with participants from the Young Diplomats’Conference in Dubrovnik

The Minister of State to the Presidency of the Republic of Togo, EdemKodjo, met the CEO of the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Peter Witterauf, on28 March 2007 for a mutual exchange of political ideas

Dubrovnik, Croatia on the theme of the “European Integration

Process”, and which was attended by CEO Dr Peter Witterauf.

The conference dealt primarily with the EU’s capacity for ab-

sorption following its most recent expansion together with

Croatia’s application for admission to the EU in 2009. The first

delegation of diplomatic representatives from Pristina meant

that the issue of the status of Kosovo, an issue that has still

not been completely resolved, was also mentioned during dis-

cussions. The aim of the series of conferences is to improve

Croatia’s international image, promote contact with young

diplomats from the region and give an insight into the current

issues affecting the European integration process.

Two additional incidents took place that can be deemed a pos-

itive impulse for the continuation of the project work in South-

East and Central Europe: the signature of a renewed cooper-

ation agreement between the Hanns Seidel Foundation, rep-

resented by head of the Institute for International Contact and

Cooperation, Rainer Gepperth, and the Government of

Albania, in the presence of the Prime Minister Dr Sali Berisha;

and the signature of a further cooperation agreement with the

Hungarian town of Pécs. The latter agreement governs the

collaboration between Pécs and the Foundation within a vo-

cational training project covering dual training in structural

engineering that has existed since 1993.


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Hanns Seidel Foundation · Lazarettstr. 33 · D-80636 Munich · GermanyPhone: ++49 (89) 12 58-0 · Fax: ++49 (89) 12 58-356Internet: www.hss.de · E-Mail: [email protected]


Documents

Annual Report 2007 - Hanns Seidel Foundation€¦ · Heinrich Oberreuter(2nd from left),Paula Bockensteiner(3rd from left) and Hans Zehetmair (right) Retired German President Roman