5th Round - Think Tank in Berlin
Up for discussion: How should we react to conflicts and humanitarian crises?
In mid-November 2014, the participants of the think tank met once more in Berlin. Topics under discussion were the conflicts and humanitarian crises that have dramatically increased this year: Syria, Iraq, Gaza, South Sudan, Ebola in West Africa. Welthungerhilfe is active in a number of these crisis regions, predominantly with humanitarian aid.
Because Welthungerhilfe is on the ground in these crisis regions and has a perceived lead in information and credibility, many people expect orientation through our aid organisation.
As such, the following question was discussed within the framework of the think tank: How can we acknowledge these expectations, solutions and orientation, and actually do justice to them? Can we even do justice to them?
And, in this situation, how do we communicate ‘correctly’? Do you you remain silent about your own actions, do you remain silent about the objectionable actions of conflict parties, in order not to endanger the lives of your employees? Or is it better to be publically outraged and denounce them – out of solidarity with the victims of the conflict? Who benefits from outrage?
Participants of the 2014 think tank in Berlin included: Alexander Herholz, Hans Rusinek, Kristina Kufer, Dr. Wolfgang Jamann, Michael Schindhelm, Mathias Mogge, Alfred Ritter (see photo above, seated, from left) and Katrin Seegers, Gerd Leipold, Uli Post, Jan Lerch, Gerda Meuer, Bärbel Dieckmann, Hendrik Groth, Ton van Zutphen, Moritz Müller-Wirth and Prof. Klaus Töpfer (see photo above, standing, from left).
