Deutsch verbindet (German links us) – SprachKulTour-Fest in Jena
Steinmeier talking about cultural relations and education policy
(AA)
“He who speaks a foreign language holds the key to a new world”
Steinmeier spoke to several hundred schoolchildren and teachers, from Jena and abroad, about the significance of German cultural relations and education policy. “If we recall the major crises and misunderstandings of the past few years, we can see that the number of such incidents is rising. We must do everything we can to reduce that number, and we can only achieve that if we talk about ourselves and explain our actions.” According to Steinmeier, learning German was an important element in this: “Only those who speak a foreign language hold the key to a new world, and that’s why it’s well worth our while to promote our own language.”
This was the reason for the launch of the “Schools: Partners for the Future” initiative by Foreign Minister Steinmeier in 2008. The number of partner schools has increased threefold from 400 in 2005 to 1300 by August 2009. Speaking in Jena, Steinmeier underlined the major role played by these schools in Germany’s foreign policy: “This means that there are 1300 places in this world where young people gain an insight into our country and into the new prospects and opportunities Germany offers them.” Education, he went on, was after all a human right. Only those with access to education and culture could subsequently determine their own future. This access had been improved by the opening in 2008 of five new Goethe-Institut branches in Africa.
Steinmeier with “kulturweit” participants
(AA)
For Steinmeier cultural relations policy is not a one-way street
For that reason he also met five of the 200 participants in the Federal Foreign Office’s new “kulturweit” (Bridging Cultures) volunteer programme, who are due to travel next month to emerging economies and developing countries to work in German schools abroad, Goethe-Institut branches and on German cultural projects. These five young people will work, for example, at the German-language school in Bangkok, the national UNESCO Commission in Kigali, Rwanda, and for the German Archaeological Institute in Damascus, Syria. All five of them agreed with the Minister that they will return to Germany at the end of their six- or twelve-month trip with a whole host of vivid impressions and experiences which will stand them in good stead for the future.
On stage, Steinmeier held a discussion with three German-language authors, Tanja Dückers, María Cecilia Barbetta and Zafer Senocak. María Cecilia Barbetta expressed her passion for German in a succinct way: “My mother tongue is Spanish, but German is my beloved tongue, because it sometimes runs away with me.”
Steinmeier then visited the Jena Cultural Arena, where he watched a performance by two bands, Silvester and Klee. The latter band is part of the “Voices against Rightwing Extremists” movement, and has already toured in Russia and China with Federal Foreign Office support.
The SprachKulTour-Fest was opened by Minister of State Erler on 3 August:
Last updated 08.08.2009
