Opinion

The biggest challenge of our times is the challenge of climate change. I am convinced, that with the help of efuels, we can reach the necessary goals – and with taking over a global view to the problem. Representing many highly developed industrialized countries, Germany faces the major challenge of…

People who are publicly active have to endure public criticism. And they do. But there are limits that are being crossed more and more frequently, especially in the anonymity of the Internet. The Green Party member of the Bundestag Renate Künast, my esteemed colleague for many years, has now won…

Last week, Thomas Kemmerich of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) was elected Prime Minister of the east German federal state of Thuringia in what constituted a surprise to many political experts. Since then, events have been unfolding incredibly quickly, including, less than 24 hours after the election, the FDP parliamentary…

Not everything was better in the past. However, many things that exist today already existed in the past. The only difference was in the names. One example is the stakeholder dialogue, which used to be known as “round table”. From time to time I have had the opportunity to take…

The Africa Mercy as the sun sets over the port of Cotonou, Benin 2017. Photo: Mercy Ships. The main headlines about the G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg in June were about the heavy and destructive violence that was perpetrated by protesters. The fact…

For the second time within the space of only a few weeks the young generation has given away a victory to those they would normally reject. First, many neglected to go to the polls when the people of Britain voted in the Brexit referendum over whether the country should remain…

Two important United Nations covenants turn 50 years old this year: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) as well as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Both treaties are of great significance for civil society organisations around the world, including trade unions, disabled federations…