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Amerika Haus e.V. NRW | Newsletter May 2013

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we are very happy that the American President has accepted the German Chancellor’s invitation and will come to Germany in mid-June. We have waited quite some time for Obama’s return to Berlin; however, it is Obama’s first official visit to the German capital since he was elected President in 2008. Since the First Lady will accompany President Obama, she gives this working visit a special touch of glamour.

The visit comes at a time when people will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s visit to Germany. This is also an important anniversary for North Rhine-Westphalia and especially for the city of Cologne: on June 23, 1963, President Kennedy made a stop in NRW and spoke to the citizens of Cologne. Still to this day, there is a plaque at Cologne’s City Hall to remember this historical visit.

But not only the President’s visit, but also numerous, current, international topics are giving transatlantic relations a new push. We gladly take up these topics at our events in order to highlight and discuss different views. For example, we will do just this on May 21, 2013 with Jason Langrish and Dr. Jackson James to discuss »Trans-Atlantic Free Trade in Perspective: What North America is Looking for«. We are in the process of planning more interesting events, like this one, in June, so make sure to check the announcements on our website. Another highlight will be the traditional 4th of July Party we will celebrate on July 4, 2013 at the Cologne Rheinterrassen. We look forward to further establishing this holiday as a tradition of transatlantic friendship in North Rhine-Westphalia and we recommend that you mark this date on your calendar and reserve tickets!

Despite the long winter, we were thrilled to welcome a number of guests already this year for our events during the first few months. Among others to President Obama’s second inaugural address, to an outstanding jazz concert with Jocelyn B. Smith and her band, an eerie and exciting conversation with Joe Lansdale, and to a fascinating reading with Edward Kelsey Moore, as well as to a discussion with Andrew Light about the role of the United States in international climate protection.

Our current newsletter reading suggestion “American, Female Nobel Peace Prize Winners – Women with Ideals”, a guest article by Anne Rüffer, is about her research for her book “Peace Women – The eleven Women who received the Nobel Peace Prize”. The article also discusses her realization that all of these women did not grow into their work out of their own free will, but followed their goals despite enormous personal difficulties.

Stay tuned and regularly check our website for our upcoming events on our website, under Program, and “like” us on our Facebook page! It would be a pleasure to be able to welcome to you to one of our events.

Sincerely, Tina Höfinghoff

Anne Rüffer

Publisher, journalist, and author for weekly newspapers and various television channels. Together with Angelika Reutter, their book “Peace Women – The eleven Women who received the Nobel Peace Prize” was released in 2003. She is the owner of the rüffer&rub, a non-fiction publisher, which was founded in 2000 and is located in Zurich. In her guest article, Anne Rüffer describes, with the help of three female, American Nobel Peace Prize-winners – Jane Addams, Emily Greene Balch, and Jody Williams – how it requires great, personal commitment to stand up for ideals without identifying with fear, violence, and brutality. Read more …

Upcoming Events

Düsseldorf: »Trans-Atlantic Free Trade in Perspective: What North America is Looking for«

Lecture & Discussion

05/21/2013, Ernst & Young · Düsseldorf

Cologne: »June Event - Save the Date«

Lecture · Discussion

06/17/2013, Cologne

Cologne: »4th of July Party«

Summer Party

07/04/2013, Cologne · Rheinterrassen

Program Review

Here you can find a complete summary of our events from the past few months. Click on the pictures below or visit our page "Past Events" on our website to read the complete summaries and to see pictures from the events.

Additional reading on the current state of transatlantic affairs:

Climate and Energy:

The Editorial Board, "A Carbon Trading System Worth Saving" (The New York Times, May 6, 2013)
Nick Simeone, "Panetta: Environment Emerges as National Security Concern" (U.S. Department of Defense, May 2013)
Anthony Faiola, "European Carbon Market in Trouble" (The Washington Post, May 6, 2013)

Politics:

Reid J. Epstein, "White House stuck on IRS scandal response" (POLITICO, May 14, 2013)
Stormy-Annika Mildner / Claudia Schmucker, "Abkommen mit Nebenwirkungen?" (SWP, May 2013)
Garrett Workman, "The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: Ambitious but Achievable" (Atlantic Council, April 16, 2013)
Jonathan Mercer, "Bad Reputation: Has Obama Blown His Credibility -- And Syria?" (Foreign Affairs, Mai 13, 2013)
High Level Working Group on Jobs and Growth (HLWG), "Final Report" (February 11, 2013)

Economy:

Kathryn McConnell, "IMF Projects Modest Global Growth in 2013" (IIP Digital, April 17, 2013)
Stuart E. Eizenstat, Robert I. Lerman, "Apprenticeships could help U.S. workers gain a competitive edge" (The New York Times, May 14, 2013)
Nelson D. Schwartz, "Jobs Data Ease Fears of Economic Slowdown in U.S." (The New York Times, May 3, 2013)
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, "Extended Mass Layoffs - First Quarter 2013" (May 13, 2013)
The Editorial Board, "Jobs, Wages and the Sequester" (The New York Times, May 3, 2013)
Uri Dadusch, "The Three-Speed World is Not Forever" (The New York Times, May 3, 2013)

Other:

David Maraniss (et al.), "Five Books on Barack Obama" (Foreign Affairs, March/April 2013)
Robert J. Samuelson, "Europe has no exit" (The Washington Post, May 2, 2013)
Anne-Marie Slaughter, "Power Shifts: 'The Revenge of Geography' by Robert D. Kaplan" (The New York Times, Oktober 5, 2012)
Janet Maslin, "Fighting Words Against Big Data 'Who Owns the Future?" (The New York Times, Mai 5, 2013)

Imprint

Text: Amerika Haus e.V. NRW
Editor: Tina Höfinghoff
Layout: Stockheim Media GmbH

Photos: America Haus e.V. NRW Archive

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