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2006 plans and ideas
As the world football championship FIFA approaches Berlin in summer 2006, berlinsights is ready to receive guests from the Gulf: either you come straight from Doha to Berlin with Quatar Airlines ...or we bring you to Berlin with our 'Special OCCIDENT TOUR' package, catering for guests from Dubai to Hamburg via Emirates Airlines. For more information and special arrangements, please contact berlinsights: info@berlinsights.de
In January, berlinsights organisation development trainer Susanne trained with its OD partner TRANSFER on the topic of: 'Bridging the Cultural Gap'
(18-19.1. Frankfurt a.M., organised for the international NORTEL Networks Germany GmbH). For more information, please contact Dr. Celina Rodriguez-Drescher
(transfer-consulting.de)
Changing the culture and the climate in January meant for berlinsights, used to minus temperatures in icy Berlin winters, to travel all the way to Ghana (at around 30 degrees C.), to evaluate an ILO DECENT WORK Pilot project. Accompanied by the German clothing industry and fashion trade expert Jutta Ohms, (Ohms-consulting.de), the mission was received by the Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment.
Excited by the Africa Cup, we now expect many football fans to visit us in Berlin, at decent temperatures in our European summer – welcome!
February 2006
The month started off with telling the story of our prestigious temporary location Unter den Linden 40 to some 100 guests at the 'International Forum' hosted at the same address on the 2nd floor (01 February 2006). You can get the presentation upon request contact: info@berlinsights.de.
On February 8, we toured a visitors group from the Democratic Republic of Congo on behalf of 'Ökumenisches Netz Zentralafrika'. Accompanied by colleagues from 'Brot für die Welt', we walked along the reminiscences of the Berlin wall, we gave berlinsights to un-renovated buildings of former East Berlin and we looked at Berlin's colonial traces of the famous Congo Conference in Wilhelmstraße and Mohrenstraße (that should be renamed into 'Möhrenstreet' – street of carots – in the view of anti-racist groups.
Towards the end of the month, berlinsights moved to an office next door (same floor, same building, new PHONE NUMBERS!). In the meantime, berlinsights founder Susanne Bauer travelled to Mongolia's capital Ulan Bator to represent, on behalf of GTZ, the International donor community at a World Bank Technical meeting on how to cut 'red tape' and corruption.
March 2006
berlinsights, Unter den Linden 40, 1st floor, now shares offices with Berlin experts such as videobustour.de.
berlinsights visited the International Tourism Fair (ITB) in Berlin, learning about market trends and innovation in "cultural tourism" as a promising feature for future offers. To this end, berlinsights owner Susanne discussed her idea of an 'OCCIDENT TOUR' package, catering for Berlin guests from the Middle East, whether from Dubai to Hamburg or straight from Doha to Berlin.
Touring ourselves in town, we see change all over the place! Do you know the 'pneumatic post' and its fabulous history in Berlin and other European metropolitan sites like London or Paris? The postman of the time would actually deliver love mail much faster than today...waiting for the precious answer to be returned right on spot! berlinsights guides you to those Berlin experts who know forgotten places, people and stories...
April 2006
berlinsights, with its 'Islam in Berlin' expertise, participated in a discussion aimed at analysing the roots of anger in the Muslim world. GTZ organised the event to find out in what way development cooperation can contribute to the de-escalation.
... more information
...and how could berlinsights visitors from Lebanon guess what hides behind the beautiful oriental building in Potsdam? This architectonic jewel, disguised as a mosque and now almost 'lost in sight' by ugly traffic and former GDR housing, once served as a water pump station to fill the fountains in the Park of Sanssouci: high-tech of Prussian times, and a 'must' for tourists who want to see more than standard views of town.
During the month of April, berlinsights discussed its film idea about the location Unter den Linden 40, premises that we have the privilege to share with other temporary users. The Foundation Denk mal an Berlin e.V., (denk-mal-an-berlin.de) sympathizes with the project but rightfully asks: where to put the focus to revitalize a 'dead building' as a witness of times, reflecting hundred years of Berlin Unter den Linden, 1907-2007? berlinsights continues the research, steadily finding new insights about former users of the prestigious building, in particular those with an international link – for more information: info@berlinsights.de.
May 2006
In May, berlinsights manager Susanne, in her capacity as development expert, visited Mongolia, coaching an international working group on private sector development.
Topics: how to reduce corruption and red tape bureaucracy in a transition context? The story goes on...
Celebrating one year berlinsights on May 12, 2006, was a welcome opportunity of exchange for some 40 guests, among them Berlin experts, tour guides and business partners, clients, friends and neighbours – thanks for coming!
On May 13, berlinsights conducted a walking tour along spots of change and citizens' participation for a group of junior development experts who work for GTZ (gtz.de), in different parts of the world (from China to the US, or Russia and Indonesia).
Tour highlights: the Palast der Republic currently being demolished as an 'intricate dismantling process' (stadtentwicklung.de), and the Alexanderplatz with its platzmanagement.de initiative. Here, major businesses (shops, hotels) meet with young skaterers and (finally) agree to share space. Ongoing activities include the beach volley ball field, the 'hall of fame' for graffity sprayers and the "JobberDeluxe" service for young job seekers.
June 2006
berlinsights took visitors from the US on a tour around lake Wannsee (14 June). Starting at Tempelhof airport with memories of the first US air pioneer Orville Wright (1909), the Airlift 1948/49 reminded us of how the construct of 'West Berlin' emerged. The tour covered the beginnings of our divided city and what it meant to live in Berlin with the Allied Forces at the time of the Wall (1961-1989). Going further South to a variety of sights worth seeing around the water city of Berlin, the tour included glimpses of the Botanical Garden, the Strandbad Wannsee and Villa Max Liebermann, a small museum that enjoys its first open season this year, thanks to private initiative.
berlinsights staff participated in 'Denksalon Görlitz', a two-day workshop organised in the European twin-city of Görlitz/Zgorzelec (Germany/Poland), a two-hour drive from Berlin. Revitalising urban development was discussed along the lines of 'value adding' (MehrWERT), 'without value' (WERTlos) and 'to validate' (VerWERTen).
See Denksalon 2006 workshop information: goerlitz-kompetenzzentrum.de
The GWS Summer Academy was host at our berlinsights premises (23-25 June 2006) to a group of organisation development practitioners. Surrounded by hordes of tourists during the world football championship, we indulged in Appreciative Inquiry with Anne Radford, UK (aipractitioners.com), and we reflected new OD practices, demands and opportunities for 2007 – go to gws-netzwerk.de for more to come!
July 2006
berlinsights staff participated in the 'Gleisdreieck' Summer Event on July 02, 2006:
this huge area in the heart of Berlin, in walking distance to Potsdamer Platz, is full of dark rails and covered with light birch trees. After eight years of fighting red tape and pushing for people's participation, a 'coalition of citizens' groups' has ensured that these and other trees may continue to sway in the Berlin winds, now that part of the area is to be turned into a public park by 2007 (almost certain). For more information (lots of pictures – text in German only), visit berlin-gleisdreieck.de.
For the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE) in Warsaw, Poland, Susanne Bauer guided an international group of visitors by boat through the center of Berlin, along the Spree river and the Landwehrkanal (July 30, 2006). The tour provided insights not only into the inner-urban water history of former 'Groß-Berlin', a term coined in 1920. Today, more than 8% of the surface of greater Berlin consists of water. So Berlin has more rivers and lakes than any other European metropolitan area. As far as other superlatives are concerned, Berlin can only compete in terms of unemployment (19,6%), inhabitants with a 'migrant' background (some 40% of all Berliners below the age of 18) and poverty (the city of Berlin has four times less money than the city of Hamburg).
August/September 2006
KYOTO PLUS – ESCAPING THE CLIMATE TRAP
Conference at the Energy Forum Berlin, Stralauer Platz near Ostbahnhof
Side Event 28-29 September 2006
Solar Dolmush along Berlin Waterways
Organiser: Susanne Bauer, berlinsights.de
Tourguide: Arno Paulus, solarpolis.de
Solar boat Chassalli commuted ALL DAY Friday from nearby the conference venue across Schilling bridge. The boat tour route passed towards the East for an hour's ride along the river Spree. Passing by the prominent Oberbaum bridge and some of the local key marcation points between former East and West, solar energy expert Arno Paulus gave insights into the boat's solar propulsion system and the use of solar energy in several buildings along the banks of the upper Spree. The boat's capacity made it take off when it was more or less 'full' – in Turkish: 'dolmush'!
berlinsights toured around the International conference: "Private Sector Development and Peacebuilding – Exploring Local and International Perspectives" September 14-15, 2006, in Berlin, hosted by the Department for International Development (DFID), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), International Alert, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH. berlinsights offered special tours before, during and after the conference. The tours gave insights into doing business in times of crisis in a city that was divided over time. Developed around the theme of 'private sector and peacebuilding', guided tours were offered by bus, on foot, by boat or as a comprehensive tour package. For more details:
berlinsights_tours.pdf
'Le Souvenir' is a concept being researched by berlinsights for exploring the potential to develop unique give-aways for its Berlin visitors. To this end, berlinsights design expert SIR AE visited the exhibition 'Le souvenir' – memories of things ranging from reliques zu remembrances. Touching upon values and banal curiosities through history at the Frankfurt a.M. Museum for Applied Arts, the collection of small things and pieces of art presents a golden time line sponsored by the Clifford Chance lawyers' partnership. The masculinisation of the neutral souvenir is discussed along the values of ambition, quality, commitment and community.
October 2006
'INSIGHTS' and 'Outside-In' on cultural dimenisons and how to acquire intercultural competencies for working at an international level – these were the topics that berlinsights managing director Susanne Bauer, in her capacity as organisation development (OD) consultant and trainer, contributed to a series of senior staff training events for ZF Friedrichshafen AG Germany (its Zeppelin roots are famous worldwide, see...).
November 2006
"Discovering sparkling spots" in Berlin was a Living Tour experience 'from looking to seeing' that berlinsights shared, together with its neighbour Zeitreisen, for a group of international marketing experts and staff of a major beverages manufacturer company based in Berlin.
"Together with Germany in the European Union" was the motto of an information visit for University managers from new as well as aspiring EU-member states. On behalf of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), berlinsights arranged for a tour with Beate Ziegler that allowed for insights from East to West to 'Mitte' in the heart of Berlin.
Lesung Eric Faye: MES TRAINS DE NUIT
The fall of the wall on November 9 was remembered with the author Eric Faye, MES TRAINS DE NUITS (2005, Editions Stock), chapter "Berlin, novembre 89". Together with the Institut Français and the French Embassy that resided Unter den Linden 40 for the last twenty years until the German reunification, the event brought together an international audience of Berliners from both sides of the wall who shared their experiences over time. Deutschlandradio and Radio France Internationale (RFI) interviewed Eric Faye who was impressed by the location of his lecture: looking back at the history of the building built in 1908 by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL), berlinsights continues its research with witnesses and users over time.
December 2006
A Walking Tour from the Humboldt University to Potsdamer Platz let a distinguished group of University Deans from Africa and Asia discover the traces of Berlin as a divided city. Invited by the Free University's Continuous Education Centre (fu-berlin.de), berlinsights enriched the tour with special features of Germany's colonial past: today, the civil society initiative to rename the Mohrenstraße into the 'street of carots' (Möhrenstraße) highlights the roots of black Africans in Berlin. Emperor Wilhelm I. received some 12 African slaves in a deal with the Netherlands for exchange of colonialist territory. It is said that their housing quarters were in this street. The old German term 'Mohr' originated in the etymologic term for the Moor population of North Africa, but also in the Greek term for a 'moros' being someone stupid or dumb.
