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A crisis-ridden year comes to an end: The war in Ukraine is entering its third year, the Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip since 7 October, fascist and far-right governments around the world, an increasingly authoritarian party in Germany, deaths at Europe’s external borders, the restriction and undermining of human rights worldwide and the man-made climate crisis. How can we keep our courage and continue to look positively into the future?
In 2023, we sought answers to this important question together with human rights activists, academics and politicians from various countries and were able to provide them. We organised a total of 35 events and gave experts from academia and civil society the opportunity to speak. We have published three books together with the US MP Jamie B. Raskin, the Chilean communications scholar Jorge Montealegre and the Stuttgart-based Elisabeth Käsemann Foundation, and the Fritz Bauer biography by Irmtrud Wojak has been published in Spanish. There are also 15 podcast episodes on the subject of human rights. In addition, 7 articles have been published in magazines dealing with the Fritz Bauer Forum and our work. There are also 46 videos of events and film interviews with human rights activists on our YouTube channel and 7 survivor stories for the interactive library , as well as 13 stories that are still being worked on. We were also able to gain a foothold in the university context this year and offer one seminar each at Ruhr University Bochum and Witten/Herdecke University. In total, we were able to inspire 30 different organisations to cooperate with us and recruit 6 volunteers for the Fritz Bauer Forum. Last but not least, many ideas for projects and events in the course of 2024 have already emerged.
We are happy and grateful that we can establish a place of dialogue with the Fritz Bauer Library, where current conflicts can be discussed in a variety of ways, including artistic works. This can be encouraging, because the openness of the discussions that take place in the library is an expression of recognising the other. We have often heard in this context that a place of strength is being created here. We are committed to this and our sponsor, the non-profit BUXUS STIFTUNG, needs further support in the form of donations (Sparkasse Bochum / IBAN: DE06 4305 0001 0022 0023 98 – keyword: Aufbau FRITZ BAUER FORUM).
In view of the growing authoritarian and radical nationalist tendencies in the centre of society according to voter surveys, it is necessary to be strong and able to take criticism. Our namesake Fritz Bauer put it in a nutshell: „The great resistance on the evil days of barbaric injustice requires a fight against the small injustices of everyday life.“ We will pick up where we left off in good spirits in 2024. We will not let democracy be taken away from us.
Here is a brief look back at the last events and our Latin America series „Memoria Viva“.
The Hamas attack on 7 October and the reaction of the Israeli government have preoccupied us, like many people, since the beginning. But how can the cycle of violence be broken? What needs to happen to defuse the conflict and find a sustainable solution? In order to find an answer to these questions, we have invited political scientist Prof. Dr Hajo Funke to give a lecture at the Fritz Bauer Library on 12 December.
In front of an audience of around 30 people, Funke began by discussing the importance of solidarity. „Against the backdrop of tens of thousands of deaths and 66 days of war,“ said Funke, „we need solidarity.“ He did not advocate emotionalised, one-sided solidarity, but rather comprehensive solidarity with the civilian population of both parties. Recognising the other must be the core of new action in this conflict, because it is clear that „neither the terror of Hamas nor the bombing of the Gaza Strip (in its current form) are justified.“ While a few thousand people in Berlin are showing solidarity with Israel on the one side and with the Palestinians on the other, Funke says, the question arises as to why both sides are not demanding an end to the conflict equally and together. Neither side should be played off against the other. However, this is not the only criticism formulated by Funke. The German view, or the view from Germany, gives too little space to those actually affected and hardly reflects the reality, in which there are conciliatory voices that have been campaigning for a real solution on both sides for a long time.
Funke strongly criticised the Netanyahu government. It combines a mixture of extreme nationalism, extreme religiosity and cliquish self-interest. There will be no ceasefire with Netanyahu, Funke analysed, he needs this war to stay in office. Funke also refers to the democracy movement that was growing before the conflict, which formed in the course of the judicial reforms. He also gives a voice to the historian Saul Friedländer, who wrote in his recently published diary „Blick in den Abgrund“ (Looking into the Abyss) that the Netanyahu government, like a monster, only needed a few days to devour liberal Israel. He placed a particular focus on the anti-Palestinian stance of the far-right government and its protagonists. He used various statements to show that they are concerned with the destruction of Palestinian life on Israeli territory. Funke not only emphasised this with the bombing of the Gaza Strip, but also referred to the arming of settlers in the West Bank and the increasingly extreme violence there.
The fact that Funke focussed less on Hamas was mainly due to the focus on possible solutions to the conflict. He also stated: „There is a way back“, a way that takes into account the needs of the Palestinians as well as the security of the Israelis. Funke is certain that a two-state solution is needed, in which Israel would also have to make concessions to the Palestinians. A real, lasting solution to this conflict must be desired by both sides and supported by the international community. However, we can listen to those affected, give a place to the voices of reconciliation and show solidarity with the victims of this conflict – on both sides. It is not about counting victims and finding out which party to the conflict is the worse. Rather, it is about protecting people’s rights and enabling both parties to be criticised. Because, according to Funke: „This government is dangerous and Hamas is a terrorist organisation.“
We would like to thank all the guests and panellists for discussing such a difficult and emotional topic and respecting different views without losing their own compass. We were very impressed by this and – see above – it can really give us courage.
On 8 December 2023, this year’s International Human Rights Day event entitled „Opinion. Freedom. Freedom of expression?“ took place. The event was jointly organised by Amnesty International Bochum, the Bochum Adult Education Centre, the Bochum City Library, the Fritz Bauer Forum, the Music School and the Bochum Children’s and Youth Ring and was funded by the „Live Democracy!“ programme.
Around 45 visitors came to the well-filled small hall of the Anneliese-Brost-Musikforum for the interesting lectures by Dr Yasmin Schulten-Jaspers and Hanna Püschel on the topic of freedom of expression. In her lecture, Hanna Püschel began by explaining what freedom of opinion actually means and what distinguishes an opinion from a fact. As freedom of opinion serves the development of personality and the democratic process, it only works on the basis of freedom of information, supported by freedom of the media. Hanna Püschel used a number of current examples and legal disputes to illustrate the limits of freedom of opinion, which was taken up by the audience in a lively discussion. As a small interim conclusion, it could be stated that the Basic Law regulates freedom of the press and freedom of opinion very well and protects citizens, but also gives them the opportunity to take legal action in this regard.
Schulten-Jaspers then went on to highlight the state of freedom of expression in various countries around the world in order to compare it with the situation in Germany. Based on the ranking of press freedom by the organisation „Reporters Without Borders“, a lively discussion ensued. It became clear how closely democracy and freedom of the press are linked and that although freedom of the press and freedom of opinion in Germany is still very good in comparison, journalists have been increasingly exposed to attacks over the past year. She also discussed the impact this has had on the work of journalists, for example more frequent work in teams or sometimes even with escorts.
The event ended with a look at the digital space and social media, where hate speech is on the rise. The final discussion focussed on the concept of „independent journalism“ and perspectives. Finally, the two speakers expressed their own wishes for the future: better moderation of hate speech in the digital space and better training for young people in news and media skills.
After a short break and a little refreshment from the catering provided, the second part of the evening continued with a concert by the „Transorient Orchestra Community“. Together with guests from the global music world, they performed the transcultural soundtrack of the Ruhr metropolis and met with an enthusiastic audience. The event was also accompanied by an exhibition of the comic anthology „Schau hin! – Racism (experiences) in pictures“, a collaboration between Langendreer station, the Bochum Integration Centre and the Bochum City Library. The collection of short stories highlights various aspects of racism, from discrimination based on skin colour to everyday racism, anti-Muslim racism and anti-Semitism, and was available to take away free of charge.
We are delighted that this year’s event to mark International Human Rights Day was so well received and look back on an extremely informative and enriching evening.
MEMORIA VIVA – Living Memory, this was the motto of various events on human rights and the culture of remembrance in Latin America, starting with a lecture by survivors of the coup in Chile in 1973. At the centre of this intensive debate were the survivors and resisters who, decades after the injustice, continue to uphold the memory of the crimes against humanity.
As already mentioned, the series of events began with an event featuring five survivors of the coup in Chile, who told a tense audience how they had experienced the day of the coup. They were united by their testimony of the brutal military coup that led to the fall of Dr Salvador Allende’s government and had a dramatic impact on their lives. A moving event that once again emphasised the importance of bearing witness to human rights violations.
The author Günther Wessel, who lives in Berlin, presented his book „Salvador Allende. A Chilean History“ and gave us a deep insight into the final hours of the Allende government. At the end was what Fritz Bauer described as „the effort of our compassion, the struggle and also a fall for a humanist world“: the suicide of Salvador Allende, which finally signalled the end of a democratic Chile for many years. The history of Chile, the fall of Allende and the military dictatorship under the leadership of General Pinochet, who had betrayed the democratic government, played a central role in the series of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the coup in cooperation with the Bochum-based alliance „Remembrance and Solidarity“.
However, we also wanted to focus on other Latin American countries and the resistance against human rights violations there, including Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.
„Disappeared and murdered. European Victims of the El Vesubio Detention and Torture Camp in Argentina“ is a book that tells ten life stories of European men and women who were murdered by the Argentinian military dictatorship for their convictions and their belief in a fairer, better world. Among them is the best-known German victim, the student Elisabeth Käsemann. The historian and managing director of the Elisabeth Käsemann Foundation, Dr Dorothee Weitbrecht , presented two of the stories at an event. Weitbrecht, who deals a lot with the Argentinian culture of remembrance, not only addressed the crimes that were committed in El Vesubio , but also pointed out many differences between the German and Argentinian culture of remembrance. this was also made clear by the film „…and that you remain silent for two days under torture!“ , which also deals with Käsemann’s story. Dorothee Weitbrecht, this time connected to the Fritz Bauer Library via video, gave a very personal insight into the memory of her aunt and the process of coming to terms with the crime.
A legal career „(…) to put an end to the systematic impunity of the crimes.“ This is how the work of Chilean lawyer and current President of the Chilean Human Rights Commission, Carlos Margotta , could be described. He defended countless survivors of the crimes of the Chilean dictatorship and initiated important trials against the perpetrators. His commitment to human rights and the importance of the legal condemnation of crimes against humanity made it clear to us, especially in view of the disputes over a new constitution in Chile since 2019, that remembering human rights violations also means opposing and resisting in a democracy. It is above all Margotta’s emphasis on the importance of legally established injustice (in the sense of restoring justice) that reminds us of Fritz Bauer and will be incorporated more strongly into our work in the future.
But how can resistance be organised in a dictatorship, especially in captivity? A very personal answer to this question is given by the communication scientist and Auer Jorge Montealegre in his book „National Stadium 1973. Autobiographical Essay“, which we presented in its first German edition as part of the event series. In his story, Montealegre explicitly focuses on survival and not on the horror and violence he experienced. He shows what can enable people to act humanely even under extreme conditions and emphasises the importance of humour, which runs through his book. Humour, according to Montealegre, preserves one’s own humanity and it is this that authoritarian regimes deny their victims. The perpetrators lack it in their thoughts and actions, which is why preserving it is a form of resistance in a dictatorship.
„In the end, oblivion awaits. A story from Colombia“ is the title of the book by award-winning Colombian author Héctor Abad Faciolince about one of Latin America’s most important doctors and human rights fighters. The author’s deeply felt love for his father, Héctor Abad Gomez, is just as evident in the story about his childhood as the polyphony of his family’s memories. On the other hand, it also becomes clear that it was only as a young adult that Abad realised the dangers for him and his family that arose from his father naming the crimes of the Colombian paramilitaries on the radio and in newspapers and publicly campaigning for fairer and better conditions, especially in the health sector.
The workshop organised by historian and journalist Joachim Jachnow then shed light on the historical and political background of Héctor Abad’s book and the story of his famous father. Land theft, flight, expropriation and the oppression of the indigenous population are just a few parts of the „history of violence since colonial times“ in Colombia. While Héctor Abad almost ignores this context in his memory of his father and wrote a coming of age story, this history of violence still characterises the country today.
In a panel discussion between Max Lucks (Member of Parliament, The Greens), Vanesa Schaeffer Manrique (Director of Informationsstelle Peru e.V., Freiburg) and Sara Leman (Amnesty International Co-Group Bochum), we addressed transnational right-wing movements and the threat to queer people and women with a focus on Peru. Peru has changed dramatically since the ousting of the left-wing president Pedro Castillo, and the rights of minorities in general and queer people in particular have been restricted more than they have been for a long time, especially since he came to power. At the same time, social movements in large cities such as Lima have become very popular, activists and NGOs can operate relatively freely and this gives rise to hope. A few days earlier, Peruvian documentary filmmaker Heeder Soto and Saywafilms manager Kerstin Kastenholz had already given us an insight into the fight for climate justice and civil liberties by these activists in the country as part of a workshop. What was particularly impressive here were the efforts from within society, a development that gives hope, even if, as Soto said, it can only be the beginning of a confrontation with the history of violence in the country.
Yannik Holsten presented a culture of remembrance that is linked to an active fight for truth and justice and has a very strong reference to the present in a workshop using the example of Uruguay. With the help of various interviews that he conducted with survivors of the dictatorship in Uruguay, he drew attention to a key difference to the German culture of remembrance: the direct demand for clarification from state authorities. But there are also very practical differences beyond this. For example, the „Museo de la Memoria “ („Museum of Memory“) was created, which is characterised by a combination of activism and museumisation and in which civil society plays a decisive role in deciding on the exhibits. One contemporary witness very explicitly describes the impact of this form of remembrance culture on the survivors: “ Memoria is not something that lies in the past, but in the present and we are in the process of giving it a form. […] memoria illuminates the dangers of the present for us.“
In the „Memoria Viva“ series of events, we have talked a lot about the violations of human rights by states and state authorities. Even if the Mexican governments are not flawless in this respect, Mexico has an even bigger problem – the drug cartels. Although they do not act directly against the population, but „only“ against their own competitors, civilian casualties have been and continue to be accepted. This is shown not least by the example of the 43 kidnapped students who have disappeared to this day, as the literary scholar Mathias Sasse explained in his workshop. Sasse, who lived in Mexico for a long time, contrasted this very gloomy impression of Mexico with the story of the Mexican activist Gabriela Brimmer, whose life story is also published in the book series „Fritz Bauer
can also be found in the „Fritz Bauer Library“ book series
The last event in the series „Memoria Viva. Latin America on the move“ was the lecture and subsequent discussion by Spanish lawyer Dr Juan Garcés on 30 November at the Bochum Justice Centre. Garcés used relevant documents to show how the US government planned a coup even before Salvador Allende’s election victory and attempted to destabilise the country. He illustrated the spiral of violence that was set in motion by the American government under Nixon and which ended in Pinochet’s military dictatorship. How can such a crime be dealt with, how can the serious human rights violations be brought to justice? Juan Garcés also found an answer to this question in his presentation. He described how he worked with survivors for several years to prepare an indictment and how Pinochet was finally arrested. Garcés‘ commitment impressively demonstrates what a single lawyer can achieve if he observes political developments closely, applies the law and allows for the chance of chance to bring crimes against humanity to justice.
There are also numerous exciting events in the coming year, which can be found here . On 18 January, we will continue to focus on the escalated conflict between Israel and Hamas. We have invited the historian and anti-Semitism researcher Prof Dr Moshe Zimmermann. Together with IPPNW Bochum, we have also planned events on the ban on nuclear weapons and in February we will be looking at the history of black people in society and activism. We will also be providing information on the progress of the Fritz Bauer Forum, including the progress of construction.