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On November 23rd Heinrich-Boell-Foundation organized the international conference “10 Years after Petersberg: Where does Afghanistan stand today?” that addressed the current state of affairs in the country, the role of the regional neighbors and inquired about future prospects for Afghanistan.

One of the clear messages of the international community to the Afghan administration in the recently-held Bonn conference on Afghanistan was that the world is commited to support Afghanistan even after 2014. However, the question of what these commitments will look like, remains unanswered. 

For the SurVivArt project the Heinrich Böll Foundation has invited artists from around the world to reflect by means of works of art and related communications on what the “good life“ means to them and those around them. In February 2012, the works will be presented at an exhibition in Berlin.

Last December the second Japanese-German Dialogue on security affairs took place in Berlin. The expert round table talked about the perspectives on security related issues in East Asia. The topics included the role of China, the situation on the Korean Peninsular and the question, how to deal with the Russian nuclear potentials.

Do the institutions of our democracy reflect the increasing diversity of our society? For the first time, a study conducted by the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity has investigated this question concerning the councils of major German cities. The summary presents the main results of the study.

During the Arab uprisings, an unprecedented number of women took to the streets, paving the way for a more important role in politics. However, in the transitional period that follows, they now have to fight against their exclusion from the political arena. This fight will blur the conflict lines between the „traditional-religious“ and the „urban-modern-non-religious“ blocs. 

The Pashtuns are the ethnic majority in the border area of Afghanistan and Pakistan, but the Pakistani government is not caring about their issues. In the war on terror they often feel like cannon fodder.

The story of climate change is not merely the story of changing components in the atmosphere, nor is it the story of drowning polar bears and melting icebergs. Climate change is also a mirror of the erroneous household management by humanity. 

The International Conference on Afghanistan in Bonn is a critical opportunity for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the international community to reaffirm their mutual commitment to work together. Afghan civil society institutions propose the following points to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the international community. They believe these issues will help enable both parties to support a common and unified vision for the future of the Afghan people and the country as a whole.

The European Union is at a crossroads. The Heinrich Böll Foundation has invited renowned experts, to formulate concepts and recommendations for the future of the EU. At an international conference in late October, we discussed the first results of the Commission.