Guest post: Film “Petra Kelly – Act Now!” about Green icon
Petra Kelly, born in Germany, grew up in the USA in the 1960s. As a student, she worked in Robert F. Kennedy’s election campaign team. Her role model was Martin Luther King Jr. with his philosophy of civil disobedience. In the early 1980s, she mobilized hundreds of thousands of people in Germany against the deployment of US nuclear missiles. More here.
The Second World War began 85 years ago. And the “sitting war” in Alsace.
The war began on September 1, 1939 – in the East. Strasbourg was evacuated on the same day. 400,000 people had to leave Alsace and Lorraine. Ghost towns, cats and dogs were left behind. More here.
August 23: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
Even before Europe’s colonial rulers divided up Africa, Africans hunted Africans and sold them to Muslim slave traders who exported them to the Arabian Peninsula or further. While the Europeans ruthlessly exploited their colonies, they also abolished human trafficking within Africa. More here.
The Taliban have been ruling Afghanistan again for three years now.
After the end of the NATO mission and the head-over-heels withdrawal of the USA, the Taliban declared themselves the new government of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021. Since then, women have lost all their rights. One woman is even to be stoned to death for extramarital sex. More here.
Studio talk: International understanding through travel
For 75 years, the peace organization Servas International has been bringing people together all over the world. Regional Coordinator Heinz Miebach of Servas Germany explains who can take part and how. Idea and preparation by me.
Guest post by Volker Seitz
On July 1, 2024, Hungary took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is a thorn in the side of many member states, partly because of his restrictive migration policy. Hungary is providing valuable aid to African countries, says the author. More here.
August 9: 30th International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples
As part of the exhibition “Matriarchs of Wounded Knee – the strong Indigenous women” in Munich, a Zoom call with activist Marcella Gilbert and film director Elizabeth Castle (“Warrior Women”) will take place at 1pm EST via Link.
Guest post on Hiroshima remembrance day on August 6
On August 6, 1945, a US pilot dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The uranium came from indigenous land. Bomb tests were also carried out there. 79 years later, the USA wants to boost its domestic uranium mining – again at the expense of indigenous peoples. More here.
Guest post by Martin Ruthenberg
For some time now, a number of politicians and media outlets in Germany have been talking about making citizens “fit for war”. Voices calling for peace seem to be in the minority. Or are they “only” barely visible to the public? More here.
Hundreds of thousands flock to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally again.
The Sturgis Rally in the US state of South Dakota is considered one of the largest biker gatherings in the world. It kicks off on the first Friday in August. The Black Hills make motorcycling here something very special. More here.
