Heinrich Böll Foundation

Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America

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Welcome to the Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America!

We are a political non-profit organization striving to promote democracy, civil society, equality and a healthy environment internationally. Headquarted in Berlin/Germany, the Heinrich Böll Stiftung has 28 offices worldwide and cooperates with more than 200 partners in more than 60 countries.

Publications

Article

No such Internet freedom says your virtual landlord

June 19, 2013 - The NSA scandal is not just a problem for the American democracy. Other American, European, Asian, and African people have also a right to know the whereabouts of their private data. Dr. Thorsten Wetzling more»

Article

Writing About the Energiewende

- June 18, 2013 - Writing about Germany’s clean energy transition is notoriously difficult – for a number of reasons. And writing about it in book form is probably the hardest of all. Paul Hockenos reviews four recent titles that tackle the topic. Paul Hockenos more»

Article

Smart Growth - Twelve Theses

- June 3, 2013 - A relationship with, not against, nature should be one of the core principles of ‘green growth’, argues HBS Co-President Ralf Fücks. As Europe debates its economic direction, Fücks outlines the ’12 theses’ that should form the basis of a sustainable future for the continent. more»

Policy Paper

Implementing Gender Equality at the World Bank

- May 31, 2013 - Gender equality efforts at the World Bank are not new. Several recent World Bank and external reports have taken stock of how successfully gender equality concerns have been mainstreamed in World Bank activities in the past few years. This analysis finds that while there have been some improvements ,persistent weaknesses in implementation remain largely due to a focus on internal process over gender equality impacts in developing countries. more»

Policy Paper

What Can the European Union Do in Syria?

- May 31, 2013 - As a follow-up to the closed workshop "The responsibility to protect in Syria - What can the European Union do?" organized by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union and Dutch peace organization IKV Pax Christi on 5th of December 2012, this joint policy paper focuses on what could be done by the EU in Syria. more»

Tours

HBS Tours Exploring the Energiewende

- May 28, 2013 - This summer the Heinrich Böll Foundation is leading several tours to enhance awareness of the renewable energy revolution in Europe. The tours include US congressional staff examining EU low carbon economies, US energy and climate funders looking at renewable communities, and American and European journalists focusing on environmental issues. more»

G20 Update

- May 15, 2013 - The May 2013 G20 Update (EN) (ES) (RU) describes the evolving domestic political climate in Russia, particularly the crack-down on independent civil society organizations; highlights key features of the G20's new "Financing for Investment" initiative, especially the promotion of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in infrastructure; and compares the agendas for the G8 Summit (June 2013) and the G20 Summit (September 2013). more»

Interview

The Energiewende - the Result of a Powerful Mass Movement from Below

- May 10, 2013 - Nowhere is the economic impact of the German energy transition more evident than in Bavaria where land owners and farmers have taken advantage of the new incentives to become "prosumers". In this interview with Josef Goeppel, a conservative member of the Bundestag from Bavaria, it becomes clear how German traditional conservatives are grasping the relevance of the Energiewende. more»

Dossier - Perspectives/Africa

Perspectives: Political Analysis and Commentary from Africa

Perspectives is a publication series of the Africa offices of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung. With this series, we intend to let experts from Africa express their views about current political issues in their region. Perspectives focuses on Southern- , East- and West Africa where the foundation has established offices.

Policy Paper

A Stable Afghanistan? Training Soldiers is Not Enough

- April 26, 2013 - Western governments look like they are turning their back on Afghanistan after a decade of aid and assistance but this is a dangerous approach, as history shows. Sebastian Gräfe more»

Website

New IPS-Boell Website on Climate Finance and Private Sector Intersection

- April 22, 2013 - A new website, climatemarkets.org, a collaborative project of the Institute for Policy Studies and the Heinrich Böll Foundation North America, is now online. It offers as a platform for climate activists and advocates who are interested in gaining a better understanding of the current debates about the roles of public institutions and the private sector in energy and climate-related finance, and their intersection. more»

Policy Paper

Afghanistan beyond 2014: Elections, Political Settlement, Reforms. Recommendations from Afghan Civil Society

- April 8, 2013 - As international troops begin to withdraw from Afghanistan, it is important to strengthen the civilian component of international assistance beyond 2014. The Heinrich Böll Stiftung and the Center for American Progress brought three Afghan civil society leaders for meetings with the U.S. administration and United Nations in February 2013. You can find their policy recommendations on the presidential elections in 2014, talks with the Taliban, and broader political reforms here ...
more»

Report

Setting the Course: The Third Meeting of the Green Climate Fund Board Lays Groundwork for Key Decisions Later this Year

- April 5, 2013 - At their third meeting from March 12 - 15 in Berlin, the Board of the Green Climate Fund laid the groundwork for some of the most important decisions it will have to make for the Fund's future in the remaining two Board meetings this year so that the Fund can propel the paradigm shift to low-emission, climate-resilient and gender-responsive sustainable development in recipient countries. Liane Schalatek more»

Policy Paper

Gender Equality in the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Where Does it Stand?

- April 5, 2013 - The post-2015 development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have the potential to make a positive, long-lasting difference in addressing today's myriad of unresolved challenges and fundamental crises if they focus on gender equality and macro-economic policy reform. This paper analyses how gender equality is taken up in the post-Rio+20 process. Alexandra Spieldoch more»

Series

G20 Fundamentals

- January 31, 2013 - .
Issue #4 - "The Track Record of the G20 on Eliminating Fossil Fuel Subsidies"
Issue #3 - "The G20's Anti-Corruption Working Group"
Issue #2 - "The G20'ss Record in Disciplining the Financial Sector"
Issue #1 - "Introduction to the Group of 20 (G20)"

Report

Missing Women: The G20, Gender Equality and Global Economic Governance

- March 13, 2013 - The policy priorities of the G20 have profound gender implications, although the G20 rarely recognizes this fact. This report explores the possibilities for gender bias in the G20's policies, including those related to: fiscal and monetary priorities, employment, social protection, and development. James Heintz - University of Massachusetts, Amherst more»

Series

German Energy Transition #6

- February 19, 2013 - While the US energy sector is good for big business, Germany’s is good for citizens. Germans not only want clean power; they also want to make it themselves. When locals own and control their environment, the acceptance of renewables increases, argues Craig Morris. Craig Morris more»

Video

What is the German Energiewende?

- February 4, 2013 - Germany's path to a renewable energy economy will not succeed without smart grid technologies. Some say the energy transition is impossible. What is the Energiewende? Why is it worth doing and how do citizens and small businesses in Germany invest in renewables? Check out this video more»

Report

Smart Grids and the Energy Transformation: Mapping Smart Grid Activities in Germany

- February 1, 2013 -

Germany's tansition to a renewable energy economy will not succeed without smart grid technologies. They play an essential part in the "Energiewende" towards an electricity supply system based on high energy efﬁciency and changing renewable energy supplies. Upgrading the grid is the most urgent task, but restructuring it has to follow suit.

Marian Bichler more»

Policy Paper

Commentary on the report "Mapping G20 Decisions Implementation"

- February 1, 2013 - How should G20 Decisions be Assessed? This question is answered by a December 2012 report entitled, “Mapping G20 Decisions Implementation: How G20 is delivering on the decisions made” by scholars at the University of Toronto and the Higher School of Economics (Moscow). This "commentary" questions the methodology of the report and suggests alternatives. Nancy Alexander, Heinrich Boell Foundation, and Aldo Caliari, Center of Concern more»

Report

An Introduction to the G20: The Australian Presidency in Context

- February 1, 2013 - This paper provides an introduction to the G20 in the lead up to Australia’s G20 presidency. It includes an overview of the G20’s work in the last five years and the likely agendas for 2013 and 2014; and describes aspects of the global and Australian context. Margaret Blakers, Green Institute, Australia more»

Series

German Energy Transition #5

- January 31, 2013 - Germany's transition to renewable energies is one its signature public policies of the 21st century. However, the Energiewende was not created in a vacuum. In this paper the author discusses the Energiewende's overlooked American origins. Paul Hockenos more»

Article

The German Energy Transition

- November 28, 2012 - Germany has drawn a lot of attention for the Energiewende - the aim to switch to a renewable energy economy, phase out nuclear power and leave fossil fuels behind. But what exactly is the German energy transition: How does it works and what challenges lay ahead? Check out this new website. Arne Jungjohann more»

Report

Thirty Years of Bundestag Presence: A Tally of the Greens’ Impact on the Federal Republic of Germany’s Political Life and Public Culture

- January 11, 2013 - In the run-up to the 2013 German federal elections, this publication considers three decades of a changing political landscape with the emergence of the Green Party. The authors discuss how the Green Party built its “brand” and, in so doing, ushered in a fundamental change in German politics and society. Andrei Markovits and Joseph Klaver more»

Report

Shale Gas: Unconventional and Unwanted

- December 19, 2012 -

Over the last decade, the US has seen a shale gas rush. This rapid development has put to a heavy burden on the environment and the human health. Given the controversial experience in the US, more voices in Europe call for an EU-wide moratorium on shale gas – for good reasons, argues this new report.

Friends of the Earth Europe more»

Policy Paper

The "Doha Climate Gateway": Will the camel go through the eye of the needle?

- December 19, 2012 - Expectations for the climate summit in Doha were so low that it is quite remarkable that the meager results still managed to fall short of them. The UN climate talks appear to have a recurring theme: The process was saved, unfortunately the climate wasn't. Did Doha move us even the tiniest step forward ? Lili Fuhr and Liane Schalatek more»

Study

Afghanistan's Transition in the Making

- December 5, 2012 -

Afghanistan represents a very particular case of military intervention-cum-state-building-cum-democratization. Afghan women parliamentarians and civil society actors have positioned themselves against a complete withdrawal of the international community by 2014. Given the historical legacies and the role played by international intervention actors “good enough” does not seem to be an adequate response vis-à-vis the multi-faceted challenges and high stakes on the Afghan transition process.

Andrea Fleschenberg more»