Annual Report 2002

After 1989, the end of the East-West conflict initially raised hopes for an end to warlike conflict and political divisions throughout the world. The Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 signaled a new beginning toward solving major global problems such as poverty and environmental destruction. But the international system has undergone a fundamental transformation since the end of the Cold War and following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001; and multilateral cooperation on some global problems has become difficult. This became clear at the “World Summit for Sustainable Development” in Johannesburg. With its multi-event “Böll Forum,” the Heinrich Böll Foundation maintained an active presence there; along with numerous partner organizations, it worked to advocate a change in the Western style of production and consumption.

In 2002, the Heinrich Böll Foundation strengthened its commitment to shaping globalization in an ecological, sustainable and socially just manner. We are continuing to critically monitor the activities of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization. Our global network offers great potential for observing and influencing the policies of these institutions.

In terms of foreign and security policy, the year 2002 was still profoundly influenced by the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the war in Afghanistan and the debate over the “war on terrorism;” and of course the Iraq crisis. To meet these challenges, the Heinrich Böll Foundation has added foreign and security policy, as well as crisis prevention, to its fields of focus. Issues addressed include the future role of Europe in the world, the goals and instruments of a common international EU policy and the future of the transatlantic alliance, and security in the 21st century in the face of the threat posed by international terrorism and catastrophic environmental changes. Foundation activities also focus on regional crisis prevention by building up democratic institutions and strengthening civil-society actors. New topics of emphasis are the continued development of international law and UN reform with a view toward establishing a democratic global domestic policy. We place great trust in the competence of our international offices and our worldwide cooperation with partners from non-governmental organizations, politics, and academia.

Beginning in fall 2002, the Iraq conflict dominated a large number of Foundation activities. With its events on current issues, a book on German policy in the Middle East, and an extensive dossier on the Internet, the Foundation quickly became a source for background information, analysis and pluralistic debate. In addition to the international dimensions of the Iraq war, the Foundation is primarily focusing on the political and economic perspectives of both Iraq and the surrounding region. In this, our approach is to promote dialogue with the forces of civil society.

Last year, the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s Petra Kelly Prize was awarded to a courageous woman and outstanding personality – the Colombian Green politician Ingrid Betancourt. Unfortunately, her fate is still unknown because she is still in the hands of her kidnappers. Her husband accepted the prize on her behalf.

This report highlights some of the aspects and details of our work in the past year; current information is always available on our Web site.

Berlin, June 2003
Ralf Fücks, Barbara Unmüßig