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The opening ceremony for the Willy Brandt Center for encounter and communication took part on the 11th anniversary of the dead of Willy Brandt. The WBC is situated in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Abu Tor / Al Thouri exactly on the Green Line – the former "no-man's-land" that was separating the Jordanian East Jerusalem from the Israeli West Jerusalem.
Emile Jarjoui, member of the Palestinian Legal Council, Kerstin Griese, member of the German parliament, and Andreas Reinicke, chair of the German representative office in Ramallah.
The location of the Willy Brandt Center is a conscious manifestation. It should "materialize" the idea of the center as a place that wants to be open and accessible for both sides. The building has two floors, in which a library, two offices, a kitchen, and a seminar room are situated. It has a generous terrace that is limited on one side by a garden. The balcony on the other side offers an impressive view over Jerusalem with the old city in its center. The friendly atmosphere of the building is suited to influence the meetings in this place in a positive way.
The opening speech on October 8th, 2003 was held by Kerstin Griese (head of the youth committee of the German parliament.), as well as by her colleagues Jitzhak Herzog (Avoda), Emile Jarjoui (Fateh), and Jossi Sarid (Meretz). Apart from that, the German ambassador Rudolf Dreßler (Tel Aviv), the counselor Andreas Reinicke (Ramallah), representatives of the FES-offices in Tel Aviv and East Jerusalem, as well as further NGO representatives attended the event. The Jusos have been represented by Susann Engert (member of the federal board) and Kai Burmeister, the International Secretary Inken Wiese, as well as by Heike Kratt, Lars Jeschke und Irene Weipert (members of the project group Middle East). Additionally, several representatives of the Israeli and Palestinian partner organizations took part. As delegates of the WBC supporting association arrived Harald Schrapers and Rainer Zimmer-Winkel.
The Knesset member Jitzhak Herzog and the German ambassador Rudolf Dreßler.
The opening of the center is an enormous success, very close to the complete realization of a life-long dream. The steady set backs during the peace process let to increasing difficulties for official and eye-to-eye-contacts between the Palestinian and Israeli side. Therefore, only the fact that the contract that was signed in 1996 in Ramallah was never cancelled has to be seen as a great success: All three parties decided to keep the common idea to build the WBC. During this time it was necessary to restrain the official contacts to bilateral meetings between the German-Israeli, respectively German-Palestinian represents. At the same time a mixed Israeli, Palestinian, and European team was established that worked intensively together at the WBC. Some of the team members belong to one of the political partner organizations of the WBC, others are experienced in project work on the level of civil-society, are trainer in communication, experts in the field of civil conflict resolution, or professional peace keepers.
Under the given circumstances, the team work is not always easy and harmonic. Conflicts and problems should become openly addressed instead of being suppressed and concealed. Working against the general sentiment not to cooperate with the other side, is asking a high personal employment and effort of the team members.
Heinz Wagner (forumZFD) and parliament member Jossi Sarid (Meretz).
The idea of the center to create an open space for the youth and young adults is starting to become true by the different projects and attractions of the center. However, most of the projects focus only on one of both conflict parties. This situation results out of the understanding that "forced" encounters will not help to reduce existing prejudices, fears and feelings of hatred towards each other.
The Willy Brandt Center is consciously characterized as a
"political project" and receives according to this financial
support by the German "Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development".
The uniqueness of this project lies in the fact that it is not planned as
a grassroots-project. Instead, the WBC is working with representatives of
the "medium political level" that usually offers access to a
higher political level of decision-making.
www.willybrandtcenter.org/en/aboutus/history/opening
07.01.2009, 12:01