Article
Germany and Russia: as much cooperation as possible; as much conflict as necessary
Visitor
HBF Interview with MEP Tarja Cronberg
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On the occasion of MEP Tarja Cronberg’s visit to Washington D.C., we had the chance to speak to her about the current nuclear negotiations with Iran, the human rights situation within the country and the role of the EU in supporting the political opening under President Hasan Rouhani.
Article
Energy security for Europe
- - No, the Crimea crisis does not mean Germany needs a national gas reserve of the kind called for by the Foreign Trade Association for Petroleum and Energy in Germany in its recent statement. A resource revolution is the most intelligent response to Russian gas and the Crimea crisis. more»
Article
Russia, Ukraine, and Europe
- - If Russia wants to continue economic and political cooperation with the EU, it has to end its military intervention in Ukraine and start the path of dialogue. We all would love to have a democratic Russia as a partner in the European Union. It is the current political leadership of the country that is moving away from Europe.
Article
Afghans find their way
- - The international community will play an important but secondary role in Afghanistan’s future as Afghans work to create a more sustainable state through strengthening their political consensus, building their economy, and increasing security.
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Video
Growing Opposition to President Hassan Rouhani: Is the Honeymoon Ending?
- - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is seeing escalating public criticism from Iran's conservative factions, once seemingly stifled by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Will Rouhani's presidency follow in the footsteps of the Mohammad Khatami era? HBS and the Stimson Center hosted a panel discussion on the shifting internal political dynamics in Iran. more»
Article
Ukraine: What the EU can do
- - Most important now is that the international community responds speedily and clearly to what amounts to a Russian occupation of the Crimea and the additional threat of Russian troops being stationed in Ukraine. Europe is in no way powerless in the face of Russian actions, as Ralf Fücks and Walter Kaufmann illustrate in a ten-point plan. more»
Dossier
The Future of Arms Control
- - HBS Berlin held an international expert conference on the “Future of Arms Control,” jointly organized with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs and the Institute for Peace Research and Security Studies (IFSH) at the University of Hamburg. Read publications of the conference proceedings. more»
Video
Reform Under Rouhani: Assessing Potential Change in Iran
- - The Stimson Center and the Heinrich Boll Foundation North America held a discussion on positive social and political changes in Iran, the role of Iranian youth in changing the political culture and the implications of a Rouhani presidency on the future of US-Iran relations. Watch the recorded event here more»
Article
U.S. Says Nuclear Security Work Remains
- - United States has decided to host a nuclear security summit in 2016, which would be the fourth such meeting to strengthen and deepen the "existing nuclear security architecture" before the summit process ends. Although a July 2013 ministerial-level conference on the topic played an important role in strengthening and institutionalizing nuclear security, the White House does not deem progress in this area to be sufficient for the summit process to end. more»
Dossier
High-Tech Wars: Challenges to peace and security in times of drones, robots and digital warfare
- - Unmanned weapons systems are already changing the nature of warfare. At its 14th Annual Foreign Policy Conference, the Heinrich Böll Foundation sought to address the challenges posed to peace-oriented security policy by these new technologies.Read the Conference Report and related publications here. more»
Article
Winning the Power of Information: How Assad Defines the Facts
- - Bashar al-Assad’s regime depends on an extensive propaganda machine for its political survival. This has had a tremendous impact on the Syrian conflict, dividing the international community and helping to discredit the opposition. Despite there being hardly a place in Syria in which the regime rules unchallenged, Damascus has largely won the power of information: the ability to define facts in this war.
Policy Paper
What Can the European Union Do in Syria?
- - 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»
Dossier - Perspectives/Africa
Perspectives: Political Analysis and Commentary from Africa
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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
- - 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. more»
Video
Understanding Iranian Public Opinion
- - In the midst of bombastic rhetoric exchanged among Iran, Israel, and Western states over the nuclear issue, Iranian public opinion is seldom heard on topics such as the nuclear program, international sanctions, and a potential military strike. Where do the Iranian people stand? Watch the discussion of Iranian Public Opinion hosted by HBF and the Stimson Center.
more»
Article
NATO’s Defense and Deterrence Posture Review – A Missed Opportunity?
- - American Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons (NSNWs) currently forward deployed in five Europe countries - have always been endowed with a symbolic value that far outweighs their strategic importance. It was therefore not surprising that NATO’s Defense and Deterrence Posture Review (DDPR) discreetly published at the Chicago Summit concluded that in the current circumstances, the existing mix of capabilities is a sound one. more»
Dossier
Climate - Migration - Security
- Growing evidence of links between climate change, migration, and conflict raise plenty of reasons for concern and it’s time to start thinking about new answers to these multifaceted crisis scenarios. - New report on Climate Change, Migration, and Conflict in South Asia!
more»
Policy Paper
International Security Guarantees on the Way to a Permanent Agreement on a Two-State-Solution Israel / Palestine
- - From mid-2010 to mid-2011 a working group of Israeli and Palestinian security experts developed concrete proposals and practical steps for international security guarantees in the case of a two state solution between Israel and Palestine. This work was undertaken at the invitation of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung. The group presents their recommendations at several events in Berlin, Brussels and Washington, DC. more»
Article
Pashtuns in Pakistan: Why the War on Terror is Being Lost
- - 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. more»
Study
A Study of Pakistan’s Interests in Afghanistan: Fear and Prejudice
- - The importance of Pakistan for the West’s continuation of their unfortunate involvement in Afghanistan is now generally understood. Far less clear, probably for most of the actors involved, is what Pakistan wants in Afghanistan at all. more»
Conference Report
Ten Years After 9/11 – Lessons Learned?
- The attacks in New York and Washington DC on 11 September 2001, almost exactly ten years ago, represented a historic turning point of a scope comparable to that of the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. While the latter was a sign of hope and new beginnings, 9/11 meant uncertainty and recrimination. more»
Article
The German Mission in Afghanistan
- - German involvement in Afghanistan did not begin with the attacks of September 11. German humanitarian and development aid existed before the German military intervention – and it will (and must) still be there after the military mission is over. more»
Dossier
Afghanistan 2011 - 10 Years of International Engagement
- - After ten years of international involvement in Afghanistan, a second conference will take plan in Bonn this December 2011 to discuss the country’s future. Since 2002, the Heinrich Böll Foundation has actively supported the development of civil society in Afghanistan and has promoted exchanges between the German and Afghan public. The following dossier provides a venue for comments, analysis and debate ahead of the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan. more»
Article
After the Death of Osama bin Laden: Now to Break the Al- Qaeda Franchise
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It is young people at the heart of the Arab revolt who are rebelling not for jihad but for freedom and democracy. Nevertheless, bin Laden's death opens up huge opportunities worldwide. President Barack Obama needs to follow up on the promise he made in Cairo, two years ago, when he pledged to build bridges to the Muslim world.
Article
Effects of the Arab Spring
- - Because the Arab democracy movement is spreading to the Palestinian territories, Fatah and Hamas had to sign a reconciliation agreement in early May. more»
Policy Paper
Ambition and Peril: Nuclear Energy and the Arab World
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Should Arab countries with less advanced technological capacities invest in nuclear power that proved uncontrollable in Fukushima, Japan? Activists and policy-makers from the Arab World and Europe critically discuss these and other questions in this report.
Report
Myth of Nuclear Power - A Guide
- - The recent explosions at several reactors in Japan have again highlighted the hazards of nuclear power in a dramatic way. The description of nuclear power as reliable and secure energy source has turned into a myth. Renowned international nuclear experts provide an overview of current, facts rich, and nuclear-critical know-how. more»
dossier
The Future of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime
- The risk of nuclear anarchy is no longer a distant horror scenario; it has entered the realms of possibility. Heinrich Böll Foundation held its tenth Annual Foreign Policy Conference on September 10 and 11. more»
Archive
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