Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
REFLECTIONS
ON A
TRANSATLANTIC
LEGACY
Marshall
Memorial
Fellowship
E
introduction stablished in 1982, the Marshall MMF: Reflections on a Transatlantic
Memorial Fellowship (MMF) Legacy is a collection of remembrances
was created by the German Marshall from Marshall Memorial Fellows and
Fund (GMF) to introduce a new program coordinators celebrating
generation of European leaders to the first 25 years of the program.
America’s institutions, politics, and The unique experience of the MMF
people. In 1999, GMF launched a program has had a positive impact on
companion program to expose future the lives and careers of these Fellows,
U.S. leaders to a changing and and GMF would like to thank the
expanding Europe. Over the program’s contributors to the project and all
first 25 years, MMF has attracted over of our Marshall Memorial Fellows
1,500 of the best and brightest from for making this program successful.
all sectors, including politics, media, It is our distinct pleasure to share these
business, and nongovernmental stories of that success.
organizations.
THE PRESIDENT In 1982, the German Marshall
Fund brought its first group
Twenty-five years after the founding of the Marshall
Memorial Fellowship program, we now have a network
of Marshall Memorial Fellows of nearly 1,500 Fellows from across Europe and the
— a cohort of nine from United States. This network of leaders — representing
Germany — to the United the best and brightest in government, politics, business,
States. The following year, Denmark, journalism, and the nonprofit sector — continues to
France, and the Netherlands were added to the program, grow and thrive. The program’s impact is widespread
giving the program a more European identity and giving as MMFs have gone on to become prime ministers,
GMF a wider presence. The MMF program continued to members of European and national parliaments,
grow and develop, and as democracy swept across Eastern directors of major foundations and nonprofit
Europe in the early 1990s, MMF expanded to Poland, institutions, and executives in corporations both large
Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia in quick and small. We hope that their leadership has been
succession. This gave GMF the singular opportunity to positively influenced by their transatlantic experience,
expose the leaders of these newly democratic states to and we look forward to the future accomplishments of
the United States and the transatlantic relationship. The our Fellows.
development of the MMF program has continued as the
We at GMF are pleased to celebrate the first 25 years of
European Union has grown and the definition of Europe
the Marshall Memorial Fellowship program, and this
has changed. The recent expansion of MMF to the
book is a unique opportunity to reflect on the MMF
Western Balkans and Turkey reflects GMF’s commitment
program’s impact on the lives and careers of many of the
to a wide and inclusive Europe, of which we are proud.
finest leaders throughout Europe and the United States.
letter from
American Fellows’ inclusion in the program since 1999 Congratulations to the Fellows, partners, and staff who
has benefited GMF and the MMF program tremendously. have made this program a success since 1982.
Sending 50 or more young American leaders across
the Atlantic each year has allowed us to strengthen our
relationships with partners throughout Europe and gain
a foothold in communities across the United States as
these Fellows come home to have a positive impact on
their hometowns and regions.
Craig Kennedy
President
CONTENTS
dan dionisie: ROMANIA 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Participating countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
notable fellows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
participating cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
romania 1998
y first contact with the United States was through
GMF, when I was part of the first group of
travel year
Romanians and Bulgarians to take part in the MMF
program. The strongest impression from my experience
in the U.S. is the entrenched freedom. I have seen in
some other countries what I call entrenched wealth,
accumulated for centuries like geologic layers, which
cannot erode even in difficult times. In others, I saw
home country
entrenched poverty, the kind that cannot be wiped out
even in relatively prosperous times. In the U.S., I had an
almost physical sensation of entrenched freedom, which
Summer 2006 European Fellows visit is rooted so deeply in people’s minds for generations, in
the Martin Luther King, Jr., National their artifacts and in their nature.
Historic Site in Atlanta, Georgia
The very concept of the MMF program only contributed
to this sensation of freedom. We had a significant degree
of liberty in shaping a program according to our
interests, had rented cars to drive around,
and were responsible for managing our
time, all without unnecessary formalities and
paperwork. This is a powerful concept that
captivates and bonds people and is a hallmark
of the MMF experience.
Dan Dionisie
Policy Analyst
United Nations Development Program
F
FRANCE 1987 rom my MMF trip, I vividly recall on one hand a
homeless woman in Atlanta who wanted to come
travel year
André de Margerie
Director of International Relations
ARTE France
F
portugal 1989
irst, there was music, then movies, and then politics. The MMF program enabled me to meet real America, to
Then came GMF, and finally America was a dream meet different hearts and minds from different regions
travel year
that came true. and cultures. From that attorney in Providence, Rhode
Island, whose grandfather had emigrated from Ukraine
I had been fascinated with America since I was a
at the beginning of the 20th century to the persistent
youngster, a fascination that came mostly from my
farmers in Ohio who made me give a speech for a crowd
passion for jazz and American cinema. The United
at a school party, getting to know America better allowed
States was by then the country of alternative cultures, so
me to know Europe and the world better.
home country
close yet so far away. Later, when I became a journalist, I
covered events in the U.S., but never went beyond New Since that distant year of 1989, the MMF program has
York and Washington. Everybody who knew America made me feel like a citizen of the world.
kept telling me that America was not exactly New York or
Jose Lemos
Washington. But that is something I only experienced
Editor
thanks to GMF. RTP Portugal
countries
UNITED STATES
participating
DENMARK
CZECH
REPUBLIC POLAND
GERMANY
THE
NETHERLANDS
SLOVOKIA
HUNGARY
FRANCE
CROATIA ROMANIA
BOSNIA
SERBIA
HERZ.
BULGARIA
MONT. TURKEY
SPAIN MACEDONIA
ITALY
GREECE
ALBANIA
M
poland 1997 y MMF trip has been recorded in my memory
as a unique combination of impressions and
travel year
Dobroslaw Rodziewicz
President, Board of Directors
Radio Krakow
H
MMF PROGRAM
coordinator
osting Marshall Memorial Fellows in Pierre, South celebrations, walked in parades, watched rodeos, and
Dakota, has allowed us to step outside the routines visited Mt. Rushmore. They have discussed the hard
of our daily lives and lets us question our place in the life of ranchers and farmers trying to live on the land,
context of being both Americans and citizens of the and have seen first-hand the difficulties of providing
world. The Fellows have given me a great opportunity medical and educational services to few people spread
to see how others view us and have challenged many out over vast areas.
of my notions. Over the years I have marveled at their
While the formal side of the GMF experience —
curiosity and intellect as well as their accomplishments:
the meetings and interviews — is the genius of the
the young woman from the newly emerging Eastern Bloc
program, giving them access to sources that few
country who learned almost perfect English by watching
citizens could have, it is the human contacts that they
Sesame Street; the up-and-coming politicians who go
carry back with them and recall in later years. That
on to become “players” in their countries; and the media
is why I truly have enjoyed this program and every
types who show great curiosity in the stories behind
Fellow we have ever met.
the stories. They have swum across the Missouri River,
ridden horses, rounded up buffalo, fired guns, visited Dan Schenk
Indian Reservations, attended small-town Fourth of July Pierre, South Dakota
O
greece 2002 n the occasion of the 25th anniversary of
the Marshall Memorial Fellowship, let me
travel year
Evripidis Stylianidis
Deputy Minister
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ivailo
Kalfin
Pe Viktor C o n n ie Foreign
notable fellows
Broe ter
Minis
rtje Orban Hedegaard Bulgaria ter,
Joyc Kr ist ia n
Iv a n Helge Chan e Je ns en
M ik lo s Sander Direc g
Mark tor, Emer
Minister of Taxation,
ormer Deputy Prim f Denmark
e Minister o ology ets gin
Unite , JP Morga g
ister and Minister Techn
Foreign Affairs,
of Science, vation, d Sta n
tes ,
Slovakia
and Inno k
Denmar
La rs
Ba rf oe d
Former Minister
for Family and
Jo Piotr Ethan Consumer Affairs,
S o c r as e Pa c e w i c z
B e r k o w it z Denmark
tes Former Minority Le
Prime -in-Chief, ader,
Min Deputy Editor Alaska House of
Portug ister, Gazeta Wybor
cza,
Representatives
al
Poland
Eva
H a n sK j e r
s en
K l a uh e r Mini
Socia ster of
W a l t resident, B e rn d vo n l Af
Denm fairs,
n i o r
P
Vice fthansa
, M a lt ze n ark
Se sche Lu
y Vice Chairman,
Deut German
Deutsche Bank AG,
Germany
I
germany 1983 t was 1983, I was in my early 30s and
had just started working as a minister
travel year
10
W
FRANCE 1991
hat struck me the most was the diversity of the
United States, how contrasted it was. My itinerary
travel year
took me to North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and other
parts of the country, giving me a chance to meet and
understand what is “real America,” including how people
think and how people live. Many of them told us that we
were the first Europeans they had met. Almost all of them
told us that we were seeing more of their own country
home country
than they ever had. Yet all were anxious to figure out our
vision of the world, what this “new” Europe was about,
and to know more about us.
Jean-Christophe Bas
Development Policy Dialogue
Manager
The World Bank
11
T
denmark 1995 he MMF program is one of life’s great
experiences. It is rare to experience another
travel year
Klaus Frandsen
Director, Corporate Development
PBS Holding
12
T
france 1998
o say that my MMF experience was memorable
would be — by far — an understatement. There
travel year
is undoubtedly an “after” as there was a “before” the
few weeks I spent in the United States with my fellow
Europeans.
home country
America, from being the only one in the room without
a star on my suit among a group of generals at the
National Defense University to debating the relative
merits of the American and European social models over
beers, the individual moments made the trip
unforgettable.
Bertrand Badre
Managing Director
Lazard Frères
13
O
MMF PROGRAM
coordinator
ur community of Chattanooga, Tennessee, has quite anxious about meeting their hosts, and the hosts
hosted Fellows once or twice a year for ten years. are equally nervous! They are going to share their home
I can honestly say that we learn as much from the with a stranger from another country, and the anxiety
Europeans as they learn from us. The conversations have on both sides is high. Three days later, I hear the laughter
increased in intensity since the inclusion of the East and the tales of funny things that have happened — you
European countries. would think they had known each other for years.
In March 2004, we hosted a group of Fellows from Italy, Throughout the program — in the meetings and the
Bulgaria, Hungary, Denmark, Poland, and Germany. The home stays, the Fellows contribute to our understanding
Fellows met with some African-American members of not just of Europe but of humanity.
the Rainbow PUSH Coalition about civil rights issues in
Eleanor Cooper
Chattanooga. The newspaper article about the visit was
Chattanooga, Tennessee
titled “Europeans Learn of Chattanooga Race Relations,”
but the conversation revealed much more than that.
14
“The open and continuous flows
of ideas, the appetite for exchange
of ideas, the capacity to combine the
most provincial and most innovative
thinking, the willingness to engage
all stakeholders in the debate —
these issues struck me and
remain with me to this day.”
— Jean-Christophe Bas (France)
15
O
denmark 1996 ne day, I joined the Border Patrol at Del Rio, Texas,
stopping illegal immigrants from Mexico.
travel year
Poul Madsen
Editor-in-Chief
Ekstra Bladet
16
A
germany 1982
s one of the first participants of the Marshall become a strong advocate for stronger transatlantic
Memorial Fellowship Program back in 1982, I still ties. As foreign policy spokesman of the federal
travel year
have vivid memories of my visit to the United States. At Christian Democratic parliamentary group, I joined
27, I was working for Richard von Weizsäcker, then- Angela Merkel on her trip to the United States in 2003.
mayor of Berlin who would later become Germany’s Now, as opposition leader in the state parliament
president. He nominated me for an MMF journey that of Berlin, I, along with my party, am fully aware of
led me across America. In Opelika, Alabama, I met America’s contribution to the freedom of West Berlin
Alabama’s four-time governor George C. Wallace and during the Cold War and of U.S. support for German
home country
discussed his personal transformation from a supporter reunification. The United States and the Marshall
of segregation to an honest friend of African-Americans. Memorial Fellowship Program gave me a lot, and I
His claim that “the Old South is gone” rang true when he congratulate the German Marshall Fund on the 25th
ran for governor that year. anniversary of its flagship program.
17
Marseille Madison
F
Athen
participating
cities
rom Pittsburgh to Los Angeles, Brussels to
Bilbao, the Marshall Memorial Fellowship offers
participants an immersion experience in their host
Montgomery
countries. To accomplish this, MMF coordinators work
tirelessly to put together varied programs for the fellows.
Amste
They are united by a desire to share their cities and
cultures, and to help bridge the transatlantic divide.
This is a sampling of the cities MMFs have visited on
Istanbul
both sides of the Atlantic.
Bismarck
Wilmington
Boulder
B
BerlinDenve
Atlanta Copenh
Brussels Boise Bel Washington
Hamburg
Rome Lille
Warsaw Champa
18
Bucharest
Chicago Lyon San Francisco
Thessaloniki
ns Minneapolis
Madrid RaleighBudapest
terdamCleveland Boston Anchorage
lMadison
Frankfurt Spanish Fork
Ankara
on Kansas City
Chattanooga
Dallas
Sofia
Bilbao Pierre
Barcelona
er L.A. Kiel
nhagen Birmingham
Portland
Austin
lgrade Prague
Pittsburgh Boise
Phoenix Bratislava Seattle
aign Turin Lincoln 19
“In many ways, we were junior
diplomats, representing our cities,
families, and employers...
doing our best to translate
what it means to be American
in the early 21st century.”
— Nike Irvin (USA)
20
I
romania 1999
n my country, there is a saying, “Knowledge is the
source of sadness. As knowledge grows, the questions
travel year
increase; as the questions become numerous, man starts
to be short on answers; as the answers are only few,
happiness declines.” Fortunately, this was not the case for
me. Yes, the program made me ask a lot of questions, and
I don’t have answers for all of them. But I felt no sadness
and instead I felt energized, which stayed with me
home country
through the weeks of meetings and travel and questions.
Sava Chiser
Senior Consultant
Ministry of European
Integration
21
I
albania 2006 n 2006, GMF included the Western Balkans in its map
of Memorial Marshall Fellows. I feel very privileged Fellows in Times Square NYC
travel year
I had been to the U.S. before this trip, but the MMF
program gave me the unique opportunity to meet with
common Americans who share the concerns of everyday
life, who do not think only about Iraq or globalization,
but also about community affairs, employment,
human rights, education, health care, the rule of law,
and individual freedom. I was most impressed with
Americans’ spirit of involvement and responsibility.
Sokol Dervishaj
Political Spokesman
Socialist Movement for Integration
22
T
USA 2002
he Marshall Memorial Fellowship is like an
all-access pass to the top European political,
travel year
economic, and social institutions. In many ways, we
were junior diplomats, representing our cities, families,
and employers, and doing our best to translate what
it means to be American in the early 21st century. The
MMF program took my European lens and stretched it
dramatically. When I came home from my trip, I took up
home country
a subscription to the Economist and enrolled in a French
class. My appetite for all things European (not just food!)
grew tremendously.
Nike Irvin
President
The Riordan Foundation
GMF Trustee
The Reichstag
in Berlin, Germany
23
I
italy 2003 n October 2003, I arrived in Washington to participate
in the Marshall Memorial Fellowship. The adventure
travel year
Raffaella Menichini
Deputy Editor
La Repubblica
24
A
germany 1985
s a participant in one of the very first Marshall
Memorial Fellowship programs, I look back fondly
travel year
on an extraordinary six-week trip all over the United
States through which I became a friend of America,
established lasting contacts, and learned all about
American beliefs and behaviors. The MMF program
was the first of more than 40 trips I have
made to the United States for both
home country
business and pleasure.
Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz
Executive Director
Free Democratic Party
25
A
portugal 1993 t times during the program I felt like an American
“prisoner of my own freedom.” Everything that I
travel year
Inez Dentinho
Advisor to the Mayor
City of Lisbon
26
OUR 25th
ANNIVERSARY
T hroughout 2007, GMF and the network of MMF
alumni will mark this occasion on both sides of
the Atlantic, including at the Marshall Forum on
Transatlantic Affairs in Elmau, Germany, from
June 28–July 1, and in Atlanta, Georgia, from
September 27–30. Join us for these and other events
to celebrate the strengthening of transatlantic bonds.
Updates will be posted on our website regularly.
27
T
about gmf he German Marshall Fund of the United States
(GMF) is a nonpartisan American public policy
and grantmaking institution dedicated to promoting
greater cooperation and understanding between the
United States and Europe.
28
www.gmfus.org