Heinrich Böll Foundation Explained

Abbreviation:HBS
Formation:1997
Type:Public policy think tank

The Heinrich Böll Foundation (German: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung [[Eingetragener Verein|e.V.]], HBS) is a German, legally independent political foundation. Affiliated with Alliance 90/The Greens,[1] [2] it was founded in 1997 when three predecessors merged. The foundation was named after German writer Heinrich Böll (1917–1985).[3] [4]

Mission statement and structure

The Heinrich Böll Foundation is part of the global Green political movement that has developed since the 1980s. It describes itself as an agency for green visions and projects, a think tank for policy reforms, and an international network.[5] In its mission statement the foundation defines its aims as follows:

With the approval of the Böll family and Alliance 90/The Greens, the foundation carries the name of the writer Heinrich Böll. According to its mission statement, Böll personified what the foundation stands for: The courage to stand up for one's beliefs; inspiring people to meddle in public affairs; and unconditional support of human dignity and human rights. Böll encouraged others to be politically active and get involved in political matters, famously stating: "Meddling is the only way to stay relevant."[6] [7]

The Heinrich Böll Foundation also has a scholarship programme for university and PhD students,[8] as well as a research archive with a focus on new social movements, Green politics, and a special section for political activist Petra Kelly.[9]

The foundation, with headquarters in Berlin, operates 30 offices on four continents and has branches in each of Germany's 16 states. Since 2002, Ralf Fücks and Barbara Unmüßig have led the executive board; Steffen Heizmann is the current CEO.[10] In November 2016 Barbara Unmüßig was re-elected and Ellen Ueberschär was elected to succeed Ralf Fücks in July 2017.[11] In 2022, Dr. Imme Scholz and Jan Philipp Albrecht were elected Presidents.

The German state did subsidize the work of the foundation with 63 million Euros in 2018.[12]

In addition, the association has been accused by both the Turkish government and some opposition circles, including some prominent intellectuals of trying to design Turkish politics.[13]

History

In West Germany, state-level foundations affiliated to the Green Party were set up in the early 1980s. In 1983, an effort to create a national foundation came to nothing, yet later in the 1980s three different nationwide foundations were established, reflecting the different political strands within this rainbow coalition. They were the feminist Frauenanstiftung, the Buntstift federation of regional foundations, and the Cologne-based Heinrich Böll Foundation. Later, an umbrella organisation, Regenbogen, was created whose task it was to co-ordinate the activities of the three separate foundations.[14] In 1988, the Green Party recognised Regenbogen as the foundation allied to the party thus making it eligible for government funding.[3] [15]

In March 1996, a Green Party convention demanded that the separate foundations become one and the motion was passed with a large majority.[16] The statutes drafted for this new unified foundation defined gender democracy and issues related to migration and diversity as key fields of activity. After some further debate, the new foundation took the name of one of its predecessors – Heinrich Böll Foundation. On 1 July 1997, the newly founded Heinrich Böll Foundation began its operations at headquarters located in Berlin's Hackesche Höfe.[17] In 2008 the foundation moved to its current headquarters in Berlin's government district. The new, energy-efficient building was designed by Zurich-based e2a eckert eckert architekten and its design inspired by two Mies van der Rohe projects, Farnsworth House and the Seagram Building.[18] [19]

In May 2022, Russia designated Heinrich Böll Foundation as an "undesirable organisation"; earlier that year, the Russian Ministry of Justice had delisted the foundation from the NGO affiliates registry.[20]

In August 2023, the Heinrich Böll Foundation announced that Masha Gessen was the winner of the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought. In December 2023, days before the award was due to be presented, the HBS said it was withdrawing its support because it objected to an essay by Gessen on the Gaza–Israel conflict, published in The New Yorker on December 9.[21] [22]

Fields of activity

The Heinrich Böll Foundation works on a range of issues, some long-term, some short-term. The following areas figure large in many of its projects and publications:

Organisation

Headquarters and offices in Germany

The foundation's present headquarters (since 2008) in the centre of Berlin provide approximately 7,000 square metres of floor space with modern offices for ca. 185 employees. The conference centre seats up to 300 people in varying configurations, making it possible to hold large multi-day conferences.

The foundation claims that its headquarters are in the "ecological vanguard" of modern office and conference centre design. At 55.7 kWh/m2 the building's energy consumption is less than half the legal maximum. In partnership with Grammer Solar,[35] a photovoltaic system has been installed on the roof. This has an annual energy yield of some 53,000 kWh and feeds into the district heating system. In addition, the building uses an adiabatic recooler to climatise its offices. Outlet slits run at sill level along the glazing in every office. The sill casing houses high-performance heat-exchangers, through which water at a temperature of 20 °C circulates in the summer. A small ventilator inside ensures that cooled air is distributed throughout the room. Even when the temperature outside is over 30 °C, the room temperature does not rise above 25°. This system uses approximately ten times less energy than a conventional air conditioning system. The building uses the heat created by the computer network servers to heat its rooms. In recognition of this innovative project that significantly improves the energy efficiency of IT systems the foundation was presented with the Green CIO Award.[36] Lastly, the atrium and internal courtyard create natural convection currents that serve to ventilate the building all year long.[37]

The Heinrich Böll Foundation has regional offices in each of Germany's 16 states. These regional offices, which are organised as independent, associated units, implement community and regional programmes to do with ecology, democracy, migration, and gender democracy. Such activities, however, are not limited to regional or national issues and some co-operation projects are international in scope. Although legally independent, all 16 offices are part of the foundation's overall structure and are bound by the statutes of the Heinrich Böll Foundation (e.g. they have to serve the public interest and have to meet the quota for female employees).[38]

International offices

The Heinrich Böll Foundation currently operates 32 international offices. Projects overseen by individual offices are frequently not limited to the country where an office is located as many have regional responsibilities. Overall the foundation conducts and supports over 100 projects in 60+ countries.[39]

Even before 1997, when the current Heinrich Böll Foundation was created, some of its predecessors operated international offices, which were then absorbed into the new foundation. The very first office was the one in Prague, which opened its doors in August 1990.[40] The second one was, in 1993, the Pakistan office,[41] followed in 1994 by Turkey and Cambodia, and by Russia, Nigeria, and the Central America office in El Salvador (all in 1995).

Over the course of the years, the only office that has been closed is the one in Ethiopia. According to the foundation it discontinued its activities there in 2012, as the conditions dictated by the Ethiopian government "in April 2012 confirmed that independent political work would not be possible (...) and the Heinrich Böll Foundation would remain extremely restricted in its activities. (...) Under these circumstances, the Ethiopian office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation cannot, in the foreseeable future, fulfil its mission of promoting democratisation, gender justice and sustainable development. (...) The closure of the Foundation's office in Ethiopia should therefore also be taken as a sign of protest against the ongoing restriction of human rights and democratic development in the country."[42]

In early 2013, the head of the foundation's Afghanistan office was recalled for security reasons. Office activities continue however with the support of local staff.

International offices are, as a rule, headed by a German citizen posted to the country in question. They are supported by local staff and, in some cases, by additional German experts. Well-known office heads included Milan Horácek (Prague) and Kerstin Müller (Tel Aviv).

In 1998, the Heinrich Böll Foundation opened its office in Washington, D.C. The office focuses on five programme areas: climate & energy, foreign & security policy, democracy & society, economic governance & G20, and gender. Through organising events and inviting international visitors, the office promotes the exchange of ideas and concepts between North America and the rest of the world.[43]

Scholarship programme

In addition to its political and cultural work, the Heinrich Böll Foundation also offers scholarships for university and PhD students. Scholarships are available for all academic disciplines, with around 1000 scholarships per year. The candidates selected are expected to achieve a high degree of academic excellence, serve their communities, be interested in politics and social issues, and support the ideals the foundation stands for.[44]

In its Annual Report the foundation states:

In addition to the scholarship programme for students at German universities, the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation also offers three sur-place-scholarship programmes for non-German undergraduate and postgraduate students in Russia, the Southern Caucasus region (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia), and in Central America and the Caribbean. Funding for these programmes comes from the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the German Foreign Office.[45]

Gunda Werner Institute

The Gunda Werner Institute[46] for feminism and gender democracy was created in 2007 when the foundation's Feminist Institute and Joint Taskforce for Gender Democracy merged. The Institute focuses on women's rights as human rights, the politicisation of gender issues, the reflection of feminism and gender democratic approaches, and the discourse between science, politics, and civil society.[47]

Through conferences and publications the institute's programmes address issues such as the nexus between human security and women's security;[48] the evolving role of UN Resolution 1325 on "women, peace and security";[49] gender-political aspects of transitional justice in post-conflict societies;[50] debates surrounding gender and science;[51] and issues to do with sexual and reproductive rights.[52]

Research archives

The Heinrich Böll Foundation operates two archives in Berlin, the Archiv Grünes Gedächtnis (Green Memory Archive) and the Petra Kelly Archive; in addition, it supports the Cologne-based Heinrich Böll Archive.

GreenCampus

GreenCampus[57] is the Heinrich Böll Foundation's academy for political training and continuing education. Founded in 2006, the academy offers training in political management and on diversity and gender issues for volunteers and political activists as well as professional organisers and politicians.

Awards

The Heinrich Böll Foundation sponsors a number of awards, among them

The Petra Kelly Prize is awarded since 1998 to people and civil society organisations for their exceptional commitment to human rights, non-violent conflict resolution, and the environment. The prize is endowed with €10,000.[58] Awardees include the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), Ingrid Betancourt, Wangari Maathai, and Zhang Sizhi.[59]

Since 1995 the Hannah Arendt Award, named after Hannah Arendt, goes to individuals who uncover and analyse important, yet largely overlooked aspects of current political developments and who engage in public debate. The award is endowed with €10,000[60] and funded by the government of the state of Bremen and the Heinrich Böll Foundation Bremen.[61] Awardees include Ágnes Heller, François Furet, Massimo Cacciari, Michael Ignatieff, Julia Kristeva, Tony Judt, Timothy D. Snyder,[62] and Roger Berkowitz.[63]

Since 1986 the Peace Film Prize is part of the Berlin Film Festival – and the only peace award that is part of one of the major film festivals. The price is endowed with €5000 and the awardee is also presented with a bronze created by Otmar Alt.[64] Awardees include Marcel Ophüls for , Michael Winterbottom for In This World, and Bille August for Goodbye Bafana.[65]

The Anne Klein Women's Award was created in 2012 im memory of feminist lawyer and politician Anne Klein (1950–2011) and is funded thanks to a generous gift provided by Anne Klein in her will. The award goes to women whose outstanding commitment has helped make gender democracy a reality and who have fought against gender-based discrimination and anti-gay resentments.[66] As an example, the 2017 Anne Klein's Women's Award went to South African activist Nomarussia Bonase who, with the Khulumani support group, is campaigning for reparations for over 100,000 victims of apartheid.[67]

Selected publications

Books

Series / magazines

See also

External links

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: Who we are and what we do. An introduction to our Foundation. 17 January 2013. homepage of the Heinrich Böll Foundation. 5 August 2015. 18 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181118154109/https://www.boell.de/en/foundation/organisation-16464.html. dead.
  2. "Heinrich Böll 1917–1985". Section: "1997". "Die Stiftung steht der Partei Bündnis 90/Die Grünen nahe." LEMO (Lebendiges Museum Online). Haus der Geschichte. hdg.de. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  3. Web site: The History of the Green Foundations. homepage of the Heinrich Böll Foundation. 5 August 2015. 18 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181118152827/https://www.boell.de/en/foundation/history. dead.
  4. "Heinrich Böll 1917–1985". "1997: Gründung der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung." LEMO (Lebendiges Museum Online). Haus der Geschichte. hdg.de. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  5. Web site: About Us Heinrich Böll Stiftung Washington, DC Office – USA, Canada, Global Dialogue. Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung.
  6. Web site: A Plea for Meddling. Böll. Heinrich. 18 February 1973. . 5 August 2015.
  7. Böll's original German statement was: "Einmischung ist die einzige Möglichkeit, realistisch zu bleiben." An English translation truer to Böll's meaning would be: 'To get involved is the only way to stay realistic' Web site: Heinrich Böll: Leben und Werk – Kapitel 8: Einmischung erwünscht. 21 January 2008. homepage of the Heinrich Böll Foundation. 5 August 2015.
  8. Web site: Get Paid to Study in Germany: Heinrich Böll Foundation International Student Scholarships. Young Germany: Your career, education and lifestyle guide. 5 August 2015. 5 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150805072236/http://www.young-germany.de/topic/study/scholarships-grants/get-paid-to-study-in-germany-heinrich-boll-foundation-international. dead.
  9. Web site: Right Livelihood Award – Laureates – 1982 – Petra Kelly. The Right Livelihood Award. 5 August 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150621133016/http://www.rightlivelihood.org/kelly.html. 21 June 2015.
  10. Web site: The Heinrich Böll Foundation – Who We Are – Organisation – Board and CEO. homepage of the Heinrich Böll Foundation. 19 August 2019.
  11. https://www.boell.de/de/2016/11/25/pressemitteilung-neues-vorstands-team-ab-juli-2017-barbara-unmuessig-und-ellen-ueberschaer Neues Vorstands-Team ab Juli 2017: Barbara Unmüßig und Ellen Ueberschär mit großer Mehrheit gewählt
  12. https://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/schwarzer-kanal/die-focus-kolumne-von-jan-fleischhauer-spur-des-geldes-wie-der-staat-mit-millionen-eine-linke-anti-hass-industrie-unterstuetzt_id_12147178.html "Spur des Geldes: Wie der Staat mit Millionen eine linke Anti-Hass-Industrie unterstützt"
  13. 2 March 2017 . Yüz Yıllık Mesele: Alman Vakıfları . Kriter Dergi . tr.
  14. Book: Mohr, Alexander. The German Political Foundations As Actors in Democracy Assistance. 2010. Dissertation.com. 978-1599423319. 33–34.
  15. For a contemporary German source (in German) see Völlig durchgeknallt – Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung oder reiner Frauenverein? Feministinnen, Fundis und Realos streiten um Namen und Zielrichtung der geplanten Grünen-Stiftung,, no. 28/1987, 6 July 1987
  16. See second entry for 1996 (in German) Web site: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen – Über uns. 11 March 2009. 5 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150912001411/http://www.gruene.de/ueber-uns/1994-1998.html. 12 September 2015. dead.
  17. Web site: Böll-Stiftung baut Dach in den Hackeschen Höfen um. Pfeiler mußten weg. 26 June 1997. Berliner Zeitung. 5 August 2015.
  18. Web site: Stiftung bezieht Neubau an der Schumannstraße in Mitte. Werkstatt-Charakter bei Böll. 10 June 2008. Berliner Zeitung. 5 August 2015.
  19. Web site: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung: Neubau der Zentrale: e2a eckert eckert architekten. 14 November 2008. Bauwelt. 5 August 2015.
  20. Web site: Генпрокуратура РФ объявила "нежелательной" организацией фонд имени Генриха Бёлля. Meduza. 23 May 2022. 10 August 2022. ru.
  21. News: Connolly . Kate . Award ceremony suspended after writer compares Gaza to Nazi-era Jewish ghettos . December 14, 2023 . . December 14, 2023.
  22. News: Gessen . Masha . In the Shadow of the Holocaust . December 14, 2023 . . December 9, 2023.
  23. Web site: The Greenhouse Development Rights Framework – The right to development in a climate coinstrained world . boell.de . 3 January 2008 . 5 August 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130928002050/http://www.boell.eu/web/289-408.html . 28 September 2013 . dead .
  24. Web site: Coal power plants imperil human lives. inquirer.net . 27 July 2015 . 6 August 2015.
  25. Web site: Resource Politics for a Fair Future. boell.de . 30 June 2014 . 6 August 2015.
  26. Web site: Meat Atlas 2014 – Global facts and figures about meat. boell.de . 9 January 2014 . 6 August 2015.
  27. Web site: "Meat Atlas" charts a changing world of meat eaters. McGuinness. Damien. BBC. 9 January 2014 . 6 August 2015.
  28. News: Why McDonald's should focus on less beef and higher wages. Gunther. Marc. The Guardian. 28 January 2014. 6 August 2015.
  29. Web site: Annual Report 2013, chapter on European policy, p.18-20. boell.de . August 2014. 6 August 2015.
  30. Web site: Ukraine Update: Elections, Conflict and the Future of the EU's Eastern Partnership. The Brookings Institution . October 2014. 6 August 2015.
  31. Web site: Annual Report 2013, chapter on gender policy, p.14-15. boell.de . August 2014. 6 August 2015.
  32. Web site: Meet the new Ukraine: Feminist and LGBT activists building civil society. Bociurkiw. Marusya. rabble.ca. 20 June 2014. 6 August 2015.
  33. Web site: Heinrich Böll Foundation leading German funder of worldwide LGBTI human rights work. boell.de. 2 December 2014. 6 August 2015.
  34. Web site: Scholarships for Undergraduates, Graduates, and PhD Students. boell.de. January 2008. 6 August 2015.
  35. Web site: Grammer Solar . Grammer Solar . 6 August 2015 . 4 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042439/http://grammer-sb.de/sbb/anlagenpark_heinrich-boell-stiftung.html . dead .
  36. Web site: GreenCIO Award – Die Gewinner . experton . 14 July 2008 . 6 August 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150318013245/http://www.experton-group.de/press/releases/pressrelease/article/greencio-award-die-gewinner.html . 18 March 2015 . dead .
  37. Web site: The Heinrich Böll Foundation's Energy Concept – At the Forefront of New Building Technology . boell.de . 31 July 2008 . 6 August 2015.
  38. Web site: State-level foundations. boell.de. 6 August 2015. 13 November 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161113165740/http://www.boell.de/en/foundation/state-level-foundations. dead.
  39. News: Foreign Offices: Contact and Information. boell.de. 6 August 2015. 10 November 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161110124016/http://www.boell.de/en/foundation/foreign-offices. dead.
  40. https://cz.boell.org/en/who-we-are Heinrich Böll Foundation Prague – Who we are
  41. News: Annual Report 2013 (p.28) – Our Pakistan office marks its 20th year . August 2014. boell.de. 6 August 2015.
  42. News: Closure of the Heinrich Böll Foundation office in Ethiopia . 21 November 2012. boell.de. 6 August 2015.
  43. Web site: Topics. Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America. en. 6 February 2019.
  44. News: Scholarships – Mission Statement: Promotion of Young Talent . boell.de. 10 August 2015.
  45. News: Sur Place Programme. boell.de. 10 August 2015. 6 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161206163334/http://www.boell.de/en/foundation/sur-place. dead.
  46. Web site: Gunda Werner Institute – Feminism and Gender Democracy . Gwi-boell.de . 10 August 2015.
  47. Web site: The Gunda Werner Institute – Feminism and Gender Democracy . Gwi-boell.de . 10 August 2015 . 6 April 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170406202224/http://www.gwi-boell.de/en/institute . dead .
  48. News: Human Security = Women's Security? . 2007. Gunda Werner Institute. 10 August 2015.
  49. News: Peace and Security for All . March 2010. Gunda Werner Institute. 10 August 2015.
  50. News: Transitional Justice – Gender-political perspectives for societies in transition . Gunda Werner Institute. 10 August 2015.
  51. News: Gender, Scientificness and Ideology . September 2014. Gunda Werner Institute. 10 August 2015.
  52. News: Sexual and Reproductive Rights . July 2015. Gunda Werner Institute. 10 August 2015.
  53. News: Research Archive . boell.de. 10 August 2015.
  54. News: Petra Kelly Archives . 25 July 2015. boell.de. 10 August 2015.
  55. News: Heinrich Böll Archive . 25 July 2008. boell.de. 10 August 2015.
  56. News: Stadt Köln: Heinrich-Böll-Archiv . Stadt Köln (city of Cologne). 10 August 2015.
  57. Web site: greencampus.de . greencampus.de . 26 September 2013.
  58. News: International Petra Kelly Prize . boell.de . 10 August 2015.
  59. News: The Winners of the Petra Kelly Prize. 25 July 2008. boell.de. 10 August 2015. 9 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180709215708/https://www.boell.de/en/navigation/awards-3979.html. dead.
  60. News: Hannah Arendt Award for Political Thought . boell.de . 15 January 2021.
  61. News: Der Hannah Arendt-Preis für politisches Denken. boell-bremen.de. 10 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304092236/http://www.boell-bremen.de/arendt/home.html. 4 March 2016. dead.
  62. News: Hannah Arendt-Preis – Preisträger seit 1995. boell-bremen.de. 10 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20110916131400/http://www.boell-bremen.de/arendt/preis.php?npoint=6,0,0. 16 September 2011. dead.
  63. https://www.bard.edu/news/hannah-arendt-center-founder-and-bard-college-professor-roger-berkowitz-awarded-prestigious-hannah-arendt-award-for-political-thought-from-heinrich-boll-foundation-2019-07-15 Hannah Arendt Center Founder and Bard College Professor Roger Berkowitz Awarded Prestigious Hannah Arendt Award for Political Thought from Heinrich Böll Foundation Bard News
  64. News: Der Friedensfilmpreis . friedensfilm.de . 10 August 2015.
  65. News: FriedensFilmPreis – Preisträger . friedensfilm.de . 10 August 2015.
  66. News: Making Gender Democracy a Reality: The Anne Klein Women's Award . boell.de . 10 August 2015.
  67. News: S. African activist battling for apartheid survivors picks up German award . www.dw.com . 15 January 2021.
  68. News: Soil Atlas: Facts and figures about earth, land and fields . 10 August 2015.
  69. News: Big Oil, Coal and Gas Producers Paying for their Climate Damage . Richards . Julie-Ann . Boom . Kelly . 8 June 2015. 10 August 2015.
  70. News: The Care-Centered Economy. Rediscovering what has been taken for granted . Praetorius . Ina . 7 April 2015. The Care-Centered Economy . 10 August 2015.
  71. http://www.boell.de/en/2014/01/07/meat-atlas Böll Foundation, Meat Atlas
  72. News: Perspectives Africa. 10 August 2015. 5 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180105002431/https://www.boell.de/en/product-series/perspectives-africa. dead.
  73. News: Perspectives Asia. 10 August 2015. 23 November 2016. https://archive.today/20161123133541/https://www.boell.de/en/product-series/perspectives-asia. dead.
  74. News: Perspectives Middle East. 10 August 2015. 30 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150630000419/http://www.boell.de/en/product-series/perspectives-middle-east. dead.
  75. News: Perspectives Southeastern Europe . 10 August 2015.
  76. News: Perspectives Turkey . 10 August 2015 . 30 June 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150630002053/http://www.boell.de/en/product-series/perspectives-turkey . dead .