by Carolyn Prescott

This essay is intended as a contribution to our ongoing discussion of issues.

In this opening season of the 2020 elections, with the entry of Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker into the Democratic race, with Howard Schultz lurking as a potential third-party candidate, a lot is being written and spoken about the Democrats possibly moving “too far left.” Some warnings are implicit in journalists’ questions: “Is the Democratic Party losing its centrist base?” Others are more explicit and clearly intended to make discussion of the issues appear irresponsible or worse; witness Howard Schultz’s recent out-of-hand dismissal of Kamala Harris’s embrace of a Medicare-for-all type plan as “unaffordable” and even “not American.” Similar strategies have been employed to exclude discussions about climate change solutions: they have been preemptively labeled as economically infeasible, and numerous attempts have been made to discredit proponents as privileged elitists or unrealistic idealists.

Title: February 7 Stammtisch
Location: Café Daddy, Kolonnenstrasse 50
Description: Join us for an informal Stammtisch at Café Daddy in Schöneberg (Julius-Leber-Brücke on the S1 line).
Start Time: 20:00
Date: 2019-02-07
End Time: 22:00

At the December 6 Stammtisch we’ll be talking about the midterm elections both generally and very specifically – that is, state by state, including the down-ballot races. Some of you have expressed an interest in reporting the results from your home state and a few of you have sent us articles of general interest. Here are a few of the articles that we’ve received….

1.  The New York Times, ALL ELECTION RESULTS: House, Senate, Governors, with maps

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/06/us/elections/results-house-elections.html (more…)

After the Saturday viewing, there will be time to discuss major issues raised in the film.

Admission is only 6 euros for all three episodes on one evening.

Title: October Stammtisch
Location: Café Daddy, Kolonnenstrasse 50
Description: Join us for an informal Stammtisch at Café Daddy in Schöneberg (Julius-Leber-Brücke on the S1 line).
Start Time: 8:00 pm
Date: 2018-10-04
End Time: 10:00

Join us on October 13th—we will meet at Cubix Movie Theater, just off Alexanderplatz at Rathausstrasse 1, at 1 pm. Look for the AVA banner!

– Solidarität statt Ausgrenzung – Für eine offene und freie Gesellschaft

AVA-Berlin will have a contingent at the Unsere Erde brennt! protest in front of the Kanzleramt (the German Chancellery at Willy-Brandt-Straße 1) this Saturday, tomorrow, September 8. Look for the AVA banner at 1 pm.

Join us for our monthly Stammtisch at Café Daddy (Kolonnenstrasse 50) with a very special presentation: Carolyn Loeb, whose field is the history of art and architecture, will be discussing the conclusions she’s reached about how the Berlin Wall Memorial, although in many ways a success, “replicates a Cold War perspective….”  Here is Carolyn’s personal invitation to all AVAers and their friends: “Since 1999, I’ve been visiting and documenting the site where the Wall ran along Bernauer Strasse. Originally, I was interested in how Wall zone spaces outside the city center were being reconfigured architecturally and spatially to knit together formerly separated neighborhoods. Once work began on the official Memorial to the Berlin Wall at Bernauer Strasse, I followed its development. In addition to analyzing what it preserves and how it represents the history of the Wall, I explored the neighborhood context of the site, since one of the purposes of the Memorial is to provide insight into the Wall’s impact on the structure of the city.  (more…)

Join us for our monthly Stammtisch at Café Daddy ( Kolonnenstrasse 50)—no lecture or theme this month—but there is plenty to discuss! Turkish menu!

What would a sound, humane immigration policy look like? Ann Wertheimer’s speech to protest immigration atrocities (given at the demonstration on June 30 across from the American Embassy) lays out some principles and issues that Congress should consider. Click below for the full text of the speech.

(more…)

Kita Krise organized a rally in front of the US Embassy on June 22, 2018 joined by AVA-Berlin and Democrats Abroad Berlin to protest the separation of children from their immigrant parents in the US. In the photo below, Ann Wertheimer, chair of AVA is speaking.

Click here for more photos.

At our June 7 Stammtisch we will be having a special speaker, Rich Rosen, who will bring us up to date on the ever-hot topic of climate change policy and legislation, including the upcoming IPCC report on scenarios that might hold the global temperature increase to only 1.5 degrees Celsius, as hoped for in the Paris Agreement. 8 pm to 10 pm at Cafe Daddy at Kolonnenstrasse 50

Reverend Dr. William Emerson Downey (28.2.1931 – 24.3.2018) founded the Democrats Abroad Germany – Berlin Chapter and cooperated with AVA-Berlin in many joint activities.

Join us for our first-Thursday-of-the-month Stammtisch on April 5 at 8:00 pm at . Café Daddy, Kolonnenstrasse 50 in Schöneberg.

There’s lots to talk about: First, our solidarity rally in support for March for Our Lives last Saturday. Here are Florian Schiedhelm’s terrific Videos of the event.

And let’s also talk about today’s article in the New York Times by former Justice John Paul Stevens, who recommends the repeal of the Second Amendment. (more…)

In his Riverside Church speech almost 51 years ago, Martin Luther King connected racism, militarism, and extreme materialism, all of which, he said, ride on the tide of hate. He said that our loyalties must become “ecumenical rather than sectional,” meaning that racism, militarism, and extreme materialism intersect and reinforce each other.

What we are seeing in the United States today and to some extent, here in Europe, are
these same forces: racism, especially in online discourse and out of the mouths of elected (more…)

BBC’s lead photo for the worldwide March for our Lives featuring AVA’s own Ellen Brändle!

KCRW Berlin

Interview with excerpts from speeches.

On the afternoon of Saturday, March 17, Aufstehen Gegen Rassismus is organizing a protest march against racism and the radical right. AVA-Berlin will have a contingent carrying our banner from Potsdamer Platz to the AfD (Alternative for Deutschland) headquarters at Schillstrasse 9 near Lützowplatz. More information to come, especially about exact meeting time and place.

Join us for our first-Thursday-of-the-month Stammtisch on March 1 at 8:00 pm at Café Daddy, Kolonnenstrasse 50 in Schöneberg.

January 20 11 am: AVA is joining our German friends for the ‘Wir haben es satt’ demonstration. This is the day that Germany will host ministers of agriculture from around the world, and it’s the perfect time to try to influence agriculture policy. See this link for details: https://www.wir-haben-es-satt.de/informieren/aufruf/englisch/.

Where: Hauptbahnhof, on the north side (Europaplatz), at the Rolling Horse statue. Look for the American Voices Abroad Berlin banner.

For a food policy that promotes regional and sustainable food rather than industrial mass production! For an end to subsidies for big ag! For secure access to land, water, seeds, and food around the world! Ban glyphosate! FOOD IS POLITICAL!

Join us for our first-Thursday-of-the-month Stammtisch on January 4 at 8:00 pm at Café Daddy, Kolonnenstrasse 50 in Schöneberg.  Let’s talk!

September 6, 7:00 pm, at the CIEE Global Institute. American Voices Abroad Berlin has answered the call of the international literature festival Berlin (ilb) to participate in a worldwide reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on September 6, 2017. Among the many readings in Berlin, this is the only one in ENGLISH. The purpose of these readings is to reignite and strengthen the concept of human rights in the world today: http://www.worldwide-reading.com/archiv-en/06-09-2017-worldwide-reading-of-the-universal-declaration-of-human-rights.

The reading will begin shortly after 7:00 pm on Wednesday, September 6, in the  common room of the CIEE Global Institute (Gneisenaustr. 27 in Kreuzberg). Before the actual reading, Adam Wilkins will give a brief historical introduction to the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration. After the reading, all are welcome to join in a discussion of the relevance of this human rights document today. (more…)

More photos here

Meet in front of the US Embassy. AVA-Berlin is joining the solidarity demonstration (organized by The Coalition Berlin) on Wednesday, August 16, 6 pm, at Pariser Platz. We stand together in solidarity with activists in Charlottesville, Virginia, who bravely stood up to the racist and fascist “Unite the Right” demonstration last Saturday. The murderous attack on anti-racist activists demonstrates the deadly consequences of the right’s organizing, emboldened under a sympathetic president. Look for the AVA-Berlin banner! And here again is the Berlin Statement of Solidarity that AVA just signed:  (more…)

Join us for our first-Thursday-of-the-month Stammtisch on August 3 at 8:00 pm at RAAMSON in Schöneberg, Kolonnenstr. 48-49. It’s right at the S-Bahn station Julius-Leber-Brücke, right next to Café Daddy, which is on vacation for the month.

At the Stammtisch we’d like to make final plans about our participation in the Worldwide Reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights sponsored here in Berlin by the International Literature Festival on September 6, 2017. We’ll distribute copies of the Declaration and you can choose the section you’d like to read.

And here’s an article from fivethirtyeight.com about the four types of ‘constitutional crisis’ and which ones are most likely to come up during Trump’s presidency: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/constitutional-crisis/

Join us for our first-Thursday-of-the-month Stammtisch at Café Daddy, Kolonnenstraße 50, 10829 Berlin, 8 pm. At the Stammtisch we’d like to take some time to discuss our participation in the Worldwide Reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights sponsored here in Berlin by the International Literature Festival on September 6, 2017.  (more…)

Join us for our first-Thursday-of-the-month Stammtisch on May 4 at 8:00 pm at Kolonnenstrasse 50 in Schöneberg.

for more information: http://marchforscienceberlin.de/

• Q1: What exactly is The Coalition?
  A1: The Coalition is an English-language network that seeks to resist both the right-wing Trump agenda and the agenda of similar parties in Europe through nonviolent activism.
• Q2: Who is in The Coalition?
  A2: Early members whose names you might recognize include American Voices Abroad Berlin, the Berlin Global Forum, the Linke Internationals, and Pussy Grabs Back. Many unaffiliated individuals have also joined The Coalition. More members – both groups and individuals – are expected. (more…)

Come to our first-Thursday-of-the-month STAMMTISCH on February 2 at 8:00 pm. At the Stammtisch we would like to informally discuss our involvement in The Coalition. We will be at Cafe Daddy at Kolonnenstrasse 50 in Schöneberg right near S-Bahn Julius-Leber-Brücke.

http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/trumps-praesidentschaft-angst-um-amerika-liebe-zu-deutschland-14762314.html?printPagedArticle=true#pageIndex_2

On JANUARY 5, our first Stammtisch of 2017 will focus on the Electoral College and the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact that has gained momentum in recent years. States in the compact are promising that, if enough of them ultimately join the bandwagon, they will give their electoral votes to the national popular vote winner. BEN JOHNSON will explain the most important elements of this project. Ben is a scientist in the fields of alternative energy and materials science, and some of you may remember him from the early days of AVA. Well, Ben is back!
So come to our first-Thursday-of-the-month Stammtisch on January 5 at 8:00 pm at Kolonnenstrasse 50 in Schöneberg.

So, what do we do now? What’s happening? Let’s talk! Come to our first-Thursday-of-the-month STAMMTISCH on December 1 at 8:00 pm. We will be at Cafe Daddy at Kolonnenstrasse 50 in Schöneberg right near S-Bahn Julius-Leber-Brücke.

13 years later we dug out our dusty, slightly ripped flag and took it to the Brandenburger Gate to protest again the direction politics in the US has taken.  We will be vigilant. Click on photo for the rest of the photos.

Come to our first-Thursday-of-the-month Stammtisch on November 3 at 8:00 pm. There’s no special event planned – so there will be time to talk about EVERYTHING. We will be at CAFE DADDY at Kolonnenstrasse 50. CAFE DADDY is a family-run Turkish cafe.  We always look forward to meeting new people.

MIGUEL VERDE gave us a well-prepared update on the trade treaties, especially TTIP and CETA. We had a lively discussion afterwards and a long question and answer period. Many thanks to Miguel.

Join us at the Lichtblick Kino at Kastanienallee 77 in Prenzlauer Berg on Monday, October 10, for a special screening of DJ Spooky’s REBIRTH OF A NATION, a remix of D.W. Griffith’s infamous 1915 film BIRTH OF A NATION (see below). The film begins at 9:00 pm, but don’t come at the last minute because the theater seats only 32 people. And, if you can, come early to discuss the up-coming election.

STARTING AT 7:00 pm, AVA will be offering urgent last-minute help for all those who have not yet registered to vote or who have not by then received their ballots. Alan Benson, our voter registrar, will be there to help with especially difficult cases.

Admission to see the film €6.50, reduced €5.50. (more…)

On Saturday, September 17, AVA took part in the anti-TTIP/CETA demonstration here in Berlin. We joined our German friends from Campact, the Berliner Wassertisch, the World Wildlife Fund, Brot für die Welt, Oxfam, Greenpeace, Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz, Attac, the DGB and many other organisations.

Come to our first-Thursday-of-the-month Stammtisch on September 1 at 8:00 pm. There’s no special event planned – so there will be time to talk about EVERYTHING. And we can definitely make plans for AVA’s participation in the big anti-TTIP demo on September 17. For anyone who needs them, we’ve got leaflets and posters, and maybe even door knob hangers,  explaining the treaties and advertising the demonstration.

WE WILL BE AT CAFE DADDY AT KOLONNENSTRASSE 50. CAFE DADDY IS A FAMILY-RUN TURKISH CAFE. They have a glass case with homemadeTurkish dishes like stuffed peppers and zucchini pancakes, and they also bake their own cakes. They do not serve alcohol. We always look forward to meeting new people

Our own RICH ROSEN will talk with us about mitigating climate change and common misconceptions about what will work followed by questions and discussion.Location: Cafe Daddy; Kolonnenstr. 50; Berlin-Schöneberg
Time: 20:00-22:00:  Raamson is on vacation–this is a Turkish cafe next door.
Remember: we love new people. So if you are new in town, or just haven’t been to an AVA event lately, join us.

Panel: Paul Edwards, Anjana Shrivastava, Prof. Dr. Martin Lüthe. Click on photo for more photos.

German Premiere of the film 3 1/2 Minutes/Ten Bullets directed by Marc Silver presented by the One World Berlin Human Rights Film Festival (organized by Natalie Gravenor) and AVA-Berlin. Introduction by Pam Selwyn. The film was followed by a panel discussion with Prof. Dr. Martin Lüthe (FU Berlin/John F. Kennedy Institute), Paul Edwards (DAAD Fellow), and moderated by Anjana Shrivastava.

click on photo for more photos

At the November 5 Stammtisch, Miguel Verde talked to AVA about the massive, and massively problematic, international trade treaty, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership or TTIP. Miguel gave an informative talk about a complex theme followed by a lively discussion. (For additional information from Miguel, see below.) (more…)

Dave Solomon’s friends are gathering to remember Dave and to mourn his loss tomorrow, Saturday, May 23, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.  Dave’s parents, Mark and Pauline, and his brother Bill invite you to join them in the courtyard behind Books in Berlin  at Goethestraße 69, 10625 Berlin. Feel free to bring memories to share. If you wish, you may donate in Dave’s memory to a cause that reflects his spirit, but the family prefers that you do not bring flowers.

Drawings by CP, made at an AVA business meeting, found recently in a sketchbook.

From the TAZ, January 17, 2015

Photos © Karen Axelrad

More photos here.

The premiere of 1971 at the One World Film Festival was a great success.  It was introduced by Natalie Gravenor and our own Isabel Cole, and followed by a panel discussion with, from left Annie Machon (former UK spy and whistleblower), Wolfgang Kaleck (European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights e.V. ECCHR) Nadja Vancauwenberghe (Editor-in-chief Exberliner Magazine), Johanna Hamilton (director 1971) and our own Ann Wertheimer, (in a double role as chair AVA-Berlin and telling her story of being spied upon by the U.S. army in the 1970s).

September 21, 2014                                                                        Photo by Florian Schiedhelm

AVA-Berlin supported “Call to Action: Join the Mass Rally ‘Freedom not Fear’ against surveillance at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin”. More information here.  Not all the photos represent the views of AVA-Berlin. Photos of the Demo here.

Freedom Not Fear protest march; August 30, 2014

Our own Rich Rosen will give a talk with discussion on “The Science of Climate Change, and its Implications for Prevention” on June 5th at our monthly Stammtisch. Our monthly Stammtisch will, again temporarily, meet at Café X-Zeit at Welserstr. 10-12 just a few steps from Viktoria Luise Platz.

Rich, himself a scientist, has long traveled between Berlin and Boston working with the Tellus Institute – for a Great Transition – research and action for a global civilization of sustainability, equity, and well-being. The institute was established in 1976 as an interdisciplinary not-for-profit research and policy organization. The institute has launched a website called The Great Transition Initiative.