Yesterday the course of European unification took a major hit as the French, in a nation-wide referendum, voted NON to adopting the new European Union constitution. EU regulations require that all 25 countries in the expanded Union ratify the constitution and thus far nine (including Germany and Italy) have done so. France, in spite of being one of the founding nations of the EU and (up till now) a powerful force for European integration, failed to ratify as 56% of French voters said NON and about 46% OUI.
The government of French President Jacques Chirac lobbied strongly for the YES vote but succumbed to growing attacks on the Constitution from both the right and the left of France’s complex political landscape. Counted among the anti-EU forces was the ultra-right wing nationalist (and racist) National Front of Jean-Marie Le Pen. His unlikely allies included the French Communist Party (yes there are still communists in France—practically nowhere else in the world—but still in France!).
As was the case in the North-Rhine Westphalia elections in Germany a week ago, economic factors seem to have predominated in the French electorate’s decision making process. There seems to have been considerable anxiety that the new EU rules under the constitution document would make it easier for cheap eastern European labor to flood into France and out compete the better compensated French laborers and tradesmen. The bulk of the newbies granted EU membership recently have been eastern European nations that were former members of the Soviet empire. An additional concern expressed by NON voters was a perceived loss of French sovereignty and power should the EU Constitution as currently written take effect. It is worth remembering that it was France, alone among western European nations that insisted post-WWII on having its own, independent nuclear deterrent. The French don’t seem comfortable with Brussels calling the shots!
Among the casualties caught in the overkill of the NO vote may be Turkey which has recently begun seeking EU membership (the negotiations to join the EU are known as accession talks). Turkey is hoping to become the first, predominantly Muslim nation, to fulfill entrance requirements for EU membership and to join the club. The NO vote on the Constitutional referendum in France raises serious issues of whether the EU will be able to develop as a unified economic and political counterweight to the current dominance of the United States and the growing economic power of China. On Wednesday of this week, the Dutch will be going to the polls to vote on ratification and current polling data suggest they may very well also reject the Constitution document.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Rot-Gruen geht unter!
This past week saw two important elections in Europe (well, one election and one referendum) the results of which will loom large for Germans, all Europeans and essentially everybody else!
First, in the German Land (state) of North-Rhine Westphalia (capital-Düsseldorf) the SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands) and their coalition partner die Grüne (the Greens) were soundly defeated by the more conservative, CDU (Christlich-Demokratische Union). The SPD has ruled in this, the most populous and most heavily industrialized of the German Länder since 1966 and their defeat here does not bode well for Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and his SPD- Grüne coalition that is currently running the country in Berlin. Der Bundeskanzler has, in fact, called for an early national election for this September 18 (a year earlier than originally planned) in the hope of retaining a majority in the Bundestag against his main foes the CDU led by Angela Merkel and their Bavarian sister party, the CSU (Christlich-Soziale Union). In spite of their names, the CDU and CSU are not religious parties but are somewhat analogous to our Republican party in the USA while the SPD corresponds to the Democrats (these are rough analogies).
The principal reasons for der Untergang (downfall) of the SPD in North-Rhine Westphalia seem to stem mainly from voter discontent and anxiety over the German economy which, after decades of increasingly powerful performance (the so-called post-World War Two Wirtschaftswunder [economic miracle]) has recently been taking a serious beating. Economic growth is Germany is the slowest in all of the EU countries and unemployment in Germany as a whole is up to around 12% (something over 5 million arbeitslose [unemployed]). This is the highest it has been since 1945 and in some parts of the former DDR (East Germany) it is higher still. At least a portion of this economic distress is due to the extremely high cost of German reunification. Beginning immediately after die Einheit, the government of then Chancellor Helmut Kohl (CDU) and all subsequent governments in Berlin poured hundreds of billions of dollars into the crumbling infrastructure of the former Communist East Germany. Schröder and the SPD have been pushing two sets of economic reforms, Hartz IV and Agenda 2010 and there is considerable public unhappiness with what these plans would involve. Changes would be instituted in the incredibly potent social safety net in Germany—unemployment, health care, education and other social benefits that Germans have become accustomed to as the payback from their government for their (by American standards) incredibly high income tax rates would be cut. This summer, you will definitely be hearing from your German friends and hosts about their feelings on Hartz IV, the German economic slowdown, and what the fall election may bring.
First, in the German Land (state) of North-Rhine Westphalia (capital-Düsseldorf) the SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands) and their coalition partner die Grüne (the Greens) were soundly defeated by the more conservative, CDU (Christlich-Demokratische Union). The SPD has ruled in this, the most populous and most heavily industrialized of the German Länder since 1966 and their defeat here does not bode well for Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and his SPD- Grüne coalition that is currently running the country in Berlin. Der Bundeskanzler has, in fact, called for an early national election for this September 18 (a year earlier than originally planned) in the hope of retaining a majority in the Bundestag against his main foes the CDU led by Angela Merkel and their Bavarian sister party, the CSU (Christlich-Soziale Union). In spite of their names, the CDU and CSU are not religious parties but are somewhat analogous to our Republican party in the USA while the SPD corresponds to the Democrats (these are rough analogies).
The principal reasons for der Untergang (downfall) of the SPD in North-Rhine Westphalia seem to stem mainly from voter discontent and anxiety over the German economy which, after decades of increasingly powerful performance (the so-called post-World War Two Wirtschaftswunder [economic miracle]) has recently been taking a serious beating. Economic growth is Germany is the slowest in all of the EU countries and unemployment in Germany as a whole is up to around 12% (something over 5 million arbeitslose [unemployed]). This is the highest it has been since 1945 and in some parts of the former DDR (East Germany) it is higher still. At least a portion of this economic distress is due to the extremely high cost of German reunification. Beginning immediately after die Einheit, the government of then Chancellor Helmut Kohl (CDU) and all subsequent governments in Berlin poured hundreds of billions of dollars into the crumbling infrastructure of the former Communist East Germany. Schröder and the SPD have been pushing two sets of economic reforms, Hartz IV and Agenda 2010 and there is considerable public unhappiness with what these plans would involve. Changes would be instituted in the incredibly potent social safety net in Germany—unemployment, health care, education and other social benefits that Germans have become accustomed to as the payback from their government for their (by American standards) incredibly high income tax rates would be cut. This summer, you will definitely be hearing from your German friends and hosts about their feelings on Hartz IV, the German economic slowdown, and what the fall election may bring.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Hey guys!!!
Guten Tag! I was just making sure that this worked. I can't wait until July, we are going to have so much fun!!!!
Monday, May 02, 2005
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Sunday, April 24, 2005
VVMSAPG--Veterans of the Veterinary Medicine Study Abroad Program in Germany
At this coming Tuesday (April 26)'s final pre-trip orientation, our new crop of students will have the opportunity to meet and chat with some of last year's veterans. You (our newbies!) have all heard me go on at considerable length about this program and about Germany, but here will be an opportunity to get the straight dope from the horse's mouth, so to speak! The student perspective on study abroad in general and our program in particular is unique and is most relevant to what you can expect to see, feel, do, and experience this summer in Europe. I'd like to thank our students from 2004 who are coming on Tuesday evening for taking the time to share their experiences with the class of 2005.
You'all have been good at responding to your Blog invitations and a number of you have already posted your hello responses. Ausgezeichnet (excellent)! I'd say we've got ourselves an up and running group Blog!
You'all have been good at responding to your Blog invitations and a number of you have already posted your hello responses. Ausgezeichnet (excellent)! I'd say we've got ourselves an up and running group Blog!
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Howdy
This blogging thing is new to me, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. I hope this posting works. I know I'm getting excited Lindsey.
CJ in the house
A hearty "HOWDY" to y'all out there!
Hi, this is CJ from AIB Düsseldorf. This is my first time ever on a blog, so y'all have to work up some patience for me here. I hope you don't mind me using your Texan vernacular. I've actually been around that for an entire year of my life!
As a start I thought I'd give you just a little bit of background information on myself: After finishing my German "Abitur" (qualifying us for university after 13 years of regular schooling), I've decided to go *really* far away so I could *really* improve my English. That idea had me end up in Coppell, Texas, a growing suburb of Dallas near Dallas Int. Airport where I lived with a family as their "Au Pair" and watched over their first child who was only a tiny little infant when I first got there. My host Dad and Mom had both just graduated with an MBA from UT, so I better stop telling you any more about them... (They are wonderful people, no matter what, and influenced the further course of my life.) So I ended up studying American History and Political Science with a European comparative aspect afterwards in a small, specialized program at Bonn University.
AIB, meaning something like "Academy for International Education" only in German, has its headquarter office in Bonn, so that's how I've first made contact to my current employer. After holding a small student worker position there for a while, I was offered the opportunity to change to AIB's new Düsseldorf branch and work more hours after finishing my Master's degree in what is called "Regional Sciences North America" at Bonn University.
So that's where I am right now, and I do like it a whole lot! As you will see in the near future, we're only a small team here in Düsseldorf but nevertheless put a lot of effort into our work. My boss is Willem Spanninga, a big and usually quiet guy and a very, very nice person who is originally from the Netherlands. Then we also have a few more student workers you will also meet this summer. What we all have in common, I think, is that we like the fact that you have this wish to come over here and see places you've never been to. We'd like to make this a pleasant experience for you, even though some degree of cultural shock should be considered within the normal range of reactions. So don't worry if you feel a little bit displaced upon your arrival. That feeling will pass away quickly. At least you'll have some buddies you can talk to in your own language; I wasn't awarded such a luxury in Texas. I went back during my graduate studies to go to school in Saint Louis for a year. I never really picked Dallas or Saint Louis but ended up feeling very much at home in both these cities. Hopefully you'll be able to say the same about Düsseldorf, even if your stay will be terribly short!
I don't have the slightest clue as to how this whole blog will continue from here. I guess we'll all just check in every once in a while and see what's going on? Maybe I'll post some pictures if I can find some adequate ones :-) I am very picture-shy, and we don't want to scare you away, right? I also can't make any promises as to how regularly I will be able to check in here and answer some of your questions. Jeremy should be a good first source if you have a lot of things to ask. He knows Germany very well and his German is getting better and better! (He knows so much more about German cantorial singing than all of us at AIB combined!)
As a next step for the program preparations, I am awaiting the arrival of your housing forms. Let me just stress again that a simple, one page letter to your potential host family helps us a lot for matchmaking. The more we know about your personality, likes and dislikes, the better chances we have of finding the right host family for you.
With the ongoing semester it will probably be a while before y'all start thinking more about this trip. The best of luck to you for all those finals yet to come, best wishes and "Auf Wiedersehen in Düsseldorf",
CJ
Hi, this is CJ from AIB Düsseldorf. This is my first time ever on a blog, so y'all have to work up some patience for me here. I hope you don't mind me using your Texan vernacular. I've actually been around that for an entire year of my life!
As a start I thought I'd give you just a little bit of background information on myself: After finishing my German "Abitur" (qualifying us for university after 13 years of regular schooling), I've decided to go *really* far away so I could *really* improve my English. That idea had me end up in Coppell, Texas, a growing suburb of Dallas near Dallas Int. Airport where I lived with a family as their "Au Pair" and watched over their first child who was only a tiny little infant when I first got there. My host Dad and Mom had both just graduated with an MBA from UT, so I better stop telling you any more about them... (They are wonderful people, no matter what, and influenced the further course of my life.) So I ended up studying American History and Political Science with a European comparative aspect afterwards in a small, specialized program at Bonn University.
AIB, meaning something like "Academy for International Education" only in German, has its headquarter office in Bonn, so that's how I've first made contact to my current employer. After holding a small student worker position there for a while, I was offered the opportunity to change to AIB's new Düsseldorf branch and work more hours after finishing my Master's degree in what is called "Regional Sciences North America" at Bonn University.
So that's where I am right now, and I do like it a whole lot! As you will see in the near future, we're only a small team here in Düsseldorf but nevertheless put a lot of effort into our work. My boss is Willem Spanninga, a big and usually quiet guy and a very, very nice person who is originally from the Netherlands. Then we also have a few more student workers you will also meet this summer. What we all have in common, I think, is that we like the fact that you have this wish to come over here and see places you've never been to. We'd like to make this a pleasant experience for you, even though some degree of cultural shock should be considered within the normal range of reactions. So don't worry if you feel a little bit displaced upon your arrival. That feeling will pass away quickly. At least you'll have some buddies you can talk to in your own language; I wasn't awarded such a luxury in Texas. I went back during my graduate studies to go to school in Saint Louis for a year. I never really picked Dallas or Saint Louis but ended up feeling very much at home in both these cities. Hopefully you'll be able to say the same about Düsseldorf, even if your stay will be terribly short!
I don't have the slightest clue as to how this whole blog will continue from here. I guess we'll all just check in every once in a while and see what's going on? Maybe I'll post some pictures if I can find some adequate ones :-) I am very picture-shy, and we don't want to scare you away, right? I also can't make any promises as to how regularly I will be able to check in here and answer some of your questions. Jeremy should be a good first source if you have a lot of things to ask. He knows Germany very well and his German is getting better and better! (He knows so much more about German cantorial singing than all of us at AIB combined!)
As a next step for the program preparations, I am awaiting the arrival of your housing forms. Let me just stress again that a simple, one page letter to your potential host family helps us a lot for matchmaking. The more we know about your personality, likes and dislikes, the better chances we have of finding the right host family for you.
With the ongoing semester it will probably be a while before y'all start thinking more about this trip. The best of luck to you for all those finals yet to come, best wishes and "Auf Wiedersehen in Düsseldorf",
CJ
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
German audio resource?
All signed up and ready to be on a plane. Anyone have any ideas on where to get (free) audio for learning some basic German? I've found precious few good websites that also have audio clips. I was going to try Evans...but I fear that most of what they will have will be in EDMS, which means frequent trips to the library. Anyway...see you next week. --R
Welcome and update!
Hello and welcome to our new Blog members! I sent out the invitations today to all 13 of the students who are planning on coming with us this summer as well as Drs. Musser and Herman Jennie Barr (TAMU Study Abroad) and Willem Spanninga and Caro Janda (AIB, Duesseldorf). I've already gotten a couple of confirmatory postings (thank you!) so the system seems to be working as promised by Blogger. We've had the occasional glitch in which an invitee has been unable to sign up but it looks like we can get this all worked out before the summer.
Next Tuesday will be our final student pre-trip orientation (among other things I'll be handing out the camcorders!) and then we chill out until July 10 or so and meet in Duesseldorf on July 11 for the start of the program. Caro (CJ) and I have been corresponding by e-mail working out the final itinerary and she's already formalized arrangements for some of the very best things we wish to retain from last summer. For example, we'll be touring Nuremberg with our Stadtfuehrerin from last summer, Frau Schmitz-Pikulicki. Frau Dr. med. Zarmina Penner will be lecturing to us again on German and EU health care systems and Herr Professor Ralf Zinnikus will be lecturing on modern German history during week one of our program. It looks like Herr Marc Stegherr will be available to guide us through Dachau and he did a superb job last year. CJ has also arranged for us to visit the animal health division at Bayer--which was not so easy to arrange--and this is excellent. Thank you CJ! Many other things, of course, are planned and we're now working on finalizing the plan for our trip to Berlin. I have passed along our students' housing/roomate requests and Frau Evi Pilartz of the AIB is taking care of this for us (herzlichen Dank!).
That's it for now. I await the rest of the confirmatory postings from our students and I trust the overall level of pre-trip excitement is on the rise!
Initial Posts
I was just doing as you had asked us to and post on here to make sure that it works beforehand.
-Josh
-Josh
Sunday, March 20, 2005
"Übung macht den Meister"--courtesy of Deutsche Welle!
Here's a website that I've found both useful and interesting that I think our American Blog members might like to check out.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,1595,8030,00.html
Its a link at the Deutsche Welle TV and radio site that allows you to listen to (or download as MP3 files) daily, 10 minute radio news broadcasts in German. The very cool thing is that these broadcasts are designed for non-native German speakers and the newsreaders speak SLOWLY! I've been downloading the files onto my MP3 player--this works extremely well. These news reports are not all that easy to follow in spite of the nice, slow, speed as they are not "dumbed down" in terms of vocabulary, syntax, or grammar. Nevertheless, they can make for good practice exercises and, at the very least, provide a sense of the "sound" and rhythm of German speech.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,1595,8030,00.html
Its a link at the Deutsche Welle TV and radio site that allows you to listen to (or download as MP3 files) daily, 10 minute radio news broadcasts in German. The very cool thing is that these broadcasts are designed for non-native German speakers and the newsreaders speak SLOWLY! I've been downloading the files onto my MP3 player--this works extremely well. These news reports are not all that easy to follow in spite of the nice, slow, speed as they are not "dumbed down" in terms of vocabulary, syntax, or grammar. Nevertheless, they can make for good practice exercises and, at the very least, provide a sense of the "sound" and rhythm of German speech.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Latest news!
We've had our first pre-trip orientation back on March 8 and it was great to have the whole group of 13 students together for the first (but not the last!) time. Jennie Barr (Study Abroad) handed out a packet of information on Germany, Europe, travel and financial aid and we had a chance to chat with the group a bit about what they should expect once they get to Duesseldorf. We stuffed ourselves with pizza in preparation for the serious eating planned for Germany and I can report that I got very good vibes from everyone there.
We're into Texas A&M's spring break right now but will be having our second meeting in early April when Jim Herman and I will present programmatic material, show some pictures and maybe bits of last summer's student video journals. I've actually got a version of about a 20 minute journal edited and burned to DVD (I used material from Ogden McGowan's tapes) and I think its a pretty good start on what I'm trying to accomplish with the video journal project. In other video journal news I'm pleased to report that my department (VTPP) has come through with additional funding for the purchase of 8 more Sony handycams! That means, that this summer, we'll have a camera for each of the 13 students. No more excuses that "I couldn't make a video journal entry for 3 weeks because so and so had the camera!" Yes!
I'll also be adding some new team members to the Blog in the next week or so. Willem and CJ and Olaf certainly and then I think I'll go ahead and add the students before the end of our spring semester. This will give them a chance to sign up and post a test message and make sure we've got the bugs worked out before we leave. I'll be leaving for Germany early, around June 25 as I've registered for a "superintensive" week-long German course at the Goethe Institute in Duesseldorf. If I survive, I think my German language skills will finally reach the intermediate level!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)