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From the "workshop of the world" to "systemic rival"?

30 - 31 March | Interdisciplinary conference: International Perspectives on a Global China…

“Global economic powerhouse”, “equal partner”, “global investor”, “aggressor”, “strategic rival” or “force for peace” – international perspectives on a global China are diverse and even contrasting. In 2023, ten years after China launched its…

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Hamburg, China and the Politics of Globalisation

Thursday, 30 March, 6:30 pm | Public event in the context of the interdisciplinary…

After Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the discussion about “the West's” economic dependence on China and its recognition as a political threat has intensified. The city of Hamburg and its port – the third largest port in Europe – are at the centre of…

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Beyond the IRA: Evaluating New US and EU Approaches to Low Carbon Leadership

March 9, 2023 | 3 - 4 pm | FOTAR Discussion Series I

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In December 2022, the biennial conference The Future of Transatlantic Relations organised jointly by the Europa-Kolleg Hamburg and the Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung brought together distinguished speakers from both sides of the…

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To me, press freedom is everything. Without independent media, there is no democracy. We need to fight for it for the sake of every generation — because those in power, whether in autocracies or democracies, do not benefit from accountability and will inevitably work to undermine journalism.

Melissa Chan

Journalist

Democracy dies with lies and it cannot exist without a well-informed electorate. It is a never-ending fight against corruption at all levels of society. Without a free press, democracy is merely a facade. As an academic and a former journalist, fighting for democracy with a range of tools is a civic duty for me.

Edit Zgut

Journalist and political scientist

I believe that in every society in the world, freedom of the press is non-negotiable. Unfortunately, we have seen a huge decline in recent years. [...] The case of Julian Assange ultimately revealed that Western societies tend to imitate autocratic regimes and even work with them instead of working against them with us. 

Emran Feroz

Journalist and author

For me, press freedom means journalists speaking up among themselves and to power with integrity, honesty and sincerity. To achieve this goal, it is essential that media firms and owners do not stifle journalists. This will help to pave the way and provide answers to the press freedom challenges that exist in our societies.

Tobore Ovuorie

Journalist & recipient of the 2021 Deutsche Welle Freedom of Speech Award

As crises spread around the globe, freedom of the press is deteriorating and gender-based discrimination is increasing. But freedom of the press as a fundamental human right and the ability to speak up for gender equality and justice are essential for creating and maintaining democratic societies.

Fawzya El-Shami

Journalist

It is the job and duty of the press to hold the powerful to account. Brave journalism is important for society, but it can lead to resistance and repression from those in power. That’s why everyone must fight for press freedom. It is a human right that benefits all of us.

Andre Meister

Journalist

“Speaking up” is even more difficult since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In Russia and Belarus, independent journalists work from exile or risk imprisonment. In Ukraine, journalists risk their lives. Respect and solidarity to all who continue reporting, which is essential to counter relentless propaganda.

Valerie Hopkins

International correspondent

As journalists, we are committed to a high ethos: the pursuit of truth. This makes us guardians of democracy and defenders of the democratic values that hold our society together. The freedom of the press is one of the most valuable assets we have and must be defended.

Düzen Tekkal

Journalist and Founder of HÁWAR.help

The cost of spreading information in Belarus can be as high as years in jail, wounds from live ammunition, physical violence, searched apartments and sudden exile abroad. Journalism in a dictatorial regime is dangerous. Yet it also brings an important sense of mission: we work to bring people the truth.

Hanna Liubakova

Journalist, writer & activist

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