You have our trilingual online publication in front of you. We hope you will take your time to read it and recommend us further. We are happy to inform you about new publications with our newsletter.
by Ralph Bosshard,* Switzerland
(22 March 2024) (Ed.) The divided world needs mediators – but only those who are neutral can be mediators. Switzerland should strengthen its neutrality not only to avoid being drawn into a war itself, but also to be able to play an active mediating role in serious conflicts between other countries! The world needs mediators!
by Robert Seidel
(16 March 2024) At the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, the German government reassured the country’s worried citizens that only helmets from old Bundeswehr stocks would be delivered to Ukraine and that any further military support would be ruled out. But the population’s mistrust was not deceived.
by Karin Leukefeld*
(16 March 2024) (CH-S) Karin Leukefeld – one of the few independent Western journalists in the region – describes the inhumane situation in Gaza in precise words. She repeatedly gives the floor to directly affected civilians whom she knows personally. Her report from the beginning of March is stirring and extremely informative.
by Michael Felten,* Germany
(16 March 2024) In Germany, more and more voices are criticising the global school performance study PISA and its consequences. In February 2024, for example, the German Philologists’ Association suggested withdrawing from this process altogether. Among the well-known critics is Rainer Kaenders,** the top maths teacher trainer at the University of Bonn.
by Ueli Gubler,* Engineer, Stettfurt, Switzerland
(16 March 2024) The “Energy Concept 2050” adopted in 2017 provides for the phasing out of nuclear energy and the abandonment of fossil fuels. In the Federal Council’s dispatch, the costs for a household of four were estimated at CHF 40 ($45) per year.
In June 2021, Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga opened the referendum campaign on the CO2 Act with the remark that the energy transition would probably cost one hundred billion francs across Switzerland. That would be a total of CHF 48,000 per household for the conversion. It is to be feared that the federal government, and others as well, have no idea how great the technical costs of the energy transition will be.
by Ruy Barbosa
(9 March 2024) The “Julius-Nyerere-Dam” in Tanzania is practically completed and is due to start generating electricity these days. The new dam is a genuine pan-African project. The construction costs of 2.9 billion US dollars were financed entirely by the Tanzanian government, and the dam on the Rufiji River was built as part of a partnership between two Egyptian companies: the state-owned “Arab Contractors” and “El-Sewedy Electric”.