The article will discuss the German Ebert Foundation and its activities in our country. What does he represent? What tasks does it perform? How does he finance his projects? And once again about the sensational story about the boy Kolya from Urengoy, as well as his speech in the Bundestag.
A little background
The social and political foundations of Germany are close to the formation parties. They began to develop in the postwar years. Each party that is represented in the German Parliament for more than one convocation may organize a political fund. Such foundations are essentially public organizations and are financed from public funds. Six parties - the same number of funds. The very first organized in Germany was the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, close to the Social Democratic Party of Germany. Since its foundation, it has been actively engaged in sociological research and operates not only in Germany, but also in other countries, and Russia is no exception.
Friedrich Ebert
He was a saddler worker from the city of Heidelberg. Even in his youth he devoted himselfpolitical and trade union work.
- He joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany in 1905.
- In 1912 he became a member of the Reichstag.
- In 1913 he was elected chairman of the SPD.
- In 1918, after the Revolution, he opposed the dictatorship of the proletariat, an ardent supporter of democracy, became president of the national assembly in 1919.
He rejects the politics of class struggle but stands for social equality between the bourgeoisie and the workers.
Due to poor he alth, he died in 1925 at the age of 55.
With donations collected during the funeral ceremony, according to Ebert's will, a foundation was established that continued his political precepts and aspirations.
About the Fund
Founded in 1925, it is Germany's oldest political foundation. He is closely associated with the Social Democratic Party, therefore, the ideals and values of social democracy are at the center of his work: justice, freedom, solidarity.
Is a non-profit organization and operates independently. The Ebert Foundation sees itself as part of the global social democratic society. Its work is aimed at supporting the participation of people in the development of society and social democracy. Its activities extend not only in Germany, but also abroad. Approximately 600 employees carry out their work at the main offices in Bonn and Berlin. It has offices in more than 100 countries. In 2015, the foundation celebrated its 90th anniversary.
Ebert Foundation Goals
Since its inception, it has pursued the following goals:
- provides knowledge about politics, that is, it is engaged in political education and information support for citizens;
- promotes higher education for young people, especially from low-income families;
- ensures international cooperation and convergence.
This is an international political think tank dedicated to the development of social democracy around the world.
International cooperation
The main directions of international activity are the support and development of democracy, the strengthening of security and peace, economic development, the protection of human rights, and social development.
In recent years, the priority areas of the fund's work have been the solution of global and regional problems. Particular attention is paid to solving the issue of European integration.
All over the world, the Ebert Foundation supports cooperation initiatives on environmental protection, security issues.
He cooperates with political parties, scientific organizations, public funds, trade unions, advisory structures.
Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Russia
A branch of this organization is also open in Moscow, where, along with its main activities, it offers students of our country places to live and practice in Germany.
The office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation is locatedin Moscow on Yauzsky Boulevard, at 13, on the 4th floor, in office No. 14.
It should be noted that everyone is invited to participate in student practice, but only the most talented and gifted students are selected.
Directions of the fund in our country
The goal and foundation of the work of the German Friedrich Ebert Foundation is social democracy in the country and around the world. He actively supports the development of democratic norms and social justice, peace and security. He interacts with public, state, scientific organizations that share and strive for the same goals.
The main activities of this fund in our country:
- development of civil society;
- achieving political and social stability;
- strengthening the structure of law in the state.
He supports democracy in the country, supports independent and free media. The Ebert Foundation in Moscow pays special attention to the participation of women in public and political processes.
Besides, its goal is rapprochement with Europe. He makes every effort to maintain a constructive dialogue between countries on a number of socio-political issues.
The sensational story about Kolya
The Ebert Foundation in Russia is considered the sponsor of the trip of our schoolchildren to Germany and the editor of speeches and texts in which many saw the justification of Nazism.
In particular, the head of the Society announced the financing of the trip to Germany by our schoolchildren"Russia - Germany" Zinovieva Olga and director Mikhalkov Nikita in the program "Besogon TV". They reported that the foundation had made a special grant for this purpose.
How was it? The performance of our schoolchildren in the Bundestag was timed to coincide with the Day of National Mourning in Germany. This is a mourning event at which the President makes a speech, an orchestra plays, the dead are remembered, and their memory is honored. In 2017, for the first time, schoolchildren from the sister cities of Kassel and Novy Urengoy were invited to speak at this event. No one then thought about the scandal that could erupt.
Each student was given the task to study and tell the life story of one soldier. The Germans talked about ours, our schoolchildren - about the Germans. The main theme was "war is evil and has no nationality".
It should be noted that all the reports were very similar. The children, having studied the story of the soldier's life, were imbued with his tragedy, empathized with him, suffered with him.
Gymnasium student Nikolai Desyatnichenko also prepared a report in which he said that the Wehrmacht soldiers "did not want to fight" and expressed regret that their graves in Russia are in a very terrible state. Kolya devoted part of his introduction to the fate of the German soldier Georg Rau, who was captured near Stalingrad in 1943 and died in a Soviet concentration camp. His speech was quite consistent with everyone else, but it was she who caused bewilderment and a wide public outcry in our country. They called for holding accountable parents, educators and those who supervised andedited his speech.
Who is to blame and what to do?
Society was divided into two camps: those who condemned Nicholas and the people who defended him.
For example, many teachers spoke out in defense of a student and claimed that he just wanted to convey the meaning that war is a huge tragedy for participants on both sides, it means sacrifice, death, horror.
But society took up arms against a 17-year-old schoolboy, making him guilty, but it’s worth finding out if he is only:
- Firstly, the trip was organized and sponsored by the German Ebert Foundation in Russia, and whoever pays orders the music, as you know.
- Secondly, all the children's reports were approved by two people from our side and two from the German side.
- Thirdly, the original text was asked to be shortened, so Nikolai shortened it as best he could.
- Fourthly, of course, he did not write this speech himself, he was helped, adults, well-trained people worked with the teenager.
The mistake he made was an oversight of those people who worked with him, taught, accompanied, reviewed the text.
It should be noted that when the furious public in Russia was talking and looking for the guilty, the boy got a red flag of Victory somewhere and went to the Bundestag at night.
Instead of output
And while the public is indignant and curses the child, foreign political funds continue to work on the territory of our state. They continue the projects they have started and further allocate grants for their implementation. And we continue to look for the guilty and, of course,assign them.
Who is really involved in what happened in the Bundestag? Kolya? Or is he just a teenager who knows how to empathize, feel the pain of another person, even an enemy, sympathize, understand the horrors of war? That is the question, and it must be answered as soon as possible.
