Axel Springer Freedom Foundation

In cooperation with the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation and the Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin, Frauen für Freiheit e. V. organized a briefing in the German parliament under the patronage of MP Renata Alt on human rights and security concerning #Iran and #Lebanon. In her introduction, Renata Alt reminded the audience of the human rights situation in Iran, in particular the WomenLifeFreedom movement and the continued lack of measures from the European side. Masih Alinejad, the prominent Iranian voice for women’s rights and dissidents, strengthened the need to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization and to provide a platform for dissidents in the West. Alinejad also pointed out that Nahid Taghavi, a German citizen, remains a hostage of the regime, as well as the body of the German Jamshid Sharmahd who was murdered by the regime in Teheran. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. What happens in the Middle East does not stay in the Middle East” was Alinejad warning for European leaders. Ahmad Omeirate, specialist on Islamism, Organized Crime and Lebanon, followed by outlining the current situation in Lebanon, highlighting the influence of the regime in Iran in the country. He stressed the need to review the German aid provided to Lebanon, citing reports about weapons found at the airport in Beirut which is supposedly guarded by border control forces also financed by German taxpayer’s money. Omeirate emphasised the need to act now while the support for Hezbollah is dwindling. The resistance against the Iranian backed terrorist organization is visible since the fatal explosion in Beirut in 2020, strongly supported by Lebanese women. The diversity of Lebanese society offers an opportunity to turn the country back into the Switzerland of the Middle East. Faisal Saeed Al Mutar of the NGO Ideas Beyond Borders echoed Omeirate's comments, emphasizing the opportunity that the significant weakening of Hezbollah represents.? Al Mutar listed five measures that should be taken to help Lebanon now: Strengthen State Institutions, Support Independent Civil Society, Bolster Liberal Media Outlets, Strengthen the Private Sector, Implement Accountability in Aid Programs and Support Liberal Political Parties Especially accountability in aid programs is highly needed as al Mutar outlined the inefficiency of previous aid programs in detail. All in all, the situation in Iran and Lebanon provides European governments with the opportunity to establish a path to more security in the Middle East and thereby in Europe and strengthen democratic forces. Don’t miss it. For more information on the paper on the IRGC, please contact my colleague Ulrike Becker. Pictures by Kai Herschelmann

In 1989, history split in two: while the Berlin Wall fell, marking a turning point in post war history in Germany, peaceful protests in Tiananmen Square faced brutal repression in China. To this day, people around the world continue to fight for freedom. The non-profit organization Axel Springer Freedom Foundation supports these efforts and, through its exhibition ?China ist nicht fern!” (China is Not Far!), highlights the courageous defenders of democracy and exposes what the regime in Beijing aims to keep hidden.? Swipe left to dive deeper into the exhibition’s message, and read more on our corporate blog: https://lnkd.in/e5VvQeSJ Want to see it in person? The exhibition is free and open to the public on the Axel Springer forecourt (Axel-Springer-Stra?e 65, 10888 Berlin) until December 10. ____? #AxelSpringer #AxelSpringerFreedomFoundation #Freedom #ChinaIsNotFar #ListenToTheDissidents #Mauerfall35 #HaltetDieFreiheitHoch Fengsuo Zhou Kulturprojekte Berlin Human Rights in China 中国人权 beier+wellach projekte HUMANITARIAN CHINA Antje Schippmann Lisa Reimann ?Yanina Isla; ?Dennis Yenmez??

?China ist nicht fern“ wurde von Bürgerrechtlern 1989 in der DDR gerufen, als sie von der gewaltsamen Niederschlagung der Studentenproteste auf dem Tianamen-Platz in Peking h?rten. Auf diesen Zusammenhang zwischen Protestbewegung in der DDR und Tianamen erinnert die heute er?ffnete Ausstellung gleichen Namens, organisiert von der Axel Springer Freedom Foundation und deren Gesch?ftsführerin Antje Schippmann . Beeindruckend war die Rede von einem der damaligen Studentführer, Zhou Fengsuo. Er war 1989 zum Vorsiitzenden der Autonomen Studentenf?deration Pekings gew?hlt worden und hatte die ersten und einzigen freien Wahlen einer Studierendenvertretung organisiert. Er wurde nach dem Aufstand verhaftet, kam auf internationalen Druck frei und lebt heute in New York. In unserem Gespr?ch betonte er die Bedeutung der internationalen Solidarit?t für alle Freiheitsbewegungen gerade in der heutigen Zeit mit vielen Angriffen auf die Demokratie. Die Notwendigkeit, sich aktiv für Demokratie einzusetzen, hat der Marburger Bund auf seiner 143. Hauptversammlung eindrücklich betont.

Recap: Highlights from our events and special moments with our guests at #Mauerfall35 in the ?City of Freedom“ Berlin. More than 70 percent of people around the world live under authoritarian rule. The Peaceful Revolution remains a beacon of hope and source of strength for their fight for freedom and democracy. Thank you to our partners for standing with the freedom fighters and giving dissidents the stage at this anniversary.?#ListenToTheDissidents? ? visitBerlin Kulturprojekte Berlin Human Rights in China 中国人权 HUMANITARIAN CHINA beier+wellach projekte Leopoldo López Mendoza Shammi Haque Maksim Kurnikov World Liberty Congress Shila Behjat Rosa Maria Payá Fengsuo Zhou Zainab Farahmand Faisal Saeed Al Mutar Zhala Bayramova Antje Schippmann Tenzyn Z?chbauer Felix Maradiaga and many more Photocredits: Dennis Yenmez

Einladung | Am Freitag, 15. November, wird unsere Ausstellung ?'China ist nicht fern!' 35 Jahre Mauerfall, 35 Jahre Tiananmen“ an ihrem zweiten Standort, dem Axel Springer Vorplatz, er?ffnet. ? Datum: 15. November Uhrzeit: 11:30 Uhr Ort:?Axel-Springer-Str. 65, 10969 Berlin Wir freuen uns, dass Tiananmen-Studentenführer Fengsuo Zhou, DDR-Oppositionelle Ulrike Poppe und der Berliner Beauftragte zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur, Frank Ebert, zur Er?ffnung sprechen werden. Er?ffnung und Ausstellung sind ?ffentlich und kostenlos, Anmeldung ist nicht erforderlich. Wir freuen uns auf Ihren Besuch! ? Konzipiert, inhaltlich erarbeitet und gestaltet wurde ?China ist nicht fern!" von der Axel Springer Freedom Foundation in Zusammenarbeit mit unseren Partnern von beier+wellach projekte, Robert-Havemann-Gesellschaft und dem Berliner Beauftragten zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur, HUMANITARIAN CHINA und Human Rights in China 中国人权. Eine Kooperation mit Kulturprojekte Berlin,?im Rahmen von Mauerfall35. #chinaistnichtfern #chinaisnotfar #mauerfall35 #listentothedissidents Antje Schippmann

Our Founder, Faisal Al Mutar, stood at the Berlin Wall for the 35th anniversary of its fall to #HoldFreedomUpHigh: "We are as free as others are in our country." Let’s remember: freedom must be cherished and defended. Thank you to the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation Antje Schippmann, visit Berlin, Mauer Fall 35, and Kulturprojekte Berlin. ??: Dennis Yenmez #BerlinWall #HoldFreedomUpHigh

Our exhibition “China is Not Far!” 35 Years of the Fall of the Berlin Wall – 35 Years of Tiananmen was officially opened yesterday, November 7, by Cornelia Seibeld, President of the Berlin House of Representatives. The exhibition explores the 1989 Peaceful Revolution, the events at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, and the current state of democratic dissent in China. It features video interviews with witnesses from the GDR and China, original objects from Tiananmen Square, and a replica of the "Goddess of Democracy." The exhibition is now officially open and can be visited free of charge on the forecourt of the Berlin House of Representatives until November 11. From November 15, the exhibition will move to the forecourt of Axel Springer, where it will remain open until December 10. ? “China is not far!” was conceived, researched, and designed by the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation in collaboration with our partners from beier+wellach projekte, Robert Havemann Gesellschaft e.V., the Berliner Beauftragter zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur, HUMANITARIAN CHINA, and Human Rights in China 中国人权. In cooperation with Kulturprojekte Berlin, as part of Mauerfall35. For more information, visit our website. #chinaistnichtfern #chinaisnotfar #listentothedissidents #mauerfall35 #haltetdiefreiheithoch Antje Schippmann Fengsuo Zhou

Thirty-five years ago, the peaceful revolution in the GDR led to the fall of the Berlin Wall—a turning point in German post-war history. But not every fight for freedom had the same, positive outcome. That very year, democracy protests in Tiananmen Square, China, faced brutal repression. To mark this occasion, the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation will present the exhibition “China ist nicht fern!” (China is Not Far!)—an exploration of the contrasting stories of democracy movements in both countries, along with the current state of democratic dissent in China. Set within three shipping containers as mobile spaces, the exhibition features video interviews with dissidents from both nations, original artifacts from Tiananmen Square, and a replica of the “Goddess of Democracy”—a symbol of the Chinese protest movement. Mark your calendars and join us in witnessing these stories of resilience. Further information about the exhibition, including dates and locations, can be found here: https://lnkd.in/e8_SHz34 Get a sneak peek at some of the dissidents' video interviews in the video below. ? ____? #AxelSpringer #AxelSpringerFreedomFoundation #Freedom #ChinaIsNotFar #ListenToTheDissidents #Mauerfall35 #HaltetDieFreiheitHoch Fengsuo Zhou Kulturprojekte Berlin Human Rights in China 中国人权 beier+wellach projekte HUMANITARIAN CHINA Antje Schippmann Lisa Reimann?

Einladung zur Ausstellungser?ffnung Zur Er?ffnung der "China ist nicht fern!"-Ausstellung laden wir am Abend des 7. November 2024 gemeinsam mit der Robert Havemann Gesellschaft zu einem Zeitzeugengespr?ch + Empfang im beeindruckenden Mauer-Panorama am Checkpoint Charlie ein. "China ist nicht fern!” wirft einen neuen Blick auf die Bedeutung der blutigen Niederschlagung der Demokratiebewegung in China 1989 für die DDR-Opposition und die Friedliche Revolution.?Zeitzeugen aus China und der DDR berichten gemeinsam mit erst kürzlich geflüchteten chinesischen Demokratieaktivisten von ihrem Einsatz für Menschenrechte und Freiheit. ?? Termin: 7. November 2024 ? Uhrzeit: 19 Uhr ?? Ort: THE WALL / DIE MAUER asisi Panorama Berlin, Friedrichstra?e 205, 10117 Berlin Eintritt frei Simultanübersetzung Deutsch/Englisch G?ste: DDR-Bürgerrechtlerinnen und Bürgerrechtler Ulrike Poppe, Stefan Müller und Michael Heinisch, chinesische Demokratieaktivisten Fengsuo Zhou (Tiananmen-Studentenführer 1989) und Yicheng Huang (Aktivist der Blank Paper Bewegung 2022).? Moderiert wird der Abend von der Journalistin Shila Behjat. Im Anschluss an das Gespr?ch gibt es einen kleinen Empfang. Eine Veranstaltung der Axel Springer Freedom Foundation und der Robert-Havemann-Gesellschaft e. V., unterstützt vom Berliner Beauftragten zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur. Die Veranstaltung findet im Rahmen der Feierlichkeiten zu 35 Jahre Friedliche Revolution und Mauerfall von Kulturprojekte Berlin statt. Die Ausstellung ?China ist nicht fern!“ ist vom 7. bis 11. November 2024 vor dem Abgeordnetenhaus Berlin und 15. November bis 11. Dezember auf dem Axel-Springer-Vorplatz zu besichtigen.? #chinaistnichtfern #chinaistnotfar #listentothedissidents #mauerfall35 #haltetdiefreiheithoch Fotocredit: Archiv Bürgerbewegung Leipzig

Invitation – New exhibition opening in Berlin! ? Two countries, two paths: 35 years ago, the Berlin Wall was torn down; 35 years ago, the democracy movement in China was brutally suppressed. ? Our new exhibition “China is not far!” explores the connections between the Peaceful Revolution in East Germany and the events at Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989, shedding light on the pro-democracy movement in China, its violent end on June 4 and the impact it had on the GDR opposition, as well as dissent and democratic opposition in China today. ? For this, three China Shipping containers have been transformed into mobile exhibition spaces, revealing the dictatorship behind China’s economic rise. A five-meter-tall replica of the Goddess of Democracy, the symbol of the Chinese democracy movement, oversees the installation. Eyewitnesses from both countries share their stories, alongside newly available archival materials. ? ??“China is not far!” will open for the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall in front of the Berliner Abgeordnetenhaus, from November 7 to 11. ? ??It will then move to the Axel Springer building and open there from November 15 to December 10. ? Open all day, admission is free. ? The exhibition is offered in three languages: German, English, and Traditional Chinese. “China is not far!”?was conceived, researched, and designed by the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation in collaboration with our partners from beier+wellach projekte, Robert Havemann Gesellschaft e.V., the Berliner Beauftragter zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur, Humanitarian China, Human Rights in China 中国人权, Fengsuo Zhou. In cooperation with Kulturprojekte Berlin. ? All information on our website — link in the first comment. #chinaistnichtfern #chinaisnotfar #mauerfall35 #haltetdiefreiheithoch