Visiting Program 2023
Widen the Circle’s International Bridge Building initiative brings American activists, educators, and leaders to Germany for an immersive week of learning and sharing with counterparts in our German network.
This year, 16 participants explored remembrance issues in Berlin and two smaller communities in the state of Saxony: Döbeln and Pirna. Twelve Americans took part. Four German remembrance practitioners participated in the full trip, and several other met with the group at different sites. The goal was to build a deeper understanding of how Germany deals with remembrance involving oppression and traumatic history, both in a national sense and at the community level, and how history is used to counter hate and prejudice today in both Germany and the United States.
“I realized I was with today’s civil rights heroes.”
This year’s participants work at the center of some of the most important current issues involving remembrance and historic injustice in the U.S. Among many others, the participants included Evan Milligan, the plaintiff in the Alabama voting rights case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in June and Patrick Weems, a driving force behind the President Biden’s decision to create a National Monument honoring Emmett Till and his courageous mother, Mamie Till-Mobley in July. (See the full list of participants.)
The program featured in-depth discussions on topics relating to preserving history and countering extreme-right narratives and hate, and resulted in many moving and emotional moments and interactions. Participants developed a real bond.
“I can’t tell you how much you’ve inspired me,” Melanie Roth Gorelick told the group as the program drew to a close. “Everyone here is just making a difference in the world.” Melanie is the CEO of Elluminate, an organization with Jewish and feminist values that promotes social justice and equal opportunity for all women and girls. Later, reflecting on her experience as part of the Visiting Program, she wrote, “I realized I was with today’s civil rights heroes.”
Members of the visiting program also participated in the Widen the Circle Network’s 2023 Summer Forum, which brought dozens of community remembrance activists from across Germany together for a weekend of learning and sharing.
Videos
These videos are from sessions at Widen the Circle’s annual Summer Forum in Berlin June 9-11. They each feature participants in the 2023 Visiting Program.
Prominent German rights activist Anetta Kahane interviews Amy Spitalnick, who played a key role in the groundbreaking lawsuit against the hate groups responsible for right-wing violence in Charlottesville.
Keynote
Confronting the Past: Changing Narratives in the U.S. and Germany
A Conversation with Dr. Dave Tell, historian and author of “Remembering Emmett Till,” and Agelika Rieber, co-founder of Jewish Life Project in Frankfurt, Germany.
This Wall Brings People Together
Students at this Berlin elementary school, built on the site of a synagogue, have been building a wall for the past two decades. It delivers a powerful message about community.
The significant of history, the importance of empathy
Zweitzeugen e.V. (Secondary Witnesses) turns young people into “witnesses” by teaching them the life stories of Holocaust survivors. Zweitzeugen has worked with 37 survivors to date, gathering their stories in great depth and sharing them through multifaceted workshops and various media.
A refuge, a greenhouse, a place to confront the past
Treibhaus started as a refuge for young people in an area where Neo-Nazi violence pervaded youth clubs. Today, it’s a vibrant gathering place with intergenerational support. Meanwhile, they are helping rewrite their town’s history and shining a light on a past many people did not want exposed.