Editorial

​​​​​​​2011 was a very busy year for German political foundations. The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung also faced unprecedented challenges due to the revolutionary upheaval in the Arab world and the endless drama over the eurozone's highly indebted countries.

The events in North Africa and the Middle East required a change in priorities. “One revolution does not make a democracy” is the headline of one of the articles in this report. It goes beyond just a description of the status quo and also provides details on our mission as a political foundation involved in the region. That mission is to help create a democracy out of a revolution. It means aiding countries still far from the standards of democracy and the rule of law to gradually develop stable civil society structures.

Developments in Egypt have dramatically shown us just how difficult this path is for us, as well. The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and its employees have been treated with a police-state mentality; unrest and violence have repeatedly broken out; a balancing act is necessary in the face of the danger of radical Islam – the situation is unpredictable. But it is exactly during such transformational times with an uncertain outcome that a German political foundation can demonstrate how important its programmes are.

The European challenge is entirely different. While the foundation cannot contribute a lot to solving the problems associated with debt, it can use its expertise and civic education programmes to counter the growing scepticism about the European project. Young people, for whom a divided Europe means little more than faded history, need other reasons for why to believe we need a better integrated Europe – in contrast with older generations who desired European cooperation because peace and freedom were under threat. Which is why the euro is much more than a currency – it is a physical expression of trust in Europe's forward-looking plans for integration. Maintaining this trust is worth every effort for the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.

Communication via the internet is an important, even essential, approach to helping us fulfil our mission. At one website – www.kas.de – users can find the full range of foundation programmes, with information tailored for various target groups. The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung has also stepped up its presence in social media, using outlets such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube to broaden its appeal and to communicate more with young people. Among the new ventures are innovative approaches to civic education, a number of interactive platforms such as a blog on the future of the mass parties, or extensive archival material, for example on the history of the CDU.

This steadily growing range of information has also led us to take a new approach to the annual report. Last year, it was published for the first time as one bilingual report (in both English and German). This year the foundation is publishing reports by individual departments only online – the goal is to create a greater synergy through its presence on the internet. That means more room is available in the printed report for “Perspectives 2012” to highlight our focus topics, our expertise and our long-term projects.

We would like to extend a special thank-you to our staff – whose work abroad can occasionally become perilous. They alone make it possible to publish this account of our achievements, efforts and expertise. Further gratitude goes to the growing group of the Friends of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, as well as our donors, sponsors and partners for all their support. We will do everything in our power to deserve your trust.

You can download the full report as pdf.