FOREWORD
People and their Ideas, for all Seasons
A Complexion Change
International & Intercultural Diplomacy
A tribute to
Chancellor Willy Brandt
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
President John F. Kennedy
President Barack Hussein Obama
The world often and perhaps always, finds itself in need of guiding lights
and principles which foster approaches to life and governance enabling and
possibly ennobling individuals and societies to develop and stabilize their
human and earthly resources.
An integral part of the philosophy of Fountainhead® Tanz Theatre, Black International
Cinema Berlin, The Collegium - Forum & Television Program Berlin and Cultural
Zephyr e.V. has been and continues to be an analysis of the interests and
needs of individuals and societies in order to stimulate the creation of unifying
themes, which are utilized for the purpose of developing a basis for mutual
appreciation and hence cooperation, based upon interests in common, through
the utilization of culture, art, publications, artistic presentations and
media and as a means of offering and perhaps providing information and inspiration
to the society in which we reside and elsewhere.
As sources of information and inspiration we have chosen Chancellor Willy
Brandt, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy and
President Barack Hussein Obama and the ideas based upon their statements as
beacons of light for our XXIV. Black International Cinema Berlin 2009.
Chancellor Willy Brandt was regarded as a peace chancellor for his contributions
to the world during the post war years.
His desire for reconciliation during 1970 in Poland, was demonstrated by signing
the Warsaw treaty, which obliged the Federal Republic of Germany and Poland
to maintain inviolate the existing borders and refrain from the use of force.
He was also instrumental in establishing good relations between the two German
states and to forego the use of force between them. Another achievement of
Willy Brandt was the signing of the Moscow treaty in August 1970, renouncing
the use of force and the respect of post war borders with Leonid Breznev.
In addition, Mr. Brandt was invited by Robert McNamara, President of the World
Bank to assume the chairmanship of the independent commission for international
developmental issues, which became known as the North-South Commission and
eventually the Brandt Report.
“To ensure survival - common interest of industrial and developing countries.”
This is an issue which is still being addressed today, that “world wide disarmament
could make available huge sums of money for the development of third world
countries.” In addition to his many accomplishments, Chancellor Willy Brandt
was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1971.
The 35th president of the USA provided a presence, which remains with Berlin
and the world and who described Willy Brandt in 1960 as “my friend”.
Brandt responded to this sentiment, by writing a book with his impressions
of America’s young president entitled “Begegnungen mit Kennedy, Meetings with
Kennedy”.
John F. Kennedy wished to remove the stigma of the Cold War from the US and
USSR relationship and signaled his readiness to reach an understanding with
the former USSR. “Henceforth we should respect existing borders and spheres
of interest as the basis for the status quo. Progress toward German reunification
should no longer be a pre-condition for east-west détente.”
Willy Brandt supported the policy of John F. Kennedy providing, “The Americans
will not permit themselves to be expelled step by step from Berlin.”
Kennedy summarized the American interest in Berlin with three non-negotiable
demands: Continuation of the American military presence, free access to West
Berlin for the western allies and guaranties of self-determination for the
West Berlin population and continued viability for the city.
The Berlin Wall began construction on August 13, 1961.
Eventually the response from John F. Kennedy was a visit to Berlin in June
1963, during Willy Brandt’s career as governing mayor and stated: “Ich bin
ein Berliner.”
I am a Berliner, which underscored the United State’s support for the divided
city of Berlin and the policies of Willy Brandt. John F. Kennedy became a
serious contender for the 1960 democratic presidential nomination, as a result
of the exposure garnered during the 1956 democratic convention.
An occasion to be replicated by another democratic Senator from Illinois,
in July 2004.
Contributions from John F. Kennedy in domestic and international affairs were
demonstrated in the area of civil rights, where he observed, the grand children
of slaves freed by Lincoln, “are not yet freed from the bonds of injustice.”
Issues of foreign affairs included, the Bay of Pigs incident, missiles in
Cuba, the Cuban missile crisis, the space project through NASA, peace corps,
alliance for progress concerning Latin America, limited nuclear testing and
the increasing US involvement in Vietnam.
The policies of John F. Kennedy were interrupted by his assassination and
hence his legacy may be viewed, “as an unfinished life”.
During his freshman year at Morehouse College, Martin Luther King read Henry
David Thoreau’s Essay on “Civil Disobedience” and was intrigued by the concept
of refusing to cooperate with an evil system.
After reading books on the life and teachings of Mohandas Gandhi, Dr. King
overcame his skepticism concerning the power of love and non-violence.
Some of the statements made by Dr. King provide an insight into the principles
he utilized to guide his efforts on behalf of civil and human rights.
He merged the ideas of Gandhi and Christian theology. “Christ furnished the
spirit and motivation while Gandhi furnished the method.”
He dismissed the use of violence as both “impractical and immoral” and endorsed
nonviolent resistance as the only “morally and practically sound method open
to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom.”
“The non-violent resistor must often express their protest through non cooperation
or boycotts, but they realize that non cooperation and boycotts are not ends
themselves, they are merely means to awaken a sense of moral shame in the
opponent. The end is redemption and reconciliation. The aftermath of non violence
is the creation of the beloved community, while the aftermath of violence
is tragic bitterness.”
In the summer of 1941, A. Philip Randolph, founder of the brotherhood of sleeping
car porters, called for a march on Washington to attract attention to the
exclusion of the Black community from the economic opportunities of the war
years. The threat of a hundred thousand marchers in Washington D.C. pushed
President Franklin Roosevelt to issue executive order 8802, desegregating
the defense industries and Randolph cancelled plans for the march in response.
On August 28, 1963, more than 200,000 demonstrators gathered at the Lincoln
memorial to participate in the March on Washington for jobs and freedom. The
march demonstrated to the nation the differences between the principles of
American democracy and the every day experience of Black Americans and was
successful in pressuring the Kennedy administration to commit to passing federal
civil rights legislation. It was during this event that Martin Luther King
Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech.
Dr. King’s chief aid Ralph Abernathy stated, “...We did not have to use violence
to achieve the goals we were seeking.”
Dr. King was presented the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
During a speech in Chicago, Barack Obama stated, “What our troops deserve
is not just rhetoric, they deserve a new plan.”
We believe our new president is a hopeful and constructive work in progress,
not only for the troops, but for the USA and the international community.
The ideas of the persons to whom we have paid tribute are a reflection of
that statement. They provided new directions through their ideas, decisions
and deeds.
In some cases the actions of the aforementioned individuals were less desirable
than one might have wished, but the impetus for constructive change is what
they sought and what we have sought since the founding of Fountainhead® Tanz
Theatre in 1980 and the creation of Black International Cinema Berlin in 1986.
Our efforts like theirs, remain a work in progress, but here we stand, offering
a combination of words and deeds.
Welcome to the
XXIV. Black International Cinema Berlin 2009.
Fountainhead® Tanz Theatre
April 2009