(Charlotte, N.C.) — Gunda Knese, president of The N.C. Zeitgeist Foundation received the 2018 Leadership in International Commerce Award from the Carolina World Trade Association (CWTA). CWTA works to expand global trade in the Charlotte area for the benefit of the entire community. The Leadership in International Commerce Award recognizes individuals who are making a positive impact in promoting international commerce in the Carolinas. “Your selection for this award is a testament to your commitment to promoting international commerce in the Carolinas. Your efforts are making a tremendous impact in our state and beyond, and I commend the great work you are doing,” said U.S. Senator Thom Tillis in a written statement. “We are grateful for your current and future involvement in our ever-growing international community,” said Vi Lyles, mayor of Charlotte. Knese, who speaks German, English and Spanish, serves on CWTA’s board of directors and is also an active member of several other professional affiliations to promote international and cross-cultural business. In her capacity as the director of business development with GreerWalker, a regional CPA firm, she helps clients by aligning her deep knowledge of international marketing for service firms and her expertise of culture in global business to strategically grow their businesses. The N.C.Zeitgeist Foundation hosted its 3rd White Asparagus Feast on May 31, 2018 at the Charlotte City Club. The evening was opened with a champagne reception, followed by an exquisite 3-course white asparagus meal. The Foundation’s president, Gunda Knese, gave a lighthearted introduction to the history of asparagus while guest speaker John Williams’ shared entertaining insights on Country, Company and Culture. A special thank you to our guest speaker John Williams, President & CEO of Domtar and to our event sponsor Pat Riley, President & Chief Executive Officer of Allen Tate Realtors. Thank you to all who attended!
Charlotte City mayor, Vi Lyles, and Tom Murray, CEO Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, officially announced yesterday at Romare Bearden Park that BvB Borussia Dortmund will play against Liverpool in the Bank-of-America Stadium in Charlotte on July 22 of this year.
German Honorary Consul Klaus Becker attended the ceremony and welcomed both teams while also sharing with the crowd his special relationship with Borussia. He grew up in Dortmund, just one kilometer away from Borsigplatz, an eponymous square in the northern part of Dortmund, famous for being the birthplace of football club Borussia Dortmund in 1909 and still today the traditional meeting place for fans celebrating the club’s victories.
One of Germany's highest ranking judges, Prof. Dr. Peter Huber, Justice at the German Supreme Federal Constitutional Court, and Judge Al Diaz, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, discussed at yesterday's event how two of the world's leading nations differ and compare in their upholding and enforcement of the rule of law. The engaging and lively panel discussion was moderated by Judge Louis Bledsoe, III, N.C. Special Superior Court Judge for Complex Business Cases. The event, held at the Charlotte City Club, was co-hosted by The N.C. Zeitgeist Foundation and the Charlotte World Affairs Council. The N.C. Zeitgeist Foundation and the American Council on Germany host Ambassador Thomas Matussek10/9/2017
On Monday, Oct 25, Klaus Becker –upon invitation of the Judaic Department of Appalachian university in Boone- addressed the Jewish community, He analyzed the post-election results of Germany’s parliamentary election which had taken place the day before, described various coalition scenarios and pointed out the unpleasant fact that the right-populist AfD entered the Bundestag (German parliament) for the first time. They got 13% of the vote and are herewith third largest party in the Bundestag. They are an anti-immigration party with clear nationalistic, racist, anti-Semitic and above all anti-Islam characteristics. Davidson College and The N.C. Zeitgeist Foundation organized an election day watch event on Sunday, Sep. 24; complete with brats, potato salad and red cabbage.
Klaus Becker, Honorary Consul of Germany, described the pre-election background, introduced the main political parties and analyzed possible coalition scenarios while Dr. Besir Ceka, Assistant Professor with the Political Science Department at Davidson College, commented on the results. Although the new right-populist party AfD was expected to enter the German parliament, its dramatic gains of 13%, making it the 3rd strongest party, came as a surprise, even as a shock. The relatively poor results of Germany’s two big parties, the Volksparteien or people’s parties, which have long been the pillars of a stable political system, are largely considered the political price for Merkel’s 2015 decision to open the borders to refugees from Syria and Iraq. The arrival of a million refugees over the last two years opened deep rifts in the population and weakened its support. Although Merkel’s CDU/CSU alliance won the highest share of vote, it has not won enough that it can govern alone, meaning it will have to find coalition partners from smaller parties. On Saturday, Sep. 9, the exhibition Gotha and the Thuringian Forest was opened at the Schiele Museum in Gastonia. Gastonia and Gotha in Thuringia (one of the five formerly East German states, have been sister cities for a while. With a lot of efforts, patience and dedication, they have erected this wonderful exhibition which is really worthwhile to visit. Klaus Becker, the German Honorary Consul, was invited to address the audience of about hundred people on the old-fashioned farm next door to the museum. He pointed out that in times of unpredictable U.S. foreign policies, the changing of the relations among the countries, it is even more important that grass root organizations of the United States and Germany are working closely together. People have to talk to each other, continue the dialogue, work on projects together like this marvelous exhibition to contribute to a sustainable and peaceful relationship. Klaus Becker reminded that he had opened the doors to a closer relationship with Thuringia: its President of the State Parliament Christian Carius visited Charlotte several times and recently Wolfgang Tiefensee was in town, formerly mayor of Leipzig, today Secretary of Commerce in the Thuringian government cabinet. |
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