Publications

Democracies are under pressure. Liberal politics are on the decline worldwide as populations turn to authoritarian populist figures—whose answers to the pressing questions of our time are often nationalistic, simplistic, exclusionary, and anti-pluralistic. Developments in the United States, India, Russia, and China, as well as in some European countries such as Hungary, directly affect more than one-third of the world’s population—and the repercussions extend far beyond these regions. Civil societies everywhere are experiencing firsthand the “shrinking spaces”—the restrictions on their scope for action and opportunities for participation.

Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has repeatedly spoken out forcefully on the state of democracies worldwide. “Democracy in the world is not doing well today,” he observed—and compared its crisis to a “wounded heart.” Where democratic institutions are weakened and the principles of the rule of law come under pressure, he warned, the protection of minorities also risks being eroded. Time and again, Pope Francis called on Catholics worldwide to take responsibility, raise their voices, and help shape concrete spaces for participation. This legacy remains a challenge even beyond his death.

At a time when many democracies are facing increasing pressure and authoritarian tendencies, social inequality, disinformation, and geopolitical tensions are palpable, it is crucial to analyze the causes and effects of these developments. What factors contribute to the decline of democratic values in various regions of the world, and what explanations exist for this? How can democracies be strengthened and made more resilient to internal and external threats? What role do international organizations and civil society actors play in defending and promoting democratic principles?

The 38th Annual Academy, in collaboration with representatives from academia, politics, and the church from approximately fifty KAAD countries, aims to explore these questions and contribute to strengthening civil society actors, particularly change agents.
 

Text Documents from the Annual Academy

Program of the Annual Academy

Introductory Lectures:

• “Democracy under Pressure: Causes and Consequences”
  Prof. Dr. Tanja A. Börzel, Director of the Center for European Integration at the Otto Suhr Institute, Freie Universität Berlin, Spokesperson for the Cluster of Excellence “Contestations of the Liberal Script” (SCRIPTS)
• “Emerging Configurations of State and Democracy in the Transnational Context: A Perspective from the South of the Global South”
  Dr. jur. Ana María Bonet, National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Catholic University of Santa Fe, Argentina

Forums:

• Forum 1: Lack of Representativeness? Democratic Institutions and the Rise of Populist Movements
  Speakers:
  Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Muno, Political Science, University of Rostock
  ; Aye Aye Htun, Myanmar, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Development and Socio-Economic Policies, University of Erfurt
• Forum 2: Shrinking Spaces – The Significance and Scope of Action for Civil Society and the Academic Community
  Speakers:
  Dr. Lena Gutheil, Transformation of Political (Dis)Order, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS);
  Zau Tu, Myanmar, Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR)
• Forum 3: The Fourth Estate Under Threat? Media and Democracy
  Speakers:
  Leonie Krzistetzko and Kristina Beckmann, Journalism and Society Research Group, Technical University of Dortmund;
  Prof. Dr. Viktor Khroul, Catholic University of Ružomberok, Slovakia
• Forum 4: Democracy and Religion
  Speakers:
  Dr. Thomas Arnold, Advisor to the German Bishops’ Conference on the Commission for Political and Social Issues;
  Dr. Locardia Shayamunda, Coordinator of Justitia et Pax, Archdiocese of Harare, Zimbabwe
• Forum 5: Democracy and Colonialism
  Speakers:
  Dr. Jörg Lüer, German Commission for Justice and Peace, Berlin; Dr. Norman Mukasa, German Commission for Justice and Peace, Berlin

Musical Celebration

• Concert by the scholarship recipients
• Presentation of the KAAD Foundation’s Peter-Hünermann Prize to Dr. jur. Ana María Bonet and Prof. Dr. Guillermo Kerz, Argentina

International Commemorative Mass
Celebrants: Fr. Prof. Dr. Thomas Eggensperger, OP; Fr. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Engel, OP

Democracies are under pressure. Liberal politics are on the decline worldwide as populations turn to authoritarian populist figures—whose answers to the pressing questions of our time are often nationalistic, simplistic, exclusionary, and anti-pluralistic. Developments in the United States, India, Russia, and China, as well as in some European countries such as Hungary, directly affect more than one-third of the world’s population—and the repercussions extend far beyond these regions. Civil societies everywhere are experiencing firsthand the “shrinking spaces”—the restrictions on their scope for action and opportunities for participation.

Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has repeatedly spoken out forcefully on the state of democracies worldwide. “Democracy in the world is not doing well today,” he observed—and compared its crisis to a “wounded heart.” Where democratic institutions are weakened and the principles of the rule of law come under pressure, he warned, the protection of minorities also risks being eroded. Time and again, Pope Francis called on Catholics worldwide to take responsibility, raise their voices, and help shape concrete spaces for participation. This legacy remains a challenge even beyond his death.

At a time when many democracies are facing increasing pressure and authoritarian tendencies, social inequality, disinformation, and geopolitical tensions are palpable, it is crucial to analyze the causes and effects of these developments. What factors contribute to the decline of democratic values in various regions of the world, and what explanations exist for this? How can democracies be strengthened and made more resilient to internal and external threats? What role do international organizations and civil society actors play in defending and promoting democratic principles?

The 38th Annual Academy, in collaboration with representatives from academia, politics, and the church from approximately fifty KAAD countries, aims to explore these questions and contribute to strengthening civil society actors, particularly change agents.
 

Text Documents from the Annual Academy

Program of the Annual Academy

Introductory Lectures:

• “Democracy under Pressure: Causes and Consequences”
  Prof. Dr. Tanja A. Börzel, Director of the Center for European Integration at the Otto Suhr Institute, Freie Universität Berlin, Spokesperson for the Cluster of Excellence “Contestations of the Liberal Script” (SCRIPTS)
• “Emerging Configurations of State and Democracy in the Transnational Context: A Perspective from the South of the Global South”
  Dr. jur. Ana María Bonet, National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Catholic University of Santa Fe, Argentina

Forums:

• Forum 1: Lack of Representativeness? Democratic Institutions and the Rise of Populist Movements
  Speakers:
  Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Muno, Political Science, University of Rostock
  ; Aye Aye Htun, Myanmar, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Development and Socio-Economic Policies, University of Erfurt
• Forum 2: Shrinking Spaces – The Significance and Scope of Action for Civil Society and the Academic Community
  Speakers:
  Dr. Lena Gutheil, Transformation of Political (Dis)Order, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS);
  Zau Tu, Myanmar, Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR)
• Forum 3: The Fourth Estate Under Threat? Media and Democracy
  Speakers:
  Leonie Krzistetzko and Kristina Beckmann, Journalism and Society Research Group, Technical University of Dortmund;
  Prof. Dr. Viktor Khroul, Catholic University of Ružomberok, Slovakia
• Forum 4: Democracy and Religion
  Speakers:
  Dr. Thomas Arnold, Advisor to the German Bishops’ Conference on the Commission for Political and Social Issues;
  Dr. Locardia Shayamunda, Coordinator of Justitia et Pax, Archdiocese of Harare, Zimbabwe
• Forum 5: Democracy and Colonialism
  Speakers:
  Dr. Jörg Lüer, German Commission for Justice and Peace, Berlin; Dr. Norman Mukasa, German Commission for Justice and Peace, Berlin

Musical Celebration

• Concert by the scholarship recipients
• Presentation of the KAAD Foundation’s Peter-Hünermann Prize to Dr. jur. Ana María Bonet and Prof. Dr. Guillermo Kerz, Argentina

International Commemorative Mass
Celebrants: Fr. Prof. Dr. Thomas Eggensperger, OP; Fr. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Engel, OP

Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly significant role in global discourse; it permeates science, politics, our daily lives, and even religious spheres. The development of AI raises profound questions about humanity, consciousness, and identity. For instance, the emergence of autonomous AI systems calls for fundamental ethical reflection on responsibility, control, and decision-making. Against the backdrop of structural changes driven by automation, questions of inequality and social participation also arise—the impacts of AI on work, power, and social dynamics must be assessed and scrutinized for their compliance with human rights.

In light of so-called language AI chatbots (such as ChatGPT), the scientific community in general is also confronted with various issues, such as the value and protection of intellectual property, transparency, ethical responsibility, and data protection.

For the Global South, too, the opportunities and risks of the increasing implementation of artificial intelligence must be weighed: AI can be used in various sectors, such as healthcare, education, and agriculture, to improve services and make them more accessible, particularly in rural areas. On the other hand, AI-supported systems can widen an already existing digital divide and reinforce biases and inequalities.

Artificial intelligence can also have both positive and negative implications for the Catholic Church and for religions in general, for example, with regard to communication and interaction among the faithful, educational efforts, or pastoral work. At the same time, AI raises a number of theological questions.

A fundamental debate that thoroughly examines the implications of this technology across various fields is therefore essential in order to—in the words of Pope Francis—determine how artificial intelligence “can be placed at the service of humanity and the protection of our common home.”

The 37th KAAD Annual Academy sought to contribute to this effort and, together with representatives from academia, politics, and the Church from some fifty countries, examined the (potential) impacts of AI from an interdisciplinary and intercultural perspective and established criteria for the ethical use of AI.

Text documents from the Annual Academy

Program of the Annual Academy

Introductory Lectures:

• “Dilemmas in the New Form of the Knowledge Society: Ethical Reflections”
  Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Dr. Anton Losinger, Episcopal Representative for KAAD 

• “Brave New World? Artificial Intelligence and the Global South”
  Prof. Dr. Jerry John Kponyo, Co-founder of the Responsible AI Network Africa (RAIN Africa), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Forums:

• Forum 1: Artificial Intelligence—A “Game-Changer” in Development Cooperation? Speakers
  : Dr. Theresa Züger, Director of the AI & Society Lab and the Public Interest AI Research Group, Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin; Balthas Seibold, Co-Director, FAIR Forward – Artificial Intelligence for All, Division of Economic and Social Development, Digitalization, German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), Bonn; Adio-Adet Tichifara Dinika, Political Science, University of Bremen
• Forum 2: AI and Our View of Humanity – Philosophical Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence
  Speaker: Dr. Manuela Lenzen, science journalist and author, Bielefeld
• Forum 3: Fake News Generated by AI – A Threat to Democracy?
  Speakers: Andreas Grün, Head of the New Media Technology Department, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF), Mainz; Alisa Kohinova, Computational Linguistics, University of Bayreuth
• Forum 4: The Digital Counterpart: AI and Human Communication
  Speakers: Dr. Christian Stein, Cluster of Excellence “Matters of Activity,” Humboldt University of Berlin; Marina Aziz, Department of Computational Linguistics, University of Stuttgart
• Forum 5: Opportunities and Risks of AI for Health Systems in the Global South
  Speakers: Dr. Sandra Barteit, Group Leader, Digital Global Health, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg; Phidelis Wamalwa, Public Health, ibid.

Musical Performance

• Concert by the scholarship recipients
• Presentation of the KAAD Foundation’s Peter-Hünermann Prize to Prof. Dr. Oleh Turiy, Ukraine

International Commemorative Mass
Celebrants: Fr. Prof. Dr. Thomas Eggensperger, OP; Fr. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Engel, OP

Specialized Groups

Although climate change has long been a topic of discussion, while in some places it has been perceived as a rather abstract phenomenon, its effects have been felt in various ways in other places for quite some time. It is now manifesting itself worldwide in multiple “climate crises” in the form of floods, heat waves, droughts, and storms.

Climate change affects the entire world—yet although industrialized nations are primarily responsible for it, it is above all people in the Global South—and here, too, the poorest first and foremost—who bear the brunt of its effects.

Nevertheless, the terms “economic growth” and “ecological sustainability” have long been pitted against one another in discourses within the Global North—yet it is becoming clear that, ultimately, it is future prosperity that stands in opposition to constant economic growth. Sustainable development, a fundamental socio-ecological transformation, and, above all, international climate justice are indispensable.

The Catholic Church—as a global community of faith with diverse resources—plays a particularly significant role in this process of transformation. In his encyclical “Laudato si’,” Pope Francis calls on us to “protect our common home” (LS 13) and to engage in a “new dialogue […] on the way we shape the future of our planet” (LS 14).

The annual academy marking the 65th anniversary of the KAAD builds on this: Its goal is to identify potential solutions and opportunities for shaping the necessary multidimensional transformation. One of KAAD’s key focuses—in both its fellowship and networking activities—is dedicated to the care of creation and the shaping of a holistic socio-ecological transformation. Fellows and alumni are actively engaged in this field at countless research and networking institutions; KAAD is also a member of the Pontifical Laudato Si’ Action Platform.

This annual academy, which will bring together guests from some fifty countries in Bonn, therefore does not wish to dwell on describing the problems, but rather to explore our possibilities for shaping this transformation, as well as to present various measures and initiate further ones.

Documents from the Annual Academy

Program of the Annual Academy

Introductory Lectures:

• “Socio-Ecological Transformation and Climate Justice—Catholic Perspectives on Caring for the ‘Common Home’”
  Prof. Dr. Adrian E. Beling, Global Studies, Latin American Institute for Social Sciences (FLASCO), Argentina / Canada Research Chair in Transition to Sustainability 

• “Responsible Production and Consumption: A Necessary North-South Dialogue”
  Prof. Dr. Marian Asantewah Nkansah, Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana

Forums:

• Forum 1: Climate Change? – Energy Transition! – Renewable Energy Against Climate Change    
  Speakers: Dr. Christian Bußar, Head of the Department of Grid Integration and Storage System Analysis, RWTH Aachen University; Ba Htoo Thant, Renewable Energy, University of Oldenburg; Willis Awandu, Hydraulic Engineering and Hydraulics, University of Karlsruhe
• Forum 2: The Climate Crisis and Its Impact on Biodiversity and Food Security
  Speakers: Prof. Dr. Joachim von Braun, Center for Development Research, University of Bonn; Neema Robert Kinabo, College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka, Tanzania, and the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center in Frankfurt am Main
• Forum 3: Climate Justice – The Challenge of Shared but Differing Responsibilities
  Speakers: Antje Kathrin Schroeder, Head of the Department of Policy and Global Future Issues, Misereor; Hellen Mugo, Advisor on Global Climate Justice and Sustainable Development, Misereor
• Forum 4: “It’s Our Future”: Young People, Religious Education, and Care for Our Common Home
  Speakers: Dr. Stefan Einsiedel, Director of Research Projects on Socio-Ecological Transformation, Munich School of Philosophy; Prof. Dr. Adrian E. Beling, Global Studies, Latin American Institute for Social Sciences (FLASCO), Argentina
• Forum 5: Economic Growth versus Ecological Sustainability?
  Speakers: Dr. Matthias Kranke, Käte Hamburger Kolleg / Center for Global Cooperation Research, University of Duisburg-Essen; Prof. Dr. Cezary Kościelniak, Political Philosophy, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland

Encounter in Prayer

Musical Celebration

• Concert by the scholarship recipients
• Presentation of the KAAD Foundation’s Peter-Hünermann Prize to KAAD alumnus Prof. Dr. Babu Thaliath, India

International Festive
Mass Celebrants: Fr. Prof. Dr. Thomas Eggensperger, OP; Fr. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Engel, OP

Specialized Groups

• Report from the “Water” Specialized Group
• Report from the “Global Health” Working Group
• Report from the “Peace and Justice” Working Group
• Report from the “Religion in Dialogue” Working Group
• Report of the "Language(s)" Expert Group

In recent years, an image of the Catholic Church in need of renewal and repentance has taken hold among the German public. The exposure of a complex and shocking pattern of abuse of power led to a crisis of credibility, to what was perceived as a “dead end.” The so-called “Synodal Path”—a process of church reform supported by both the clergy and the laity—aims to identify the general structural factors underlying the abuse of power and to develop proposals for renewal. Questions regarding clerical power and way of life, the separation of powers and participation, as well as the role of women in the Church are at the center of the debate.

This path of renewal embarked upon by the German local church is being closely watched from the outside. Time and again, critics argue that the German church is too preoccupied with itself and pays too little attention to the problems faced by other local churches. Are the concerns and themes of the Synodal Path truly particular to Germany, or can other local churches also engage with them—or do other issues (such as environmental justice, religious freedom, or the growing influence of Pentecostal churches) seem more pressing? Pope Francis’s convening of a Synod of Bishops on the topic of “synodality,” preceded by a consultation process at the level of the local churches, underscores the relevance of a global ecclesial dialogue process.

The global KAAD community reflects the universal Church and thus the diversity of the local churches and their concerns. Consequently, KAAD can also be described as a “community of prayer, learning, and solidarity,” as the German bishops did in the document “Evangelization and Globalization” with regard to the universal Church as a whole. This annual academy, which brought together guests from some fifty countries in Bonn, therefore facilitated a dialogue between the German local church and the universal Church, with the aim of examining the discourse on church reform within Germany from a universal Church perspective and of considering reform debates in other parts of the universal Church.

Text Documents from the Annual Academy

Program of the Annual Academy

Introductory Lecture: On the Path of Conversion and Renewal. Church Reforms in Germany and the Universal Church
Prof. Dr. Thomas Söding, Ruhr University Bochum / Vice President of the Central Committee of German Catholics

Forums:

• Forum 1: Power and the Separation of Powers in the Church – Joint Participation and Involvement in the
  Mission Speaker: Dr. Thomas Arnold, Academy of the Diocese of Dresden-Meissen
• Forum 2: The Life of a Priest Today
  Speaker: Rev. Matthias Haas, Director of the Catholic University and Student Parish, Stuttgart
• Forum 3: Synodality and Gender Justice – Theological Reflections on the Forum “Women in Church Ministries and Offices”
  Speaker: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Margit Eckholt, University of Osnabrück
• Forum 4: Sexual Morality in Flux?! From the forum “Living in Successful Relationships”
  Speaker: Prof. Dr. Andreas Lob-Hüdepohl, Catholic University of Applied Social Sciences, Berlin

Encounter in Prayer

Ceremony

• Honoring the outgoing members of the Academic Committee and the long-serving Secretary General of the KAAD, Dr. Hermann Weber
• Presentation of the Peter-Hünermann
  KAAD Foundation Award 2021 Award Recipient: Dr. Constansia Connie Mumma-Martinon
  2022 Award Recipients: Lebanon Partner Committee:
  Prof. Dr. Souad Slim, Prof. Dr. Roula Talhouk, Prof. Dr. Ziad Fahed, Father Prof. Dr. Jules Boutrous

Video of the Ceremony, Part 1 Video of the Ceremony, Part 2 

International Commemorative Mass
Celebrants: Fr. Prof. Dr. Thomas Eggensperger, OP; Fr. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Engel, OP

Specialized Groups

• Report from the “Water” Expert Group
• Report from the “Global Health” Working Group
• Report from the “Peace and Justice” Working Group
• Report from the “Religion in Dialogue” Working Group

Language, even before technology, is the original medium for understanding the world and for social interaction. Since biblical times, linguistic diversity has symbolized both a division of humanity and the promise of “Pentecostal” unity. In the age of globalization, tendencies toward uniformity—and the loss of linguistic “biodiversity”—go hand in hand with identity-based defensive movements that tie languages to nation and homeland, as an expression and promise of rootedness, but also as a threat of exclusion of “others.”

Against the backdrop of these global tensions, the Annual Academy—with its participants and guests from some fifty countries—drew on the often multilingual life stories of the scholarship recipients and also addressed the experience of difference in relation to the German language and culture. This is also evident in the ways in which language is standardized and regulated, particularly in public and media discourse, where digitalization is exerting an increasingly formative influence. At the same time, we examined the role of language as a medium of freedom and an instrument of power through selected conflict situations related to language and identity politics. For the first time, a forum was organized in collaboration with the Cusanuswerk, the Episcopal Scholarship Foundation.

Due to pandemic-related restrictions, the Annual Academy had to be held entirely online for the first time.

Text documents from the Annual Academy:

• Program for the Annual Academy
• Encounter in Prayer
• “KAAD in Transition” Program (Video)
• Award Ceremony for the Peter Hünermann Foundation Prize for 2020 and 2021 (Video)
  Laudation for Dr. Lauro Sitzmann Penno from Paraguay (2020)
  Laudation for Constansia Atieno Mumma-Martinon from Kenya (2021)

• Forum 1: Between Origins and the Future: Language as Home
  Presentationby Franz-Thomas Sonka, Pastoral Care for Catholics with Other Native Languages in the Diocese of Münster
• Forum 2: The Joy of Multilingualism: Language Biographies and Intercultural Education
  Presentationby Prof. Emerita Dr. Annick de Houwer, University of Erfurt/Director of HaBilNet
• Forum 3: Gender and Sex in a Comparative Linguistic
  Analysis Presentation by Prof. Dr. Damaris Nübling, University of Mainz
• Forum 4: Language and Truth in the Media
  Presentation by Dr. Jobst Paul, Duisburg Institute for Language and Social Research
• Forum 5: Why It’s (Still) Worth Learning
  German Presentation by Prof. Dr. Claudia Stockinger, Humboldt University of Berlin
• Report from the Water Section
• Report from the Global Health Section
• Report from the Peace and Justice Section
• International Closing
  Service Celebrants: Fr. Prof. Dr. Thomas Eggensperger, OP; Fr. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Engel, OP
  Video of the service

Does development cooperation bring us closer to a “shared future in a just world” (the motto of KAAD’s 2018 anniversary year)? The term “development” and some of the concepts closely associated with it (such as “sustainability,” “change agents,” and, since 2015, “combating the root causes of migration”) are by no means clearly and uniformly understood by “donors” and “recipients”—or partners—from different cultural backgrounds. The effectiveness of development projects—for which “Western” donors allocate approximately 120 billion euros annually—is assessed quite ambivalently in scientific studies, especially with regard to their vested interests and (lack of) foresight.

But can development—as positive change toward the future—even be adequately quantified, as the “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs, a voluntary commitment by the international community through 2030) indeed envision? What role do economic growth and its “values” play in this context? Does this not map out a one-dimensional “direction” for the supposedly “One World,” which—in light of obvious (ecological) limits—needs to be readjusted or even reversed?

Against the backdrop of these questions, the universal Catholic Church unfolds the concept of “development” as a path aimed at a good life “for the whole person and for all people” (cf. Populorum progressio, 42). Pope Francis’s encyclical “Laudato si’” (2015) emphasizes the relationship between this profoundly human intention and all of creation as our shared “home.” Through the establishment of a new dicastery for “Integral Development,” the Vatican has also anchored this mission institutionally and politically.

As the international scholarship organization of German Catholics, KAAD—through its support of individuals and the building of networks—is not merely a part of the development budget of the Church and the state. “Holistic” support has also proven effective in enabling scholarship recipients, as “elites of responsibility,” to help shape development processes while utilizing and creating spaces in which people can flourish. With this in mind, Cardinal Turkson, the Vatican’s “Minister for Development,” has described KAAD as “a unique instrument of ‘communio’ in our Global Catholic Church.” Our Annual Academy, which once again brought together guests from nearly 50 countries in Bonn, was therefore able to incorporate “good practice” examples—including those from the global KAAD community—into a critical analysis of current development discourses. Myanmar and our alumni association there were a particular focus.

Documents from the Annual Academy:

• Presentation “Holistic Development: A Paradigm for Scholarship and (Church) Practice?”, Prof. Dr. Markus Vogt, LMU Munich (English translation)
• Presentation of the “MyanKAAD” alumni association by Claudia Api

Forum 1: “Addressing the Root Causes of Flight” as a Development Goal?

Presentation by Dr. Benjamin Schraven, German Development Institute (DIE), Bonn

Forum 2: “Aid” versus “Participation”

Presentation by Michael Hippler, Misereor/KZE

Forum 3: “Transformation”: An Analytical Framework for “System Change”

Prof. Dr. Heinz Theisen, Catholic University of Applied Sciences NRW, Cologne

Forum 4: “Sustainability” versus “Growth”

Presentation by Dr. Andreas Exner, University of Graz

Presentation by Jonathan Barth, Institute for Future-fit Economies, ZOE, Bonn

Forum 5: Responsible Elites as “Change Agents”?

Presentation by Prof. Dr. Dagmar Hellmann-Rajanayagam, University of Passau

From the shadow of a technologically and economically accelerating globalization, new borders and walls are emerging ever more clearly: Nationalism and fundamentalism—manifested in “identities” vying for power and recognition—make the idea of a “One World” with a shared future for humanity seem like a far-fetched dream in the face of a “global community” that is actually fracturing. Despite cosmopolitan visions, steadily growing “online communities,” and technocratic—even “transhumanist”—projections of a feasible, optimal future, the intellectual and political climate is marked by anti-utopian tendencies.

From a biblical-Christian perspective, it remains all the more urgent, precisely for this reason, to keep alive the promise of an all-encompassing peace between humanity and nature as the fruit of justice (Isaiah 32:17). Within this framework, the universal Catholic Church also develops the concept of “development,” which aims at a good life “for the whole person and for all people” (cf. Populorum progressio, 42). Pope Francis’s encyclical “Laudato si’” (2015) emphasizes the intimate “interconnectedness” of this profoundly human intention with all of creation as our common “home” (oikos) and has brought this to the attention of the global community working toward the new “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs by 2030), coupled with a clear reference to the limits to growth and the necessary scaling back of the lifestyles of wealthy countries and social classes (LS 193; 201).

The Vatican has also institutionally anchored this mission in a new dicastery for “Integral Development.” The global church and educational work of KAAD, as the Catholic Church’s largest international scholarship organization, is committed to this cause. With its approximately 50 partner organizations and 30 alumni associations in the Global South and Eastern Europe, it also sees itself as a form of building global church community at the intersection with the scientific community. Its scholarship recipients and alumni, as members of a new generation of leaders, dedicate themselves to building a shared future rooted in justice. The celebratory anniversary conference marking the 60th anniversary of KAAD’s founding brought together a total of 340 scholarship recipients and key partners from the Church and politics from around the world in Bonn from April 26–29, 2018.

In the face of increasingly complex and globally intertwined challenges, interdisciplinary, cross-disciplinary, and “integrative” research is becoming a necessity. However, this requires not only a (multidisciplinary) synthesis of findings, but also the difficult task of bringing together methods, technical languages, and ultimately, scientific cultures. “Transdisciplinary” research should also critically incorporate the practical and political dimensions of science.

In a world of universities and science that appears to be shaped by trends toward economization, interdisciplinary study and research must therefore not be solely about pragmatic problem-solving networks, through which, for example, in-depth knowledge from individual disciplines and specific regions is prematurely extrapolated to a global scale and into ever-broader “clusters”—starting with the curricula of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Rather, the horizon of the unity of the sciences—which interdisciplinary research both presupposes and creates—should be shaped by ethical guiding principles and keep the cultural-religious foundation of science in view. In this way, a global “scientific community” could also prove to be a peace-promoting force and—in the face of growing political irrationalism—an actor committed to the pursuit of truth.

The KAAD Annual Academy, with students and researchers from over 50 countries, has brought its own interdisciplinary richness to life in this space of resonance while simultaneously embedding it in an intercultural and interreligious dialogue. This was achieved through the examination of several overarching issues that are particularly relevant to globally oriented (development) policy.

FORUM 1:
Peace and Conflict Research: Regional, Global, Interdisciplinary

FORUM 2:
Water: Molecules – Resource – Source of Life

FORUM 3:
Ethical Perspectives in Medicine and the Natural Sciences

FORUM 4:
From “Mental Health” to “Salvation of the Soul”: Mind and Soul from an Interdisciplinary Perspective

FORUM 5:
“Campus of Religions”? Theologies Between Religious Dogma, Science, and Dialogue
Presentation: Prof. Dr. Klaus von Stosch, University of Paderborn

Peace Research and Peace Ethics as an Interdisciplinary Undertaking
Lecture: Prof. Dr. Eberhard Schockenhoff, University of Freiburg, President of the KAAD (English version)

The often violent conflicts that plague our increasingly interconnected world are almost always linked to issues of identity recognition. While globalization—as intensified real and virtual interconnectedness, marked by migration flows and widespread pluralization—seems to undermine fixed identity attributions, and even dissolve them, the need to “identify” and legitimize oneself as an individual, as a group, or as a political or religious community is growing—or at least remains constant. With increasing mobility and expanded communication possibilities, the tension between ascribed and self-chosen identities also grows, and the transformation of identities—indeed, “multiplicity”—becomes easier, even more imperative.

Identities—especially when the exclusionary or even marginalizing aspect dominates—are often part of ideologies and are exploited to serve economic and political interests. Scholarly critiques of identity are thus often able to point out the “constructed” and “invented” elements that can be found in “rediscovered” nationalisms, regionalisms, but also, for example, in religious fundamentalisms. The “identity games” of the virtual world—from the masks worn by individual users to the rapidly mutating group formations in social networking—seem to offer a flexible, yet tenuous, contrast to such rigid, even potentially “murderous,” identities.

Can “transnational” or “cosmopolitan” concepts of identity prevent conflicts and help pave the way for a truly shared future for humanity and its communities? At our annual academy, with participants from over 50 countries, this question was also explored in depth through intercultural and interreligious dialogue. The Catholic Church, which extended this invitation through KAAD, sees itself as a “universal Church” that transcends borders—and is thus “placeless”—yet is continually re-rooted in concrete parishes and communities, united by the Spirit of God.

• Forum 1: Found and Invented Communities: The Return of Ethnic and National Identities
  • Presentation by Lars Leszczensky, University of Mannheim: “Ethnic and National Identity Among Children and Adolescents”
  • Presentation by Dr. Lutz Schrader, Hagen Distance Learning University
• Forum 2: Religious Identities Caught Between Political and Economic Interests
  • Presentation by Ulrich Nitschke, GIZ
• Forum 3: As an Avatar on Social Media: Virtual Identities
• Forum 4: “Typical—Typical Us”—Difficulties in Presenting Our Identity(ies)
  • Presentation by Prof. Dr. Erwin Orywal, University of Cologne
• Forum 5: “Home” – Putting Down Roots in a Globalized World
  • Presentation by Prof. Dr. Beate Mitzscherlich, Zwickau University of Applied Sciences
• Panel Discussion: Identity Politics for a Shared Future: Opportunities and Limits of Transnationalism and Global Citizenship
  • Presentation by Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Werz, University of Rostock

Health is not only an essential factor in an individual’s happiness, but, as a public good, it is also a core component of human rights. The fact that, according to experts, approximately one billion people have insufficient access to doctors and health services is just one indication of a lack of health equity in our globalized world. The current discussions surrounding new development goals (post-MDGs) and the German federal government’s concept for “Global Health Policy” (July 2013) make it clear: Providing those in need with what they require—and thereby prioritizing the strengthening of health systems (in rural areas) in developing countries on a global scale— remains an unmet goal of global health policy—one guided by values rather than merely by utilitarian or economic imperatives—in light of the vast inequalities that exist.

Church-based development work strives to consistently keep all of this in mind and to contribute to the establishment of reliable structures that go beyond mere disaster-driven interventions, especially as the recruitment of medical professionals by wealthier countries increases in the context of global competition for skilled workers (“care drain”). This also poses a particular challenge for KAAD’s scholarship policy.
Our annual academy, with participants from 47 countries, provided a broad interdisciplinary forum for addressing health issues in connection with ecology, migration, and other cross-border fields of action—always taking cultural and religious dimensions into account.

• Forum 1 “Priorities for Health Systems in Developing and Transition Countries”
  • Presentation by Dr. Marlies Reulecke, Würzburg Institute for Mission Medicine: “Priorities for Health Systems”
  • Presentation by Fr. Carlos Man Ging Villanueva, Ecuador: “The Health Care System in Ecuador”
  • Presentation by Joseph Kwame Wulifan, Ghana: “Health Care in Ghana”
• Forum 2 “‘Care Drain’: Competition in a Global Skilled Workforce Market”
  • Presentation by PD Dr. Michael Marx, Heidelberg University
• Forum 3 “‘Health’ and ‘Illness’ as Cultural Constructs”
  • Lecture by Dr. Katarina Greifeld, Frankfurt: “Biomedicine and Traditional Medicine—Understandings of Health and Illness”
• Forum 4 “Healing and Cure: Health from an (Inter)religious Perspective”
  • Presentation by Dr. Vaja Vardidze, Georgia: “‘Salvation’ and ‘Healing’ from an Existential-Analytical Perspective”
  • Address by Rev. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Engel, Berlin: “Salvation and Healing”
• Forum 5 “High-Tech Medicine Between Ethos and the Market”
  • Presentation by Dr. Andreas Wulf, medico international: “Reflections from a Primary Health Care Perspective”
• Panel and Plenary Discussion: Paths to Global Health Equity
  • Keynote presentation by PD Dr. Walter Bruchhausen, University of Bonn/Aachen
  • Presentation by PD Dr. Walter Bruchhausen, University of Bonn/Aachen: “Pathways to Global Health Justice”
  • Presentation by Dr. Gerd Eppel, GIZ Bonn
  • Statement by Martin Adokiya, Ghana: “Global (Political) Impact on the Health System in Ghana”
  • Presentation by Martin Adokiya, Ghana: “Global (political) impact on the health system in Ghana”
  • Statement by Dr. Marlies Reulecke, Würzburg Institute for Mission Medicine: “The Church’s Contribution to Global Health Justice”

Article by Dr. Marlies Reulecke in the journal *Herder Korrespondenz* 68 (04/2014): “Focusing on the Realities of Life: Mother-Child Health in Africa as a Challenge for the Church.”

In the German conceptual tradition, the term “community” encompasses not only a purpose-driven, mostly economically motivated “socialization” but also the element of personal closeness and compassion. Communities thrive on the strength of human relationships, on a shared “core” that is more than the sum of its parts. However, as “identity-forming” entities, they are also subject to the risk of drawing boundaries and excluding others.

Our world of communication is increasingly shaped by electronic media, by (self-)socialization online, and by a level of accessibility that offers opportunities for free access to information and the power to mobilize—yet also harbors dangers arising, for example, from anonymity and superficiality. This massive acceleration of communication as well as of economic dynamics—and the resulting short-term nature and transience of relationships and alliances—raises anew the question of the meaning and possibility of building lasting communities.

Since the Second Vatican Council 50 years ago, the universal Catholic Church has once again placed the concept of “Communio” at the center of its self-understanding. Thus, it understands itself as a unity “in and from particular churches” (Lumen Gentium), but also as a sign of the unity of all humanity. What can such a claim—arising from the “living center” of Christ—mean in a globalized world where, on the one hand, a “global (civil) society” is emerging, and on the other, conflicts over identities—ethnic and religious, for example—are becoming increasingly acute? In the face of growing secularism, virtuality, and a loss of trust in the Church, how should the Church redefine and revitalize its own sense of community?

• Presentation by Prof. Dr. Thomas Demmelhuber, University of Hildesheim: “Social Networks as a Force in Civil Society and Politics”
• Presentation by Jürgen Winnemöller, theologian and operator of the blog “Katholon.de”: “Virtual Spiritual Communities”
• Position paper by Prof. Dr. Dr. Karl Gabriel, University of Münster: “From Territorial Parish to Network Community?”
• Outline by Prof. Chibueze Udeani, University of Würzburg: “Universal Church – A Model of a Global Community? – A Reflection”
• Position paper by Fr. Matías Omar Ruz, Córdoba, Argentina, currently at the University of Münster: “World Church and World Society – Is There a Global Community?”

2010 Annual Academy: Hermann Weber (ed.): Global Powers and Forces—Who Controls the World? The Responsibility of the World’s Religions. Ostfildern 2011; 226 pp. ISBN: 978-3-7867-2880-1

Annual Academy 2009: Water: Resource – Commodity – Source of Life

• Presentations Part 1 / Part 2
• Keynote Lecture “Changes in the Global Water Cycle and Their Local Impacts on the Population” by Prof. Dr. Paul L.G. Vlek from the Center for Development Research in Bonn

Annual Academy 2008: A Shared Future in a Just World. The KAAD’s Anniversary Year in Written Documents. Bonn 2008; 128 pp. ISBN: 978-3-926288-32-5, EUR 7.00

Annual Academy 2007: Science and Spirituality, Bonn 2007; 132 pp. ISBN: 978-3-926288-30-1, EUR 7.00

Annual Academy 2006: In the Mirror of Others: Germany. History – Language – Mentality – Religion. Bonn 2006; 95 pp. ISBN-13: 978-3-926288-28-8, EUR 5.00

2005 Annual Academy: Rethinking Social Responsibility. Bonn, 2005; 128 pp. ISBN: 3-926288-25-6, EUR 7.00

2004 Annual Academy: Religions on the Move. Bonn, 2004; 128 pp. ISBN: 3-926288-24-8, EUR 7.00

2003 Annual Academy: Roots of Conflict – Instruments of Peace. Bonn, 2003; 106 pp. ISBN: 3-926288-23-X, EUR 6.00

2002 Annual Academy: Academic Culture or the Market for Science? Bonn, 2002; 218 pp. ISBN: 3-926288-21-3, EUR 10.00

2001 Annual Academy: Between Power and Service: Elites in Society and the Church Today. 2001 Annual Academy. Bonn, 2001; 135 pp. ISBN: 3-926288-19-1, EUR 5.00

Annual Academy 2000: Conflicts and a Shared Future: On the Question of Guilt and Reconciliation in Our Time. Annual Academy 2000. Bonn, 2000; 127 pp. ISBN: 3-926288-18-3, EUR 5.00

Annual Academy 1999: Creativity—Creative Humanity. Annual Academy 1999. Bonn, 1999; 94 pp. ISBN: 3-926288-16-7, EUR 4.50

1998 Annual Academy: The People of God Facing the Challenges of Society. 1998 Annual Academy. Bonn, 1998; 160 pp. ISBN: 3-926288-14-0, EUR 6.50