Building Bridges Between The Bronx And Berlin
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- (© Germany.info)
US-high school students participated in an exchange initiated by the German Consulate New York
Turning an act of racism into an opportunity for a stronger bond between the USA and Germany seems to be a difficult task. But thanks to the German Consul Dr. Hans-Jürgen Heimsoeth, the New York State Assemblyman Michael Benjamin and his wife Kennedy as well as numerous supporters on both sides of the Atlantic, a student exchange was launched as a “pact against ignorance”. Last week the first three students returned from Berlin to their schools in the Bronx after an two-week long stay in Germany. They came home full of vibrant memories of new friends and exciting trips.
Last year, a video of a German military instructor, who had used racial slurs as part of a training technique, had led to an immediate response of the German Consulate in New York. Taking the matter close to his heart, Consul General Dr. Hans-Jürgen Heimsoeth and initiated the student-exchange-program in order to create an “opportunity for growth in the relationship with the African-American community in the Bronx.” and as a help to “build bridges for developing understanding and education”.
Three students of the “Eagle Academy of Young Men” and “The Bronx School for Law” as well as one teacher traveled to Germany for a two week stay and attended a German high school in Berlin, the “F.F. Runge Gymnasium” in Oranienburg.
A selection process that was conducted by teachers of the high school and the Benjamins included a visit of the German House and the writing of a letter that stated why the young Americans wanted to go to Germany, the students Isaiha Hoston (15), Durrell Noel (14) and Nasais Veloz (17) were chosen for the trip.
When Isiah Hoston came back from the trip he felt like “an ambassador” for his own country and saw the exchange as a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and experience life in a foreign country. Staying in the homes of their German hosts in the greater Berlin area the young Americans got immersed in German culture and family life and shared everyday routines of their German “siblings”. The teacher Gabriela Rohde, whose outstanding support is responsible for the success of the exchange helped finding the host families and also made arrangements for a number of field trips.
This way, besides attending class, the teenagers were able to participate in a program full of highlights: They met with high-ranking officials of the German Chancellery and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, toured the German Parliament and were confronted with the most painful and unforgettable history of the Holocaust at the Memorial and Museum Sachsenhausen.
While different in history and culture, the students found the ethnic diversity in the streets of Berlin similar to what they see back in New York.
This September German students from the Runge Gymnasium will reciprocate the visit. The exchange has been supported by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the first flights were generously sponsored by Lufthansa German Airlines. Later this month the students will meet New York State Assemblyman Michael Benjamin and talk about their impressions and experiences of this exemplary transatlantic initiative.
