iac Berlin Quarterly Digest 01/2021

Quarterly Digest
1st Quarter of 2021

WHAT WE‘VE BEEN UP TO
Dear Readers,
2020 was a unique year – to say the least. It turned our lives upside down and provided
us with an unprecedented lead into 2021.
Learning from the last 9 months, we kicked-off 2021 focusing on the good things that
happened – such as increased accessibility and diversity in our digital events and novel
forms of cooperation. This spirit framed the first quarter of the year that is traditionally
spent planning the rest of the year.
New projects, new cooperations and new formats are already in progress – with many
more to come. Stay tuned, we will keep you posted.
Until then, please enjoy this digest from the first 3 months of 2021.
Yours truly,
iac Berlin team
www.iac-berlin.org 2

1.
iac Berlin

SELECTED APPETIZERS
Some interesting numbers
• We now have over 500 Linkedin
followers at
linkedin.com/company/iacberlin
• 5 foundations joined forces for 1
new hub
Most cherished moments
• We elaborated on our approach
to different networks at the
“Stiftungstalk” virtual event
• Meg Wheatley inspired the
Wasan group on “community
leadership in times of collapse"
Very well said
“The knowledge that you are part
of a larger community within and
beyond your country’s borders is
invaluable, particularly in times of
crisis.”
Prof. Joachim Rogall, CEO of the
Robert Bosch Stiftung
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HIGHLIGHT #1: INCUBATING A NEW HUB
A new Hub for Democratic Culture
The "Hub for Democratic Culture" initiative (working title) brings together
the ERSTE Foundation, the European Forum Alpbach Foundation, the Robert
Bosch Stiftung as well as the Mercator Foundation of Germany and
Switzerland. It aims to establish a long-term partner structure of prodemocracy
actors from politics, civil society, media, business, and science in
the D-A-CH region – the German speaking countries in Europe.
The iac Berlin serves as the Hub’s incubator for achieving goals such as:
Developing criteria for an inclusive, decentralized and lean partner
structure
Connecting the involved actors
Setting up, testing and evaluating pilot projects
The body coordinating the incubation process has an interim role and will
not be a part of the later partner structure.
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HIGHLIGHT #2: WASAN COMMUNITY SESSION
The urgency of community leadership in
times of collapse
Meg Wheatley, a leading thinker, author and
practitioner at the intersection of community
and social change, hosted a 90-minutes impulse
session for the “Wasan Community”.
She let participants in on how she sees change
happen through networks as well as how
community in this time of crisis and profound
change isn’t just “nice to have”, but an urgent
necessity.
The session was based on an article of Meg‘s,
available online.
(Picture © Meg Wheatley)
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HIGHLIGHT #3: SDG PLACES
Connecting places, hosts and organizations for positive impact
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United
Nations Member States in 2015, provides a blueprint for peace and
prosperity, now and in the future. To support this call for action, the Robert
Bosch Stiftung, the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, the Kamel Lazaar
Foundation, and the iac Berlin started a new initiative: the SDG Places.
SDG Places are authentic, inspiring, and rooted in community. Each place is
led by an impact-driven host and contributes to at least one of the 17
Sustainable Development Goals. The host, the place and its spirit provide a
safe space to elicit opportunities for change of perspectives,
transformation and meaningful encounters.
Beginning with at least 5 places in 2021, available via a dedicated website,
the initiative aims to continuously grow in the coming years until it will be a
global movement.
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2.
Bosch Alumni Network
A cooperation
between:

SELECTED APPETIZERS
Some interesting numbers
• For 10 weeks, our Members’
Monday format will be hosted
by our Southeast Asia group.
• We received 59 proposals from
over 30 countries for internal
alumni group activities.
Most cherished moments
• Learnings from 30+ online
activities in 2020 were compiled
in one graphic recording.
• The Science Cluster’s digital
kick-off was met with great
interest.
Very well said
Through this cooperation, we were
able to gain a strong visibility and
(…) were invited to partner with
the UNODC on a major global
event.”
Oyindamola Adegboye, Bosch Alumni
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HIGHLIGHT #1: OUR PLATFORM EXPLAINED
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HIGHLIGHT #2: NEXT REGIONAL COORDINATORS
Continuation of a decentralized success-story
Building on a well-established model, over 40 Regional Coordinators started a 9-months Collective
Impact Journey in 2020, tailored to address key needs and priorities for effective regional network
building.
Now, a new cohort will learn from their experience and continue their work of decentralized
organization in the Bosch Alumni Network.
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HIGHLIGHT #3: SIGNAL DISCUSSION
Spotlight on media startups from Eastern Europe
We believe that many people are becoming tired of online discussions and
feel "overzoomed". That is why we chose the messenger service SIGNAL for
our latest online session on Media Start-ups from Eastern Europe.
We received two 90-minutes overviews of the media landscapes in Romania,
Moldova and the South Caucasus and were informed of the particular
challenges facing new media projects there.
This interactive format on alternative messenger services proved to be a
useful and engaging platform for informal thematic exchange.
More than 20 people participated in the event on Romania and Moldova,
rendering this approach a sound success that will be continued.
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3.
Global Diplomacy Lab

SELECTED APPETIZERS
Some interesting numbers
• GDL members co-create labs in
the context of the EXPO2020 in
Dubai, to transform 100 million
unemployed young people in the
Arab world, Africa and the
South Asia region into 100
million shining stars.
Most cherished moments
• Book launch: "The Demographic
Dividend - The Power of Youth“
realized by GDL members
• Cooperation with the Heinrich
Böll Foundation on the 21 st
Foreign Policy Conference
Very well said
"In the GDL (…) no idea is too
absurd or far-fetched.”
H.E. Dr Michael Schaefer
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HIGHLIGHT #1: BOOK LAUNCH
The Demographic Dividend and the Power of Youth
Edited by GDL members Eirliani Abdul Rahman, Elsa D’Silva and Sonja
Peteranderl with contributions by inspiring voices from the GDL and beyond,
a compendium following up on the GDL 2019 curriculum findings has been
published by Anthem Press.
While the 2019 curriculum focused on Ghana, young people worldwide are
crucial to fostering positive social, political, cultural, and economic change.
Hence, members that participated in both the Accra and Berlin labs applied
the concepts to their own different backgrounds.
In their essays, they spotlight good practices of how governments and
institutions can effectively manage and tap the demographic dividend for
the success of all and highlights the role young people can play as actors of
change.
(Cover by Julie August, published by Anthem Press)
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HIGHLIGHT #2: LAB START
Three 2020/2021 labs successfully started virtually
The labs are one of the main features of the GDL. This is where the co-creation process
takes place as part of an interdisciplinary and intercultural undertaking where new
networks are formed and members interact – among themselves as well as with project
partners and challenge holders.
All three labs were extraordinary from the beginning. Organized and implemented by GDL
members, they dealt with three topics:
“The Role of Local Communities in the Context of Global Affairs in Făgăraș, Romania”
hosted by Stefan Cibian.
“The Impact of Urban Design on Inclusive Cities in Mumbai, India” hosted by Elsa
D’Silva, Eirliani Abdul Rahman and Rudrani Dasgupta.
“Public Diplomacy to address the Human Mobility and Development Nexus in Northern
Central America and the South-Southeast of Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico” hosted by
Edna Martinez.
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HIGHLIGHT #3: 21. FOREIGN POLICY CONFERENCE
Collaboration with the Boell Foundation
The Global Diplomacy Lab cooperated with the
Boell Foundation on the 21st Foreign Policy
Conference in January 2021.
Bringing a multitude of perspectives and
experience with interactive online formats to the
table, GDL members took part on and off screen.
Three public sessions as well as closed formats
directed at experts addressed the future of the
European Union in a more competitive world. The
focus was on Transatlantic Relations, the
European Neighborhood Policy, Digital Politics
and Geo-Economics.
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UP NEXT
Keep your eyes peeled for these upcoming highlights in Q2:
The iac Berlin will be coaching the Deutsche Stiftungsakademie from April on
The iac Berlin and platform specialist Hivebrite will organize a joint webinar on 4 May
The first member organized activities in the Bosch Alumni Network “Science Cluster”
The start of the Bosch Alumni Network „Regional Cluster Deutschland“
An upcoming partner project between the Bosch Alumni Network and the Calouste
Gulbenkian Foundation on arts and sustainability
The Incubator Lab "The 100 Million Stars" organized within the Global Diplomacy Lab in
May
The GDL Summit taking place on 6-9 June
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STAY IN TOUCH
Do you have any feedback or questions?
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch:
tobias.gerber@iac-berlin.org
www.iac-berlin.org