NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMEN Berlin, December 2011 / January 2012
	Dr. Bruce Armstrong Chairman, Minister Counselor for Public Affairs, Embassy of the United States of America to the Federal Republic of Germany Erik Bettermann Deputy Chairman, Intendant Deutsche Welle
Dear Friends, Supporters, and Fellows, In case we ever doubted it, 2011 demonstrated very convincingly how closely interconnected our planet has become. Worldwide economic and financial challenges, climate change, energy security, the ongoing threat of terrorism — all of these headline stories are global issues requiring global action. The RIAS BERLIN COMMISSION showed its continued relevance by addressing these topics in its programs for German and American journalists, along with important regional developments such as the seismic political changes in North Africa and the Middle East.  We are happy to report that the number of applications for our programs continues to increase. That development says something very positive about the programs and the word-of-mouth praise they receive from alumni.  As anyone who has participated in selection interviews for our programs knows, virtually all applicants say that a central factor in their decision to apply are the enthusiastic “reviews” of RIAS BERLIN COMMISSION programs offered by program alumni. True, as applicant numbers increase so do the waiting times for new applicants, but unfortunately there is no way around that. As 2011 draws to a close, the total number of program alumni has now reached 1,226. That impressive number translates into a dynamic transatlantic network of German and American journalists, a network that is making a significant contribution to keeping the relationship between our two countries strong and vital. 2012 will bring the 20th anniversary of founding of the RIAS Berlin Commission. We will celebrate that event on May 23, 2012 at Rathaus Schöneberg, where the very first meeting of the RIAS BERLIN COMMISSION was held in 1992. So please save the date and join us at Rathaus Schöneberg for our anniversary festivities and for the 2012 RIAS award ceremony. In closing, we would like to thank all Friends and Fellows of the RIAS BERLIN COMMISSION for their continued support. Thanks to you, the Commission can point to two decades of success and a very promising future.          With best wishes for 2012. Yours sincerely, Dr. Bruce Armstrong and Erik Bettermann BACK TO TOP