A Celebration of Women™
is honored to Celebrate the Life of yet another trail blazer from the Women of our World. This powerhouse has devoted her life to politics, offering to our world the female perspective, power and energy that is so needed in our world today.
WOMAN of ACTION™
Angela Merkel
Germany Struggles… STILL, in this New Millenium
with RACISM…
Angela Merkel in her center-right Christian Democratic Union
and its new coalition partner the Free Democrats a majority in parliament.
Angela Dorothea Merkel née Kasner, born 17 July 1954) is the current Chancellor of Germany.
Merkel is the first female Chancellor of Germany.
Merkel, elected to the German Parliament from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union(CDU) since 10 April 2000, and Chairwoman of the CDU-CSU (Christian Social Union) parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.
From 2005 to 2009 she led a grand coalition with the Christian Social Union (CSU), its Bavarian sister party, and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), formed after the 2005 federal election on 22 November 2005. In the elections of 27 September 2009, her party, the CDU, obtained the largest share of the votes, and formed a coalition government with the CSU and the Free Democratic Party (FDP). Her government was sworn in on 28 October 2009.
In 2007, Merkel was also President of the European Council and chaired the G8. She played a central role in the negotiation of the Treaty of Lisbon and the Berlin Declaration. In domestic policy, health care reform and problems concerning future energy development have thus far been major issues of her tenure.
In 2007 she became the second woman to chair the G8, after Margaret Thatcher.
Chancellor Merkel is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders, an International network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.
In 2008 Merkel received the Charlemagne Prize “for her work to reform the European Union“. The prize was presented by Nicolas Sarkozy.
A special parliamentary inquiry concluded in June that German authorities and intelligence agencies had no responsibility for the renditions by the United States and subsequent ill-treatment of Khaled el Masri, Murat Kurnaz, and Mohammad Zammar. A dissenting minority argued the federal government obstructed the investigation. The Constitutional Court ruled in July that the government, in having restricted the evidence it provided to the inquiry committee without giving sufficient justifications, had breached the constitution.
The federal government adopted new administrative regulations in September governing the Residence Act, endorsing the use of diplomatic assurances to deport individuals to countries where they face the risk of torture or ill-treatment. German courts have nonetheless struck down the use of such assurances, including in two cases in January and March.
The UN Human Rights Council under the Universal Periodic Review in March and the UN special rapporteur on racism in July drew attention to continuing problems of racism, xenophobia, and discrimination in Germany. Discrimination against migrants in housing and employment were identified as key concerns, with the special rapporteur on racism expressing his concern about overrepresentation of children with a migrant background in the lowest stratum of Germany’s three-tiered education system.
A pregnant woman was stabbed to death and her husband seriously injured in a Dresden courtroom in July by the man she had successfully sued for calling her a “terrorist” and an “Islamist.” The deceased, Marwa el-Sherbini, a German resident of Egyptian nationality, wore a headscarf. Her killer was sentenced in November to life in prison for murder, attempted murder, and grievous bodily harm; the prosecutor’s office had cited hatred of non-Europeans and Muslims as the motive.
The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution reported in May that right-wing extremist crimes rose significantly in 2008.
The UN special rapporteur on racism noted that bans on the wearing of religious symbols by public school teachers in some German states had a disproportionate impact on Muslim women who wear the headscarf.
In August, the Federal Labor Court ruled against a North Rhine-Westphalia educational social worker who had substituted her headscarf with a pink beret. The Court ruled the beret demonstrated the social worker’s religious faith in contravention of North Rhine-Westphalia’s 2006 law prohibiting teachers from wearing religious clothes and symbols in public schools.
Germans are being urged to stand together against racism and anti-Semitism. The plea comes at a ceremony in Berlin to mark the 70th anniversary of a campaign of Nazi persecution of Jews known as Kristallnacht, or Night of Broken Glass, events that culminated in the Holocaust.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel said:
“Xenophobia, racism and anti-Semitism must not be given a chance in Europe and outside of Europe’s borders, not only in the Arab sphere, but also in other parts of the world. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s make note of the lessons learned from history and say: we must not remain silent.”
At a ceremony at Berlin’s largest synagogue, she said Germans “cannot be silent” in the face of anti-Semitism.
The racist murder of an Egyptian woman in a Dresden courtroom on 1 July 2009 has aroused widespread shock and anger, particularly in the Muslim world. The murdered woman has been dubbed a ‘headscarf martyr’, and Germany stands accused of Islamophobia. MUT correspondent Karen Margolis surveys the German and international media reaction.
Angela works diligently to
grow “Integration”…in Germany
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday he was pleased with
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s remarks on future Turkish schools in Germany.
Anadolu news agency reported, Erdogan said Monday the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and he discussed topics regarding Turkish citizens living in Germany and their integration to the German society.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Merkel in Ankara, Erdogan said, the German High School, Austrian High School, and Istanbul High School for Boys provide education in the German language. It is possible to receive education in the German language at all Anatolia High Schools and other high schools all across Turkey. Teaching German language in Turkey began decades ago. I have been very happy to hear from Ms. Merkel that Germany will take similar steps to provide Turkish lessons in identical structures in Germany (in the future).
Erdogan’s comments came after Angela Merkel assured Turkey that similar arrangements would take place in Germany regarding schools that will provide education in the Turkish language.
Responding to Turkey’s call, Merkel said they agreed in principle with Turkish Premier Erdogan for the opening of Turkish schools in Germany, noting that this should not be pretext of not learning German for Turkish nationals in her country.
She insisted they did not aim to assimilate Turks but to help
them “integrate” into German society.
Ms. Angela Merkel came to Turkey for the first time since the general elections in Germany in September. Her most latest visit to Turkey took place four years ago, Erdogan said.
We shared notions on the responsibility of the two sides (Turkey and Germany) so that Turkish citizens can adapt to the German society while preserving their own culture, Erdogan said.
We expect steps from Germany similar to those taken by Turkey in easing relations and displaying a constructive role. I have been deeply pleased to witness an identical approach from Ms. Angela Merkel, Erdogan said.
As the prime ministers of two friendly and allied countries we had a very fruitful meeting on Monday.
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RACISM – I CARE NEWS: http://www.icare.to/news.php?en
Angela Merkel: The triumph of Europe’s Iron Lady
ANGELA World 2012 – The Internet Chancellor – Angela Merkel in the World Wide Web | People & Politics
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Angela Merkel – WOMAN of ACTION™
January 27, 2012 by
