Germany Celebrates 60th Anniversary of Berlin Airlift
Opening this year’s Day of German Unity with more than 2,400 friends of Germany spread out over the residence’s terraced front lawn, German Ambassador KIaus Scharioth called for a celebration of “one of the happiest days of our history: Oct. 3, 1990, when Germany was united again in freedom and in peace.”
 “Today … is a day of overwhelming joy because today, 18 years ago, the painful division of Germany came to an end — a division which had separated millions of families like my own and separated friends, a whole people and a whole country. Shortly afterward, the artificial division of Europe was history, too.”
The ambassador added: “Germans know and remember clearly that it was the United States of America … who supported Germany from the very beginning.”
So for the occasion, Scharioth welcomed U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Department Robert Kimmitt as the evening’s special guest of honor. Kimmitt served as the U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs from 1989 to 1991 — during which time the ambassador said he “immediately understood this historic opportunity” to help unite Germany — after which he served as the first U.S. ambassador to a united Germany in 1991.
 Ambassador Scharioth also praised “all those men and women who throughout Central and Eastern Europe took to the streets for freedom. From Warsaw, Budapest and Prague to Leipzig and Berlin, they peacefully brought down a system that had oppressed them for far too long. It was a peaceful revolution that made the Berlin Wall come down on Nov. 9, 1989.”
But this year’s popular Unity Day reception also recognized all of the American and Allied heroes who made the Berlin Airlift such a historic success exactly 60 years ago.
From 1948 to 1949, the Soviet Union blockaded Berlin in one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. In response, Western powers broke through the blockade to bring in vital supplies to the city over pre-arranged air corridors, saving more than 2 million lives in what Ambassador Scharioth described as “one of the most successful humanitarian rescue efforts of all time.”
 To add to the poignancy of the evening, many veterans of that historic airlift were scattered throughout the audience. Paul Hawkins, a proud American veteran of the Berlin Airlift, and his German wife Eva drove in from Parkersburg, W. Va., to celebrate this historic humanitarian gesture. “The Berlin Airlift changed my life in more ways than I can count,” said the happy former GI. “I met Eva in Germany on a blind date on New Year’s Eve when 1948 turned into 1949, and we’ve been married 57 years now.”
Ambassador Scharioth noted that Germany and the United States have been good partners, sharing common interests and values over the years. Such a partnership is more vital than ever in today’s world, he said, citing the global need to combat climate change, provide more energy security, prevent nuclear proliferation, fight terrorism and help failing states.
To that end, earlier in the day the embassy hosted a symposium to discuss modern drive technologies and what governments can do to support environmentally friendly transportation solutions, with car companies such as Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen in attendance.
“Germany has taken the lead on developing innovative technologies to save energy, cut gasoline consumption, and thereby make a contribution to combat climate change. And we have invited our friends in the U.S … to join us in building a ‘transatlantic climate bridge,’” the ambassador said. “The transatlantic partnership remains indispensable for Germans, Europeans, Americans and the world at large.”
And that partnership will be especially crucial as the world tries to address the global financial crisis.
Scharioth stressed the need to take care of “people left behind by globalization at home and abroad,” noting that Germany is the most important U.S. trading partner in Europe, and the United States in turn is Germany’s biggest export market outside the European Union. “German investments in the U.S. account for more than 670,000 jobs,” he added.
Some of the companies behind those jobs were on hand for the festivities. Major sponsors of the Unity Day celebration included Bayer, Bosch, Volkswagen and more than three dozen other corporations that helped to showcase German expertise and goods.
Several star athletes were also on hand to promote the 12th International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Athletics, which will be held next year in Berlin — including 2008 Beijing Olympics Gold Medalist LaShawn Meritt, as well as Bronze Medalist Shalane Flanagan and the world’s fastest man on the mile, Alan Webb. The reception also commemorated the relaunch of the embassy’s extensive Web site, www.germany.info/.
Nearly 2,500 turned out to celebrate this year’s Day of German Unity at the residence of German Ambassador KIaus Scharioth. Among the attendees were (from top to bottom photo): Ambassador Scharioth with Sally Martin, who sang the German and American national anthems; guest of honor U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Department Robert Kimmitt, who served as the first U.S. ambassador to Germany after its reunification; and 7-year-old Alexander Griebling, right, a second-grader at the German School, and his little brother Ludwig, who waved their German flags on the terrace of the German Residence overlooking the band and crowd below.
Front page: Paul Hawkins, an American veteran of the historic Berlin Airlift, met his German wife of 57 years Eva on a blind date on New Year’s Eve in 1948.
Photos: Gail Scott / Embassy of Germany
DR’s Three Brave Butterflies
“Code Name: Butterflies” is the first documentary about the struggle and triumph of the Mirabal sisters during the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in 1950s Dominican Republic. Director Cecilia Domeyko has created a captivating film that mixes real-life interviews with dramatic recreations to tell the story of how Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa Mirabal, housewives and mothers, successfully fought to bring freedom and democracy back to their beloved country. Their code name throughout their political struggle was “Butterflies,” thus the name of the film.
 The Dominican Republic considers these three sisters national heroines and has named streets, schools, institutions and whole parts of the country after them. In 1984, the Maribal sisters were recognized internationally, as the United Nations designated the day of their death, Nov. 25, the “Day of Non-Violence Against Women.”
After an original grant from the Organization of American States, Cecilia Domeyko created the nonprofit Mariposa Cultural Foundation to help with new funding for production costs. The documentary was finally completed this September with the help of a group of Dominicans from New York and a final grant from the Dominican House of Representatives.
Two additional fundraising events were recently held in Washington, D.C., for the promotion of this documentary. The first took place on Sept. 30 at the Inter-American Development Bank and the second, the following day, at the Residence of the Dominican Republic, hosted by Ambassador Flavio Espinal and his wife Minerva.
Domeyko, a Chilean by birth, says she took on this famous Dominican story because “it transcends national boundaries. This is a universal story of women fighting for what they believe in, showing amazing courage, and doing what men did not dare to do: fight against corruption and abuse, even though this meant putting their own lives at risk.”
Interestingly enough, most of the recreations for this documentary were filmed in Cuba with some of that country’s top actors, in addition to actors from other countries, including Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, El Salvador, Mexico, Afghanistan, Lebanon, the United States and, of course, the Dominican Republic. The original music was created by Cuban Frank Bejerano and the original score and lyrics by Dominican Angie del Riego.
This one-hour film, 10 years in the making, is being produced in two versions — one in Spanish and the other with English subtitles. It will be entered in several international film festivals, including Sundance, and a Washington premiere is planned for early 2009.
For more information, visit www.codenamebutterflies.org.
From right, director Cecilia Domeyko was honored by Ambassador of the Dominican Republic Flavio Espinal at a fundraiser for her documentary “Code Name: Butterflies” that was also attended by well-known Latino television therapist Nancy Alverez and the ambassador’s wife Minerva. The documentary tells the inspiring story of the Mirabal sisters and their fight against the Trujillo regime in 1950s Dominican Republic.
Photo: Gail Scott
Meridian’s Kudos to Nancy Brinker
As a prelude to the Meridian International Center’s 40th Anniversary Ball on Oct. 17, U.S. Chief of Protocol Nancy Brinker welcomed Meridian President Stuart Holliday along with the 30 ambassadors hosting pre-ball dinners around town that night to the redecorated Blair House on Oct. 2.
But after the Meridian reception, it was Nancy Brinker who went home with the prize — the 2008 Meridian Public Diplomacy Leadership Award presented to her by Ambassador Holliday.
 “Ambassador Brinker’s extraordinary outreach efforts as chief of protocol provide an opportunity for the diplomatic corps to go outside the Beltway and engage in excellent substantive programs. Her work has set the tone for cooperation on key issues and reflects the best in our country’s public diplomacy effort,” Holliday said.
Brinker accepted the award with modest graciousness. “I was honored to receive this award from Meridian, which I hold in such high esteem. I am very honored to have been given this. It was only possible due to the hard work and effort of the wonderful staff at protocol and my colleagues who have helped so much over the years.”
Brinker, who is also a former U.S. ambassador to Hungary, came to office only last year but has already led Washington’s ambassadors on two very successful trips: one to Florida and another to California as part of her “Experience America Tour,” a program created at the request of foreign diplomats who wanted to visit different areas of the United States firsthand. Two more trips are planned before the end this very productive chief of protocol’s posting: one to New York this month and another to Texas before the end of her term.
Brinker is already international recognized as the founder of the Susan G. Koman Foundation for Breast Cancer Research, named after her sister who died of breast cancer. She regularly participates in the foundation’s popular annual Race for the Cure, which now takes place not just in the United States but all over the world.
From left, President of the Meridian International Center Stuart Holliday, U.S. Chief of Protocol and former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary Nancy Brinker, and Ambassador of Hungary and Mrs. Ferenc Somogyi attend a reception honoring Brinker with the 2008 Meridian Public Diplomacy Leadership Award at the redecorated Blair House.
Photo: Meridian International Center
A Cornucopia of Fall Exhibits
The fall season is full of art exhibits and other cultural offerings spanning the global spectrum. Here are a few highlights to consider:
First Ever Kids Euro Festival (Oct.9-Nov. 9)
The first ever Kids Euro Festival, sure to become one of the country’s largest performing arts festivals for children, offers more than 150 free events around the Washington area showcasing the cultures of the 27 members of the European Union.
 Geared to children ages 6 through 12, this month-long series features artists from the 27 EU countries performing everything from expert bubble-blowing and acrobatic dances to improvisational storytelling and puppeteers — ranging from the traditional to the cutting-edge contemporary.
More than a dozen major local cultural institutions including the Kennedy Center, the Shakespeare Theatre’s Harman Hall and the National Geographic will serve as venues for this entertainment extravaganza.
Embassies participating in Kids Euro Festival include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Some events may require reservations but all Kids Euro Festival performances are free. For information about specific performances and to confirm schedules, contact (202) 944-6558 or visit www.kidseurofestival.org.
Ibero-American Guitar Festival (Oct. 20-23)
Under Artistic Director Berta Rojas, the Association of Ibero-American Cultural Attachés and the George Washington University Music Department invite you to the second Ibero-American Guitar Festival from Oct. 20 to 23.
All the concerts will take place on the GW campus at the Jack Morton Auditorium. Guitarists from the following countries are participating: Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Portugal, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and the United States.
Don’t miss this great musical opportunity! Last year, I was lucky enough to hear about it at the last moment and found myself mesmerized by these world-class guitarists. I returned night after night and loved every performance. This year is surely only to be even better.
For information, visit www.dciberoamericanguitarfestival.org.
Imagining Ireland: Sky, Land, Sea (through Nov. 1)
“Imagining Ireland: Sky, Land, Sea” at the Arts Club of Washington at 2017 I St., NW, is a charming, virtual trip to the Emerald Isle.
 During the opening night reception, I was particularly struck by the blue hues of Irish painter John Kirwan, who explained why he chooses blue hues over all the greens for which Ireland is so famous. “When I was younger, I painted in all shades of green, but now I realize that the more I limit my palette to blues, grays and white, the more subtle my results.”
The dreamy country lanes of Eugene Conway, meanwhile, are sure to enchant, and Freya Grand’s seasides are large, luminous paintings that seem to capture the mysterious secrets of this fabled isle.
On opening night, Irish Ambassador Michael Collins welcomed his fellow Irishman, John Bruton, former prime minister of Ireland and the current ambassador of the European Commission here in Washington.
“Looking out over the choppy waters on Dublin Bay … we can all take a visual timeout from the sub-primes and the bailouts and find tranquility,” said Ambassador Collins, a native of Dublin’s famous Black Rock section.
He also thanked the Arts Club, housed in what is otherwise known as the Monroe House, which once served as a second White House when the original was, as Collins put it, “burned down by ‘you know who.’”
The crowd roared at the British reference and the ambassador concluded: “Now this is a friendly Irish takeover for an entire month.”
Irish Artist John Kirwan, left, with Irish Ambassador Michael Collins discusses his rendition of “Dublin Bay” at the opening of “Imagining Ireland: Sky, Land, Sea” at the Arts Club of Washington — even pointing out where the ambassador grew up in this famous Irish city.
Photos: Gail Scott / Kids Euro Festival
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