“Good neighbourly relations improve the quality of life”
The German-Czech Future Fund aims to revitalise cooperation between the two countries and help overcome the shadows cast by the East-West conflict.
Their job is international understanding: bringing people together, eliminating prejudice and overcoming borders that exist not just on the map but in people’s minds, too. Established in 1997, the German-Czech Future Fund is run by Petra Ernstberger and Tomáš Jelínek: a dual, binational leadership. Their work is financed by the Foreign Offices of Germany and the Czech Republic. We spoke to the duo.
What are the goals of the Czech-German Future Fund?
Petra Ernstberger: Our aim is to strengthen neighbourly relations between Germany and the Czech Republic and revitalise them. To this end, we promote and initiate joint projects in a wide range of areas, including the entire spectrum of culture, for example. We offer dialogue forums where Germans and Czechs can discuss issues of shared concern. Our educational work is an important pillar for us, too, ranging from language programmes in schools to university scholarships.
What challenges do you face in your work?
Tomáš Jelínek: Twenty years ago, prejudice was one of the biggest challenges to emerge from history. Today, it is other issues that are dividing our societies: dealing with climate change, for example. This is the most important aspect of our work: we must never lose sight of maintaining dialogue. That is why we create spaces where people from Germany and the Czech Republic can meet, engage with each other and find inspiration. In this way, our aim is to counteract indifference and disinterest.
Why are good neighbourly relations so important?
Tomáš Jelínek: Good neighbourly relations improve the quality of life. Neighbours can help each other, broaden each others’ horizons and enrich each other. And there are a lot of things which are simply more enjoyable when you do them together. When a German band gives a concert in Prague, people from both nations dance and party together. That’s what good neighbourly relations are about. And that’s not all: global challenges are easier to tackle if you collaborate with your neighbour, too. Together we are stronger.
Which project is particularly close to your heart?
Petra Ernstberger: I’m emotionally attached to the programme entitled “A Year at the Border”. It’s now taking place for the third time: eight Germans and Czechs spend a year travelling along the border, trying to remove barriers as “ambassadors”. They start at a very low threshold, namely with the people themselves, and bring them together.
