First citizens’ workshop on foreign policy
Around 130 people joined staff from the Federal Foreign Office in a discussion of pressing international issues at the first Bürgerwerkstatt Aussenpolitik.
Refugees and migration, the conflict in Ukraine and Germany’s role in the European Union were some of the issues addressed at the first “Bürgerwerkstatt Außenpolitik” – a citizens’ workshop on foreign policy – which was held in Berlin on 19 February 2016. In talks with Federal Foreign Minister Steinmeier and experts from the Federal Foreign Office, participants were able to gain an impression of how complex foreign policy deliberation and decision-making processes are, and had a chance to put forward their own ideas. Organized in cooperation with the Mercator Program Center for International Affairs, the workshop is the result of a project entitled “Review 2014 – A Fresh Look at German Foreign Policy”. Among the conclusions drawn by this project was that the Federal Foreign Office should open itself up to and engage with civil society to a greater extent.
