ACG-AATG-GSA German Politics Today MdB Conversations

ACG-AATG-GSA German Politics Today MdB Conversations

Background

The American Council on Germany (ACG), the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG), and the German Studies Association (GSA) have collaborated sporadically over the years and are now interested in collaborating more on programming to jointly promote the value of the German-American partnership and reach a wider collective audience.

Goal

The ACG proposes a new virtual series entitled “German Politics Today MdB Conversations” that would consist of six ACG-moderated discussions, in German, with members of the German Bundestag on issues ranging from German domestic politics to climate change to the European Union and the transatlantic relationship. The goal of the series is to engage younger Americans enrolled in German language programs, to inform them about current issues in Germany, and to give them an opportunity to utilize their German listening, writing, and speaking skills as part of their German language courses in high school.

Series Description

The series will begin in October with subsequent discussions taking place every 6-8 weeks until the end of the school year in May/June 2025. Each MdB Conversation will be 45 minutes in length and will take place using Microsoft Teams or Zoom. The format will be a moderated conversation between ACG President Steve Sokol and the invited MdB (perhaps two) for approximately 25-30 minutes followed by a Q&A period for the remaining 15-20 minutes to allow students and others in attendance to actively engage with the German Bundestag member. The sessions will begin at 11 AM ET.

The ACG will invite a diverse range of MdBs representing the political parties in the Bundestag as well as various demographic groups. As potential topics for the six conversations, the ACG suggests the following:

• German Energy and Climate Policies
• German Civic Engagement
• German-EU Relations
• German-US Relations
• 35 Years After German Unification (in 2025)
• What Drives the German Economy

AATG and GSA members, and their students, will be invited to the MdB Conversations and will have the opportunity to watch live and participate in the discussion. The sessions will also be recorded and available for viewing on the ACG’s website. Additionally, each conversation will be made into a podcast which will be available to our respective memberships and available to German teachers and professors to use as part of their lessons, such as for German listening comprehension and writing assignments.