Editorial
Konrad Adenauer once said: ‘In the history of mankind there have been periods of oppressive darkness, of restlessness, of discord, of fear; but time and again the human spirit, the human soul, has fought its way through to light and peace.’ A phrase that remains as relevant today as it ever was, one that both admonishes and motivates us: Old and new crises, conflicts and wars have shaped the year 2024, dominated its agenda and played a major role in our work. However, in view of what we have achieved together this year, we can face old and new challenges with confidence and self-assurance.
The Russian aggression against Ukraine, which is defending itself with an unwavering will to survive and has become a bastion of freedom in Europe, continues to cause the greatest concern in Europe. It would be historic folly if we were to slacken our support for the country. For the second time, we organised the ‘Cafe Kyiv’ to mark the sad anniversary of the invasion in February: With an even greater response from the general public and the media, we focussed on the past, present and future of the country from different perspectives.
7 October marked the first anniversary of the unimaginably cruel and brutal attack on Israel by Palestinian Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip. The conflict in the region has escalated, Israel is now fighting on several fronts and there are also repeated physical clashes in Germany: Anti-Semitism and hatred of Jews are now coming to the fore. We must never accept that Jews no longer feel safe. At the end of September, we spoke out at an all-day event with high-ranking speakers and thus sent a signal in favour of Jewish life in Germany and for Israel's right to exist, against hatred of Jews and anti-Semitism.
The wars against Ukraine and in the Middle East, global migration flows, accelerating climate change, our country's economic problems and many other organisational tasks as well as other major and minor challenges contribute to the turbulent times in which we live and which require clear orientation and firm positioning. Our three key themes - freedom needs security, democracy needs participation, sustainability needs innovation - have once again proven their worth and given our work clarity and unambiguity both internally and in the eyes of the public.
Our KAS Fellow 2024, co-founder and board member of GovTech Campus Deutschland e. V. Lars Zimmermann, also contributed to this. The digital and technology expert has accompanied our work in the areas of digitalisation and administration with new ideas and concepts and supported us in the development of ideas and projects that can be used to make governance structures more modern, resilient and open to technology.
A special anniversary this year provided an opportunity to look back on a remarkable success story and at the same time look to the present and future: the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Basic Law on 23 May. The Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany, which was adopted as a provisional measure, is now one of the oldest valid constitutions in the world. It is valued and recognised by more than three quarters of the people living here as a tried and tested basis for our coexistence. Nevertheless, we must make it clear time and again: The constitution must be lived and defended and secured against all challenges. Because our democracy, our freedom and our future are at stake! And that is the responsibility of all of us - today and in the years to come.
As in previous years, 2024 was a very challenging year. We would like to sincerely thank all employees for their great commitment once again this year. We would also like to thank all members of our committees for their excellent and constructive cooperation. We would also like to thank all of the Friends' supporters, donors, sponsors and partners for their moral and financial support. We would also like to thank our numerous partners at home and abroad for their excellent and reliable cooperation. We will continue to do our utmost to live up to the trust they have placed in us. We hope and look forward to your support, which will allow us to tackle the challenges ahead with confidence and self-assurance.
