Event reports
On the occasion of a visit by a group of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung scholarship recipients the KAS NY office hosted a discussion round with leaders of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and members of the AJC’s Young Leadership Program (ACCESS). Michael Schmidt, Director of the AJC New York and Aaron Jacob, Director of Diplomatic Affairs at the AJC New York briefed the attendees on the elaborate diplomatic outreach efforts the AJC implements annually. The delegation of German PhD and Master Students used the opportunity to raise countless questions which led to a fruitful debate surrounding successful advocacy work in international politics.
Not only does the AJC promote a peaceful future for Jewish communities around the world, but also supports global human rights processes in general. While the AJC ‘s advocacy programs span the entire globe, its work in the United States focuses on the engagement of the US Administration and Congress as well as on international diplomatic outreach at the United Nations. The achievements made in coalition-building in Washington and New York are reinforced by the AJC’s regional offices.
Especially noteworthy is the AJC’s UN focused outreach program called diplomatic marathon. This initiative is conducted annually and comprises of meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the commencement of the Regular Session of the UN General Assembly, also called the High-Level Week. Mr. Jacob explained that the AJC meets with up to 70 world leaders amid the diplomatic marathon, during which the organization advocates for peace, the rule of law and human rights. Through strategic communication that begins early in the year the AJC not only proliferates its goals and objectives but also secures high-level meetings with key-decision makers. By reaching out across the spectrum of ethnic and religious groups the AJC secures partnerships and coalition-building that amplify its global agenda within the United Nations and beyond.
