Programs and Events

Selected Events 2008

On The Path Of The White Gold
February 25/26, 2008

Consul General Eric Nelson toured the Porcelain Road - a network of highways linking world-famous Bavarian porcelain manufacturers in the Upper Palatinate and Upper Franconia.   Stops en-route included porcelain companies Seltmann in Weiden and Rosenthal in Selb.  Both companies have subsidiaries in the USA.  While traveling on the Porcelain Road, Consul General Nelson also met with the mayor of Selb, Wolfgang Kreil, and signed the golden book of Selb.  He also stopped by TRW Engineered Fasteners & Components in Selb, a U.S. company with several subsidiaries in Germany, for talks with the management and a tour of the facilities. 

• Article in "Neuer Tag"
• "Neuer Tag" coverage of visit to Seltmann
• Article in "Frankenpost"

44th Munich Conference on Security Policy
February 8-10, 2008

"If we are willing to stand together, we can prevail.  It will not be quick, and it will not be easy – but it can be done," said Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates in his speech at the 44th Munich Conference on Security Policy talking about the challenges the NATO member countries are facing. The Conference was held in Munich from  February 8-10, 2008.  Munich again welcomed top-ranking politicians and experts in foreign and security policy from all over the world. Around 250 participants featuring about 30 foreign and defense ministers debated the issues of "World in Disarray - Shifting Powers - Lack of Strategies". Around 40 ministers and three presidents  attended the conference.  Altogether, 250 delegates from 50 countries had come to the Bavarian capital for the event. The U.S. delegation was led by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, the U.S. congressional delegation by Senator Joe Lieberman.

• Photo Gallery
• Department of Defense Photo Essay
• Remarks by US Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates (official version with Q&A)
• Want to know more?
• Official conference website

Super Tuesday Ante Portas
January 22, 2008
The Public Affairs Section of the Munich consulate hosted a discussion program on the U.S. elections with Christoph von Marschall, U.S. correspondent of Berlin daily Tagesspiegel, at Amerika Haus in cooperation with the Bavarian-American Center, the Munich Press Club and Orell Füssli publishing company.  Public Affairs Officer Pat Guy (left) emphasized the strength of the democratic process in the U.S. when introducing von Marschall who relayed his first-hand experience as a reporter covering Iowa and New Hampshire, and introduced his book on Barack Obama, subtitled "The Black Kennedy."  The event reinforced the vitality of the U.S. democratic process and the federal system to an audience of over 100 including reporters from several newspapers.
•   Guide to the 2008 U.S. elections

"What does a Regional Security Officer do?"
January 10, 2008

from left to right: Teacher Peter Pavlas, Regional Security Officer Paul Houston, students.

Munich's Regional Security Officer Paul Houston traveled to Upper Palatinate to inform students of Parsberg Highschool about the responsibilities and procedures of the Diplomatic Security Service.  As a neighboring community of US Army Garrison Hohenfels, Parsberg is naturally interested in establishing and maintaining good relations with American contacts. Some 60 students and teachers were captivated by Houston's poised performance.  Regional Security Officer Paul Houston answered questions ranging from personal (how do you combine family and job?) to professional (what prerequisites are there for becoming a Regional Security Officer?).  The school received a wide array of learning materials about the USA.  As a pilot project, the students were also surveyed on their prior exposure to America and Americans, their attitudes towards U.S. foreign policy, and their use of media, both new and old. 

Winter Clothes for Afghan Kids
January 2008
The first items out of a large shipment of childrens’ clothes donated by American Consulate General Munich staff were disseminated among needy kids in the southern Afghan province of Zabul.  The donation was a joint consulate staff effort that had initially aimed for 3 boxes, but ended up with overwhelming 10 boxes.  Humanitarian assistance achieves two important objectives:  It relieves the distress of the Afghan population and it enhances the U.S. army’s confidence-building efforts among the Afghan population, thus laying the groundwork for lasting peace.