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FEATURED STORY Policy Experts Speak Out on Elections, United Nations Framed by a panoramic view of New York Harbor, complete with the illuminated Statue of Liberty, Sabine Muscat (2007) and Josh Landis (2005) shook hands and said their hellos. Within minutes, they were sharing strategies for covering the U.S. presidential race. Muscat moved to Washington, D.C., from Berlin after completing her Burns fellowship to cover politics and Landis, a correspondent for CBS News, has recently reported on the finer workings of the American electoral system.
It was a simple microcosmic display of the transatlantic relations the Burns fellowship fosters. More than two dozen former Burns fellows, in addition to many trustees, journalists and friends of the fellowship enjoyed fine food and wine and, of course, in-depth discussion of international policy at the New York alumni dinner, held at the Ritz-Carlton Battery Park on Tuesday, Feb. 19. German ambassador to the United Nations, Thomas Matussek, spoke about Germany’s role in the United Nations. “We believe, that in the final analysis, the United Nations is the global framework in which all the problems and the crises of this world would be solved. The question is: can the U.N. do that?” Matussek said. “I think it would be very, very easy to find 10 reasons why they can’t do that.” He explained some intricacies of putting together “coalitions of the willing,” drawing on two examples that garner headlines today, Kosovo and Darfur.
After Matussek's speech, Leslie Gelb, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, discussed international relations, including what changes to expect under a new U.S. administration—and why not to hold one’s breath about sweeping change in foreign policy. “Don’t think for a moment that if a Democrat is elected that they’re just going to pull out of Iraq. There is going to be, at minimum, a two-to-three-year withdrawal process,” Gelb said. “And it’s going to be very messy. What George Bush is doing by keeping as many troops there as possible is making sure nothing bad happens on his watch.” Both Gelb and Matussek poked fun at superficial changes in foreign policy—each using the now-slightly comical example of then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright announcing that the United States would drop sanctions on Iranian pistachios and rugs in 2000. Alex Davidson (2005), a reporter at Forbes magazine, asked for Gelb’s thoughts on the Pakistan election. “They’re not going to be able to solve their problems now, and neither are we,” Gelb said of what he called the most dangerous nation in the world. Matussek added that “if we continue to make the mistake we made with President [Pervez] Musharraf, which is to say, ‘he may be a son of a bitch, but he’s our son of a bitch,’ so we give him leeway, then that’s a recipe for continued disaster.”
Miriam Falco (2000) from CNN asked about the United States’ role as an international leader after the 2008 election, a major theme of which is “change.” “How much of the next administration’s time will be spent rebuilding the country’s leadership role?” Falco asked. “Do you think that [the change] will take away from the leadership we can provide…versus the other nations that may be more dominated by their self-interests?” “Look, we’re all dominated by our national interests,” Gelb said. “Some of us cloak it in universal values. But international relations is a very hard-headed process of bargaining. More often than not, nations don’t agree, because there isn’t enough on the table for them to change what they think their national interests are. Look, the situation is going to be better simply by Bush returning to Crawford, Texas.”
Frank Loy, chairman of the Burns Board of Trustees, expressed his thanks for the speakers—and the sponsors. “This kind of eating would not be possible without Goldman Sachs,” Loy said. The young journalists certainly seemed to enjoy it: “It was great to have a break from thinking about the stock plunge of the day and hear a debate about conflicts affecting millions of lives. Plus, the finger food was outstanding,” said Rob Curran (2006). He said the highlight of the evening was seeing “old friends. That’s why we keep coming back.” Landis agreed. “It’s refreshing to take a break and get together,” he said. “It’s a fine mix of old friends, new ones, and now and then it’s also refreshing to get a lesson on the machinations of U.N. Security Council.” Christine Lagorio has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Believer. She produces and edits the CBS Evening News portion of CBSNews.com in New York City. She spent her Burns fellowship last summer at the Financial Times Deutschland in Berlin.
Burns Alumnus Takes on Neocons Jacob Heilbrunn’s (Burns 1994) first book, “They Knew They Were Right: The Rise of the Neocons,” is garnering strong publicity and impressive reviews. Published on January 15, the book chronicles the progression and influence of the neocon movement, starting with its early history as a group of intellectual Trotskyists in the 1930s and through the second Gulf War.
As a self-described former neocon, Heilbrunn is praised for his familiarity with the topic, with The Washington Post’s book review declaring that “his research is thorough and his judgments fair.” The Chicago Tribune calls the book a “fast-paced, edgy profile of the intellectuals whose views about Islam and the Middle East came to dominate foreign policy after 9/11.” Heilbrunn has also gained attention for the book’s focus on the movement’s Jewish roots. The Post’s review calls the book a political tale and an American story of immigrants, as well as “a religious narrative…for Heilbrunn shows the intrinsic connection of Judaism to nearly every stage of this journey, and an attachment to Israel that at times bordered on the obsessive.”
The Los Angeles Times’ book review said Heilbrunn’s “contention that ‘neoconservatism is in a decisive respect a Jewish phenomenon’ will likely raise hackles in some quarters. To describe neoconservatism as ‘ineluctably Jewish,’ he insists, ‘is anything but an anti-Semitic canard.’ Fair-minded readers are unlikely to dispute his judgment.” Heilbrunn is currently a senior editor at the National Interest and is a former editorial writer for the Los Angeles Times and a former senior editor at the New Republic. He has also written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Commentary, and The Washington Monthly. The Arthur F. Burns Fellowship News is published four times a year by the International Center for Journalists. Burns Program Staff: Named in honor of the late former U.S. ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany and former Federal Reserve Board chairman, the Arthur F. Burns Fellowship Program fosters greater understanding of German–U.S. relations among future leaders of the news media. The Burns program was established in 1988 in Germany by the Internationale Journalisten-Programme (formerly the Initiative Jugendpresse) and was originally designed for young German journalists. In 1990, the fellowship expanded to include American journalists, making it a true exchange. Each year 20 outstanding journalists from the United States and Germany are awarded an opportunity to report from and travel in each other’s countries. The program offers 10 young print and broadcast journalists from each country the opportunity to share professional expertise with their colleagues across the Atlantic while working as “foreign correspondents” for their hometown news organizations. Fellows work as part-time staff members at host newspapers, magazines
and radio and television stations. In addition to covering local news, fellows
report on events for their employers back home, while learning more about This competitive program is open to U.S. and German journalists who are employed by a newspaper, news magazine, broadcast station or news agency, and to freelancers. Applicants must have demonstrated journalistic talent and a strong interest in U.S.–European affairs. German language proficiency is not required, but is encouraged.
The Burns Fellowship program is adminstered jointly by:
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March 2008 | Vol. 17, No.1
Dear Friends, Many of you in America were present at our New York alumni dinner in February. Since guest of honor Klaus Kleinfeld had to cancel at the last moment, German U.N. Ambassador Thomas Matussek, seconded by Leslie Gelb, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, proved to be an excellent alternative, holding the audience in their grip not only during their comments but also during a lively debate afterwards. The German Burns dinner will take place in Berlin on May 15 and hopefully draw a similarly involved and interested group of alumni. We will soon be able to announce the winners of the Arthur F. Burns Awards, both on the American and German side, as well as the winner of the Kennan Award for commentary on transatlantic affairs. These awards will be handed out at the Burns dinner in Berlin. Keep in mind throughout the year that your articles and features about the partner country or the transatlantic relationship in general do qualify for the awards next year, so don’t hesitate to send possible entries to us during the year. Wishing you a happy Easter holiday and hopefully lots of spring sun to burn away the cold and dark days of winter. Yours, Frank-Dieter Freiling 
1993 Marc Fest was promoted to the position of Vice President/Communications at the Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in March. 1994 Jacob Heilbrunn recently published “They Knew They Were Right: The Rise of the Neocons.” 1998 Michael Streck is taking a sabbatical for the first half of 2008 to write a book. 1999 Steve Kettmann recently moved back to Berlin and has written a book, “Letter to a New President,” co-written with Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia. The book will be published in June (St. Martin’s/Thomas Dunne Books). Ayla Yackley married Simon Johns in September in Istanbul where they are currently living. Ayla works as a reporter for Bloomberg News. 2000 Anne Marie Kelly left the U.S. Treasury Department and has joined Booz Allen Hamilton, a global strategy and technology consulting firm, where she is an associate for the civil markets/finance regulatory team. She is also enrolled part-time in a master’s degree program in international public policy at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. Michael Kolz has started co-hosting the primetime news show “Phoenix-Der Tag.” 2002 Sascha Balasko has left the Hamburg daily Morgenpost and now works for Hamburger Abendblatt. 2003 Arno Schütze became the north German correspondent for Reuters in January. He is based in Hannover, although his home and family are still in Aschaffenburg until the summer.
Paul Stinson moved to Johannesburg, South Africa, to be with his girlfriend and to work as a freelance copywriter for a number of advertising agencies. 2005 Benno Fuchs welcomed his third daughter, Marlene, on December 28. He was also promoted to assistant editor for “AKTE 08.” Manuel Hartung has published his first non-fiction book, “Welt retten für Einsteiger, 30 Gründe für ein gutes Gewissen” (dtv), in June 2007. He has already published his first fictional novel, “Der Uni-Roman” (Piper). He also got engaged to Susa Stephani at the end of December. Josh Landis has moved from ABC News to CBS News. 2007 Allison Connolly has accepted a job with Dow Jones Newswires, covering German business news, based in Frankfurt. She will leave her job at the Baltimore Sun on March 14 and will head to Germany a couple of weeks later to settle in before starting her new job on April 1. Marissa Muller will be leaving her post at CNN, heading to California for a few months, and then moving to Barcelona, Spain, for two years to attend business school. She credits her fellowship with confirming her interest to study business and specifically renewable energy. Damaso Reyes has temporarily moved to Vienna, Austria, on a Fulbright Fellowship where he continues to work on his long-term photojournalism project,www.theeuropeans.net.
2008 German Alumni Dinner Roundtable U.S.A.
German-American Alumni
Conference 2008 Fellowship Orientation Reception at German Ambassador Klaus Scharioth's Residence
Click here to log into the Alumni Portal. To register, please fill out this short form.
U.S. Trustees German Trustees Erik Bettermann
The Arthur F. Burns Board of Trustees in the United States and Germany acknowledges with gratitude the support of the following organizations and individuals who have made the 2008 Arthur F. Burns program possible. Sponsors in the U.S. Individual Contributions |
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To read the December 2007 Newsletter, please click here.
To go to the Arthur F. Burns Web page on the ICFJ site, please click here.
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