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United States. Office of the US High Commissioner for Germany / A program to foster citizen participation in government and politics in Germany
(1951)
6. French and British zones: U.S. land observers, p. 30
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Germany. It is to be hoped that they will utilize effectively their experience from these visits abroad. The resident officers can contribute mate- rially by keeping in contact with them for im- plementation of such follow-up programs as may be agreed. IPG is extremely anxious to receive reports con- cerning the development of the local programs, their successes and failures, and their problems. These reports specifically should comment upon the work of consultants who may visit the locality and of the Germans who return from their visits abroad. 5. Other Local Units In addition to the Resident Officers, the Amerika Haeuser and the community centers should be called upon for assistance in the program. Pam- phlet material will be made available to them for use and for distribution and, to the extent that forums or other discussion groups are centered around these units, the suggestions made in the preceding subdivisions for Resident Officers will be applicable to a considerable extent. 6. French and British Zones: U.S. Land Observers As suggested in the earlier discussion, this pro- gram so far has been limited to the U.S. Zone of Occupation. Obviously if a democratic system is to develop in Western Germany, the movement for reform must spread through all the zones. Up to the present it appears that interest in the British Zone has been focussed primarily on cer- tain aspects of local government, and in the French Zone on education and cultural affairs. From in- formal discussions, however, it appears that there is no reason to suppose that a wider approach will not be acceptable. German interest in the various fields is already spreading into the other zones, and an understanding with the British and French Occupation Authorities will be sought so that the programs and the supporting material outlined in the preceding pages will be available to German organizations throughout West Germany. Since the development of citizen participation in political and governmental affairs seems to be less advanced in the French and British Zones, it will probably be advisable in the coming year to put special emphasis on that field. At the same time German organizations with professional interests such as the police association, civil liberties groups, the universities and the Institute are bringing the British and French Zones into the specialized pro- grams which deal with these subjects. So far as the Citizens' Participation program is concerned, it is hoped that the other Occupation Authorities will permit their Resident Officers to interest themselves in the programs and that their facilities may be used among others to bring pam- phlets and similar material to the attention of Ger- mans who want them. The U.S. is represented in each Land in the French and British Zones by a U.S. Land Observer. A Land Observer with a single assistant, charged with a multiplicity of duties, cannot undertake the burden of supporting this program as the Political Divisions in the U.S. Land Commissioners' Offices do. Nevertheless their association with the French and British Land Commissioners' Offices identify them as best fitted to encourage cooperation in the program, and as the normal channel of contact in subsequent cooperative efforts. 7. Consultants The object of the Consultant Program is to bring experts on various technical subjects to Germany for the purpose of conferences and discussions with Germans interested in those specific fields. IPG develops programs for consultants in con- sultation with the Land Offices, defines the quali- fications of the consultants required, and suggests names to the Exchanges Division (for transmission to the Department if U.S. consultants are con- cerned). IPG and the Land Offices brief the consultants, work out itineraries, arrange the necessary con- tacts and meetings, handle logistic arrangements, and give general guidance to the consultants, each at their own level. Resident Officers brief the con- sultants and arrange contacts and meetings at the local level. Reports and recommendations of the consult- ants will be made to IPG and Exchanges Division and distributed in appropriate cases to Land and Local levels for follow up, as appropriate. Land and Local Offices may also receive informal reports and suggestions, but are requested to advise IPG of these to assure coordination with the general program. Land and Resident Offices should report to head- quarters on the consultants' work, and make per- tinent suggestions. Resident Officers submit recommendations for the use of consultants to the Land Offices. 8. German Visits to the U.S. and European Countries The purpose of this program is to bring qualified Germans into contact with democratic forms and practices in Western Europe and the U.S., to open up to them new developments in the governmental and political field from which they have been cut off since 1933, and to introduce them to the freer atmosphere and the customs of the Western de- mocracies. Most of the Germans who will partici- pate in these programs are leaders in their fields and in the U.S. they will deal with U.S. leaders. Experience in past years has indicated that this is an extremely productive practice. IPG develops these programs in consultation with the Land offices and implements them through the Exchanges Division. It may suggest sponsors for the projects. IPG will brief Germans before their departure, and will secure reports from them on their return, either directly or through the Land Offices. IPG will develop follow-up programs. The Laen- der may amplify these but will advise IPG for purposes of coordination. Because of the nature of the exchange projects in the IPG program, it is essential that those in- vited should be leaders in their respective fields, and the greatest care will be exercised to select persons who are qualified for the program for which they are chosen and who will make the greatest contribution as a result. 9. Pamphlets A number of German organizations are actively engaged in research and in the publication of re- sults. This is one of the means toward the objec- tives in which we are interested and over a period of time it is to be assumed that German organiza- 30
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