“The world has become smaller. [...] Peoples and nations have grown closer to each other, for better or worse. They can now inflict destruction and annihilation on one another to an unprecedented degree, or offer mutual help and support in building a shared future. They can fight each other, or fight together against poverty, ignorance, disease, and death. The will of the people determines the direction they take. However, if these evils are to be fought at all, it cannot happen within the borders of just one country. For the causes of distress often lie beyond the borders of the nations in which it manifests – just as its impact extends across national boundaries.”
from: Alice Salomon: Warum internationale Wohlfahrtspflege notwendig ist (1930), in: Alice Salomon: Frauenemanzipation und soziale Verantwortung. Selected Writings, vol. 3, 2004, pp. 467-472, p. 468.
The Presidency of Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin unequivocally condemned the terrorist attacks by Hamas and its supporters on people in Israel in 2023 (statement of 16.10.23, statement of 15.11.23). Our deepest sympathy remains with the victims and their families, as well as with those hostages who are still being held captive. We acknowledge the trauma this attack has caused among the Israeli population and among Jewish communities in Germany and around the world. The decades-long threat to Israel through deadly terrorist violence must come to an end. Antisemitism and the threat to Jewish people also in Germany are unacceptable. On the contrary, the protection of Jewish life must be an absolute priority.
This principle must also apply to the protection of Muslims and Palestinians – in Germany and worldwide. We therefore also condemn the ongoing violations of international law by the Israeli military, the disproportionate violence and escalation in Gaza, and the human rights violations committed against the Palestinian civilian population, which perpetuate the collective trauma experienced by Palestinians across generations.
We also feel deep compassion for the people in the Palestinian territories and their loved ones worldwide, whose suffering remains unrelenting. The civilian population is subject to relentless bombardment on orders from the Israeli government. The deliberate restriction or suspension of food supplies, the blockade of electricity and water, and the destruction of medical infrastructure which effectively prevents the treatment of the injured and those in need – are blatant violations of international law. The German federal government must call on the Israeli government to immediately implement all technically feasible measures to ensure sufficient humanitarian aid to Gaza, in line with the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 26 January and 28 March.
The protests of people in the Palestinian territories against Hamas receive insufficient support neither from international political actors nor from the Israeli government.
We, by contrast, welcome all initiatives that call for the immediate and comprehensive resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip in order to save lives and uphold human dignity. Serious negotiations on a ceasefire, the provision of aid to the population of Gaza, and an immediate end to the killings are long overdue.
ASH Berlin further supports initiatives committed to democracy and to building a lasting, just peace and long-term stability in the region.
As a university with a strong focus on social work, health, education, and pedagogy, ASH Berlin stands for peace, democracy, human dignity, human rights, and humanity – and against terrorism, hatred, and war. Our students learn conflict resolution strategies and are trained in the ethical obligations of the SAGE disciplines (Social Work, Health, Education) to uphold human rights and respect international law.
In this spirit and in the spirit of our founder Alice Salomon our series "Civil Society Engagement. Voices against the lack of perspective" has clearly demonstrated the urgent need for peacebuilding initiatives and alternatives both in and between Israel and Palestine. It has also shown that individuals who advocate for peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding between Israelis and Palestinians – such as the Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF) or Combatants for Peace (CfP) – face significant threats to their safety, both in Israel and in the Palestinian territories.
It is our responsibility to amplify and support these voices from the Palestinian and Israeli civil societies instead of thinking and acting in polarising terms. We therefore regard comprehensive reporting and solidarity with democratic movements and peace initiatives committed to the survival of all people in the region as essential.
“The welfare of humanity [can] only thrive if peaceful relations between nations are initiated, maintained and promoted. Nothing has a more devastating impact on human wellbeing than discord, than war. It undoes everything that social work [care work in the fields of social welfare, health, and education] has achieved. It forces social workers [care workers] to carry out an enormous increase in work, while simultaneously destroying any prospect of success, as it plunges the masses into hardship and misery.”
from: Alice Salomon: Warum internationale Wohlfahrtspflege notwendig ist (1930), in: Alice Salomon: Frauenemanzipation und soziale Verantwortung. Selected Writings, vol. 3, 2004, pp. 467-472, p. 468.
The Presidency and Deans of ASH Berlin
Bettina Völter, Gesine Bär, Anja Voss, Heinz Stapf-Finé, Michael Erhart
