Preface
EXPO
2000 was some things and others not, as the organisers often claimed beforehand.
It did not want to be neither an industrial fair nor an amusement park. The
Exposition was rather seen as a meeting point for people from all over the world
where they could both learn from the various exhibits and discuss with one another.
This was all the more made visible by the fact that it did not commemorate a
single nation's historic date as often in the history of World Expositions.
Rather it was held in the year 2000 similarly important to people everywhere
on the globe.
Yet if we had to draw a line of History, at which point could we possibly be?
Many like to see the world at a starting point: A new Millennium has
begun with New Year's celebrations, important political and economic meetings
and, last but not least, the first World Exposition ever in Germany. Maybe this
is one of the reasons why we in AIESEC nearly two years ago tried to design
an entirely unique project with multiple aims:
- Practising International exchange with 25 trainees in Germany and 8
Colombian colleagues involved in the project, we also put an emphasis on
- Issue involvement with Sustainable Development at the core but also
the broader idea of Sustainable Business as well as the question of Building
Learning Societies.
- Partnerships and Positioning: We seeked new Partners in this innovative
field while using the World Exposition as a singular forum for our activities
- An international cooperation plan with AIESEC in Colombia was also
the product of this project in the same way as we gave support at the local
level by coaching Local Committees in Germany on their activities relating
to Sustainable Development.
- Finally, the networking among the trainees and interested AIESECers
was crucial: By bringing in direct touch more than 500 people in the course
of the project, we paved the ground for the future commitment of a group of
highly qualified and ambitious prospective decision-makers.
However, calling the year 2000 a new starting point, we mostly refer to a technical
instance which is furthermore proper to the Western hemisphere. For certainly
as many, this year was a point of continuity. We too relied in big parts on
the well-established web of existing AIESEC partnerships with e.g. Unesco, the
World Bank, the Club of Rome as well as the many business partners. We were
very grateful to be able to continue these. Similarly, as for all newly established
contacts to organisation both public and private, we are very eager to following-up
on these.
Nevertheless, we have to realise that we cannot continue to live on like this
(as a German writer put it: "Who wants this world to stay as it is, does not
want it to stay"). Therefore, we should regard this year as nothing less than
a turning point: At the World Exposition, nearly all countries of the
world assembled presenting to some 20 million visitors their respective ideas,
proposals and concerns regarding a sustainable human development. We believe
that with this international effort, and our project "AIESEC meets EXPO 2000"
being a small part of it, we have come one step closer to finding answers to
the challenges we face in this century just begun. Consequently, no matter where
on the time line we are, we only can care about our future - rather shaping
the world for our children than merely trying to avoid the point of no return.
We hope you enjoy browsing these web pages, discovering what life was like in
the Summer of Sustainability, and that you find ideas and incentives to make
your own contribution to this ongoing process.
Sustainably Yours,
Nina, Vanessa, Martin, Tobias & Cornelius
Team "AIESEC meets EXPO 2000"
Greetings by Ricardo Díez-Hochleitner,
Honorary President, Club of Rome, and President, International Board of Advisors,
EXPO 2000
About AIESEC by Cornelius Brökelmann,
Team "AIESEC meets EXPO 2000"
The National Project of AIESEC
in Germany by Alexandra von Winning, Member Committee, AIESEC in Germany