Nicole Wilke tried to answer your questions, but…

Posted on 05. Nov, 2009 by Ole Seidenberg in Germany, Video

It’s been a great day yesterday for a passionate tracker, as I finally got to meet Nicole Wilke again here in Barcelona, accompanied by my friends Diana and Sönke from 350.org. First, they handed over their booklet showing pictures of more than 5000 actions worldwide that have been going on on October 24th, the International Day of Climate Action. Right after that, I’ve asked Nicole your questions that I’ve collected beforehand through Facebook. And guess what: She seemed to like the idea of YOU asking YOUR questions rather than me coming up with my questions all the time and answered all of them in detail.

Now, guess what: I had this post prepared including all the questions and answers as an English transcription. I have sent this to the Press Officer of the German Environmental Ministry and kindly asked for their permission to publish my interview with Nicole Wilke on this blog…. AND: IT was REJECTED!

I know that as a press professional, one might experience this every other day. And it is part of the job that interviews don’t get the confirmation they need to be published. But, I am not a press professional, I am simply a concerned citizen and a blogger. Someone who wants to share with you guys out there what I experience here every day. I had taken your questions and asked them for you. I have put a dayload of work into this. Your questions have been answered and now, I am not even allowed to publish those answers?

The alleged reason for this rejection: There have been general elections just a couple of weeks ago in Germany, there is a new Enivoronmental Minister - and the whole ministry is waiting for new, concrete guidelines by the new minister, also regarding their communications and press-work. I do understand that.

However, this is yet again a rather frustrating experience that shows that the dynamics and speed of blogging and asking questions via Social Media does not yet fit the old structures and decision-making processes of some of our ministries and bureaucracies. I cannot help it, but although the lady on the phone was really nice and asked me not to take this personally, I am definitely disappointed - personally!

It also shows something else: The weird and sometimes misleading ways that so-called diplomacy works: Some things are said, but not meant. Others are meant, but not said. And in between, everything remains up to your personal assessment of the situation.

The only thing that made me smile today after this experience was a meeting with a Campaigns professional from one of the leading NGO-networks here, who shared his thoughts and frankly told us that even the most experienced experts on the ground are puzzled because of the ups and downs of this intense, but far too short week in Barcelona.

Well, there is one thing, I can tell you, especially in case you belong to my German readership:

Nicole Wilke was cooperating very well, she is - according to my personal review procedure - a very capable and smart person and: She stated that Germany’s national reduction target stands at 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 (as written down in the new Coalition agreement) - which is more than the EU is actually ready to shoot for and as much as most of the NGO community is expecting.

Of course, the devil - again - lies in the detail and I can neither tell you whether this is realistic nor whether it might just be achieved by a lot of offsetting, but: It let’s me rest in peace for at least one more night, before this is closing and we are heading towards the final round… in Copenhagen.

Tags: 350.org, Interview, Nicole Wilke, Press