(Photo: Karl Kästle)

Mockus encircled by the media (photo GL)

Mockus, Secretary of Education Mrs. Peño, Lind (photo GL)

President Alvaro Uribe, Antans Mockus; Cecilia Maria Velez on the far right; National Forum on Citizenship Education Oct. 2004 (photo GL)

The frog is Mr. Mockus' symbol for a conscientous citizen who raises his/her voices as soon as the civic culture is threatened.

Antanas Mockus in Konstanz

Democratic Culture, Education and the Peace Process in Colombia

2010: Antanas Mockus co-founded the Green Party of Colombia and has been picked as presidential candidate for Colombia for the elections in May 2010 ... more

2009: Antanas Mockus speaks at the international conference "Can morality gbe taught?" at the University of Konstanz, July 22 - 26, 2009 ... more

2006: Antanas Mockus runs for president in 2006: Campaigning for the colombian carotte hours La hora zanahoria. ... more

Presidential election campaign Blog 2006 ... more [in meanwhile exchanged for the 2010 campaign blog]

2005: Visit in Konstanz: Welcome to Mr. Mockus

Public Presentation

May 31, 2005, 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. in Kulturzentrum (Wolkensteinsaal), Münsterplatz, Konstanz

Greetings by the deputy of the Mayor of Konstanz, Town Councel Member Werner Allweis.

Introduction by Bishop Bischof Emil Stehle, long-time priest in Bogotá.

Preface by Dr. Georg Lind (text).

Report on the event: Ein "naiver" Politiker (A 'Naiv' Politician) : Südkurier

Photo of the presentation, Südkurier, 2.6.05

Inter-Departmental Colloquium

May 31, 2005, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.
at the University of Konstanz, seminar room on K7 (above the Menseria)

for University Members with Mr. Mockus talking about
"Democracy: a way of dealing with tensions between law, morals and culture"

Opening by the Vice-Rector of the University of Konstanz, Prof. Dr. Brigitte Rockstroh

Introduction to Mr. Mockus' speech at the Colloquium by Dr. Georg Lind (text)

Both events are available on DVD (in English) from Prof. G. Lind

"Die Schwierigkeit mit der Demokratie." Interview des Ex-Ministerpräsidenten des Distrikts von Bogotá mit Prof. Georg Lind (PDF)

Articles by Prof. Mockus ... more

Media-Reports on Antanas Mockus

Sponsors

Co-Hosts
City of Konstanz, the Mayor
Department of Psychology
Department of Law
Department of Politics and Management

Organization
Prof. Dr. Georg Lind, Email:

Welcome to Prof. Antanas Mockus

How do you make people proud of their country, to participate in its public affairs, and to pay voluntary taxes and obey the law?

Prof. Antanas Mockus -- the former two-times Alcalde Mayor (prime minister) of the District of Bogotá, Colombia, and self-appointed candidate for the elections of presidency of Colombia in 2006 -- has achieved this and many other things while he was in charge of the government of the District of Bogotá. He is a new type of politician. He is a self-declared educator of the public and has won the hearts of many Colombians, who consider him a source of hope and inspiration. I have heard many Colombians speaking of him in high esteem. Mr. Mockus is not only a sincere politician and great communicator but also a very humorous person, pursuing his political aims always with a grain of wit and clownishness

Therefore, I am very happy that Mr. Mockus, also a professor of mathematics and philosophy and former president of the National University of Bogotá, will visit Konstanz and speak about democratic culture, education and the peace process in Colombia.

Colombia is still a problem-ridden country (taz). Mockus himself has been put on the death lists by the guerillas and the paramilitaries (taz). Yet in 1991, the country has given itself a new constitution with more federalism, direct elections of state representatives, and citizenship education as a constitutional right. In many parts of the country, citizens engage in building up a democratic culture, hoping that, eventually, this will lead to an end of kidnapping, death squads and guerilla warfare.

Although Konstanz is a small town, there are many ties between Konstanz and Colombia. There are children from Colombia, who have been adopted by parents from Konstanz. There is an active local Terre des Hommes group with manifold relationships to Colombia. ai and the Weltladen often feature Colombia on their events. The Deutsch-Kolumbianische Freundeskreis has an active branch in Konstanz and meets actually at the end of the week of Mr. Mockus' visit. One of its members, Bishop Emil Stehle, who has been actively involved in many peace talks between the guerillas and the government of Colombia, lives in Konstanz.

The University of Konstanz has also multiple contacts with Colombia. There is a partnership between the Konstanz Department of Law and the Law School of Santo Toma University of Bogotá. The president of the Colombian Constitutional Court has a degree from the University of Konstanz. Several departments host doctoral students from Colombia.

And there are my long-standing contacts, initially with a group of citizens called "ParticpacCCion Ciudadana", which asked me to advice them on matters of democracy and moral education, with the Secretary of Education of Bogotá, Cecilia Maria Velez White, and with the Mayor Mockus, and presently again with Mrs. Velez, now Minister of Education of Colombia.

Having been invited to Colombia several times since 1998, I am very impressed by the friendliness and warmth of its people, by their hope for a peaceful future and their willingness to work for a change. I have also met many leaders who were open for new ideas and committed to their country, fighting injustice, lawlessness, poverty and corruption.

On several occasions I had the chance to listen to Mr. Mockus' engaging lectures, in which he easily established a relationship with his audience. I also had the pleasure to have conversations with him on democracy, education and moral competencies. I am very happy that he will come to Konstanz to extend this conversation to the many friends that Colombia has here in Konstanz.

George Lind

Professor of Psychology
University of Konstanz