#I mean that was a truly CHAOTIC promotion ceremony

[victorluvsalice]

Happy Birthday Nebby!

@nebbychan, as per my favorite of the ideas that you presented, here is Dan and Tim trying to explain the chaos that happened during Dan’s promotion to Captain (as first seen in your story “One Wild Night”) to everyone at the Ball & Socket, with poor Kiya dying of laughter in the background. Hope you enjoy!

--

“Oh, come on, Dan! You gotta be making some of this up!”

“I swear this is all what really happened!” Dan said, crossing a skeletal finger over his breastplate. “Really and truly!”

“He’s telling the truth,” Canny Tim added loyally. “Not a single, er, embellished detail to be had! I was right there in the thick of it with him, and it was all that chaotic!”

“Yeah – in fact, Tim here saved Megwynne in one of his first major acts of heroism while I was up on the pirate ship!” Dan said, wrapping an arm around his friend. “Though he’ll have to tell you that part, I wasn’t around to see it.”

“Later, maybe,” Tim said through pink cheeks. “You were, ah, telling them about breaking the others out of their cell on the pirate ship?”

“Right, right – so I got my hands on Woden’s sword and set about busting the other heroes out!” Dan said, striking a dramatic pose. “I admit, I tried to use the sword to pick the lock first–”

“Why?” Kiya called behind him, the word almost lost in between snorts and giggles.

“Look, I’d already had probably more wine than was good for me, dealt with a drunken king, retrieved the main course of the meal from a hungry dog–” Woof! “–yes, we all know you enjoyed the boar, Lupo – had to stop an upset elephant dragon from burning down the castle, and figure out why a flying pirate ship was raiding the place on what was supposed to be my special day. I was not thinking clearly.”

“I don’t think any of us were,” Tim admitted, running his fingers through his hair. “It was really a most – exciting promotion ceremony.”

“The promotion was the least crazy part of it,” Bonejangles said, Lizzie giggling beside him. “Besides, you know, Dan coming within a couple of inches of ending up like Paul.”

“Yeah, good thing King Peregrine was willing to listen to me, drunk as he was. . .” Dan shook his skull. “Anyway, I figured out how to use the sword to burst apart the lock, then led all the other heroes up to the top deck–”

“You crawled up there!” Woden yelled from his table. “Wincin’ at every little squeak!”

“Hey, I was trying to get us up there unnoticed! Not my fault that the door burst open on the very last step! Nearly busted my nose!”

“And then when you did get above decks, after the rest of us had mopped up the guards, that one pirate scooped you up like it was nothing!”

“All right, but he quickly realized it wasn’t smart to swing around someone who was already feeling seasick,” Dan retorted, folding his arms.

Kiya laughed all the harder. “You throw up?”

“Aaaaall over him,” Dan confirmed, upper jaw flexing in a smirk somehow. “And then he threw me right in front of his captain!”

“Face-first,” Woden pointed out.

“Hey, I still got right back up and chopped his sword in half!”

“Only because you had my sword! Which was promptly stolen from you by that damn swinging pirate covered in sick.”

“A rare sentence, that,” Lizzie observed, causing Kiya to bonk her head against her table.

“You got it back! After I dumped the rest of the pirates off the ship!”

“Another accident!”

“It worked!”

“Everyone, please, let’s just tell the story and not argue about the details,” Tim said, holding up his hands.

“Yeah, before Kiya laughs herself unconscious,” Bonejangles observed, rolling his eye between sockets.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Kiya said, holding her stomach and gasping. “Just – oh dear, I thought our time in London was a mess!”

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it,” Dan said, chuckling. “In fact – we’re up to the ship crashing into the castle now, right Tim? Right after I’d finally freed the king and my poor dog. . .”

[uta-no-knb]

God day! Can I ask scenario about Akashi tell his girlfriend about his mother, his childhood and his disorder?

Hello! Yes you can!! I did research which is why this took so long. 

Key points

This takes place your second year of university. You met Akashi during your first year. 

Let’s Begin!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Take a deep breath you said to yourself, as you stood in front of the Akashi manor. You can do this.

Your boyfriend texted you, asking you to come over to discuss something. With your boyfriend being one to discuss serious topics in person rather than text, it made you anxious. Was he moving? Or worse...was he going to break up with you. 

Just ring the doorbell. It’s so easy, just push the button and... You stopped yourself, your hand shaking as it hovered over the doorbell. I...I can’t do it-

“L/N-chan.”

You jumped in surprise as you saw your boyfriend staring right at you, with the door opened. He was wearing a red button down shirt-with the first three buttons undone-with a black tie hanging loosely around his neck. He paired the shirt with black slacks. 

“Hi Akashi-kun.”

He raised an eyebrow, confused as to why you look like you saw a ghost. “Come on in,” he said, ushering you in. After taking your shoes off, he took your hand and led you towards the family room.

He used my last name....that’s really not a good sign. You sighed softly, unaware that the redhead heard you. 

The moment you reached the room, the both of you headed towards one of the couches. you noticed two empty glasses and a pitcher of water sitting on the coffee table. Akashi sat down, releasing your hand. “Please sit.”

Pressing your lips together you sat down next to him, placing your hands on your lap, not meeting his eyes. 

The silence between you two was tense and thick, making both of you uncomfortable.

“You look nice today.”

You raised an eyebrow at him; you were wearing black leggings, paired with a (F/C) Oversized hoodie with your university name on it. Your hair was in a messy bun and to add to your chaotic look, you were wearing two different colored socks. 

“I actually look like shit, but thanks I guess,” you shrugged. “You could’ve dressed more casual you know.” 

“I apologize, I came from a meeting,” he said taking off his tie and placing it on the table. “Would you like anything to eat? Or drink?” He asked as he started to pour water into one of the glasses

“Please,” you started, startling the redhead, “If you’re going to break up with me, just do it. Don’t prolong this because its not fai-”

“What are you talking about?” He cocked his head to the side with a look of confusion on his face as he placed the pitcher down. “Why would I breakup with you? What makes you say that?”

“W-Well, you called me by my last name, which you rarely do unless its something serious...and what can be more serious than a breakup?”

Akashi reached out and grabbed one of your hands, rubbing his thumb over it. “I’m sorry if it came across that way.” You looked up at him as he continued, “But this is a serious conversation that I want to have with you.”

“O-okay. What is it?”

Taking a deep breath, he began, “You’ve opened up to me about your past, and I know a lot about you. And it doesn’t feel right that you know nothing about me.”

“What do you mean?” you asked, “I do know stuff about yo-”

“I’m not talking about the basic parts. I’m referring to my past and...a part of me that I’m ashamed of.”

Sei-Chan.....is opening up? You looked at him and saw a mixture of fear and uncertainty in his eyes. “Go ahead,” you said, “I’m listening.”

Taking a deep breath, he turned to face you. “Alright.”

“As you know, my mother passed away when I was in my fifth year of elementary school from an illness. I wish you could’ve met her,” he said with a slight chuckle, “Since my father was strict with me, and wanting me to succeed in every area possible, my mother was the only one who supported me emotionally. She’s the one who got me into basketball.”

“She sounds like an amazing person, Seijuro.”

He nodded, “She was. She was the kindest woman, and strong willed since she dealt with my father. When she passed, my father became more strict and I was never truly happy. With her gone, my childhood was very limited. However, basketball made me feel closer to her. I was surprised when my father allowed me to play...as long as I won.

“When I attended Teiko, I was one of the few first years to ever be a part of the first string, and after a short time, I was promoted to captain; it was hard, but it was worth it. It was during my second year that the “Kiseki no Sedai” was formed, and it was during that time that the other members were advancing their skills and their egos except for me.”

Their skills? You asked yourself. If their skills were developed since middle school...what the hell were they like before?!

“One day, the team was starting to slowly fall apart; Aomine skipped practice, which then led to Murasakibara questioning why he couldn’t skip as well. This of course led to an argument which ended up turning into a one on one match between the two of us. Due to our height difference, he managed to push me back, and it was at that time that I realized I would lose. I never lose; I’ve never lost in my entire life. The Akashi family can never lose and I didn’t want to shame my family name.”

You saw Akashi fiddle with his hands; it was a rare sight to see him nervous and...unsure. He’s always so calm and collected...this was a first for you. 

“However, something happened that day and...I ended up winning. I obtained a new skill, the Emperor eye and that was when....I changed. I was more cold toward everyone; I was confident to the point I was rude, yet the team listened to me and respected me. It was during our third year that I emotionally hurt Kuroko. We were all at nationals and we faced his good friend. When Kuroko got injured, I prevented his friend from seeing him, guaranteeing our team's victory. I then advised the other miracles to not hold back. We ended up crushing the other team....and crushed the spirit of his friend. This resulted in Kuroko disappearing; he was hurt by us.” He paused, as his grip slightly tightened around your hand. 

You placed your hand on top of his and rubbed it with your thumb. “Take your time. I have nowhere to be.”

Taking a deep breath, Akashi continued, “At the end of the year, Kise, Aomine, Midorima, Murasakibara and myself all made an oath to face each other on the court, since we all ended up going to different schools.,” he saw you start to open your mouth but he cut you off, “Please let me finish. I want you to know everything before you question me.”

You nodded and he proceeded. “I was superior...I was better than everyone. When I entered Rakuzan, I quickly became captain, and just like during my third year of middle school, treated my teammates the same way; being arrogant and calling everyone by their first name without the proper suffix-even to my senpais. I was focused on having powerful teammates, winning at every cose, and not caring about training or hard work, which I always used to believe in. 

“When it came time for the Winter Cup, the six of us met up before the opening ceremony; however I wasn’t expecting Kagami Taiga being there. It was then, that I attacked him with scissors-”

“Okay, I’m sorry but how did you get scissors?”

“...They were Midorima’s lucky item of the day and I told him I needed to cut my hair, but that’s irrelevant. Please, just listen.”

“Sorry, proceed.”

“I gathered everyone there to make sure they remembered the oath we made. I hadn’t heard from Kuroko since middle school, but I knew he would follow the oath...and I was right. Kuroko ended up beating Murasakibara, Aomine and Kise; my team managed to take down Midorima. I told him that victory is everything and that I willingly wanted to be his enemy. I remember when he told me I still had not changed. What he didn’t know was that I had changed; my abilities had developed further.” 

Once again, Akashi paused, and you gave his hand a light squeeze. “Go on, Seijuro.”

“It was time for Kuroko and myself to face off.  It was going well, we were winning and Kuroko’s ability of misdirection was wearing off due to Mayuzumi-san being Rakuzan’s misdirection specialist...until he gained it back.  During the game, I started to get frustrated with my teammates and slowly started to lose faith in them; eventually I started to play by myself. This led me to obtain the ability to enter the Zone, where my abilities increased.

Unfortunately, like before, Kuroko and Seirin had the upper hand, and the same feeling I felt back at Teiko came back...I was mentally damaged by Seirin’s duo.They...broke my victory-sealing trump card; they defeated my ankle break move. I messed up the rhythm I had made for my team.  I remember what Mayuzumi-san said to me...”

~~Flashback~~~

“What a disgrace,” Mayuzumi said, looking at Akashi. 

The three Uncrowned Kings gasped in shock; never have they heard someone talk to their captain like that. 

“Did you think we’d comfort you or cheer you up? We’d never do something like that. You made all those pompous statements, but this is all you’ve got? I can’t believe that. You’re nothing like the guy I first met on the school roof. More like...

~~~~~~

“...who the hell are you. Those words struck a chord with me...I kept asking myself who I was. I had flashbacks of my mother...of my childhood. It was then that....I faced my other half; the true me. I realized that I enjoyed those days when I could play as much as I want to with my teammates...my friends. I wanted my inferior side...this side of me.. to stay locked away...But only seeking victory, abandoning everything else...I lost sight of why I wanted to stand strong. I couldn’t hold back the urge to win against Kuroko and Seirin...and I regained control. My team forgave me...and while we ended up losing, it was fun to play the sport again.” 

Mayuzumi-san.... You tried to remember who he was. You remembered your best friend forcing you to watch the game with them-even though you weren’t quite paying attention (you were just there to socialize). You knew who the other three members were...and you vaguely recall Akashi talking about him...Oh! He was the quiet one! 

“After hearing this, I will not blame you for leaving. Even if I’m no longer the other me, I still shouldn’t have the privilege of having you. You don’t deserve to have someone messed up like me” Akashi looked to you, indicating that he had finished. 

“So...let me get this straight,” you started, “Up until your third year of middle school, you were, who I will call “Boku-shi.....then you changed to this “Ore-shi” persona”

Bokushi? Oreshi?

“.....only to return to being ‘Boku-shi’ after losing against Kuroko?”

“I guess... yea,” he slightly stuttered. 

“So...you pretty much suffered from a form of Dissociative Identity Disorder,” you asked, getting a nod from the redhead. “And that is why you think I don’t deserve you?”

 He nodded once again, looking away from you this time. “You don’t think I’m crazy for having a conversation with my other persona?” 

You shook your head. “That persona of yours...it wasn’t your fault. It was due to the disorder. It is usually caused by any trauma during one’s early childhood; in your case, it was the emotional abuse from your father as well as the death of your mother-” 

“By then...I may have already started to be torn apart.”

“And when you add the stress from falling behind your friends and almost losing...you were torn apart even further.”   

“I had to stay the strongest so that I could continue to play with them, which is why my other half  was born” Akashi’s voice rose as he yanked his hand away from yours, clutching it into a fist. “I tried to keep them together by winning..those who were irreplaceable. That was the only way I knew how. That weakness was what created him! I was weak!”

You froze. You had never seen your boyfriend like this...vulnerable and open. His past really is haunting him. Now I see why he wanted to talk to me in person about this. You placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, “Sei-chan, please look at me?” 

Hearing you call him by his nickname, he looked up at you 

Your hand slipped from his shoulder, and you started to rub his back. “Thank you for opening up to me. I know this must have been hard for you. I appreciate you being vulnerable with me, but you have nothing to worry about; I’m not going anywhere.”

“W-what?” he jerked back, “But what I did...it was wrong and disrespectful-”

“And it was all in the past,” you cut him off. “Leave the past in the past. What’s done is done. Besides, you regained your friends after this ordeal right? You lead them to victory against those douchebags from America-”

“But he came back during that match,” he said, being the one to cut you off. “I willingly allowed him to return because we were going to lose. Everyone played hard, and I wasn’t going to let my fear hold us back.” He sighed and looked down again, “It didn’t really matter, my other half was no match against them.”

“...Then...how did you win?” You asked, “If you were too weak to deal with the loss, and your other half couldn’t do it...then how did you win?”

“...We merged. We worked together, and helped our team win.” he briefly paused, “But he’s still there and he could come back-”

“Akashi...your friends accepted you again right? After all the stuff that happened, they let you back in. Part of him will always be with you, yes-I’m pretty sure they all know that. However, you overcame him...your weakness....you did that by yourself...you controlled him. You might show some of his traits here or there....but there’s a good chance he won’t be coming back.” You scooted closer to him and kissed his cheek. “It’s going to take a lot to scare me off, Akashi Seijuro.”

Akashi couldn’t help the smile that came across his face; he placed a quick kiss on your lips and brought you into a hug. “Thank you,” he whispered, smiling wider as he felt your arms hug him back. 

Breaking the hug, he looked you in the eyes. “How did you know what to say? How did you know what it was?”

“Sei-chan, I'm a psych major,” you chuckled, “I kinda have to know these things. Two different personalities is a sign of DID; however, usually people don’t remember what happened when they let their other personas take over...so yours is a unique case.” You took out your phone and began typing away. 

“....What are you doing?”

“Making a note to ask my professor if there’s a proper term for your condition. Don’t worry, I won't mention anything personal-just that you were able to remember what you did as your other persona took over.” 

“You better not mention my name, or else.”

“I won't, I promise.” 

“Tell me, why aren’t you surprised. Don’t tell me it’s because you’re a psych major-this is a serious condition. How does it not bother you.” 

You put your phone down and looked at him, “Because I suffer from mental illnesses too.” Akashi looked at you in surprise. “I suffer from Anxiety and depression. So no, mental illness don’t bother me.”

“So that means you-“

“No, I don’t self-harm,” you started cutting off Akashi’s thought. “Whenever I get depressed, I just get sad and quiet. I usually want to be alone...yet I also want comfort.” 

“I see. That’s good to know,” he smiled. “I’ll make sure to do just that.” 

 You smiled back at him. “But I’m curious...how did your teammates know when your persona took over?”

“...my eyes changed colors; one was gold and the other was red.”

You leaned closer to his face and smiled, “Well, whatever color your eyes are, I’ll still love them the same.”

He smiled and, cupping your face, brought you into a kiss.

~~~~~~

BONUS

“So Akashi finally told you, huh?” Kagami said, taking a bite out of his burger. 

You nodded, as Akashi took your hand and gave it a light squeeze. 

Earlier, Akashi was invited to a game with his old teammates and Kagami and he brought you along. You never got to see them play as a team-or half a team since it was 3 on 3- and you were in complete amazement; their teamwork was spot on and...you got to see the smile of your boyfriend, having fun. Now, the lot of you were sitting at Maji Burger, the boys catching up with each other.

“...And you’re still with him?”

The smile faded from Akashi’s face, only to be surprised when you flicked the salt container at Aomine, hitting his right in the middle of his forehead. 

“Of course I am,” you responded, ignoring the complaints coming from the blue haired male. “The past doesn’t define a person, it's the present that does. Sei is a good man with a good heart.”

“But...are you really prepared for his ‘mom mode’?” Aomine grinned, still rubbing his head. 

You looked at your boyfriend, “‘Mom mode’?” 

“Back at Teiko, I was considered the ‘team mom’ while Nijimura-senpai was the ‘team dad’.”

“Yup! Your boyfriend was a nagging mom!” Aomine laughed. “Kuroko, get up and go sit down. Midorima, you can’t have your lucky item on the court. Murasakibara, put down the bag of sweets. Kise, stop staring at your fangirls! He literally nagged everyone except me!”

“Not true, Aomine-kun. If anything, you were the one he nagged to the most.”

“W-what? Tetsu!”

“He’s right, nanodayo! ‘Aomine, you can’t leave practice.”

“Aomine, you can’t have your magazines on the bench.”

“Aomine-cchi, you’re at practice-get off the bench and get on the court.”

“Aomin-”

“Alright! I get it! Enough!!” he pouted, as the whole table bursted out laughing. 

The laughter died down and the group talked about memories from their middle school and high school years. 

You looked over at your boyfriend, and couldn’t help but smile; seeing him smile....seeing him genuinely happy...you were happy that he regained his friends trust...and you knew that If his other persona shows up...

“Akashi-chií! How could you say that?!”

“He’s not wrong though. You do need to settle down you know.”

“But shouldn’t he grow up some more first?” 

“Kuroko-cchi! Mean-ssu!”

...Akashi will still be accepted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And there you have it! I hope it was to your liking; i was up til 2 am this morning writing it. 

Until next time!

~Orca

[fatimakhans12345]

Speech by Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel to the German Bundestag on the debate on the German Government’s guidelines on crisis prevention, conflict management and peacebuilding

Speech by Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel to the German Bundestag on the debate on the German Government’s guidelines on crisis prevention, conflict management and peacebuilding

Madam President, Ladies and gentlemen, Fellow members of this House,

First of all, I would like to thank you for your readiness – despite the approaching summer recess and the other important decisions we have already made today – to discuss an issue which may at first sound somewhat abstract. However, I believe you all know that it actually concerns the very concrete fate of people caught up in wars and conflicts, people who are quite literally struggling to survive. After lengthy debates and consultations – not only in Parliament but also in civil society – we adopted German Government’s guidelines entitled “Preventing crises, managing conflicts, building peace”.

A very cruel gauge of the current trend is the number of those who have to flee from violence. There have never been so many refugees and displaced persons: 65 million people at the close of last year. Even though we here in Germany have experienced, and indeed are still experiencing, challenges with this issue, we have to realise that we aren’t bearing the greatest burden – not by a long chalk! Rather, many other countries around the world are carrying it, for the majority of people flee within their own country or move back and forward between poor countries.

When we look at what’s happening in northern Uganda and in the heart of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, far away from the public eye, we see that sadly there is a very real danger that another record high will be reached this year. And – let me be quite open here – we’ve been hearing in the last few days about the huge number of refugees who have once again been arriving in Italy. I heard the actual figure today: 20,000 refugees within just a few days. I believe the first message to Europe must be: we cannot leave our friends and partners in Italy in the lurch. That’s not acceptable.

Whatever the debates in the European Union about migration policy: we have to ensure that in this issue everyone in Europe, not just a few countries, shows solidarity with the Italians. It cannot be that they are left to deal with this situation on their own and that ultimately we’re faced once more with completely chaotic refugee flows in Europe.

Ladies and gentlemen, islands of security and freedom are becoming ever smaller in this world. The number of countries in which tensions, violence, war and displacement are part and parcel of daily life, on the other hand, is rising. If we not only want to face up to these realities but to ensure that Germany assumes responsibility for bringing about changes, then we need to be clear how we want to do this. Since the term of office of my predecessor – the current Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier – we’ve been asking ourselves what Germany’s approach should be and, above all, which tools Germany, the German Government, should employ to help contain violence and displacement. Of course, we know that we shouldn’t overestimate our capabilities. Nor, however, should we underestimate what a country like Germany can achieve, especially when it comes to cooperation in Europe.

It has to be said that peace policy sometimes requires the deployment of military means. There have to be operations, especially United Nations operations, in which under certain circumstances excessive violence is stopped and further violence prevented also by military means. That, for example, is the lesson we learned from our experiences in Rwanda a few years ago when the world stood by because it lacked the will to intervene. Hundreds of thousands or even millions of people paid for this with their lives or health.

However, another lesson we’ve learned during the last few decades – and it’s mainly military personnel who tell us this – is that military interventions from the outside, even if they are performed with the best of intentions, do not necessarily bring about lasting peace. Our efforts to foster peace must therefore be marked by a clear commitment to the primacy of politics, to non-military, civilian intervention, especially where unavoidable military conflicts have to be followed by civilian efforts. This is not only because our Basic Law provides that our foreign policy should rely on diplomacy, conciliation and civilian engagement rather than military force, but also quite simply based on what our soldiers have experienced during difficult missions. They tell us that only with this combination, with such missions, can stability and durable peace be attained. In the light of the complex crises of our time, the prime task therefore is to do prevention work but also to provide rapid support and to work effectively and in an interconnected manner.

Ladies and gentlemen, with these guidelines we’re thus putting forward a compass for modern peace diplomacy. It’s especially important to me that we – first of all – based our conceptional work, on the one hand, on a critical assessment and, on the other, as I’ve already said, on a dialogue with civil society, with academia, associations and business.

Many members of this House have got involved, too. I believe that this process of debate has not only ensured that we now have produced a convincing document. Above all, it has shown how strong and vibrant – let me put it this way – the peace community is in our country; it, too, deserves our thanks. Naturally, we’re indebted to those taking part in operations – soldiers, development workers, etc. – but it is also the community in our country which wants to see Germany remain a strong force for peace which we need to thank. I believe that’s a good message at a time when all over the world we tend to talk more about rearmament and conflicts.

Secondly, these guidelines are based on the realisation that intelligent political strategies are needed, as are efficient and effective instruments, and above all realistic goals. We mustn’t expect crisis zones to become stable democracies overnight. And despite all our optimism and determination, we have to realise that achieving peace isn’t an exact science. Dealing with setbacks is as much a part of this as the readiness to take calculated risks, especially if new ideas are used to tackle this task, as we intend to do on the basis of the guidelines. It’s important that we don’t allow ourselves to be discouraged by setbacks. Rather, they should spur us on to explore – systematically and with circumspection – how Germany can make a long-term contribution towards more peace and security.

Allow me to also comment on the very difficult issue of arms exports. During the last few years, I’ve had to learn one thing in particular: the assumption that either supplying arms or not supplying arms is the right thing to do is always a mistake. Either course of action can make one culpable: supplying arms or not supplying them. This is illustrated by the Yazidis, who, as it were, would have been left to be exterminated. That’s why I believe it’s always wise to make decisions on a case-by-case basis, not to become internationally isolated and, above all, not to send the message that by taking one or other course of action one has done what is morally right. I believe we always have to be aware of the responsibility resulting from whatever decision we make, and that we have to be conscious of the risk that either decision may be wrong.

That, I feel, needs to be part of a frank and open debate.

Ladies and gentlemen, now let me turn to the third point. The guidelines identify scope for action.

They show us how and with which methods we can use this scope for our work to promote peace. This includes fostering the rule of law. What’s more, it includes the work done by our police officers, also that of those who offer advisory services on judicial matters. For of course the work of police officers should help ensure that rule-of-law instruments can be developed in countries where conditions are difficult and that a police force can be established in these countries which, as it were, can make the development of these rule-of-law tools their objective. I’ve visited a few police projects of this kind, for example in Mali, and, ladies and gentlemen, I think we can be truly proud of what these police officers have achieved due to their great efforts to promote the rule of law and a code of conduct in compliance with the rule of law.

Finally, the German Government has committed itself in quite concrete terms to further expanding its own conflict management capabilities. To this end, we want to intensify our partnerships with our European friends, the United Nations, as well as with regional organisations such as the African Union. For one thing is clear: no matter how hard we Germans try, we will only achieve something lasting if we cooperate with others.

Ladies and gentlemen, we intend to use these guidelines as a compass for modern German peace diplomacy. Everyone in this House knows that a compass alone is not enough, but that we also need hardware, as it were, instruments, ultimately always money, too.

That is why I say very openly that during the last weeks and months I, just like all of you, have been taking part in the debate about reaching a target of spending two percent of GDP on defence in NATO countries. I don’t want to say anything about the details. However, I believe that two points have been completely left out of this discussion.

Firstly, when the whole world is talking about rearmament, Germany and Europe have to talk again about disarmament and arms control.

It cannot be that this no longer is an issue. In the last few days, we’ve been organising the memorial ceremonies for Helmut Kohl. Not without reason, Helmut Schmidt and Helmut Kohl are mentioned time and again in connection with the NATO Double-Track Decision. Back then, defence capabilities on the one hand and disarmament offers on the other existed side by side. A few days ago, I was in Iceland for a conference attended by a number of European states. I had an opportunity to visit Höfði House in Reykjavik where Gorbachev and Reagan drafted a treaty from which we still benefit today: the INF Treaty, which did away with land-based intermediate-range nuclear missiles. This very treaty is now jeopardised, firstly due to the concerns about what the Russians are doing, and secondly because the Americans are saying: we cannot accept what’s happening over there for ever.

We have to return to a discussion in which we say: yes, we need a defence capability, but it has to be coupled with proactive offers on arms control, on disarmament, especially from us Germans and especially in Europe, ladies and gentlemen. That needs to be part of the deal.

In all of this, funding mechanisms are of course also important. In this context, I find the two percent debate a bit odd because we should actually start by asking why we need something. As long as this cannot be specified, it’s difficult to say how much is required, especially when we know that European defence expenditure amounts to 45 percent of that of the US but that, in comparison, European military assets only achieve 15 percent of the efficiency. Another important point is not to fall into the disastrous trap of raising military spending while reducing spending on development aid and crisis prevention. On the contrary, for every euro spent on defence capabilities, we should actually be channelling 1.50 euros into development aid and crisis prevention.

Thank you for your attention.

from UK & Germany http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Reden/2017/170630-BM-BT_Leitlinien_Krisenpr%C3%A4vention.html?nn=479796