4. GOETHE FORA

Cultural activities based on dialogue don't just mean
talking about your native country.
It's just as important to listen to what the host country has to say.

Inadequate infrastructure or the political suppression of free speech
in many countries have led and still lead to these voices
being barely audible.
In situations such as these and in view of its own dictatorial history
the work profile of the Goethe-Institut changes.
Promoting open internal dialogue within the host country
and providing people with a pluralist forum
can end up being the institute's prime tasks.

The Goethe-Instituts can provide the infrastructure
- stages, exhibition venues, technical equipment -
without which there would be no publicity.
Through its libraries and information centres
the institute can supply people with information
which may otherwise not be available.
It can act as a mediator for contacts and
professionals from Germany.

This is particularly important for new democracies
undergoing a post-totalitarian period of change.
Through its own history Germany has developed
a special sense of responsibility; the German example
has time and again served as a valuable illustration
and has made a lasting impression on the internal dialogue
of many host countries.