“Future for Palestine” – a lecture by the President of the German Federal Wholesale and Export Association
On April 13th 2011, the Department of Business Administration
and Marketing at the Faculty of Commerce and Economics - BZU held a lecture on "Future for Palestine,"
delivered by Mr. Anton F. Boerner, President of the German Federal Wholesale
and Export Association (BGA), Berlin
The
BGA is the leading organization for wholesale,
foreign trade and service sector in the Federal Republic of Germany. It was
originally founded in 1916, and re-founded after the Second World War
(1949). The BGA's goals include coordination with other organizations
both within Germany, and abroad regarding trade laws, quotas, collective
bargaining, as well as other activities related to business needs.
Mr.
Anton F. Boerner commenced by
saying that BGA represents
- 120.000 companies
- 1.200.000 employees
- 850 billon € turnover only within Germany
- Exports: 960 billion €
- Imports: 806 billion €
* The
majority of our members are medium-sized enterprises.
He added: Palestine
has not been taking part in the process of globalization, not allowing it to
benefit from the chances, and from the view of an entrepreneur, you must start
to make use of these chances first.
His conclusions regarding economic and business development in
Palestine are: Palestine is invited to take part in globalization and to make
use of these chances, to leave ideology behind, since Ideology has never led to
an increase in welfare, knowing that
there is a shift of paradigms at the moment in the Arabian world, wherein some
have started to walk the road out of ideology
This event was an exciting opportunity for BZU community
to meet with a key member of one of the world's largest and most successful
economies, in addition to receive critical insight, in terms of the outlook and
perception regarding the Palestinian economy.
It should be noted that a special thanks is
directed towards the BGA for allowing Mr. Boerner to participate in this
event.