On 9 November 1989, world history was made. The fall of the Berlin Wall ended decades of German division, it brought the Cold War to an end, and it even triggered US political scientist Francis Fukuyama to proclaim “the end of history”.

A quarter century on, history has long restarted. The Berlin Wall may be long gone but we are living in an era of geopolitics that looks no less fragile and dangerous than those Cold War days.

Where were you for the fall of the Berlin Wall? Twenty-five years after the collapse of the Iron Curtain, The New Zealand Initiative will hold a commemorative seminar to mark this seminal event in world history. It will also assess implications of the historic events for current geopolitical challenges:

• Initiative Director Dr Oliver Hartwich was in Germany when the Wall came down. He will recall the events of the time and explain how Germany’s unification contributed to Europe’s current economic troubles.
• His Excellency Zbigniew Gniatkowski, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to New Zealand, will reflect on the end of the Cold War in 1989 and talk about current international tensions in Eastern Europe.
• Victoria University’s Dr Jason Young, an expert on contemporary China, will talk about the conclusions the leadership in Beijing has drawn from the collapse of communism in the former Soviet bloc.

The event will be chaired by Murray Jack, Chairman of Deloitte NZ and a Director of The New Zealand Initiative.

Join us for a panel discussion to commemorate the historic events of 1989 and explore whether the lessons of the past apply to today’s challenges in Europe and Asia.

Date: Tuesday, 10 November 2014
Time: 5.45 PM - 8.00 PM
Location: Deloitte, Accounting and Advisory, 10 Brandon St, Wellington