It was November the 9th 2009. People, leaders and celebrities from all over the world had gathered in the German capital to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. I had just moved to Berlin and was delighted to be able to participate in the celebrations by the Brandenburg Gate. It was a cold night, it was raining, but we were all excited to witness this historical moment.
One of the leaders who gave a speech about the importance of the fall of physical and mental walls was US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
How sad and ironic that exactly seven years later Hillary Clinton should lose the US presidential election to a man who has promised to erect a wall on the border between the United States and Mexico (amongst many over outrageous proposals).
Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown was also in Berlin for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall and spoke of one united Europe. Seven years later Brexit happened.
If there is one place on earth that knows the devastating effects of a wall this is Berlin, the city I live in and a city that was divided for almost 30 years.
When people worldwide choose to build more walls, more barriers, more fences both physical and psychological, something has clearly gone wrong.
No comments:
Post a Comment