Leif memberen vun cheffe an gemengerot, schoulpersonal, memberen vun d’integratiounskommission, leif frënn vun flüchtning centrum, leif frenn
I will now change to English to ensure that everybody understands.
We are all so busy. We have to stretch our self to get to work, coming home from work, pick up our children, get to the sports club, to the association were we help. We are engaged in both swimming, basket and football on Sundays, television in the evening. We are all so busy. Throughout the day. Throughout the week. Throughout the year.
So there are many good reasons to why I’m incredibly happy for this opportunity to make a few comments about something that is much more important than anything else. I think that it is good for Mersch, that we will have the opportunity to deal with something that is much, much more important.
And what we are dealing with today is very very important.
We see the pictures every day on television, in the newspapers and sometimes in advertising:
The poor mother with her baby on her back in a refugee camp in Somalia.
Families in bombed ruins in Afghanistan.
People with faces full of fatigue and fear, crammed into broken-down fishing boats or rubber dinghies on their way across the Mediterranean.
People on the road from something, but rarely or perhaps never towards something.
Towards something – For a refugee this little sentence is too often something very distant in every respect. And usually always something very uncertain.
Without knowing how the day tomorrow will be.
I think it is worth thinking about!
Admittedly, we can complain about many things. And we do indeed. But we always know roughly how the day tomorrow will be. We have our work, of which we can be reasonably sure. We have our families and friends, that is in most cases also certain. There is really no great uncertainty as to what and how tomorrow will be. And here in Mersch, it is likely to be very safe.
But there are roughly 13 million people around the world, who have no idea what tomorrow will bring. But it is pretty sure that it will be a day of fear, insecurity and anxiety – a battle for existence!
We see images of all the unfortunate people on the run. We are horrified, we resent. And in many cases we push it away, turn off the television. Such is the world, some say.
I say: Is it right? Is it true? Is it correct? Can Mersch, Luxembourg, make a difference at all? After all, some say, wealth is not evenly distributed in the world. Wwe can’t save the entire world. And so on!
I say: It doesn’t help to close your eyes and speak against better judgement. We can make a difference.
It is about personal responsibility and it’s about the individual’s commitment to refugees. It is this commitment that is the basis and the lifeblood of the voluntary work that with very little encouragement, has worked so well in our case. In Mersch….
And this is why we are gathered here today – a common cause.
We are the world’s richest society, or at least one of them. We have democracy, we have freedom of speech, we have legal protection and a long, wide range of services available that other nations rightly envy us.
Luxembourg has got a good reputation for its humanitarian efforts, a tradition which we together continue.
Als Mierscher an Präsident vun der Integratiounskommissioun vun der Gemeng Miersch sinn ech ganz houfreg dass mir zesummen mat den Maatarbechter vun der Gemeng, den Leiereinnen an Schoulmeschteren, den Memberen vun der Integratiounskommissioun an virun allem Dank den genereisen Elteren konnten esou vill Spillsaachen an Spiller sammelen.
Ech sinn secher dass dat allen Kanner dei mat net vill op Letzebuerg koumen vill Freed waert kennen machenan hiren Alldaag mei schein mecht.
Ouni dei immense Hellef vun villen Leit hei zu Miersch wier dest guer net meiglech gewiescht!
Ee ganz besonneche Merci un den Buergermeschter (Abbes en extraen Merci fir deng/är ganz Hellef dass dat heiten geklappt huet) an der Scheffe a Gemengenroot vun der Gemeng esou wei och nach emol eis Integratiounskommissioun and ganz speziell un d’Hella Gnörich an d’Joyce Rodenbuch fir är wonnerbar Hellef an Ennerstetzung.
An dann zum Schluss nach den greissten Merci ganz perseinlech un all d’Elteren dei dat heiten duerch hiren Engagement meiglech gemach hun; Villmols Merci
(As Mierscher and as chairman of the Miercher integration committee, I am so proud that we with the help from the staff of the “Gemeng”, the school teachers, the members of the integration committee, and not least, the generous parents from the schools in Mersch, have been able to collect so many toys, so much clothes!
I am sure that it will make a very big difference to the children who came to Luxembourg without much, now they have at least something that can help to make a difference to their daily lives.
Without the help from all “Mierschere”, we could not have made a difference!
A heartfelt thank you, to our mayor of gemeng Miersch (thank you Abbes for supporting us in putting this together), to the members of the “schefferot”, the members of the council, the members of the integration committee and specially to Hella Gnörich and Joyce Rodenbuch for their huge contribution and support.
And very importantly – A very special “thank you” to all the parents who has contributed to our project – from the bottom of my heart – Thank you very much!)