“Here comes the sun little darlin’ Here comes the sun”
Message on behalf of the Global Potential (GP) community
It’s devastating…every day we try to build a beautiful and united society a handful of criminals comes to unjustly kill 132 of our friends, our friends of friends, and wound 415 others. They were aiming the gun at every one of us, through our friends who were simply enjoying a soccer match, dancing at a concert or making the most of their weekend at cafes and restaurants on one of the last sunny weekends of November in Paris and its suburbs. This happened just right after the horrendous attacks in Beirut that killed 44 Lebanese people and injured 239 others. We know that many more innocent victims have died beforehand and unfortunately we are told many more will also soon die. Yet we openly refuse to live in this world without any sun coming in for all of us together, without any rays of hope.
FLUCTUAT – we have been tossed by the waves.
This past Saturday we were all tossed into a state of shock around the whole world. In Paris, most of us cancelled all our events such as the workshops for GP youth and other such activities, while as some others decided to go out “in spite of everything”. We were desperately trying to find out who had fallen dead among us. Which one of our friends, which one of our buddies? Who would be able to give us news about missing Lola, a 12th grade friend of one GP leader at our partner high school in Paris, Rocroy…?
Every youth experienced at that time moments which we would never have imagined knowing in France since the Second World War. Our surgeons and firemen were not deterred but it must have been oh so difficult for them…
Sylvia, our journalist friend from LCI who interviewed GP and Combo a few months ago now, was suddenly propelled as the war-reporter during that very early morning, on the screens of the well-known French TV channel TF1.
We were all facing death eye to eye…but truth be told, death like the sun cannot be stared at in the face. What is key now is to create dialogue and find happiness immediately, at this very moment.
This can only be possible if we work all together to become entrepreneurs of our own lives, to decide to simply live life, and not revert to violence as a means to find a solution to this complex world. Rather we must turn towards the power of love and sharing, locally and globally.
NEC MERGITUR – we will not sink
On Sunday, yesterday, today and the days and weeks to follow these attacks, we will remain united in grief but stand straight up with everyone who seeks to create a more just and humane society. We will continue to create a society that is as beautiful as ever, founded on a message of life, liberty, equality, tolerance and joy and in total opposition of soldiers of death and fear.
With our families, neighbors, friends and friends of our friends, we will continue to pursue our actions so that a maximum of youth from all backgrounds can create meaningful life projects.
Global Potential side by side with the youth today
Global Potential’s emphasis on ongoing learning and international exchange will help build bridges of understanding.
To the Global Potential youth, we wish to say :
Each of you, working as change-makers in your community, are incredibly important in this tumultuous time! YOU are the leaders that will strengthen society’s understanding and appreciation of minority communities and cultures, across racial, social, economic and religious barriers.
While none of us can control the actions of others or change the past, we have the power of our future actions. It will be a difficult time in Paris and across the world – as many people will react out of fear and anger and may seek to alienate their neighbors who are Muslim, who are immigrants, who speak different languages. GP youth will be needed more than ever, to take leadership and inspire solidarity within and across communities.
We are proud of everything you do, everyday, to create a stronger, more inclusive, more resilient global society.
We believe that every person has multiple talents and that the development of one’s lifetime potential is an every-day struggle that we are incessantly developing in France, the United States and around the world.
We wish to create real life projects for youth and prevent making mistakes that could lead towards violence. As such, the Global Potential teams seek to continue to question one’s own responsibilities as well, and to propose youth to become the co-creators of real solutions.
All together, united, we are creating a world that has more solidarity, more tolerance and will make the sun shine again. We have been tossed by the waves but we will never sink. The focus on youth is today, right now, at this very moment, it is indeed the hope for all the generations to come.
Corinne Thouvenin, Sarah Gogel, Hakima Mouflih, and the whole team in France
Anastasia Thatcher, Wendy Reynoso, Peter Maugeri, and the whole team in the USA
Younousse Diallo, Lamine Cissé, Daba Ndoye, and the whole team in Sénégal
Samy Enecia, Yeraldo Perez, and the whole team in Dominican Republic
Guy-Valovsky Mathieu, and the whole team in Haïti
Esperanza Salgado, Isaac Ruiz, and the whole team in Nicaragua