Editorial: A life in dignity
Globalization is here to stay. Fortunately, this word does not only remind me of the inherent lack of sustainability of moved goods – and people – sloshing around the world, but also of knowledge transfer and worldwide friendships. Paradoxically, there are still many for whom migrants are nothing but «strangers in a strange land.» Recently the Moria refugee camp on Lesbos, in Greece, went up in flames. It is shameful for us Europeans that no durable solution has yet been found for twelve-thousand refugees fighting for their survival. So many houses, former farms and even whole villages on the fringes of Europe have been abandoned, are empty or falling apart! Why not buy them up and/or rent them out to experienced immigrants so that they can live in them, cultivate the land that comes with them, and, along with their other skills, create a new life for themselves and their families? That’s how some small southern Italian towns and villages are already saving themselves from extinction. We are furthering the causes of extremists if we fail to respond positively and compassionately to present and future migrations. Moreover, we urgently need to make arrangements to help us to locally feed and provide for more people, including ourselves. The world is rapidly changing.
Keeping the faith,
Susanne G. Seiler
The Run
I go through
trillions of molecules
that move aside
to make way for me
while on both sides
trillions more
stay where they are.
The windshield wiper blade
starts to squeak.
The rain has stopped.
I stop.
On the corner
a boy
in a yellow raincoat
holding his mother’s hand.
Ron Padgett