“Good that the Global Leaderships Forum has become an integral part of the World Cultural Festival. Leaders around the globe sharing their thoughts on the challenges of our times: how to cope with a divers society and thus create harmony in diversity? Human fear of the ‘Other’, whether it is religion, colour, orientation or something else, belongs to all ages. For a diverse city like The Hague, where over half the population comes from a different cultural background, it is and remains a challenge to be unified as a city. By working together and recognising and using each other’s strengths, we can achieve more. However, we must be able to see and embrace the strengths of the ‘Other’.
In recent decades, we in the wealthy western countries have become accustomed to the fact that others take care of people in need and even our nearest and dearest. We sometimes forget what brotherly love really means. For me, brotherly love is one of the most valuable fruits of faith. In many religions, looking after people on the edges of society is a key value. I feel that this is a value that we should all embrace. Brotherly love, caring for others, makes us more tolerant. Because we no longer shut people out, but embrace them in our hearts. By working together and meeting others, we get to know other values, other norms, other cultures. And thus we enrich ourselves. I hope that in these sometimes difficult times of contradiction and fear, we can also remain positive about the opportunities and strength that diversity can bring. And that we will continue to welcome the light into our hearts. And that is exactly the inspiration which we get from the World Cultural Festival, to be emphasized at the Global Leaderships Forum.”
Since 2006, Mr. Baldewsingh has served as Deputy Mayor of the City of The Hague, The Netherlands (the International City of Peace and Justice). He is The Hague’s Alderman for Social Affairs, Employment, Neighbourhood Approach, Integration Policies and Sports. In the last decade, he has been one of the leading figures in the debate on integration and diversity in The Hague, and is a published writer and poet.