Dear Friends and Members of the Sister City Cologne,
Sharing some information and photos Hartwig sent me of the Peace Demo in Cologne this past weekend. As many of you probably already know, Russia attacked Ukraine on the first day of Karneval Thursday, February 24th, 2022. I’ve been glued to the news ever since. On Saturday, February 26th, the SC committee gathered on Zoom for our monthly meeting with Cologne. I was very touched by the active solidarity our Cologne members have shown for Ukraine. Hartwig attends demos in Cologne, he shared with me over 40 images and sources! We were also delighted to have Ulrich Linnenberg from Düxer Bock Beer join us in the meeting in Prinzengarde carrying a Ukrainian flag pin his wife Caroline crafted for him. He has also shared with me the demos he and Caroline continue to attend.
I would welcome any similar info from our Indy members and friends. Please share! We welcome our assistance to events, programs, charities, and demos in support of Ukraine. As an American who lived in Cologne for six years, and spent eight total years in Nordrhein-Westphalen, my greatest takeaway from Germany was practicing tolerance through inquiry, engagement, and dialog. Germany also taught me how important it is to stand up for democracy and peace. This is why sister city relationships were established by Eisenhower in 1956 after WWII to “build global cooperation at the municipal level, promote cultural understanding and stimulate economic development” (Sister Cities International Website). I will be sending out more info this week on updates.
Thank you Hartwig for sharing so much relevant information!
MFG,
Melissa Hopson, President
Indianapolis-Cologne Sister City Committee
Cologne news links in German:
Highlights der Friedensdemo: Kuckelkorn, Reker, Niedecken
Friedensdemo 2022: Eine der größten Demos, die Köln je erlebt hat