Very dear friends – social and otherwise!
You’ve humbled and touched me so much on my 66th birthday, January 13, 2016.
In spite of Facebook having serious troubles that very day – I received more almost 800 greetings from so many corners of the world mainly through Facebook, other social media, chats, mails, Skype, and sms – oh how much more complex and diversified the communication world has become compared with the ‘good’ old days when you just picked up mail at one spot – your mailbox. But still: Fascinating!
You were friends, of course, on social media, expressing good wishes, gratitude and – often and particularly heart-warming – appreciation of TFF’s and my work in and with Syria.
You were students of mine, even way back in time – one writing to me as the professor he would never forget.
You were people I have worked with or met where I have taught and worked, e.g. in Yugoslavia, Iran, Syria, Burundi, Japan, Austria, Italy, Switzerland. You’re totally amazing.
I want to thank every one of you from the bottom of my heart. Really!
I took the day off – more or less
Sent out TFF PressInfo # 398 Syria and Aleppo – Old News Media Falling in the morning and then went with my wife and TFF co-founder, Christina Spännar, over to Copenhagen and saw two art exhibitions and had dinner with lovely old friends – and came home at 3 in the morning.
The first exhibition was Danish photographer Jacob Gils whose work I had seen a few of at SCOPE in Basel last year and like for its aesthetic value and interesting method. He exhibited at the pioneering art photo gallery, still today the only one in Copenhagen: InTheGallery. I really recommend this artist and this gallery!
The we walked north to the National Gallery of Denmark and saw Auguste Rodin’s drawings, an exhibition entitled “Fleeting Moments” brilliantly curated selection and superb exhibition design – they are very good at that at the national gallery – and divided pedagogically into sections such as “Dance”, “Black Drawings” (inspired by Inferno), “Time and Space” and “Desire.”
I have been working so much since I came home, exhausted, from Syria on December 19 and through the holidays – of course with breaks, don’t worry – and it felt thoroughly good to just concentrate for a whole day on art (my other life, so to speak, besides peace) and on being with dear-dear friends og about 30 years.
•••
I feel very enriched by all your expressions of love, sympathy, solidarity and simple everyday humanity – made possible by brilliant modern technology with a global reach.
Hope you won’t be embarrassed if I say that I see you all as my extended family – a family of peace.
With such positive energy and encouragement, it is a little more easy to go on. And I will.
And, so, let us move on. Together.
PS If you are keen on seeing alternative analyses and reports to the biased mainstream media, please consider helping us continue working for peace by peaceful means and make more fact-finding and peace missions to places such as Syria and Iran. Please go here and give us a helping hand. Remember, we are all unpaid. Your money will help cover concrete costs.
