A cheerful — and serious — action in Kobern and on the Mosel Gold Bridge

“We are colourful, here in this land — and we walk hand in hand”: under this motto, around 70 people walked from the schoolyard of the Realschule Plus in Kobern to the Mosel Gold Bridge on 8 May, campaigning for a friendly way of living together. An alliance of the Realschule Plus, the Maifeld-Untermosel deanery, the Protestant youth work in Winningen, the Dieblich scout group Die Treverer, the district youth council and the Alliance for Tolerance and Democracy had invited people to form a human chain across the bridge. Many came despite the poor weather. The closing concert by the band Schokoladensaite and singer-songwriter Thora Pindus took place in the Knights’ Hall of the municipality of Kobern.

Things began at the Realschule Plus with a play by pupils about racism, bullying and violence — and how to overcome them. To great applause, and even applause mid-scene, the theatre group retold the fairy tale of “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf” with the roles reversed. Direction and choreography served a courageous engagement with racist prejudice and aimed at tolerance and integration. Ultimately it is about a mutual learning process. This was underlined by a word of welcome from the school and an opening peace song by Nicole Mercier, singer-songwriter and teacher at the school.

In his opening speech, Werner Huffer-Kilian stressed that there is nothing more political than organising life together — as equals, as the shared shaping of community and society. Taking to the streets on 8 and 9 May in particular, in remembrance of the day of liberation from German National Socialism, which cost 50 million people their lives, honours the victims. “That was a breach of civilisation without parallel in human history. We remember those who were sacrificed. We say NEVER AGAIN, and that is another reason why we walk hand in hand,” the pastoral officer said.

The group then moved on to the Mosel Gold Bridge. Signs with the motto “Hand in Hand” and the poster “We are colourful — world is a family” were held up. Symbolically, the bridge was “bridged” hand in hand as a sign of humane conduct. Many passing drivers welcomed the marchers’ concerns warmly and gave a thumbs-up.

The closing rally then took place in the Knights’ Hall of the municipality of Kobern, attended by Mayor Michael Dötsch as well. The band “Schokoladensaite” from Kastellaun played with feeling and won the audience over with their own lyrics and songs.

A pupil performed a poetry slam on human rights, and a poem recited by young adults, the “Song oh Uhuru” from Africa, recalled the “cradle of humankind”. Elisabeth Zenner, pastoral officer of the deanery, welcomed singer-songwriter Thora Pindus from Mayen, who has her own experience of refugee relief work in Greece. She has turned these and other personal experiences into moving songs.

“There are no human races, only other people. Racism wants to belittle others in order to rise above them. We have no need for that. We do not need it — away with it,” said Werner Huffer-Kilian, closing the event “Hand in Hand for Humanity”.