“Our values are our interests when it comes to human rights.” With this remark, Chargé d’Affaires Kent Logsdon, representative of Germany at the American Embassy in Berlin, highlighted the importance of activism in the fight for human rights.

Charge d’Affaires Kent Logsdon also noted that the event wasn’t being held on its usual annual date, which is the third Monday of every January, because this year the annual reception coincided with the Black History Month. This itself is a cause of celebration and an opportunity to further highlight the importance of both events in one joined annual reception.

The event this year comes after the election of President Donald Trump. Although his election has resulted in a serious of new policies being issued, many of which have been met with doubt and frustration by many Americans, Logsdon emphasized that the change of administration will in no way affect the U.S.’s continuous fight to protect freedom, tolerance, and democracy. This embassy in particular, he mentioned, will always hold those ideals in the highest regard.

The embassy has been working with many different stakeholders, parties, religious and society leaders, and other organizations to build and promote intercultural dialogue activities. The Charge d’Affaires dedicated a fair part of his speech on appreciating the cooperative efforts of these individuals and organizations with the embassy.

He continued by remarking the importance of these universal values, which have been promoted and adopted by the United States for many decades now. Celebrated by many presidents, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a pioneer who paved and led the way by promoting the ideal of America as the “land of freedom, equality, opportunity, and brotherhood.” (Quoted from President Ronald Reagan in 1986).

This year’s reception is no different than the previous annual reception or than all the different ways in which the United States celebrates the empowerment of people from different cultures, backgrounds, religions, and races from around the world to create and harness the power of cultural exchange through the promotion of worldly ideals in a global cosmopolitan city like Berlin.

• https://de.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/dcm/speeches/speech-intercultural-reception/ https://de.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/dcm/speeches/speech-intercultural-reception/
• https://www.flickr.com/photos/usbotschaftberlin/32301378840/in/album-72157679800043296/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/usbotschaftberlin/32301378840/in/album-72157679800043296/

News from Berlin
R.B. Reijnen, Berlin Global