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I was invited, as a poet, to Henrich Böll Foundation’s meeting: “Europe through the Eyes of Writers” to present my views on Europe’s future.
It was a great pleasure to share with participants my ideas about the present and future of Europe together with Marianne Ebertowski (Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union), Czech writer Radka Denemarková, German writer Hans Christoph Buch, Belgian writer Hilde Keteleer.
My views on the future of Europe will be published in the International Herald Tribune / Dunya Daily in English and Turkish. The summary of my presentation is below:
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Europe: Dream of power or power of the dream?
Kader Sevinç
When I was growing as a child in Turkey, Europe was omni-present in school text books, on the TV, in the media and the daily social life conversations within family or with friends. Europe was often associated with dreams and Europe meant hope. Dreams for peace, for good economic standards, for social progress. A dream which was already becoming reality. A best practice for the rest of the world. Later on when I started to learn more about Europe, European integration process and int. relations, Europe has become even more glorious idea that was after the fall of the Berlin wall and before the global crisis, 9/11 and agonies of the western democracies. Europe was for us a powerful dream in a time when we were admiring Vaclav Havel’s article entitled “The Power of the Powerless”. And the power of Europe was relied on both great example of transnational solidaridity and democratic values as well as the tangible social and economic achievements. Probably the most impressive episode of the human civilisations’ short history on a planet which is 4.5 billion years old.
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I wish that we will have a 21 century marked by a renewed European dream for a better 22 century.
I would like share with you: few verses from a collective work of poetry to which I had the pleasure to participate. It is a book by several European poets published by Passaporta and entitled “The European Constitution in Verses”.
Here are some of my verses in this book:
” Feel the others’ rhythm
Get these crinoids and few nettle
Comb the Aegean’s hair with your melodies
Caress the North Sea’s salty skin
Remember me Europa!!”
Kader Sevinç
* Kader Sevinç is a Turkish poet, based in Brussels. She has been publishing her poems in various poetry magazines and reviews in Turkey. She was the editor in chief of NAR poetry magazine in Antalya. She is currently member of the editorial board of the bi-monthly Siirden (“On Poetry”) magazine and actively contributes to the international literature projects and events in Brussels and Turkey. Ms Sevinc is the co-author of a political poetry book “The European Constitution in Verse” (2009, Brussels). She is also the head of the European delegation of the Turkish social democratic party and Presidency Member of the Party European Socialists.
