In his challenging position as Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon is a diplomat and advocate for world peace and the disenfranchised. Today Mr. Ban had an atypical day, which included a visit to Tomorrowland in Brussels, Belgium. There he met with Michiel and Manu Beers, the founder-brothers of Tomorrowland and TomorrowWorld.
During his visit Mr. Ban proclaimed “let’s work as one towards dignity for all,” a message that was engraved on a wooden board and mounted as part of One World Project, the 600 meter-long bridge at the recreational domain De Schorre, designed by Arne Quinze. The permanent bridge is also a piece of art within the Tomorrowland venue.
Kudos to Mr. Ban for making a symbolic gesture to young people and building a bridge with fans of DJ culture.
Obligatory press release gush from Ban Ki-moon: “Young people today are growing up in a world full of change. Tomorrowland demonstrates that it’s possible: tens of thousands of people coming together in peace and respect for one another to share a weekend. 210,000 messages from all over the world have been incorporated into the One World bridge and we are pleased that our message can be one of them. Let’s work as one towards dignity for all, a message for the People of Tomorrow and for all young people in the world.”
Obligatory press release gush from Michiel Beers, TomorrowWorld/Tomorrowland: “In the past 10 years, we have built a magical world in which everyone comes together in a spirit of positivity. Tomorrowland has become the world’s most international event and welcomes more different nationalities than the Olympic Games. We are now organising three “global gatherings” per year: one in Belgium, one in the USA and one in Brazil.”
Obligatory press release gush from Manu Beers, TomorrowWorld/Tomorrowland: “When we decided to design the bridge in honour of the 10th anniversary of the festival in collaboration with the province of Antwerp and Arne Quinze, as a permanent symbol of the annual gathering, we felt it was important for the entire world to be able to take part. The One World bridge now displays 210,000 positive messages from everyone from our neighbours in Boom, Belgium to faraway friends in Australia. We are very honoured to receive the contribution from the Secretary-General of the United Nations and we intend to continue to spread this message for many years to come.”