By Louise Riondel
By Louise Riondel
Morocco World News
Rennes, France, December 5, 2012
The Duchess of Cambridge’s big news is much more than just food for the tabloids. If it has mostly been seen as such since the announcement of the royal pregnancy, Kate Middleton’s story and the fuss surrounding it are also the reflection of our societies’ need for stories, dreams and hope.
The birth of a baby, whether it is royal or not, is almost always associated with new beginnings, optimism and joy. It brings light to its parents’ lives, but also to their friends’ and relatives’. In Kate and William’s case, and just like for their wedding, this highly-expected baby is one of the few signs of hope that are still left for many of us. Of course, the royal offspring will not bring prosperity to Greece, settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stop the proliferation of AIDS or pacify the world. But as in P.D James’ famous novel, Children of Men, it gives people a chance to dream and hope for a better future, a reason to keep fighting, even if only for a few seconds.
Economic crisis, increasing rate of unemployment, wars, cost of living, illness : a gloomy future lies ahead and it often seems like there is not much to look forward to. In these situations, even the smallest ray of light brightens the dark space that our societies have become.
Politicians should learn from this story. Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign was the last event of this kind. Tinted with hope, his message and image inspired millions across the world who believed in better times to come. But the Obamania of 2008 has long faded, and it seems like no one and nothing can make us dream today. An attempt was made with the European Union’s Nobel Peace Prize, but that didn’t do the trick.
Bringing joy and hope to most of us on this planet is hard to pull off, mostly because we are so divided. We believe in different Gods (if any), support rival parties, and have opposing views on tons of issues. However, it appears to me that we all agree on the small, beautiful things of life. They might seem futile and insignificant, but they are the ones that bring us together and therefore make us stronger. Unfortunately, it seems like our leaders are not able to make this magic happen anymore.
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