Every year, on the occasion of Christmas and New Year, King Philippe delivers a speech addressed to all Belgians. This year, our sovereign has a special thought for child victims of war.
As 2024 draws to a close, the king addresses his end-of-year speech to the Belgians. Our sovereign pays particular attention to all the children who suffer.”in a world where dreams are shattered before they can even hatch“.
Very touched by a letter he received from secondary school students at the Sancta Maria school in Louvain, the King said:deeply touched” by their dismay. These students, although in a relatively stable situation, are worried about the well-being of other children in the world, victims of war. The one raging in Ukraine, or the one affecting the Near East.”The approach of these students is both overwhelming and hopeful. They put themselves in the place of other children, who live far from them“, notes King Philippe, admiringly.
The sovereign then launches an appeal: “Let us not remain asleep in the face of so many violations of international law“, he insists, while admitting that a world without suffering would be difficult to achieve. “This should not prevent us from continuing to work on it.“He wants everyone to contribute to a more equitable world, in order to help young people look to the future with confidence.
To do this, many challenges await current and future generations. Geopolitical upheavals, climate change, a fragile economy, the technological revolution…”But it is up to us to write our future together, focusing on what unites us and what makes our country strong,” says the King of the Belgians.
Here is the full speech of His Majesty the King on the occasion of Christmas and New Year:
A few weeks ago, first secondary students from the Sancta Maria school in Louvain sent me a letter, accompanied by a poignant video.
Confronted every day with images of children victims of war violence, they express their incomprehension in the face of these tragedies.
Their message contains deep questions. Some are addressed directly to me, as King, and as father.
The approach of these students is both overwhelming and hopeful. They put themselves in the place of other children, who live far from them, in a world where dreams are shattered before they can even hatch.
Their questions touch me deeply. I understand their dismay, their feeling of helplessness.
What can we, what should we, adults, say to them?
Their call places us before our responsibilities. Their empathy must awaken our sometimes sleeping consciences. Let us not remain indifferent to so many violations of international law.
These young people are asking us to give them reasons to hope.
These reasons for hope exist. Always. Hope is not passively waiting for a better future. It is a commitment to building, to moving forward together towards a fairer, more respectful world, where each child is welcomed as the most precious of promises.
A world without wars and suffering is of course illusory. But this should not prevent us from continuing to work on it.
For heads of state and political authorities, this implies a constant commitment to safeguarding a world order based on international law, in favor of peace and for the protection of all, starting with the most vulnerable, the children.
Each of us is called to contribute to a more equitable world, where there is not domination by the strongest, but respect for the rights and dignity of each person.
Let's help young people look to the future with confidence. The challenges of our time – geopolitical upheaval, climate change, a fragile economy, the technological revolution – can seem overwhelming. But it is up to us to write our future together, focusing on what unites us and what makes our country strong.
Many actors from civil society are setting an example for us. By working tirelessly for dialogue between communities, social cohesion, health, education and justice.
At the end of this year, the Queen and I would like to thank them and encourage them to continue on this path.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The coming year should finally see all of our governments at work. We are counting on them so that our country, its institutions, businesses and citizens can look to the future with confidence.
May this Christmas and New Year period be a source of inspiration, renewal and hope for each of us.
With the Queen and all our family, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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