Revenge of Borders event seeks to ‘liberate societies from limitations’

AMMAN — The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) on Sunday organised a public event titled “Revenge of the Borders: Stories of Freedom, Innovation and Change” at Ras Al Ain Gallery – The Hangar with the aim of overcoming concrete and virtual walls separating and dividing societies on racial, social and religious bases.

The event, organised against the backdrop of the 30th anniversary since the fall of the Berlin Wall, aspires to “wreck” actual and abstract boundaries built around societies or in the minds of people, liberate societies from limitations and encourage people to innovate.

Member of the German Parliament Bundestag, member of the Federal Board of the Free Democratic Party and former minister of state for European affairs, Michael Link, said that the FNF longs to overcome borders, discrimination, hate speech and division in societies.

The Kingdom is considered a place of peace and stability for local and international humanitarian and political organisations, which led the FNF to base its MENA regional office in Amman, Link added.

FNF MENA Regional Director Dirk Kunze said that the foundation promotes liberal democracy and provides the space for values “that have not changed”, making them available to new audiences.

“The world is changing; old rules do not apply anymore. That is why people should embrace change and try out new ways to engage and support the free-thinking mind,” he said.

Coalition for Market and Liberal Solutions Executive Director Rejoice Ngwenya and cofounder of Alpha Apps Inc. and Software Developer at Google Sinan Taifour, motivational speakers for the event, presented their success stories and how they managed to “tear down walls and boundaries with their ambition and innovation”. 

“Individuals need to bring down the borders they set on themselves, and the ones that society imposes on them,” FNF Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa Jules Maaten said at the event.

He also welcomed people to the exhibition, which included a photo gallery presenting the idea of borders, whether tangible or abstract, existing or demolished.

Autostrad, the Jordanian band, participated in the FNF affair and performed at the end of the event.