Michan Peters & Yemane
Netherlands / Eritrea
When I met Yemane, a man from Eritrea, we quickly discovered that we had no shared language. We used Google Translate, but much was lost or misunderstood. The process demanded patience, forgiveness and compassion from both of us.
That difficulty became part of our conversation about peace. We agreed that peace means being free to be who you are, regardless of your beliefs. Beneath our differences, we are both human beings of flesh and blood, created equally.
Our flag says "I am" in Tigrinya and in Dutch. The words have different colours and letters, but they cross at certain points. Those crossings may represent connection or conflict. Whatever happens where they meet, both languages remain free to exist on the same surface.
Perhaps that is peace: not having to become the same, but learning how to exist together.