Poetry is not only a set of words which are chosen to relate to each other; it is something which goes much further than that to provide a glimpse of our vision of the world.
Tahar Ben JellounRead
Emigration is no longer a solution; it's a defeat. People are risking death, drowning every day, but they're knocking on doors that are not open.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the harsh realities of emigration, highlighting it as a desperate act rather than a solution.
Tahar Ben Jelloun's quote underscores the grim situation faced by many emigrants today, suggesting that the act of leaving one's homeland is often not a viable solution to problems but a sign of defeat. It speaks to the desperation that drives individuals to risk their lives in search of opportunities, only to find barriers that prevent them from finding refuge or hope in new lands.
In practice
In a discussion about immigration policies, this quote can highlight the urgency and peril faced by emigrants.
Poetry is not only a set of words which are chosen to relate to each other; it is something which goes much further than that to provide a glimpse of our vision of the world.
I came to poetry through the urgent need to denounce injustice, exploitation, humiliation. I know that's not enough to change the world. But to remain silent would have been a kind of intolerable complicity.
I think there’s a mythology that if you want to change the world, you have to be sainted, like Mother Teresa or Nelson Mandela or Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Ordinary people with lives that go up and down and around in circles can still contribute to change.
We all have the chance to create a world where extreme poverty is the exception rather than the rule.
I’ve also been reminded recently that while as a society we are moving toward greater inclusion and equality for all people, the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible.
Look, you've got a generation of people coming along who are going to form their own new relationship with the idea of supporting the causes that they care about or changing the world. And these people are not going to do it the way our parents do it.
President Kennedy's election was such an enlargement. It expanded religious freedom to include the highest office in the land. President Kennedy's administration was such an enlargement. It advanced the day when the bars of intolerance against all minority groups will be lifted, not only for the presidency, but for all aspects of our national life.
Development comes from within. Nature does not hurry but advances slowly.
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