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WFC EC Chair Bianca Jagger, State Secretary Christian Maass and Director of the Hamburg Planetarium Thomas Kraupe greeted invited guest, decision makers and the media for the opening of the week-long exhibition “Corridor of Hope” at the Hamburg Planetarium. The open-air installation showed invocation flags with representative samples of appeals by some 14.000 children from 47 countries calling for action for a sustainable future.

Some 200 flags line the two walkways to the ancient water tower that now hosts the Hamburg Planetarium. Passers-by stop to look at the 2.000 drawings, poems, and appeals printed on colourful flags on bamboo poles. Discussions about the state of the planet and what the future generation hopes for can be overheard as the results of the WFC’s youth campaign “KidsCall” flutter in the wind.

The exhibition features a selection of 14.000 appeals collected by the KidsCall campaign during the last 12 months. They are addressed to the G8+5 heads of state and call for immediate action to protect the environment and to stop climate change.

During the reception, WFC Executive Committee Chair Bianca Jagger, Director of the Planetarium Thomas Kraupe and Hamburg Department of City Development and Environment representative Christian Maass voiced their support for the youths’ appeals.

In her speech, Bianca Jagger stressed the need for the renewal of the age-old generation pledge that hitherto has ensured the passing on of a clean planet with enough resources from parents to their children. She also called on decision makers in politics and economics to act now. Finally, she appealed to the children and teenagers representing the KidsCall campaign to never stop in their efforts to make change happen. Banners with their appeals to the heads of state of France, Italy and Great Britain were handed over to a courier. WFC delegations had personally delivered the same banners to the governments of Germany, Japan and India in July and August.

Dr Michael Otto, Chairman of the Otto Group, attended the reception as an honorary council member and avid supporter of WFC activities.

The WFC will exhibit the invocation flags in parliaments and at upcoming international conferences to remind decision-making bodies of their responsibility toward future generations.