Members’ meeting looks back on an eventful year
Rheine. “Town twinning is more important than ever. In a world that is increasingly characterized by tensions and conflicts, these partnerships offer a space for dialogue and cooperation. They enable us to look beyond our differences and discover the similarities that unite us as people,” said Deputy Mayor Fabian Lenz at the annual general meeting of the town twinning association Rheine. Numerous members met in the town hall at the weekend. And Lenz thanked the association on behalf of the city council for its commitment: “Time and time again, you contribute to the success of our town twinning projects with your dedication. Our cities are not only formally connected, but also emotionally interwoven!”
The regularities were quickly dealt with. In the board elections, deputy chair Irja Erben, secretary Heike Born and assessors Hannah Brauer and Ildefons Kirfel were unanimously re-elected or elected. The town twinning association Rheine currently has 256 members. In a minute’s silence, the members remembered the five deceased members.
“We had a very eventful year with many different events and offers for our members,” said Chairman Reiner Wellmann in his report. The Board once again supported six young people as interns from Leiria. There were trips to the event “Borne op zijn best” with the Living Statues, a concert by the Byzantine Male Choir Overijssel and a fado night at Bentlage Monastery. Wellmann was delighted that the primary school student exchange with Borne has started up again. The school exchange with Leiria went very smoothly once again. And the town twinning association repeatedly supported requests for help from the war zone in eastern Ukraine. Projects benefiting children in particular were supported. Wellmann thanked all donors who had provided more than 10,000 euros.
Treasurer Ingrid Brauer’s financial report was once again very positive. The association once again provided considerable support for youth exchanges with Leiria. The town twinning association started the new year with a positive cash balance. Cash auditor Heinz Thüring confirmed correct cash management and proposed that the actions of the entire board be approved. This discharge was granted unanimously.
This year, the association is once again offering a trip to the “Borne op zijn Best” event on April 13. To mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, a joint memorial trip for young people from Rheine and Borne to the Esterwegen Memorial is planned. The primary school exchange with Borne will take place again and on June 14, Bornensers and Rheinensers will go on a joint bike tour from Rheine to Lower Saxony. And the partnership with Trakai is also back on track. A saxophone ensemble is expected to take part in the Brass Festival at the Inselburg in August. A choir from Bernburg will come to the street party in September.
Irina Lebsack gave a vivid report on the situation in Ukraine and underlined the importance of aid, especially for the traumatized children. “The children were really happy at Christmas,” she reported on an aid campaign. And: “No, the war is not over yet – unfortunately,” she said about the current talks on the big political stage. As a thank you for the support from Rheine, the children had made little peace angels for the participants of the general meeting. The piggy bank, which ran through the rows of tables at the same time, was then once again well filled with donations for Ukraine.
Wellmann ended the meeting with a plea for a strong Europe with people who are on friendly terms (“ideally well-functioning town twinning”). This would be the best way to counter the increasingly divisive and destructive politics.
From the article by Irina Lebsack: