Mikhail Gorbachev sends message to participants of Cinema for Peace Gala Berlin 2016

The Cinema for Peace Gala Berlin 2016, which took place on 15 February 2016 in the German capital, gathered 1,000 filmmakers, activists and artists from around the world to put the spotlight on films addressing human suffering and injustice around the world.

This year’s gala focused on the current situation of refugees and on migration and presented a special award section to films that address refugees, their lives and fates, called the “Cinema for Peace Refugees Award”, the first one of its kind of any film festival or similar event in the world.

Mikhail Gorbachev, as patron of the gala, sent this message from Moscow: "More than 25 years ago, calling for reunification of their country, Germans took to the streets and chanted: We are one nation. We are one nation. Today, I would suggest a new slogan, which I believe is of vital importance: We are one humankind. We are one planet. We must live in peace. And this goal, too, can be achieved."

His last visit to Berlin, by invitation of the Cinema for Peace Foundation, took place during the 25th anniversary of the fall of the wall in November 2014.

For more information about the event and the Cinema for Peace Foundation’s activities see:

• Nelson Mandela Award for the Most Valuable Movie of the Year:“Beasts of No Nation”, presented to Producers Tony Tagoe and Daniel Damah from Ghana and the former child soldier Emmanuel Jal Ehem.
• The International Green Film Award:“Racing Extinction”, presented to Producer Fisher Stevens
• Special Peace Award:„Der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer“, presented to Burghart Klaußner
• Cinema for Peace Refugees Film Award: “A Syrian Love Story”, presented to Director Sean McAllister (+ protagonists Raghda and Amer)
• Cinema for Peace Award for Justice:“Watchers in the Sky”, presented to Producer Kerry Propper
• Cinema for Peace Award for the Most Valuable Documentary of the Year:“Cartelland”, presented to David Romero and Domingo Bartolo - Cheran Indians who started the freedom fight of the indigenous people in "Cartelland".

Mikhail Gorbachev's message to participants of Cinema for Peace Gala Berlin 2016

Dear friends,

I am very glad to greet all of you, both the organizers and the participants of today’s event in Berlin. You have gathered to support the initiative that Cinema for Peace took in creating the Berlin Wall Museum. It is, indeed, an excellent initiative, to remind people and to tell them about the historic events that ultimately led to the end of the Cold War. I highly appreciate and support this initiative and I am grateful to all those who are implementing it.

The wall not only divided Germans; it was a symbol of the division of Europe. We put an end to this division by common efforts of our nations and the leaders of both East and West, and by the efforts of citizens, the multitudes of people who stated their will to live together in a united Europe. This was decisive.

The process of ending the Cold War was not easy. It came after several decades of mistrust and of continued arms race, with nuclear-armed missiles deployed on both sides, which could within minutes destroy the fruits of human civilization in our European continent and on the whole planet. It seemed that this deadly train could not be stopped. But we succeeded, we did it. And I want to pay tribute to all those who contributed to this historic achievement.

Today, Europe and the world are going through difficult times. This is something I want to emphasize. Political leaders are lagging behind the rapid pace of change in our global world. Once again, new walls are emerging, visible and invisible, that divide people. Every day seems to bring alarming news. I see with great concern how international media engage in propaganda wars.

If we ask people today whether the world is moving in the right direction, I think that most of them would say no. And if you ask my opinion, I agree with them.

But we must not despair. That would be a great mistake. All of us, including artists, film-makers, intellectuals and ordinary citizens can do something to make the world safer and better, to prevent another division of Europe.

Our global world is facing so many common problems – fighting terrorism, climate change, the challenge of poverty, inequality. None of those problems can be solved by military means or if nations remain divided and act alone. We can only do it together. We can only do it through cooperation on the basis of common interests.

Let us do all we can to prevent the building of new walls that divide cities and nations, that keep apart families, that cut through peoples’ hearts and minds. The experience we gained during the years of perestroika and new thinking, when we moved toward ending the cold war, should help us in achieving this goal.

I want to tell you that I am convinced that our two nations, Germans and Russians, which did so much to abolish the Cold War, must now make a decisive contribution to overcoming of the current very alarming situation. Let us demand that our political leaders act now and take concrete steps to save our continent and our planet.

More than 25 years ago, calling for reunification of their country, Germans took to the streets and chanted: We are one nation. We are one nation. Today, I would suggest a new slogan, which I believe is of vital importance: We are one humankind. We are one planet. We must live in peace.

And this goal, too, can be achieved.

I wish all of you, who participate in this event tonight, to have a good evening and a good discussion of the vital issues of our time. I am quite confident that, working together, we will resume moving along the path that brought us to the end of the Cold War. We must firmly commit ourselves to this path. This must be our common choice.

I thank you all.