| Dear members, dear friends, 95 years ago, on January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King was born in Atlanta, the son of a teacher and a preacher. An outstanding thought leader against oppression, for justice and for equal rights for all people. The phrase “I HAVE A DREAM” will forever be associated with him. It was more than 60 years ago that he gave his historic speech to 250,000 people in Washington in front of the Lincoln Memorial. In doing so, he created a unique historical moment. His words went around the world and the speech is now regarded as one of the most important of all time. His dream has only partly become reality to this day. Racism and discrimination are a daily reality for black people in many countries. Since the attack on Israel, an atmosphere of violence has descended on the everyday lives of Jews worldwide. Anti-Semitism is once again socially acceptable in Germany. German history should have taught us otherwise. And so Martin Luther King’s historic speech is sadly topical. Even though we are surrounded by many challenges, or perhaps precisely because of them, the beginning of 2024 is a good time to dream. We dream of all people being judged according to their character and equality becoming a matter of course. We dream that people from here and elsewhere will recognize Saxony as a good place to work and live. Successful scientific institutions and universities, Saxon companies, including innovative hidden champions and good craft businesses, generally offer the best working conditions, making it easy to find a professional home. We dream that even more companies will live cosmopolitanism and a welcoming culture as natural corporate values. Many are already doing it and our members are pioneers in this dream. We dream of innovations from Saxony going around the world. We dream that people will see the European Union as an achievement for peace, freedom and economic success and appreciate its benefits. We dream of democratic parties competing in the Saxon election campaign to create positive visions for the future of Saxony – in a sporting and fair manner. That they inspire people with their ideas on how prosperity can be maintained and how everyone can participate in it. We dream that voters will elect parties to the top in the state parliament elections that will lead the Free State of Saxony to reliable economic and political framework conditions with a willingness to innovate and an openness to the world. WE HAVE A DREAM OF PEACE We don’t just dream, we take action and turn dreams into reality. Thank you for your support. With this in mind, we wish you a good year 2024 in which many of your dreams become reality. Yours sincerely, Your team from the office |
