Kim Esterberg:
As we look around this room tonight we see a dream we have been having for 20 years. It is a dream of two island communities that are working together to bring our human family closer. It is a dream of an ever expanding expression of our respect for one another and care for one another. Last summer Ela and I had the opportunity to attend an international conference of Sister Communities in Managua, Nicaragua. A number of our delegates here tonight from Ometepe were also delegates at this conference. I was able to watch them as they explained what the Sister Islands relationship is between Bainbridge and Ometepe. As they told their story I watched their faces change. As they peeled back the layers of this special relationship so others would understand, they too were deeply moved. Sometimes if we just step back one step, we have a chance to see how really profound something is that we have just been working along with, step by step, day by day. Why did we do this, this wonderful connecting between our islands, and how does it change the world? When we look back 20 years, there was a war going on in Nicaragua and our country was very much involved in an attempt to overthrow the Nicaraguan revolution with a counter revolution. Just like today, only some Americans supported this war effort. Others felt we had no business trying to undermine this new Nicaraguan government. For most people is was just news, and war news often all sounds the same, bloody, sad, hopeless, distant. Our dream then was that we could bring an entire community in Nicaragua into reality as real people who might connect with real people here on Bainbridge. We would not just meet these people, but get to know them and work with them on a variety of projects. We would work together, with mutual respect. These would be simple things, like building a little classroom where none had been before; sharing some pencils and notebooks to children who had none; clean water in a village for the first time; making minimal medical supplies available to remote communities. These things we would do together. At the same time our own children would go to live with families in this other island community. The families would take them in and love as their own. If we kept doing this year in and year out over many years, it would seem absurd to talk about these people as enemies. It would be absurd to support undermining their government. The people of Ometepe and Bainbridge have become very real to one another over the last generation. There is a lot of love between families on our two islands. We are a little candle of hope that is burning in a world on fire with hate. We are just one of many such stories, but it is so important that our children, those on Bainbridge and those on Ometepe, are raised with this little candle in their hands. Thank you to each person here tonight for the important part you play in our story.
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Ela Esterberg:
Welcome everyone! Isn't it exciting to be celebrating 20 years together? In the past 20 years we have accomplished much working together on both islands. And, this last week has been a whirlwind of activities with our 15 Nicaraguan visitors. It is absolutely amazing to see how many people are helping to make their visit here special. I think this exemplifies the deep commitment and friendships that have been forged between people from Ometepe and Bainbridge Island.
I ask you today to join me in committing once more to help continue this healthy beginning. I hope for my grandchildren's children to be friends with yours, like chosen family. I want the next generations to live in a more just world where respect and love flourish, despite language and cultural differences.
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