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Notes by Gert's Royals in [Brackets]. [Translation based on the French and German texts]
A few weeks ago, students in the first year of secondary school at the Sancta Maria school in Louvain sent me a letter, accompanied by a moving video.
[Leuven is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium.]
[The videos of King Philippe's speech included clips of school children from Leuven asking questions. The children's questions were not included in the official text of the speech.]
Every day, they are confronted with images of children who are victims of war violence. Their message expresses their incomprehension at such tragedies.
These students ask profound questions. Some are addressed directly to me, both as King and as a father.
The approach of these young people is not only moving but also hopeful. They put themselves in the shoes of other children, who live far from them, in a world where dreams are shattered before they have the chance to develop.
Their questions touch me deeply. I understand their despair, their feeling of helplessness.
What can we, what should we say to them, we adults?
Your appeal reminds us of our responsibility. Your empathy must awaken our sometimes dormant conscience. We cannot stand idly by in the face of the numerous violations of international law.
These young people are asking us to give them reasons to hope.
There are reasons to hope. Always. Hope does not mean waiting passively for a better future, but working to build a fairer and more respectful world, where every child is welcomed as the most precious promise.
A world without wars and without suffering is of course a dream. But, that must not prevent us from continuing to work towards it.
For heads of state and political authorities, this means being constant commitmented to safeguarding a world order based on international law, in favour of peace and for the protection of all, starting with the most vulnerable, children.
Each of us is called upon to contribute to a fairer world. A world in which the right of the strongest does not prevail, but in which the rights and dignity of every human being are respected.
Let us help young people to look to the future with confidence. The challenges of our time - geopolitical upheaval, climate change, a fragile economy, the technological revolution - may seem overwhelming. But it is up to us to shape our future together, building on what unites us and what makes our country strong.
Many civil society actors are setting an example for us. By working tirelessly for dialogue between communities, social cohesion, health, education and justice.
["Civil Society Actors" are people or groups that influence government without holding political power or office. I.e. charities, activists, NGOS.]
As the year draws to a close, the Queen and I would like to thank them and encourage them to continue on this path.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In the coming year, we should all finally see our governments at work. We are counting on them to ensure that our country, its institutions, businesses and citizens can look to the future with confidence.
May this Christmas and New Year period be a source of inspiration, renewal and hope for each of us.
On behalf of the Queen and our entire family, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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