The International Poetry Festival of Medellín is one of the finest events of the 21st century.
It has become a symbol of freedom of speech — and thus, of true poetry itself.
Its closure only confirms this truth.
They say that when one door closes, another opens.
Humanity has grown accustomed to living in denial:
we know what is evil, what is repulsive, what is terrifying, what destroys.
Yet denial does not reveal the truth of what ought to be.
What is the good? What should the future be?
At times, it seems that the future has closed its doors even to poetry.
But that is not so.
No one has yet set themselves the task of writing the future —
the future of the humanist,
of humanity that fulfills its highest duty toward every individual,
the future of our planet.
Margarita Al
And this, precisely, is the mission of the poet and the writer.
If we fail to fulfill it, then soon — very soon —
not only Evil will enter our homes,
but the Planet itself will rise against the careless human being.
Once, the Medellín Festival opened its doors to us.
It was a time of unity and the great happiness of shared creation.
Today, the World Organization of Writers is ready to open its doors
to the Medellín Festival — and to all poets of the world.
Very soon, on March 21 — the Day of the Planet’s Poetic Unity —
for the twenty-seventh time,
the Voice of Poetry will become the leading voice of the world.
I propose that the 27th UNESCO World Poetry Day
be held under the name of the Medellín Festival —
as a sign of solidarity, continuity of spirit, and fidelity to the Word.
On this day, every poet will have the chance to contribute
to the future of our planet —
a future that will begin sooner than I can finish these words
and send them to you,
my dear friends, colleagues, brothers, and sisters.
Wherever you live,
whatever language you speak —
we are people of one planet.
And we share one breath — the breath of Poetry.
With respect and solidarity,
Margarita Al
President, World Organization of Writers (WOW)
📞 +7 (926) 524 56 62
