Dear Contrib’Citizens,
Since the dawn of time, people have celebrated light. The Hellenes worshiped Helios, the sun. The Romans celebrated Mithras, an Indo-Iranian deity representing the truth, during the winter solstice, the time from which the days start to lengthen. Finally, around 354 AD, the Emperor Constantine transposed the Latin feast of December 25th to that of the birth of Christ, Light of the nations according to the Bible.
In its modest measure, Contrib’City highlights possible solutions, whether in distant countries such as India – with which we share common roots – or more locally in the Paris region, or even in Jouy-en-Josas. In this Paris Region small town, behind its “calm village” aspect, important debates are going to play out. The themes of the latters, such as the right of voters to know the hidden face of public life, may play a role on a larger scale. Let us not forget that, according to Transparency International, France still has progress to make in terms of public life visibility, compared to its Scandinavian or German neighbors.
As in Bethlehem, according to the Christian tradition, or in each of our homeplaces, Contrib’City, to the modest extent of its means, wishes more clarity in public files, and in general, in the life of our neighborhoods or villages.
In the meantime, I would like to thank the several thousand readers, present in several countries, who regularly follow the site.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
Bertrand de Foucauld
