Are you feeling inspired today? Well, you should be, because you’re living in the most inspirational city in the world. Fancy that!
Good magazine has announced its second annual list of the world’s most inspiring cities (according to them) and, lo and behold, there we are, right at the top of said list!
Cities were ranked according to the rather obscure notion of “possibility”, described as “the pervading sense that though a place may be far from perfect, its citizens are taking a bold stake in its future through a mixture of creativity, hustle and civic engagement”.
Sound familiar?
In case you were in any doubt, the Good team makes it pretty clear that the Umbrella Movement has given Hong Kong a major leg-up in its climb to the top spot, specifically how the demonstrators “showed the world that impassioned protests could be conducted with the utmost civility”.
The magazine also praised the outpouring of creativity surrounding the protests, particularly Lennon Wall, “inspired by the original John Lennon Wall in Prague, where protesters wrote messages on colourful paper to form a ‘wall’ of positive slogans”.
The magazine adds that “the protest has been rooted in a strong yearning for mutual respect, freedom of expression and an abiding belief in possibility.”
There’s that obscure word again.
Despite admitting the polarising nature of the movement, with some people coming out as anti-Occupy and pro-Beijing, the magazine claims Hongkongers “have never been more united”.
“Irate anti-occupiers who infiltrated the protest crowds were met with smiles and hundreds of raised arms (to indicate peace) while students gladly shared their umbrellas — used to defend against police tear gas — with police on rainy days.”
Hong Kong was finally praised for its “connectivity”, with MTR trains reportedly continuing to run 99.9 percent on time despite the unrest.
Before you start blushing with all that lovely praise, however, it’s perhaps prudent to not get too excited, as the concept of “possibility”, as opposed to actuality, is very pertinent here.
If you look at the other cities in the top 5 – namely Johannesburg, Mexico City, Delhi and Nairobi – you might just see what we’re getting at.
Image: Pixabay
