Kalochori refugee camp. Thanassis Stavrakis/AP/Press Association Images. All rights reserved.The 5th edition of the World Forum for Democracy wrapped up earlier today at the headquarters of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. From an Anglo-American perspective, it's safe to say Brexit and the imminent possibility of Donald Trump being elected the US president have dominated the debates these past few days at the halls of Palais d'Europe and imaginably elsewhere in this vibrant, European city. The former had already been part of Europe and the UK's reality since June 23, and the latter was just added to the world's complexities this morning.
The announcement earlier today that Donald Trump will start his tenure at the Oval Office next January has caught everybody off-guard. The Council of Europe, and other institutions of the same type in Strasbourg, are places where the overarching mentality of diplomats, journalists, students, activists and visitors is internationalization, communication and building networks. In such an ambiance, a dismissive "political outsider" such as Donald Trump is understandably not favored or highly regarded. Trump has talked of his plans to erect a wall along the US border with Mexico, and stop all immigration from the Muslim world into the United States.
