Moldova is a very young country that gained its independence in 1991, just four years before I was born. If my country were a person, it would be a child that just entered its teenage years, struggling to find its identity.
Before our independence, we were part of the Soviet Union. And a few decades before that, part of the much smaller Romania. Throughout
history, we were at the epicenter of major powers like the Roman Empire, the Turkish Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Russian Empire, all battling for territory and power.
As our land was being invaded, we managed to adapt and grow resilient. Our language and culture evolved. Today, we are an independent country carrying the baggage of different cultures, languages, customs, and backgrounds, still struggling to find and define our identity.
I grew up with a very political background. There was always a fight between West and East, and I could not understand why we had to choose a side. There were huge debates in Moldova on what to do with the Syrian refugees coming to the shores of the Mediterranean.
Many members of my family are abroad. They left to find a better life but instead found lives segregated from the locals. For instance, my grandmother went to Italy and worked as a caretaker for the elderly. She would work 24/7 without any social protection. When I studied abroad, I encountered a lot of stereotypes and met many people who wouldn’t take the time to understand me, where I come from, or my values. However, this helped me develop my identity as an individual with no specific country roots. It all helped me see the world as one beautiful and diverse place, and not as the fragmented world it’s viewed as today.
Our collective home is our planet. No matter where we live, we are part of the human family. So another person’s suffering is our collective suffering. I dream of a world where we embrace our differences and a sense of togetherness. For true equality to happen, we need to give advantages to those who are the most vulnerable. When we shift our values from competition to cooperation, from profit seeking to purpose seeking, from conflict to understanding, the world will become a place of love, respect, and tolerance.