Carry on as normal, ...

… that’s no longer possible following the attacks in Paris. The terrible pictures have been burnt into the brain and the horror is ever-present. In my work on trade journals, my rule has always been to address the politics of the day only when the respective industry is directly affected.

But we are all affected by the events in Paris. Some of us know people there, have friends and business partners in Paris, and so all at once the horror is no longer far away, but all too close. On Monday after the attacks, the first thing I did was to contact one of our partners in the industry to ask anxiously whether all the people working there were okay.

People are very fearful of further attacks, they look more closely and are full of mistrust towards others. What can we as individuals do? Many people are asking themselves the same question. As senior editor, I am often travelling, attending industry meetings around the world, visiting cement factories, and meeting partners in the industry. During these travels, the colleagues I have met have always been friendly and open, enthusiastic about the matter in hand, and I have often been very warmly welcomed wherever I have gone. This is very heartening for me. We all, spread over the continents, need to combat terrorism in any form decidedly and systematically. We can already start in our own neighbourhoods by acting with humanity, being open, taking interest in others, not leaving anyone alone, and giving everyone the feeling that they are worth something to us. Every single one of us can do something. We must not let anyone destroy our values or our lives!

For many of us, the Christmas season, perhaps the most wonderful time of the year, is just beginning. It is a time to wind down, reflect on the past year, and make some first plans for the new one. I wish you a joyful Christmas, a good start in the New Year and all my best wishes for 2016 – health, happiness, success and peace unto us all.

Yours

Anett Fischer
Editor-in-Chief
ZKG International