Milquet: 'It's a shame that I live on the other side of the town.'

Eminent guests were present at the New Year's reception of Ecole des Etoiles this 31st January.

Joëlle Milquet (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs): When I looked at your pedagogic project after meeting numerous initiators of it, and when I see the diversity of your activities, your motivated team and your buildings… I think it’s a shame that I live on the other side of the town as coming from there to Haren is not that easy in a city like Brussels. Otherwise I would have loved my children to study in your school because it has exactly what we need: excellence, motivation, values, investment in human development with a priority for family and society. It is something I furthermore support as I am also the Minister of Equal Opportunities and would always stand by respect and success in diversity, which I think is your very mission. I find it amazing to see that people of a community invest in the realization of projects that aim to help the youth of this same community and other young people of Brussels. Congratulations! Not everybody does that; it is a real model to follow. I came especially to show my support to this project. I congratulate you sincerely and wish you a happy new year in this stunning building.

Mary Nagy (MP of the Brussels-Capital Region): Every child and every parent dreams of this kind of school. And yes, it is possible to realize this dream but still extraordinary. I think that having this kind of dream, and make it real is remarkable! I see that the teaching staff and the heads are very motivated and I congratulate them. We shall keep going, this kind of project is too rare and too precious. You have my support!

Michel Bettens (General Secretary of Felsi): The project presented by Ecole des Etoiles was probably more engaging than others because it has this openness and multiculturalism that Mrs Milquet mentioned. We see many initiatives coming from the upper society and it doesn’t always get the expected success rate, but this project comes from the people and this is why members of Fedactio should be proud. This project has to achieve great success.

Fatiha Saïdi (Senator): I would like to congratulate Fedactio and Ecole des Etoiles for their dynamism, their open minds and their respectable wish to unite people. I also wish that all students and teaching staff get an optimum fulfilling in this beautiful school equipped with the best pedagogic technology.

David Yansenne (Commander of North Brussels Army corps): I’m very happy to be here because we’ve had a long-time partnership with Fedactio and this is very important. We think that the job of the police is to recreate the initial life standards of Brussels, but I believe in an agora city where everybody comes together, where there is serenity and diversity. Ecole des Etoiles proves that everything is possible if we want it. And I sincerely congratulate you and wish other people follow your example.