Pijuan Vallverdú begins her reflection by recalling the 1845 story, The Little Match Girl, where the protagonist dies of cold and hunger on New Year's Eve, finding solace only in the ephemeral light of the matches.
The Mayor translates this darkness to the present day, citing wars, conflicts, the resurgence of “far-right leaders,” and a “tense, selfish society” marked by hatred on social media and the demand for immediacy.
Culture makes us more tolerant of others, makes us richer in knowledge, and more open-minded.
According to Pijuan Vallverdú, culture is the “light of hope” that allows society to discern truth from lies and avoid the “long shadows” of ignorance, referencing Plato's Allegory of the Cave.
