Berlin Wall by Natalie Maynor

Today is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a complex security structure that once divided East and West Berlin in Germany. Today we are showcasing some of the videos from throughout the globe that are being uploaded to commemorate this date and what it meant to barriers not only in Germany, but throughout the world.

In Germany, a series of giant domino pieces crafted out of foam were erected, to be toppled down to mark the end of the Cold War. This video by NoCommentTV shows the dominoes, which were painted by children in Germany and also by artists living in other areas where there are divisions and walls, being set up. This other video's embed option has been disabled, but you can view how the dominoes were toppled by clicking this link to see it on its YouTube page.

In Colombia, students reenact the fall of the wall, by taking turns to demolish a concrete slab:

From Germany, domino toppling fan Annodomino2007 has uploaded his own domino tribute to the fall of the wall, and also to the 10 year anniversary celebration which kickstarted his passion for dominoes:

In the USA, college students erected a replica of the Berlin Wall that could be written on, as a way to raise awareness:

From Mexico, VarinVxx uploads a video featuring another wall that is still standing, in: Is not Berlin, is not Palestine is US Mexico border The Wall of Shame in USA :

Krista Schyler also makes the comparison between the Mexico/US wall and the Berlin wall, in this case, not only focusing on the impact on human migration, but from a wildlife conservation angle as well:

This pilot for a documentary by Ziashere showing s other walls that are still standingIn this pilot, one in Ireland:

This last video is 2 years old, but is still relevant: adamfilmaker interviewed youth both from the North and South of the Nicosia wall in Cyprus, a green zone patrolled by UN blue helmets  that divides Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, earning the distinction of being the last divided capital of the world.

Image by Natalie Maynor used on post according to Creative Commons Attribution License.

The Ministry of Education and Culture meanwhile has come up with some additional reasoning for the campaign to ban the GPS receivers. In its feedback, the Ministry pointed out that the Greek place names of Cyprus have been shaped throughout the centuries. It is a fact that the Turkish “so-called authorities” have indeed undertaken a systematic campaign to alter the nomenclature of occupied northern Cyprus. Further, the Ministry pointed out that, according to both the UN and UNESCO, placenames are part of a nation’s cultural heritage.