Guest blog by Suzanne Thissen (doing the Learning Course in the Art of Living Together)
Freedom, equality and fraternity was the motto of the French Revolution.
During this revolution, revolutionaries had these three values. They fought for the freedom of the people, equality for all and brotherhood among the people.
These ideals were in stark contrast to the existing class society.
In the Netherlands at the end of the 18e century palpable. Although a constitution came out guaranteeing these values, practice was different from the idea. But still: a seed had been planted.
Former Belgian prime minister Mark Eyskens once wrote that the three values of the French revolution are being phased in: ‘if the nineteenth century was the century of equality and the twentieth that of freedom, then the twenty-first would be dominated by fraternity’.
Looking back, I can broadly place that. The transformation of a class society, for example, based on heredity, was intended to create more equality between people. What has replaced it, however, is a class society, based on economic factors such as income and property. Whether that represents ‘equality’, more and more people in this day and age are wondering.
Although the value ‘freedom’ was sown in the 19e century; germination and growth are still taking place.
In the 20e century, the seeds of freedom germinated. The abolition of slavery, decolonisation. It is clearly identifiable. And, again, I see it as the beginning of a process of consciousness. Freedom is a seedling that still needs to be protected in this day and age. How free are we really in a society that is still predominantly hierarchically organised, children are stuck in a testing culture and many people are ‘slaves’ to their jobs to make ends meet financially?
And then this century. The 21e century, the century of fraternity?
At first, it doesn't look like it. There are wars. A lot of social unrest. Every man for himself, us against them, polarisation. Anti-social behaviour on the streets. You only have to watch the news and this picture is constantly confirmed. In the public debate, there seems to be mainly an insistence on scoring, little desire to arrive at consent to come from the realisation that we still need to see community together.
And yet...I see a seed, germinating.
Many people have a desire for more together, and express it.
In society, initiatives are emerging from within. Residential/living communities, self-directed teams, bread funds, a community around a food forest or organic farm, school initiatives, a Capital Body. https://economytransformers.nl/eigentijdseigendom/
Everywhere I see little seedlings, but óh...how fragile they still are sometimes.
There is SO much to learn. How to do it, together? Many initiatives get stuck, precisely in collaboration.
Through my work as a CONSENT trainer and through guiding Mediation circles, I frequently come into contact with underlying obstacles. Often, in an organisation where people work together, the common starting points, how decision-making is organised and how conflicts are handled have not yet been harmonised. Enough breeding ground for unrest and irritation. Personal triggers come to the surface, old pain, communication deteriorates, we start pointing at the other, we fall into the Drama Triangle without realising it. https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramadriehoek
So there is plenty to do. Plenty to learn. And what I think is most important in this is that we are gentle in this, towards ourselves and others. We are learning how to shape ‘together’. This may involve trial and error. Trying again and again; ever more consciously. It takes patience, time and a lot of love to deal with old pain and redirect personal triggers into conscious behaviour. To improve your communication and dare to be vulnerable.
Seedlings we are, in the process towards more brotherhood, towards more ‘together’.
I hope we don't get discouraged when things are difficult, that we don't crawl into our shell, build walls and then go it alone again. I hope we get up every time and try again. Because I believe there is a deep desire in every human being to do it together.
I hope we will grow up and develop into sturdy plants, with strong roots in the fertile earth and sturdy branches with leaves that blossom in the light. That we continue to develop ourselves in our consciousness and allow each other to grow and flourish as a result.
Suzanne Thissen