Who is free?

It was one of the images of the Olympic Games. Very likely one of the images of the year. A German beach-volley player wearing a bikini faces her Egyptian rival, who covers her body completely. An example of the cultural diversity of the Olympics. But it was also a polemic picture, rising a lot of questions:

Is one of the players freer than the other? Are they both victims of different kinds of sexism? Is it possible that they are both free? It would be easy to say that the German girl was free to play as comfortable as she wants while the Egyptian one was forced by her religion to cover her body and head. But is it that easy?

The rules about how to dress in female beach-volley are now a bit lighter, but until 2012 the sides of the down part of the bikinis couldn’t be larger than seven centimeters. Was that in order to make it more comfortable for competing? Was that a way of sexualizing the players? Would those dresses derivate attention from the performance of the players to their bodies?

In 2012 the rules admitted other uniforms (like the one of the Egyptian player) because “many countries have religious or cultural demands”, like Richard Baker, speaker of the International Beach-Volley Federation said. Not because women had the right to choose over their dresses, but because some religions or cultures wouldn’t allow their women to play dressed with just a bikini.

So, did both players choose their dresses freely? They both said so, but, were those “free” decisions really free or were they based on sexist subjacent ideas that see the female body as something to hide or to show but not as something to compete?

And maybe the biggest question of all: why are we debating about the way sportswomen dress but we don’t do the same with sportsmen?

We can clearly see the interplay of religion, culture or sexism in this debate. This case is just a very visual and recent example about it, but in Aspire we have prepared a Track inside our Conference 2016 that will tackle many other similar cases, with much more developed questions and answers and addressed by real experts in the topic.

(Published in the Blog of Aspire. Manufactury of Change to promote the Aspire Conference 2016)

Do we need to degrow?

There is no doubt that Pope Francis is being a revolution inside of the Catholic Church. His second encyclical, a particular kind of letter that catholic popes send out, had an environmental content that nobody was expecting from the highest hierarchy of such a traditionalist institution. Laudato si’ criticizes consumerism and irresponsible development, which lay behind climate change and environmental destruction. It also defends a more equalitarian share of wealth and the need of economic growth to be connected to social development.

This text has been even seen as a support by some defenders of Degrowth theories. This movement supports anti-consumerism and anti-capitalism, looking for a better balance between environment and human beings. This theory seeks to reduce production and consumption, which would mean a contraction of economies but, they defend, a more proportional share of wealth and a solution to environmental problems.

Would that work? Is it necessary such a “drastic” measure? Is environment more important than employment? Are we (and our governments, enterprises and societies) willing to sacrifice economic growth in order to stop the destruction of environment? Could we sacrifice our life standards, high-technology devices, comfortable homes and exquisite diet? Up to what point our life style would be affected? Is there any alternative to keep growing in a way that our planet would resist?

Some of these questions were also made around the transcendental 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. The COP 21 showed that countries are more concerned about climate change and environment protection than ever. But above that, they are still more concerned about employment and economic growth of their societies.

Degrowth, whether if Pope Francis likes it or not, doesn’t seem to be in any agenda right now. We might not need it and maybe there is a way to make development sustainable without affecting our economies. But we should find it soon. Otherwise, climate change might be not only an environmental catastrophe, but also a huge handicap for economy and employment. Or you think it’s easy for countries to develop when they are flooded or during a draught?

And that’s where our Aspire 2016 track “Limited resources – limiting resources” appears. With the objective of finding the right balance between our infinite needs and the limited resources available to satisfy them, this track will reunite experts and motivated people around a topic that is more urgent that it seems.

(Published in the Blog of Aspire. Manufactury of Change to promote the Aspire Conference 2016)

Navigating under the storm

The economic crisis was disappearing, employment figures were slowly growing, recession was already in the past and the rescues, little by little, seemed to work. The Euro and the EU looked saved. But just when we thought the storm was over, the hurricane struck.

The European Union, although built initially upon shared economic interests, has Equality, Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights as main values. Those basic principles are at stake now, pushing the EU towards the biggest challenge in its history.

Let’s start with the refugee crisis. Many people are turning their hopes to Europe, looking for that land of Freedom and Human Rights that we are supposed to be. But the lack of solidarity, both between European countries and with the asylum seekers, has shown exactly the opposite. And with some countries welcoming refugees while other were building new walls, the EU showed how unprepared she was to give an answer to this humanitarian problem. So far, the only solution offered was a deal with Turkey so the problem stays far from our borders, but without really caring about the Human Rights of those refugees.

This whole refugee crisis increased a process that had already started during the economic crisis: the appearing and growing of populist, nationalist and extremist parties all across Europe. Some ideas that we thought buried in the past returned, offering the same easy solutions to the complex problems that we are facing. Politics seem to be in the middle of a renewing process, with traditional parties losing their support to some new and interesting ideas, but also to some scaring ones.

Among the last one some might include those supporting the Brexit. The fact that a country wants to leave the Union meant that something was not being done properly. But the possibility that this country might not be the only one shows the dimension of the problem. So far the EU had only added countries, it had never lost one, but that changed now. How to face that new challenge remains still a mystery, but the consequences are still to come.

One of the main reasons for those who voted “Leave” was the threat of terrorism in Europe. France has been so far the most punished country by these despicable actions, but the whole Europe feels the risk. Terrorism is not only scary; it has also meant a cut in our freedom in order to maintain security. And with it, also racism and islamophobia have increased, showing precisely what shouldn’t be done.

Let’s add to this cocktail the hottest year since there are records due to the effects of climate change, some failed elections in countries like Austria or Spain, the loose  of rights in countries like Hungary or Poland, and the still very damaged economy (that might be facing now the menace of a new financial crisis).

We are in the middle of the perfect storm. And keeping the boat afloat won’t be easy. And if you expect now solutions to these problems, I’m afraid I have none. It’s not that easy. Answers will only be found through dialogue.

That’s exactly what we offer in our Aspire Conference 2016: dialogue about some of the most challenging topics of our days, such as gender equality, migration, new business models and environment. To learn more about the Conference, stay with us, because we pretend to discover how to navigate the crossroads of our days under this perfect storm.

(Published in the Blog of Aspire. Manufactury of Change to promote the Aspire Conference 2016)

We are stronger together

Such an easy sentence. Theorically, not many people would disagree, specially seeing how many examples we can find. Last one can be Island’s National Football Team, who showed us that a good team is better than a few great independent players. The European Union could be another example.

Very likely you, dear reader, already know what this text is going to be about. Specially knowing what is happening today in the United Kingdom. But let’s bring another sports example before we continue. Talking about the UK, four years ago London was getting ready to host the 2012 Summer Olympics. By the end of those games, UK was third in the medal table with 29 golden medals, 17 silver ones and 19 bronzes for a total of 65 medals; a great result, for sure, but still far from the 103 and 88 metals of the USA and China. Just as a fact, if we put the medals of the EU members together, we would share 312 medals, including 95 golds. Clear leader of the medals table, because together we are more.

These are just small sport-related examples, but they support what we Aspirers feel: that unity brings strength. Therefore we believe that the European Union is a great project. It’s full of mistakes and challenges, but maybe it’s also the only way to survive in a world where the borders of countries start to blur -even if some people keep trying to raise fences and defend nationalisms-.

The longest peace period in the History of Europe, the Convention on Human Rights, the opportunity to travel in a much easier, safer and more free way or the possibility of finding friends in people that our grandparents would have been forced to kill are achievements that we owe to the European Union.

And at the same time we can’t deny its failures: one of them is to give special treatment to some countries just because of their powerful position. I’m talking, of course, about the UK and the advantages they already have and those that they have been promised if they vote to remain. That reminds me to what Groucho Marx -another one who knew that a team with his brothers was better than individualities- once said: “I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member”.

And yet, with our differences, with the mistakes and peculiarities of each country and with the problems that being all together might bring, unity makes us stronger.Let’s go back to sports with a nautical or sailing case: when we are with 27 people on a ship, if one makes a mistake and a hole appears in the hull of the ship, the whole boat can be in danger of sinking; but if that happens, all those partners are there to help us cover that hole and bale the water out. Being scared about a little hole in the hull is not a reason to leave the ship and row alone in a small wooden boat. Let’s stay all together aboard this ship and surf the complicated tides that our time brings; because we will only reach our harbor safe and sound if we all row together.

(Published in the Blog of Aspire. Manufactury of Change)

It's just football

On the 29th of January, a football game in the Greek city of Larissa between the AE Larissa and the Acharnaikos made it into the media of many other countries. It was a more or less irrelevant match of the Second League of Greece, nothing special apparently, but as soon as the referee blew his whistle to show the start of the game, the players, trainers and assistants of both teams sat on the field during two minutes in complete silence. In the speakers of the stadium it was announced that this gesture pretended to honor the hundreds of dead kids in the Aegean Sea due to the inaction of the European Union and Turkey. Then the game went on as usual.

Those two minutes saved no one from the death -proof is that hundreds of people keep dying trying to reach the security of European lands-. But that small gesture, in a small game, with small teams might have opened a few eyes. It´s clearly not enough, but in a world where the dramatic reality is not shocking enough to make us take action, these small signs become extremely important and necessary.

That's the power of football. Something that big and popular is a perfect tool to raise awareness and make people think about the real problems of the world. It's not always like that. It's actually almost never like that. But it could be. I leave the offer here for the stars that are already in France ready to play with their national teams. Imagine if beside McDonald's, Hyundai or Adidas there were some campaigns to show the impact of climate change or to fight against homophobia. That would be great, but also, let's not forget that you don’t need to be Cristiano Ronaldo o David Alaba to make an impact; you can be a small Greek football player and send a powerful message to the world.

Of course there are many things to criticize about football. Or rather about the business and corruption around it. But there is also a positive side. Think about how the Rathausplatz in Vienna will be next Tuesday when Austria makes its debut in the tournament: no more division between green and blue, Hofer and Van der Bellen, left and right… For some hours, it will be all about the red t-shirts and about the fun.

That's the whole point. There are too many things in the world that scare, worry or divide us. So, even if it´s an imperfect sports event, let´s enjoy those things that bring us together. Because if we use it well, football can also be a great way to make people aspire, dream, wish for a better world and, why not, get active and start fighting for it.

Let's see football as the amazing and powerful instrument that it is and let’s use it to bring more people together and to help making possible the positive change we want to see in the world.

And also, let's have some fun. In a moment in which some crazy people want to make us all live in fear and without freedom, having fun and using that freedom to be happy is a really useful and peaceful weapon against nonsense and terror.

It's just football. But we could make it so much more. Let's play.

(Published in the Blog of Aspire. Manufactury of Change)

Some pre-election thoughts

In Aspire we are convinced that one way to stay connected to reality in order to be able to act accordingly is to discuss it. A mature discussion about a current situation is not only one of the best ways to use and improve democracy, but it can also be very illustrative and even funny. Especially if at the same time you are sharing a bottle of wine with some nice people.

Located in Vienna, it is obvious that one of the main topics on the agenda these days are the Presidential Elections that gave in the first round on Sunday 24th of April most votes to Norbert Hofer. The candidate supported by the right party FPÖ got a 35,6% of the votes, followed by the “green” Alexander van der Bellen, who was supported by 21% of the Austrians. The two of them will appear in the ballots again this Sunday.

A few days after these results Aspire celebrated its first All-Hands Meeting. After dealing with the topics connected with our work and the organization we decided to discuss these Elections. This Sunday we will finally know who the President of the Bundesrepublik is, but before that, let´s have a look at some of the conclusions that we could get from our interesting and fruitful debate:

• Many of the members of Aspire are foreigners, so we see all these events partly from an outside perspective. We mix skepticism and fear, which led some of us to one question: “are we even wanted here?” It might sound excessive or even sensationalist, but the possibility of repeating the biggest mistakes of our past seems at times closer, and in that context this question would make too much sense. Maybe it’s good to stop a second and ask about how our votes would be seen with another perspective: not only from the point of view of other people, but also from the point of view of the medium-term future, that can show us the dimension that our decisions can have.
• We might not like a lot what happens but we are not surprised. We all know the events that motivate this polarization and this tendency to extremism, although it doesn’t mean that we agree with the approach to them. Society is complex, much more than what the easy cries of patriotism or truth let many people see. And it is precisely this complexity what might push us to radical, direct and supposedly safe options as a way to simplify a reality that, nevertheless, can’t be simplified like this. We must understand what happens around us, without looking for easy explanations and without denying that the same events can make us all feel different. And again, it will be our capacity to stand in each other’s shoes what will help us find the respect and the responsibility that we all need to make the right choices.
• These elections can’t be understood isolated. That is not the world we live in anymore. The political processes in Austria have a lot of relation with the German ones, but also with those in the Scandinavian countries or with the USA; and at the same time they are connected with those in Greece, Italy or Spain. And here the European Union plays a huge role: not only because of its responsibility for some of the mistakes committed in the last years, but also as the most effective (and maybe the only possible) way to overcome our problems and stay strong together. It’s important to look around and comprehend that the world is strongly connected and it is already impossible to think only about your own country trying to leave the others out of the picture.

The discussion kept going for a while, and it left Austrian politics to focus on the basic principles of democracy, the capitalist system, the possibility of the Brexit, the threats of climate change or the conquest of the outer space. This shows again the necessity to look further than the borders of our countries and the impossibility to see a national political process without its interconnections.

Elections are something for what we had to fight so hard. Sunday will be another day to remember that. But also to remember the past, think about the future, and act according to what we really believe it´s best. Let us all be responsible, respectful and generous. Let us all be free. Schönen Wahlsonntag!

(Published in the Blog of Aspire. Manufactury of Change)