Euro relationships under strain

Quote

"We are called to bethink ourselves of the Christian basics of Europe by forming a democratic model of governance which through reconciliation develops into a ‘community of peoples’ in freedom, equality, solidarity and peace and which is deeply rooted in Christian basic values.”  Robert Schuman (one of the founding fathers of the European community; 1958)

News

Yesterday the Spanish parliament voted in favour of €15 billion of austerity measures – but by just one vote.  European finance ministers last week agreed that tougher sanctions were needed for member states who are slow to bring government deficits back under control – in order to prevent the Greek financial crisis from spreading.

The single European currency is effectively an inter-country relational experiment.  For 60 years the EU (helped greatly by NATO) has succeeded in its goal of making war inconceivable among the member states.  However, the decision to form a monetary union in the 1990s has been pushing countries towards ever closer political union – far beyond what the founders such as Schuman envisioned.   

When member states gave up their independent currencies a decade ago, they were placing immense trust in other Eurozone governments to keep spending in check.  The present crisis exposes differences in values between member states over financial prudence and puts to the test the strength of the relationship binding them to a common currency.  It’s time to count the cost: what price must be paid for the Eurozone to hold together, both financially and in terms of handing over more political and economic independence to an emerging European government?

Read on...

Paul Mills and Michael Schluter wrote a paper in 1998 weighing up the pros and cons of joining the euro from a Christian perspective.  To find out what their conclusion was, and to see if their predictions about what would happen if member states faced unsustainable deficits are coming true, read the paper here http://www.jubilee-centre.org/document.php?id=22

Walk the talk

The application is restricted to Brits this week (but will probably bring a smile to our other readers!)  At the risk of sounding pedantic, I challenge my fellow British citizens to consider their language and if necessary, to stop speaking of Europe as if the continent didn’t include UK!  Britain is part of Europe geographically, historically, and by virtue of EU membership; acknowledging our common heritage this way might make us more sensitive to the concerns and challenges facing our fellow Europeans.

The last word

From the Bible, Luke 14:28-30 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'”

Artistic interlude

In place of the normal 5 points of Friday Five, we have a painting to reflect on relationally.

I am trying to be an honest blogger, so I'm not going to copy an image I don't have a licence for!  Instead, I'll ask you to click on this link to see the painting “Coming from the Mill” on the site of its owner, the Lowry Museum:
http://www.thelowry.com/gifts-and-souvenirs/coming-from-the-mill-1930/print-coming-from-the-mill-1930 

L.S. Lowry is famous for his unique style of painting “matchstick men” against urban industrial scenes in Northern England. Lowry was a solitary figure, a keen observer of the lives of the industrial working class during the first half of the 20^th century.  He painted around his other commitments – working as a rent collector, and caring for his bedridden mother for many years.  He never married.

Lowry’s paintings and drawings depict an austere beauty in the mills and factories, the achievements of scientific, technological, industrial Man.  But what of the impact of urban industrialisation on people’s lives and relationships?

The figures are atomised, drawn individually, many not touching another.  And where walking, the people are bent forward, faces downcast, scurrying home as if before a thunderstorm. 

Sadness, loneliness and isolation dogged Lowry’s life, and he saw the same things mirrored in the industrial workers of Salford and Manchester.  The matchstick people are frail and insignificant, having become slaves of the great, monolithic factories and mills they invented.

Such images may look quaint and historical to 21^st century European eyes, but this scenario is highly contemporary in China, India and other countries going through rapid industrialisation and urbanisation.  In 2010 people are still becoming matchstick men and women, as they migrate into the cities from their village way of life, often becoming isolated from their families, roots and relational support structures.

Lowry’s painting causes us to reflect on the relational cost of capitalism, which disregards the fragmentation of families and communities caused by large scale production and so easily reduces the strength, uniqueness and creativity of people’s labour to a cost line on a budget.

Keys to the Coalition

Departing from our usual format, we present a guest version of Friday Five about the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government formed in London this week, written by our sister organisation The Relationships Foundation: 

We strongly advocate relationships education at the beginning of a relationship rather than counselling after it has all gone wrong. Here we assess the new government coalition on our five key relationship tests and offer some advice to its leaders.

1. Shared Purpose – enabling common aims and ideas

+ On the plus side the parties have hammered out a governing document and have united to deal with the difficult economic situation. They can do more together than each could do alone.

– On the minus side, however, there will be many forces pulling a coalition apart: so what is the big idea holding them together? National unity governments at a time of crisis can work well, but when the crisis is over, few survive because they lack a deeply rooted shared purpose.

2. Sharing Power – fostering participation and mutual respect

+ The Liberal Democrats have been empowered with more Cabinet seats than many expected and there seems to be a genuine respect between the Prime Minister and his Deputy. Key economic roles for Vince Cable and David Laws show that the risks and the rewards will be shared.

–  Good relationships between two chief executives that are not matched by effective joint working at all other levels do not deliver the desired outcomes.

3. Shared Knowledge – increasing mutual understanding

+ Many coalition MPs, especially those in senior positions, know each other well, having worked ‘together’ in Parliament for many years.

–  The number of new MPs, many of whom recently fought bitter battles with their new coalition partners, is a cause for concern.

4. Shared Story – creating momentum and a sense of belonging and loyalty

+ All relationships have a narrative story – the memory of the past and the imagination of the future. A five-year deal should encourage a sense of belonging, loyalty and commitment.

–  When asked to tell a joke, David Cameron used to say ‘Nick Clegg’. The relationship between the parties has a long history and much of it has involved bitter battles. Changing this story will be difficult.

5. Shared Communication – building trust and understanding

+ The importance of communication cannot be over-estimated, particularly face-to-face meetings. Adjoining offices for the Prime Minister and his Deputy would set the tone.

–  Openness, honesty and attentiveness are the necessary qualities – but they go against the habits of a lifetime for most politicians.

Our advice – the coalition needs a big idea which spans all departments leading to joined-up government with a purpose. Everyone must have a stake in this big idea so that it becomes part of the coalition’s narrative. They must also respect each other’s differences, seek creative solutions as opposed to conflict and talk to each other directly rather than through the media.

Fail these five tests and we will be back in the polling booths before we know it. Get them right and the coalition could go the distance. Such a government would be a powerful model for how public services, and indeed society as a whole, can work together for the progress we desire.

Crisis and compensation

Quote

"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.”  George Bernard Shaw.

News

Since April 22^nd up to 5,000 barrels (795,000 litres) of crude oil a day has been pouring into the Gulf of Mexico from the stricken borehole a mile beneath the surface.  The large seafood and recreational fishing industry is under threat, wildlife in the coastal wetlands are endangered by the oil, and tourism in the area is likely to be hit hard. 

In a statement, BP said they take full responsibility for cleaning up the oil spill, and for paying compensation for any loss or damage caused, including loss of earnings.  This reflects the conventional approach to risk and responsibility, which assumes that all damage can ultimately be reduced to a financial cost. 

Yet there is a cost to relationships also, beyond the reach of compensation – starting with those grieving for the 11 people killed in the initial explosion on the oil rig.  Tensions in families will rise if fishermen’s revenues fall, or if small businesses go bankrupt and people have to move away in search of other work; families and communities may be forced to break up.  The relationship between BP and the rig operator Transocean will be under intense pressure, along with relations between BP and workers in the oil and fishing industries; levels of trust may fall between conservation groups and government who authorized such risky deep sea drilling… and so it continues.

Read on...

A “relational lens” helps us to map the effects of this disaster on a range of people and relationships, which goes well beyond those affected by the economic and environmental impact alone.  A tool has been developed by the Relationships Foundation to incorporate this wider perspective into evaluating business or policy decisions; you can read the executive summary of the “3D7L model” here: www.relationshipsglobal.net/Web/OnlineStore/Product.aspx?ID=45

Walk the talk 

When an accident happens at home, it’s so easy to focus on the material damage first, not on the feelings or concerns of those affected.  Consequently many children are left with an impression that things matter more than people.  Next time there is a domestic incident, try to address the relational impact first.

The last word

From the Bible, Deuteronomy 22 verse 8: “When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof.”