Friday 23 December 2011

Narratives and the Nativity


Quote
“I am not struck so much by the diversity of testimony as by the many-sidedness of truth.”  Stanley Baldwin, three times British Prime Minister.

News
David Cameron’s speech on the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible in Oxford last weekend, in which he stated that Britain was still a Christian country, was met with a predictably wide range of responses and comments. 

"I was surprised that he put his views so forcefully, it was an interesting political angle,” stated an Anglican vicar.  The President of the National Secular Society responded, “Mr Cameron's promotion of faith for other people when his own is so wishy-washy is typical of a politician who thinks religion is a useful means of social control.”  But a member of the Muslim Council of Britain declared enthusiastically, "It's very seldom I get excited by what our prime minister has to say and this is one of those times.”

Newsworthy events – especially those with political implications – can be reported in quite different ways depending on the purpose and viewpoint of the writer. Take the two different accounts of the Nativity in the New Testament – one written by Matthew (Jewish, used to work in the finance industry), and the other by Luke (Greek doctor-cum-historian).  Each told the story from a different angle, and their prudent editing reflected the audience they wrote for.

Matthew recounts the events for Jewish people to convince them that Jesus is indeed their Messiah-king, descended from King David and whose birth fulfils various Old Testament prophecies.  But Matthew’s inclusion of the Magi’s visit and Herod’s massacre of infants in Bethlehem underlines the radical political consequences of this.  The child born in Bethlehem had come to establish a kingdom, allegiance to which would challenge and supersede loyalty to any political authority on earth – especially the Roman Empire, who would later put Christians to death by their thousands.

Luke, on the other hand, writes for a non-Jewish audience – people from a diversity of races, cultures and backgrounds – showing that this Son of God was born for the whole world, a universal saviour.  Luke’s account reveals the radical social consequences of the Nativity: the story is told from Mary’s point of view and gives prominence to two other women – Elizabeth and Anna.  Then he introduces the shepherds – social outcasts – as the first people to be told of the birth of Jesus, and through the old man Simeon he declares the child to be “a light to the Gentiles”.  Luke thus introduces the infant Jesus in a way that starts to level out the deep social inequalities of the time based on gender, class, wealth and ethnicity.

At one level the Nativity is a story that any child can understand and marvel at.  At another, it heralds a seismic shift in the relationship between God and the human race, and between people of every status and creed.  David Cameron spoke of the historical influence of the Christian faith on British culture, but this story is not over.  Its power to transform hearts and relationships, and in turn the political and social order, has much life in it yet.

Read on
The full text of David Cameron’s speech about the influence of the King James Bible on English language, politics and society, can be read here.
  
Walk the talk
As you celebrate Christmas this weekend, why not take the opportunity to discuss the more subversive implications of the Nativity story with someone you are sharing the celebration with?

The last word
From the King James Bible, Luke 1, verses 52-53, Mary declares about God, “He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.”

Friday 2 December 2011

‘Occupy’ demonstrations and the dangers of inequality

Quote
“The love of property and consciousness of right and wrong have conflicting places in our organization, which often makes a man's course seem crooked, his conduct a riddle.”  Abraham Lincoln

News
The High Pay Commission published its long awaited report last week after a year of research into executive remuneration in the UK.  Chairperson Deborah Hargreaves stated, “There's a crisis at the top of British business… When pay for senior executives is set behind closed doors, does not reflect company success and is fuelling massive inequality it represents a deep malaise at the very top of our society.”

That malaise is being expressed visibly by the Occupy movement, whose tent cities in Madrid, New York, London, Rome and other financial centres are bracing for winter.  Inequality is the key issue, and campaigners in the US rally under the banner, “We are the 99%”.  At the heart of their protests is the sense of injustice that top executives, especially in the financial sector, have seen their salaries rise substantially over the last 3 years, while the vast majority of the working population face falling real incomes in an era of austerity. 

Not only is income distribution becoming more unequal, even greater inequality exists in asset ownership.  The top 1% of Americans now own 37% of the nation’s wealth; the bottom 80% own just 15% - and the gap has widened more rapidly in the last 3 years than it has for decades. 

The Occupy movement demonstrates that trust in business elites is in sharp decline; no longer is it assumed that their wealth generating talents and entrepreneurial skills will benefit the wider population.  Something has gone badly wrong with Capitalism, but the search for alternatives struggles to move beyond a call for more regulation, taxation and red tape.

Capitalist economics is primarily about generating a return on capital; what might a more relational economy look like?  Drawing its inspiration from the Judeo-Christian ethical tradition, ‘Relational Thinking’ understands all financial decisions to be expressions of relationships – for example between buyer and seller, lender and borrower, employer and employee, taxpayer and government.  Ensuring these relationships are close, fair and lasting is essential to a successful economy; rising inequality is a sign that they are moving in the opposite direction.

The clamour against financial injustice is growing globally; in the quest for ways to recover values and agree a moral framework for markets, the concept and language of relationships offers a fresh perspective.  The challenge is to incorporate relational values into the structures and working practices of organisations; reducing the accountability gap between capital providers and users and between company board members and their lowest paid staff is a good place to begin. 

Read on
‘Transforming Capitalism from Within’ by Jonathan Rushworth and Michael Schluter sets out an alternative, relational approach to the purpose, performance and assessment of companies.  This report proposes far-reaching reforms as to how companies could operate as ‘Relational communities’ in a sustainable and profitable way, rather than as vehicles within which all parties compete for short-term financial gain.  Read the executive summary here.

Walk the talk
Every time you make a financial transaction over the next week, pause first to think about the relationship inherent in the matter; is there anything you might do differently to make that relationship closer, fairer or more long-lasting?

The last word
From the Bible, Luke chapter 12, verse 56: “
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?”

Friday 18 November 2011

China’s children count the cost


Quote
“If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin.”  Charles Darwin

News
The number of children in China left behind by their migrant worker parents is similar to the entire population of Italy.  China’s economic powerhouse has led to the amassing of vast foreign currency reserves (enough to buy Italy’s national debt twice over), but what are the true costs of this growth rate, and how sustainable is it? 

The plight of the ‘left behind children’ tells another side of the story.  There are 242 million migrant workers in China’s cities, but the parents among them have left 58 million children home alone in rural areas.  69% of these children stay with their grandparents, 24% live with one parent, 4% are cared for by other relatives, while the remaining 3% (1.5 million children) are left to fend for themselves.

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences state that the left behind children’s education, mental health and character development all suffer from a lack of parental involvement, attention and affection.  These children are also expected to help with farm work, and in caring for the elderly.  Remittances sent back to villages do bring a measure of rural development, but in the long term the relational cost may outweigh the economic benefits.

A major problem is the hukow system of household registration, which makes it very difficult for migrant families to register in cities and become eligible for public housing or education.  Effectively, the policy of maximising economic growth has driven a wedge between urban residents and migrant workers, who are viewed more as human capital than members of the growing community.

More damaging though is the tendency for rapid growth to weaken the informal, family based welfare system which cares for the old, the sick, those out of work and children.  Sustainable economic growth can only be ensured by keeping social overheads low, which depends on family welfare structures remaining viable; otherwise the burden of welfare has to be taken over by the government, leading to higher taxes and reduced competitiveness.

One in four rural Chinese children are currently ‘left behind’; if the relational costs of massive migration are not properly considered, and economic growth slowed down to a socially sustainable level, then China will end up with deep economic as well as social problems in 20 years from now.

Read on
Relationships Global has just released its most significant report to date on the impact of aid and development policy on family relationships.  Download “Moving the Goalposts: moving the family to the heart of development strategy” here, and read Chapter 7 on Migration (pages 42-48).

Walk the talk
Work usually takes us away from home, but for most people that is only on a daily basis; if you are considering longer trips away from home, or even migration to another country for economic reasons, have you factored in not only the short term pain of separation, but the long term relational consequences that might arise?

The last word
From the Bible, 2 Corinthians 12:14 “Children shouldn't have to provide for their parents, but parents should provide for their children.”

Friday 11 November 2011

Nuclear waste – whose problem?


Quote
“The key to disposing of high-level nuclear waste appears to be not technology, or terrain – but trust.”  Richard Black, BBC Environment Correspondent.

News
A High Court appeal by residents of a small village in Northamptonshire against the decision to allow radioactive waste to be dumped near their village was rejected last week.  This follows a two year battle during which community groups resisted plans by a large corporate, Augean, to bury rubble from decommissioned nuclear power plants.

The company claims they have ‘followed closely the standards set by law and the guidance of the Environment Agency and the Health Protection Agency to ensure that the proposals will be safe.’  However, the local community takes a different view and has published a convincing set of arguments that the long term risks are higher than the company claims. The dispute may have been settled in the High Court, but it is far from resolved at the relational level.

The success of this initiative requires a high degree of trust between the parties. It is not enough for the company to argue compliance with various health and safety standards set by remote national agencies.  Residents have good reason to doubt the value of such guarantees, especially when the government has an interest in increasing the national capacity for nuclear waste disposal.   The local community needs assurance that Augean is not only seeking a profit for shareholders, but takes into account the needs of other stakeholders.  Unfortunately, most big business simply doesn’t work that way.

Trust is built relationally; company executives must make time for ongoing dialogue with community leaders face to face, listen carefully to their specific concerns, make appropriate concessions, and adapt their proposals accordingly.  And not only to gain the initial approval.

The benefits of the nuclear industry are reaped by the whole nation, in that it permits cheap, clean energy to be generated.  The risks, however, are borne disproportionately by the communities around the power stations, near the waste disposal sites, and on the transport routes in between.  The government needs to earn the trust of local communities by allocating sufficient resources to ensure safety of radioactive waste. 

It is only when the nuclear industry, the government and local communities agree on the balance between public interest and local safety that the relationships will be in place for a successful national nuclear industry. 

Read on
In Cumbria, a partnership of local councils and community organisations is providing a good example of more positive relationships between community and government in decision making over the disposal of radioactive waste.  Read an article likening this to Finland, where trust is seen as the key factor in decisions over nuclear waste, here.

Walk the talk
It takes a well-developed sensitivity to justice to ensure that risks are spread fairly between parties; in your sphere of responsibility, have you considered who bears the risk and who takes the rewards?

The last word
From the Bible, Proverbs 29:7 “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.”

Friday 4 November 2011

Three ways of valuing property


Quote
"Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to.”  John Ed Pearce

News
The behaviour of the housing market in the UK is difficult to predict.  Since the financial crisis of 2008, prices have not fallen significantly, despite the lack of credit and a subdued market.  Although demand continues to outstrip supply, the number of new homes built last year was the lowest since 1949.  First time buyers are still unable to get on the housing ladder, as the ratio of average first house prices to earnings remains stubbornly high (currently 4.4 against a long term trend of around 3.1). 

This analysis of the housing market is an economic one; we are also increasingly familiar with valuing a building environmentally, according to its energy efficiency.  But there is a third way to value property – relationally. 

High housing costs force many adults in their 20s and 30s to move back in with their parents, requiring both generations to make big adjustments to living as an extended family.  An increasing number of divorced couples remain living in the same house, bringing its own set of relational tensions, not least for their children.  Divorce also accounts for a large part of the demand for housing.  Other families are trapped in rented accommodation, unable to afford their first home; the uncertainty this brings puts additional pressure on relationships.

The 15 year boom in property prices up to 2008 in Britain led to a downgrading of the value of houses as homes – providing a sense of stability, belonging and identity.  Instead, houses ‘crossed the sacred barrier between home and capital,’ which helped fuel the nation’s fatal addiction to debt.  

It may take a generation to correct the current economic imbalances in the property market; however, the relational value of property can be rebuilt now by designing homes and living spaces which are not only environmentally sustainable, but which foster good relationships.  Avoiding anti-relational architecture such as high rise blocks, and creating multi-generational dwellings, more communal spaces, granny flats and other initiatives can help reduce the relational distance between generations, neighbours and across the wider community.
  
It’s time to think relationally about housing.

Read on
‘The R Option’ by Michael Schluter and David Lee explores ways to develop a relational lifestyle at home and work.  Read the chapter on Roots here.

Walk the talk
How relational is your own thinking about property?  If you are considering moving house, or making changes to your present one, how might you increase the relational value of your home?

The last word
From the Bible, Isaiah chapter 5, verse 8: “Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land.”