The EU – a noble winner?

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, French foreign minister and a founding father of the EU.

News

The Norwegian Nobel committee took quite a risk in awarding the peace prize to the European Union a week ago, as social unrest in Athens and elsewhere threatens the very concept of a united continent, and public opinion in Norway is sharply divided over the EU.

The award recognises the long term achievement of the Union in building stability and peace in a continent whose nations habitually resolved conflicts by going to war with each other.  (The last time Europe enjoyed 60 years without war was in 1410.)  The Nobel committee also recognised the EU’s contribution in replacing dictatorships with democracy in Southern Europe, and Soviet domination with liberating independence in Eastern European nations.

The founding fathers of European Coal and Steel Community, which became the EEC, then the EC and finally the EU, sought to make the major industries of France and Germany so interdependent that it would be inconceivable for the two to go to war with each other again.  It was a relational goal for which they adopted an economic strategy. 

Since then, the very success of the European project (coupled with NATO) has led to peace being taken for granted.  Consequently, the ambitions of the European project have become increasingly economic and political, and the vital realm of relationships between the various European peoples has taken a back seat.

The flagship of the EU is now the Euro, and saving the currency is forcing member states towards closer political union and the loss of their sovereignty.  But will this ultimately lead to the kind of relationships within and between member states that European peoples aspire to?   In the long run that may well determine whether the EU will live up to its Nobel reputation.

Read on...

A paper by Dr Gary Wilton about how Christian statesman Robert Schuman sought to place Christian values at the heart of rebuilding Europe in the aftermath of the second world war can be read here.  http://www.jubilee-centre.org/resources/the_enduring_legacy_of_robert_schuman

Walk the talk

We can all be tempted to allow some form of material advantage to sneak in and become a hidden agenda behind some of our more noble goals.  Do you need to take an honest, tough look at your motives for any of your current initiatives or commitments?

The last word

From the Bible, Psalm 37, verse 11: “The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.”

Strikes, South Africa and relational stability

This week's Friday Five was co-written with guest contributor Dr Zolile Mlisana

Quote

“To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”  Nelson Mandela

News

The official inquiry began this week into the deaths of 44 miners at the Marikana platinum mine in South Africa. The wildcat strike might have gone unnoticed had the unrest not escalated into the bloodiest confrontation between police and protesters since the end of apartheid, as 34 miners were killed and 270 injured on 16th August. The strike was called off after mine owners Lonmin increased their workers’ salaries by 22%.

As strikes continue in other mines, social reverberations continue to emanate from this disaster, calling into question some of South Africa’s cherished national successes – economic growth, political stability and black economic empowerment. What do these actually mean for the thousands of miners at the bottom of the economic pile, and for their families back home?

Mining companies are now required to improve the housing and living conditions of workers, and to invest in community development around the mines. Despite significant progress, it has often been done without consulting the miners themselves, and so can appear paternalistic.

The extractive industries represent a fifth of South Africa’s economy, so the growing industrial unrest is costing all stakeholders dearly. Although the wave of strikes focuses on pay and living conditions, there is a deeper, relational malaise behind them. It was hoped that the economic injustices of the apartheid era would have been overcome 18 years into majority rule, but the new black political elite have not succeeded in changing corporate culture, nor preventing pay differentials reaching unprecedented levels.

The rainbow nation, celebrated globally for modelling racial reconciliation, urgently needs to address the lack of parity between different economic groups, such as mine owners and workers. Parity is not the same as equality; it’s about respecting every person as a human being, and recognising the contribution each brings to the company. Where genuine parity in relationships increases, it will lead to fairer pay and conditions. But where it is neglected, strikers are more likely to resort to the one way they believe their voices will be heard – through violence.

Read On

The problem of poor housing for industrial workers can become a catalyst for social transformation. Read the story of how business owner George Cadbury created a whole new community for his employees over a century ago here.

Walk the talk

How does the tendency to measure people’s contribution to a company in financial terms influence the way we relate to them? What could you do to increase respect and understanding for someone else either above you or below you at work?

The last word

From the Bible, Proverbs chapter 22, verse 2: “The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the maker of them all.”