It was somewhat accidental that I ended starting my summer holidays from Chicago last week. KLM offered a cheap deal and we thought it would be an easy way to get across the Atlantic. Before travelling, I did not give the city much thought. I always thought New York, LA, San Francisco and even Washington D.C. would be more interesting. I mean what do you think of when someone mentions Chicago: pan pizza and Al Capone, lately also Barack Obama.
Little did I know that in a day I would fall in love with Chicago. I loved the fact that its urban planning is based on a complete different notion than ours here in Europe. It is OK to make it big. The picture captures the idea well: green meets high.
My new top list for Chicago would be:
1. Millennium Park: Best display of public art I have ever seen. Great pieces which attract the public to touch and have fun. The fountain projecting faces of people of Chicago into it was swarmed by children, especially when the fountain spit high-pressure water out of the mouth of the projected person. The flower garden captured in the picture and the Pavillion by the great Frank Gehry really make it worth visiting. And hey, I don't mind at all that most of the art was paid by Wrigley and Boeing.
2. Bongo Room: the best and biggest pancakes I have ever had with constant refill of coffee in a design resembling a kindergarten. Friendly service just on Wabash (1152 S Wabash Av).
3. Sky scrapers: Chicago knows how to make it impressive whether it is Xerox, Sears, AON (see pic) or parking lots in the shape of corn cobs. It was rather funny that yesterday we went to see the fantastic new Batman film Dark Knight only to realise that it was filmed in downtown Chicago.
4. Oprah: I mean come on. In the hotel room our every morning started with her, filmed just around the corner. Somehow Oprah is like the beacon of what Chicago is about in its optimism, upbeat and freshness.
Yesterday Chicago, today chaotic but hope-driven Los Angeles and tomorrow blitz of Las Vegas. I love America.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
I Talk With You
Having spent three days in the sunny Pyrenees talking about the importance of intercultural dialogue, I felt like my political scientist identity was raising its (ugly) head. I felt like we should more often go back to the basics of politics when talking about intercultural dialogue. With this I mean things like:
1. POWER: Who needs intercultural dialogue? Is it the immigrant, the scared native, both or is it a smokescreen for the bigger streams in contemporary politics?
We should remember that all relationships in the society are loaded with power and influence. For instance we can look at the phrase mentioned often around intercultural dialogue: tolerance. Even if people using the phrase often mean well, we should keep in mind that tolerance is a power structure where one party decides to tolerate the other and can on any given moment opt out of it.
2. MONEY: Who benefits financially from intercultural dialogue? What is the economic justification for it? Is intercultural dialogue about using all the talent in the labour market or about harvesting the savings of immigrants into local banks?
3. GENDER: Very often it seems like the only position left for immigrant women in intercultural dialogue is the one of a helpless victim waiting for the white (male) saviour.
4. POLITICS: A truly political intercultural dialogue requires a problem to be solved, different view points and a decision-making process. In order for people to join and get excited, they need to be able to link it to their daily realities. Too often intercultural dialogue is presented as a non-frictious process, which turns it easily into a non-term and it ends up being castrated from all of its political sides. No sane person would be against intercultural dialogue as a notion. If politics is seen as turning people’s individual concerns to the agenda of our society, intercultural dialogue by definition should be political and frictious.
5. COMMUNITY: Community is one of the buzz words of today’s politics. One often hears terms such as Muslim community, Turkish community, gay community or the black community without proper critique whether these groups see themselves as communities, whether they have legitimately elected representatives and whether politics or dialogue can be based on these groups in a world of fluid, plural identity. This leads me well to my favourite notion.
6. INDIVIDUAL: The phrase itself – intercultural dialogue – is paradoxical as cultures cannot talk to each other. Dialogue is a process between people. Intercultural dialogue should start more often from an individual and the individual’s self-definition, not from static notions such as a community or culture. I cannot know how someone’s identity is structured but most of us are able to explain our own position.
1. POWER: Who needs intercultural dialogue? Is it the immigrant, the scared native, both or is it a smokescreen for the bigger streams in contemporary politics?
We should remember that all relationships in the society are loaded with power and influence. For instance we can look at the phrase mentioned often around intercultural dialogue: tolerance. Even if people using the phrase often mean well, we should keep in mind that tolerance is a power structure where one party decides to tolerate the other and can on any given moment opt out of it.
2. MONEY: Who benefits financially from intercultural dialogue? What is the economic justification for it? Is intercultural dialogue about using all the talent in the labour market or about harvesting the savings of immigrants into local banks?
3. GENDER: Very often it seems like the only position left for immigrant women in intercultural dialogue is the one of a helpless victim waiting for the white (male) saviour.
4. POLITICS: A truly political intercultural dialogue requires a problem to be solved, different view points and a decision-making process. In order for people to join and get excited, they need to be able to link it to their daily realities. Too often intercultural dialogue is presented as a non-frictious process, which turns it easily into a non-term and it ends up being castrated from all of its political sides. No sane person would be against intercultural dialogue as a notion. If politics is seen as turning people’s individual concerns to the agenda of our society, intercultural dialogue by definition should be political and frictious.
5. COMMUNITY: Community is one of the buzz words of today’s politics. One often hears terms such as Muslim community, Turkish community, gay community or the black community without proper critique whether these groups see themselves as communities, whether they have legitimately elected representatives and whether politics or dialogue can be based on these groups in a world of fluid, plural identity. This leads me well to my favourite notion.
6. INDIVIDUAL: The phrase itself – intercultural dialogue – is paradoxical as cultures cannot talk to each other. Dialogue is a process between people. Intercultural dialogue should start more often from an individual and the individual’s self-definition, not from static notions such as a community or culture. I cannot know how someone’s identity is structured but most of us are able to explain our own position.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
All Together Now, People
Even in secondary school I was a fan of the United Nations. It somehow got me all excited with the idealism and with its bold mission to make the world a better place. As I proceeded to my university studies, I was encountered with the critical takes on the global structure and its inefficiency in several areas.
I remember a while back a friend of mine whose father is a UN Special Envoy telling about the difficulties in the field operations on living up to the ideals. It did not come as a surprise to me that a recent study showed serious misconduct from many peace keepers. In several target countries peace keepers are active clients of illegal prostitutes, often underaged. Anyone who has worked for multinational structures - whether corporate or non-profit - knows how difficult it is to carry the values all through the organisation.
I always admired Kofi Annan as the voice of humanity as the Secretary-General and have been rather disappointed by the invisibility of Ban Ki Moon in the same job. Annan was not able to push through reforms in the governance of the EU despite a lot of good will but he gave a face to the UN values.
In the course of the last weeks the global justice system has taken again taken again serious blows when China and Russia vetoed sanctions on Zimbabwe and therefore consciously continued suffering of the Zimbabwean people in steep inflation, undemocratic rule and poverty.
It is difficult to make one´s mind around the UN. Personally I feel that EU should be downsized in the Security Council to one seat and that Africa and South America need their seats as permanent members. UN needs to correspond better to the population division on our planet. But at the same time I am confident that Europeans are not willing to give in their power for the global good. In a way I would like to believe in reforming the UN. But its inefficiency to act on Sudan and just basic power politics create cracks in this belief.
I don´t see the UN as a advocacy organisation for Western values per se. I however believe that there are universal rights that we as the global society need to protect. These are right to life, food, education and freedom - the freedom to join and leave groups without a risk to your family and to yourself.
I remember a while back a friend of mine whose father is a UN Special Envoy telling about the difficulties in the field operations on living up to the ideals. It did not come as a surprise to me that a recent study showed serious misconduct from many peace keepers. In several target countries peace keepers are active clients of illegal prostitutes, often underaged. Anyone who has worked for multinational structures - whether corporate or non-profit - knows how difficult it is to carry the values all through the organisation.
I always admired Kofi Annan as the voice of humanity as the Secretary-General and have been rather disappointed by the invisibility of Ban Ki Moon in the same job. Annan was not able to push through reforms in the governance of the EU despite a lot of good will but he gave a face to the UN values.
In the course of the last weeks the global justice system has taken again taken again serious blows when China and Russia vetoed sanctions on Zimbabwe and therefore consciously continued suffering of the Zimbabwean people in steep inflation, undemocratic rule and poverty.
It is difficult to make one´s mind around the UN. Personally I feel that EU should be downsized in the Security Council to one seat and that Africa and South America need their seats as permanent members. UN needs to correspond better to the population division on our planet. But at the same time I am confident that Europeans are not willing to give in their power for the global good. In a way I would like to believe in reforming the UN. But its inefficiency to act on Sudan and just basic power politics create cracks in this belief.
I don´t see the UN as a advocacy organisation for Western values per se. I however believe that there are universal rights that we as the global society need to protect. These are right to life, food, education and freedom - the freedom to join and leave groups without a risk to your family and to yourself.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Just Different
Is defining yourself as different a legitimate position to take? And more so, is this a position a museum should be taking when curating an exhibition? This was the debate we ended into yesterday after visiting Cobra Museum´s exhibition Just Different on sexual minorities in visual arts.
The international exhibition looks at the representation of sexual minorities through more and less known artists, often themselves gay or lesbian. The exhibition varies from contributions by world renowned artists like Wolfgang Tillmans or Gilbert & George and to less known artists such as Karol Radziszewski (see pic) whose clever work on radical fag fighters attacking straight people wearing pink hoods knitted by Radziszweski's grandmother was one of the highlights of the exhibition.
All and all, I left the exhibition rather disappointed. The representation of sexual minorities was overly sex- and male-driven with even female artists reflecting their relationship on the penis. When it comes to the subject of penis, in this exhibition one saw it in all shape and form from graphic drawings to knitted hoods. Somehow easy, I would say. Or maybe I have just visited too many contemporary art museums.
But back to the debate. I found it bold that the exhibition in its works did not play on the notions of respect or tolerance but started more from self-representation and self-definition. I do understand that advocacy organisations wish to push forward the diversity agenda (all different but equal) but the arts needs to have to right to take also other stands (different by choice). I would have just wanted to see more works like Radziszewski, which step into more unexplored areas of sexuality and tackle relationship to the dominant forces from a fresh angle.
The international exhibition looks at the representation of sexual minorities through more and less known artists, often themselves gay or lesbian. The exhibition varies from contributions by world renowned artists like Wolfgang Tillmans or Gilbert & George and to less known artists such as Karol Radziszewski (see pic) whose clever work on radical fag fighters attacking straight people wearing pink hoods knitted by Radziszweski's grandmother was one of the highlights of the exhibition.
All and all, I left the exhibition rather disappointed. The representation of sexual minorities was overly sex- and male-driven with even female artists reflecting their relationship on the penis. When it comes to the subject of penis, in this exhibition one saw it in all shape and form from graphic drawings to knitted hoods. Somehow easy, I would say. Or maybe I have just visited too many contemporary art museums.
But back to the debate. I found it bold that the exhibition in its works did not play on the notions of respect or tolerance but started more from self-representation and self-definition. I do understand that advocacy organisations wish to push forward the diversity agenda (all different but equal) but the arts needs to have to right to take also other stands (different by choice). I would have just wanted to see more works like Radziszewski, which step into more unexplored areas of sexuality and tackle relationship to the dominant forces from a fresh angle.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Eyewitness
The last few days have been weird at the office. We are more or less drowned in pillows, flowers and signs that were bought or produced for the festival. We have constantly people popping their head into the StrangerRoom and asking how we feel, are we tired and what now. The answer is more or less the same to all of those: uhm...
Having focused on an event for a year and now having it behind my back feels weird and empty. Suddenly - like cut with a knife - the rush is gone. Our interns are ending their time with us this week which makes my eyes water. I had difficulties delivering my speech to them at the farewell reception on Tuesday. After working with a team of six, we will once again go back to two or three. It does not feel nice.
The festival was a surreal experience. It was bigger than I could have imagined, I met tons of great people and witnessed what we have been preaching: intercultural dialogue in action, not merely in words. Being in the centre of the tornado made it difficult to see clearly what happened. Suddenly it was just over.
The great thing was that one of my best friends and my partner were here for the event. Through their eyes I was actually able to see clearer what was going on. They met new people, had great parties, danced on the podium and were moved by the videos.
I do feel guilty that I was able to spend so little time with both of them. But having them seeing it, recognising its size and impact and sharing the great moments with me is just amazing. That is true companionship, friendship and love. The fact that they took the time to see the biggest thing I have ever produced really makes me choke up from emotion. They really made the event light up for me. Thank you both.
Having focused on an event for a year and now having it behind my back feels weird and empty. Suddenly - like cut with a knife - the rush is gone. Our interns are ending their time with us this week which makes my eyes water. I had difficulties delivering my speech to them at the farewell reception on Tuesday. After working with a team of six, we will once again go back to two or three. It does not feel nice.
The festival was a surreal experience. It was bigger than I could have imagined, I met tons of great people and witnessed what we have been preaching: intercultural dialogue in action, not merely in words. Being in the centre of the tornado made it difficult to see clearly what happened. Suddenly it was just over.
The great thing was that one of my best friends and my partner were here for the event. Through their eyes I was actually able to see clearer what was going on. They met new people, had great parties, danced on the podium and were moved by the videos.
I do feel guilty that I was able to spend so little time with both of them. But having them seeing it, recognising its size and impact and sharing the great moments with me is just amazing. That is true companionship, friendship and love. The fact that they took the time to see the biggest thing I have ever produced really makes me choke up from emotion. They really made the event light up for me. Thank you both.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
It Is Done
See more pictures here http://www.flickr.com/groups/strangerfestival
See winners here:
http://www.strangerfestival.com/node/4573
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Strangers Are Here
1,5 years of work and here we are. StrangerFestival started today. All these people we have been communicating with by email and phone for ages are here with many young people who are scared, overwhelmed, excited and curious. We visited the location today and the entire team went silent: this is why we have worked so hard - to create an event that is beautiful, meaningful and fun.
Today my telephone has been ringing with questions on DVD formats, bus tickets, hotel and hostels and what have you. I have shaken many hands and had many 2-3-minute discussions. The great thing is that even if people are critical, they are grateful and enthusiastic and they appreciate the effort we make to make this a joint success.
It's a bit confusing the entire feeling- it is so much at the same time that it takes a moment to suck it in. I just came home for an hour to relax, change and get ready for the evening. Fun, fun, fun!
Today my telephone has been ringing with questions on DVD formats, bus tickets, hotel and hostels and what have you. I have shaken many hands and had many 2-3-minute discussions. The great thing is that even if people are critical, they are grateful and enthusiastic and they appreciate the effort we make to make this a joint success.
It's a bit confusing the entire feeling- it is so much at the same time that it takes a moment to suck it in. I just came home for an hour to relax, change and get ready for the evening. Fun, fun, fun!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Who's An Expert?
A weekend nearly free of StrangerFestival is about to end. It was needed as now I am again superexcited about the fact that the festival starts on Wednesday with 200 people flying in. I saw some of our posters again in the city and I had the "oh me god, that is me project" (sorry for those who do not appreciate the attempt to imitate an English accent there).
One of the most exciting things is flying in cool people to run workshops. Nerimon, a British blogger, is one of them. He and Katers17 will run two workshops on video blogging. Here's my favourite post from Nerimon. I am also extremely excited about Eboman performing at the opening.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Final Countdown
It is nearly here. The travels have been organised, the participants have been informed about the workshops they take part in, the posters are across the city and the voting for the AudienceAward approaches its closure. Next Thursday 19.00 doors open at the Gashouder.
Here quite an entertaining and smart video from Rotterdam competing for the AmsterdamAward, the prize for Best Dutch video.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Encounter with Big Brother
"What does työttömyysturvamaksu mean?"
"What does Ulkomaalaiseksi työnhakijaksi katsotaan mean..."
Understanding Finnish social security system is difficult as it is but it gets on the level of an Amazing Race challenge when your task is to simultaneously interpret non-native pronounciation of administrative Finnish consisting of sentences sometimes three lines long. I realised that grammatically many of the sentences were correct but their meaning had been lost in translation to Bureaucratic. Sentences like "you are not entitled to benefits which you are not entitled to based on your status" are correct but very often rather empty in terms of content.
The decision letter from KELA - Finnish authority for social benefits and pensions - that I was asked to help out with was immensely complex to understand, even for a native speaker. The letter listed segments of legislation and multiple terms from social policy but did not really answer the obvious - what you get and don't get. It reminded me a bit of this test Finnish Broadcasting Company once had on their website where you needed to explain phrases you hear constantly on the news only to realise that you are not entirely sure about the goals of Hamas or the way employer and employee organisations negotiate salary levels. I had no idea what all the benefits meant even after I have seen the phrases in my every single Finnish salary slip.
I do understand that decisions on social benefits need legal basis but the way the explanation is done needs serious improvement. Once again, we need a system starting from individual needs. In the letter format used now it sounds like someone is reciting the law rather than answering the citizen's inquiry on his or her personal situation. The letter on your rights as it stands now would be next to impossible to comprehend for an immigrant taking his/her first steps in Finnish language.
Tervetuloa Suomeen/Welcome to Finland. Perkele.
"What does Ulkomaalaiseksi työnhakijaksi katsotaan mean..."
Understanding Finnish social security system is difficult as it is but it gets on the level of an Amazing Race challenge when your task is to simultaneously interpret non-native pronounciation of administrative Finnish consisting of sentences sometimes three lines long. I realised that grammatically many of the sentences were correct but their meaning had been lost in translation to Bureaucratic. Sentences like "you are not entitled to benefits which you are not entitled to based on your status" are correct but very often rather empty in terms of content.
The decision letter from KELA - Finnish authority for social benefits and pensions - that I was asked to help out with was immensely complex to understand, even for a native speaker. The letter listed segments of legislation and multiple terms from social policy but did not really answer the obvious - what you get and don't get. It reminded me a bit of this test Finnish Broadcasting Company once had on their website where you needed to explain phrases you hear constantly on the news only to realise that you are not entirely sure about the goals of Hamas or the way employer and employee organisations negotiate salary levels. I had no idea what all the benefits meant even after I have seen the phrases in my every single Finnish salary slip.
I do understand that decisions on social benefits need legal basis but the way the explanation is done needs serious improvement. Once again, we need a system starting from individual needs. In the letter format used now it sounds like someone is reciting the law rather than answering the citizen's inquiry on his or her personal situation. The letter on your rights as it stands now would be next to impossible to comprehend for an immigrant taking his/her first steps in Finnish language.
Tervetuloa Suomeen/Welcome to Finland. Perkele.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Civilised Campaign?
During the Kerry-Bush campaign in 2004 I loved the innovations in the anti-campaigns. Only in America. It seems that here we go again.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Tale of Two Worlds
"Sir, we have two alternatives for you."
1. Exhausting, budgets, deadlines, Excel, "do we have this money or not", "this registration of hundreds of people really takes a lot of time". "I thought you were doing this", "shouldn´t we leave the office, it is like eight in the evening".
2. "I saw them, I saw them, I saw them on my way to work! The posters are everywhere! Can we just leave the office and go and take pictures of all StrangerFestival posters in Amsterdam!?", "I love these AudienceAward final videos! I can watch some of these like gazillion times.", "Yes, the Congolese video makers are coming!", "This MC performance will be sooooo cool!"
"So, are you ready to lock your options?"
"Yes, I think I will go for two."
"No hesitation there? Would you like to call someone or ask the audience?"
"No, let´s go for two."
1. Exhausting, budgets, deadlines, Excel, "do we have this money or not", "this registration of hundreds of people really takes a lot of time". "I thought you were doing this", "shouldn´t we leave the office, it is like eight in the evening".
2. "I saw them, I saw them, I saw them on my way to work! The posters are everywhere! Can we just leave the office and go and take pictures of all StrangerFestival posters in Amsterdam!?", "I love these AudienceAward final videos! I can watch some of these like gazillion times.", "Yes, the Congolese video makers are coming!", "This MC performance will be sooooo cool!"
"So, are you ready to lock your options?"
"Yes, I think I will go for two."
"No hesitation there? Would you like to call someone or ask the audience?"
"No, let´s go for two."
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Voting ends tomorrow
It's been a tough week, which is of course expected at this stage of production. StrangerFestival is only a few weeks away. On Thursday I realised that I need a day off to survive the build-up to the festival during the next three weeks. As a colleague of mine said well, it is better to take a full day off than go on 60 % for weeks. It definitely was the thing to do.
The voting for AudienceAward of StrangerFestival ends tomorrow. At the same time we are busy with organising the travels for the finalists and getting the programme together. Here is one of the finalists from Slovakia which shows how a simple message and dedication really makes a difference. See all finalists here.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Profit Goes Non-Profit
As she says, changing the world one video at a time. Nature of the comments under the video show the difficulties of dialogue online.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Can You Read This?
At a party yesterday's in Brussels a great part of the guests were Finns working in the European institutions as officials, assistants, members of European Parliament and what have you. At some point I found myself having an immense urge to speak Finnish. I don't get to talk about Finnish politics in Finnish that often, which may explain the desire to just join the Finnish posse in the corner. I love my language.
Last week I made a phone call to Finland at the office and my colleague said that she recognises Finnish as it is one of the only languages she cannot place. So when she does not have any sense at all, she assumes it is Finnish. In the same sense I can't tell you how many times someone has pondered over the difficulty level of Finnish or the impossibility for a foreigner to learn it. "Finnish, it is such a difficult language, right?"
Well, no way, Jose. This weekend's Observer has a big piece on how children in the UK need internationally compared longer time to learn how to write and read as English is so without logic. Masha Bell's report The Most Costly English Spellings points out examples and lists of words that kids find difficult. Such as:
- When 'clean' and 'gene' sound same, why do you write them differently?
- How about 'kite' and 'light'?
- Why do you pronounce 'ei' differently in 'eight' and 'height"?
- Why is their a letter 'i' in 'friend'?
And listen to this, Anglophones:
"In Finland, where words are more likely to be pronounced as they look, children learn to read fluently within three months. In the UK, academics have found that it takes three years for a child to acquire a basic level of competence."
- The Observer 8 June 2008
Last week I made a phone call to Finland at the office and my colleague said that she recognises Finnish as it is one of the only languages she cannot place. So when she does not have any sense at all, she assumes it is Finnish. In the same sense I can't tell you how many times someone has pondered over the difficulty level of Finnish or the impossibility for a foreigner to learn it. "Finnish, it is such a difficult language, right?"
Well, no way, Jose. This weekend's Observer has a big piece on how children in the UK need internationally compared longer time to learn how to write and read as English is so without logic. Masha Bell's report The Most Costly English Spellings points out examples and lists of words that kids find difficult. Such as:
- When 'clean' and 'gene' sound same, why do you write them differently?
- How about 'kite' and 'light'?
- Why do you pronounce 'ei' differently in 'eight' and 'height"?
- Why is their a letter 'i' in 'friend'?
And listen to this, Anglophones:
"In Finland, where words are more likely to be pronounced as they look, children learn to read fluently within three months. In the UK, academics have found that it takes three years for a child to acquire a basic level of competence."
- The Observer 8 June 2008
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Good for Democracy
So it's done. 16 months and millions of dollars. Obama has gathered the needed amount of delegates to be the candidate of the Democractic Party to be the President of the United States of America from 2009 onwards.
Many have said that Clinton should have stepped down earlier. They said she was splitting the Democratic Party, wasting people's money and giving unnecessary lead to John McCain. I think these people are just plain wrong. I think the hard struggle has done only good for the Democrats and for America.
It is understandable that some party cronies were in favour of a clear and smooth campaign. This would have made it easy for them to work with those ready-made project management charts and those speeches readily written.
I think Clinton would have been a better candidate. I also feel that the world would have deserved a female leader. But I also feel that when a fair contest is done and the votes are cast, then the what-if should end and people should unite behind the winner. I do hope Obama will be the President of the United States of America, end of sentence.
The Democratic contest has mobilised record numbers, made politics the centre of attention and inspired millions. It has made people believe that they can change things. This is what democracy at its core is about.
This will be my last push towards Clinton's court, I promise: listen to the speeches of Obama and Clinton when the results were clear. Obama's speech I find rather bland, disturbingly evangelical and something heard numerous times from him. Clinton's concession speech on the other hand is graceful and rhetorically superb. I recommend listening to the last three minutes. This makes me love America.
Many have said that Clinton should have stepped down earlier. They said she was splitting the Democratic Party, wasting people's money and giving unnecessary lead to John McCain. I think these people are just plain wrong. I think the hard struggle has done only good for the Democrats and for America.
It is understandable that some party cronies were in favour of a clear and smooth campaign. This would have made it easy for them to work with those ready-made project management charts and those speeches readily written.
I think Clinton would have been a better candidate. I also feel that the world would have deserved a female leader. But I also feel that when a fair contest is done and the votes are cast, then the what-if should end and people should unite behind the winner. I do hope Obama will be the President of the United States of America, end of sentence.
The Democratic contest has mobilised record numbers, made politics the centre of attention and inspired millions. It has made people believe that they can change things. This is what democracy at its core is about.
This will be my last push towards Clinton's court, I promise: listen to the speeches of Obama and Clinton when the results were clear. Obama's speech I find rather bland, disturbingly evangelical and something heard numerous times from him. Clinton's concession speech on the other hand is graceful and rhetorically superb. I recommend listening to the last three minutes. This makes me love America.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Going Romanian
Before travelling to Romania last Saturday, I did not really know what to expect. My link to the country consisted of two drastically different worlds:
-theoneminutesjr worksops with Roma children and orphans
-glossy and ambitious arts magazine Omagiu which is often praised on the European level
Well, now being back, the picture is more or less the same - as paradoxical and confused. My first observation was the overcommercialisation of the public sphere and lack of urban planning in Bucharest. Bucharest has all the means to be a beautiful city due to its historical centre. But as we drove into the city, every single wall was plastered with massive advertisements of clothing, alcohol or electronics. People had sold their view to LG and Carrefour. In the midst of sadly deteriorating old buildings rose massive skyscrapers by foreign companies. My local hosts told me that many of the old buildings - including some churches - are at risk due to to heavy construction just next to them. Due to Bucharest's location in an earthquake area, the new buildings are built on wheels that allow them to survive an earthquake. But the trembling from the movement of a skyscraper or Inter-Continental hotel means the end of the church next to it.
Bucharest's hypercapitalism is in a perverse interplay with the Communist era. In the very centre of the city you have a building planned to be the radio headquarters, which was never finished and now houses homeless people and junkies - all this covered in massive advertisement of McDonald's. This tale of two worlds really makes me sick.
But the main souvenir of this era is the second-biggest building in the world, Parliament Palace on a hill right smack in the centre. The colossal nature of the building is something you only realise when you are told to walk to the entrance of the other side of the building and it takes you 20 minutes. Ceausescu's "Taj Mahal" was supposed to host all main institutions of the Communist administration. The building with 1100 rooms hosts currently the Parliament and the Museum of Contemporary Arts amongst others.
The MNAC museum was one of the many paradoxes. The glass elevators built on the wall of the Parliament Palace look like something borrowed from the Pompidou Centre. The scale and collection of the museum competes with any respectable capital in Europe. Braco Dimitrijevic's work demystifying and challenging concepts of art was both clever, witty and aestetically superb. The massive halls allow the viewer a clean art experience.
But at the same time I was often the only visitor in each floor. From the window of this distinguished member of the global art scene I could see garbage containers at its entrance and a massive unkept field right in the middle of the city. The terrace on the roof of the building was filled with German business men. Hardly anyone spoke Romanian.
Romania leaves me with a confused but in the end optimistic feeling. In a video workshop in the beautiful Northern city of Cluj I met young people optimistic for their country. They did not want to leave for Western Europe but strived for playing a part in modernising Romania. The attitudes of the teenagers are the best asset of any country.
-theoneminutesjr worksops with Roma children and orphans
-glossy and ambitious arts magazine Omagiu which is often praised on the European level
Well, now being back, the picture is more or less the same - as paradoxical and confused. My first observation was the overcommercialisation of the public sphere and lack of urban planning in Bucharest. Bucharest has all the means to be a beautiful city due to its historical centre. But as we drove into the city, every single wall was plastered with massive advertisements of clothing, alcohol or electronics. People had sold their view to LG and Carrefour. In the midst of sadly deteriorating old buildings rose massive skyscrapers by foreign companies. My local hosts told me that many of the old buildings - including some churches - are at risk due to to heavy construction just next to them. Due to Bucharest's location in an earthquake area, the new buildings are built on wheels that allow them to survive an earthquake. But the trembling from the movement of a skyscraper or Inter-Continental hotel means the end of the church next to it.
Bucharest's hypercapitalism is in a perverse interplay with the Communist era. In the very centre of the city you have a building planned to be the radio headquarters, which was never finished and now houses homeless people and junkies - all this covered in massive advertisement of McDonald's. This tale of two worlds really makes me sick.
But the main souvenir of this era is the second-biggest building in the world, Parliament Palace on a hill right smack in the centre. The colossal nature of the building is something you only realise when you are told to walk to the entrance of the other side of the building and it takes you 20 minutes. Ceausescu's "Taj Mahal" was supposed to host all main institutions of the Communist administration. The building with 1100 rooms hosts currently the Parliament and the Museum of Contemporary Arts amongst others.
The MNAC museum was one of the many paradoxes. The glass elevators built on the wall of the Parliament Palace look like something borrowed from the Pompidou Centre. The scale and collection of the museum competes with any respectable capital in Europe. Braco Dimitrijevic's work demystifying and challenging concepts of art was both clever, witty and aestetically superb. The massive halls allow the viewer a clean art experience.
But at the same time I was often the only visitor in each floor. From the window of this distinguished member of the global art scene I could see garbage containers at its entrance and a massive unkept field right in the middle of the city. The terrace on the roof of the building was filled with German business men. Hardly anyone spoke Romanian.
Romania leaves me with a confused but in the end optimistic feeling. In a video workshop in the beautiful Northern city of Cluj I met young people optimistic for their country. They did not want to leave for Western Europe but strived for playing a part in modernising Romania. The attitudes of the teenagers are the best asset of any country.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Disillusioned
The investigation into links between policy and campaign funding does not show any signs of ending in Finland. The discussion shows well the dangers of an outdated perception. Finns have boasted at home and on international platforms about the rankings as the country least influenced by corruption in the world. Finns tend to describe themselves as honest and sincere. This has led to putting very little effort into making sure that the system lives up to this perception.
As the Prime Minister and his party are now put into the spotlight, Prime Minister Vanhanen gets extremely defensive when people question the links between his corporate funders and the pro-business policies he drives. This is again the Prime Minister who feels that political processes should not be discussed in public before the decision has been made by the Cabinet. At the same time however he takes positions on issues that belong to individual ministers whilst knowing that these positions go against the environmental and urban planning legislation.
Finland has a law that requires that candidates give the Ministry of Justice a report on their funding and funders. As the media has been investigating the funding of several ministers, one sees how more and more MPs suddenly tend to "remember" to readjust their old reports and "realise" that they had forgotten to mention some core funders. What is shocking and disturbing is the way legislators consciously choose not to follow their own decisions. Rightly so, Vanhanen's popularity is starting to have similar features as Mr Bush's or Mr Sarkozy's and some are even calling for new elections.
I can live with the fact that mistakes happen and some abuses take place. But the current debate on campaign funding shows pure arrogance towards the people, towards the law and towards democracy. The Prime Minister's reactions show how he tends to feel like he is entitled to his position, that he is chosen by something above to administrate the nation and therefore feels insulted when people question his motives. This attitude sounds more like a monarch than an elected leader.
As the Prime Minister and his party are now put into the spotlight, Prime Minister Vanhanen gets extremely defensive when people question the links between his corporate funders and the pro-business policies he drives. This is again the Prime Minister who feels that political processes should not be discussed in public before the decision has been made by the Cabinet. At the same time however he takes positions on issues that belong to individual ministers whilst knowing that these positions go against the environmental and urban planning legislation.
Finland has a law that requires that candidates give the Ministry of Justice a report on their funding and funders. As the media has been investigating the funding of several ministers, one sees how more and more MPs suddenly tend to "remember" to readjust their old reports and "realise" that they had forgotten to mention some core funders. What is shocking and disturbing is the way legislators consciously choose not to follow their own decisions. Rightly so, Vanhanen's popularity is starting to have similar features as Mr Bush's or Mr Sarkozy's and some are even calling for new elections.
I can live with the fact that mistakes happen and some abuses take place. But the current debate on campaign funding shows pure arrogance towards the people, towards the law and towards democracy. The Prime Minister's reactions show how he tends to feel like he is entitled to his position, that he is chosen by something above to administrate the nation and therefore feels insulted when people question his motives. This attitude sounds more like a monarch than an elected leader.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Collaborative Production of Meaning
On Thursday I attended the launch event of PICNIC, the Dutch Cross-Media Week where we shall be publishing our research on young people and expressive democracy. At the launch, Programme Director Monique van Dusseldorp quoted my favourite innovation philosopher Charles Leadbeater and his new book We-Think where he talks about collaborative production of meaning. With this he means processes such as Wikipedia or certain online games where collaboration is required to create, archive, file and check content. I found it highly exciting.
My personal modest input in this respect is joining Frans Nauta´s blog Excellent Government. Frans is the founder of Kennisland think tank, a lover of the Finnish innovation policy and currently Professor of Public Sector Innovation in Arnhem. I met him in 2003 when I was invited to a Kennisland event in the Netherlands to talk about how a Finnish university student experiences the Finnish innovation wonder. I like Frans´ enthusiastic, critical and exploratory tone which is why it is a pleasure to co-blog. I did my first dip today on the latest Vanity Fair and on my political idol Bobby Kennedy.
My personal modest input in this respect is joining Frans Nauta´s blog Excellent Government. Frans is the founder of Kennisland think tank, a lover of the Finnish innovation policy and currently Professor of Public Sector Innovation in Arnhem. I met him in 2003 when I was invited to a Kennisland event in the Netherlands to talk about how a Finnish university student experiences the Finnish innovation wonder. I like Frans´ enthusiastic, critical and exploratory tone which is why it is a pleasure to co-blog. I did my first dip today on the latest Vanity Fair and on my political idol Bobby Kennedy.
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