One of the Most Hopeful Classes I Have Ever Led
I just finished leading a weekly class in Fryslân for Co-Counselors who choose to work on leading. Tonight we watched parts of a video in which Harvey Jackins was talking about national liberation, classism, patriotism, and more.
A few things on the video were key:
- Liberation cannot get very far if the work on nationalism is left out.
- Capitalism allows you to take pride in just one thing, and that is your country. To be proud as a woman, a working-class person, a Native person, a Person of the Global Majority is systematically put down.
- Patriotism makes everyone go along with war, and war is the moneymaking industry.
- We can only move on if we recognize the harm done by oppression and exploitation. No recognition, no possibility for healing.
- Stepping over or covering up a mistake stops real development.
The people in the class had never met Harvey, and all of them got excited. We had very alive turns, with lots of good discharge and fresh thoughts, including insights into the problems, like racism and genocide, that humans worldwide are facing. We gained a deeper understanding of the work we need to do connected to Frisian liberation and climate change.
I had such a lovely day—watching the video with my partner and discussing what we’d heard, watching it again and deciding which parts to show, and in class watching it again, sharing theory, asking questions, and seeing everyone become thrilled. It was one of the most hopeful classes I have ever led.
Ljouwert, Fryslân, the Netherlands
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders in the care of the environment
(Present Time 187, April 2017)