News

We’re living in an era of intense seismic activity (metaphorically speaking). The tectonic plates of our old geo-political world are shifting. Last week’s election win of Donald Trump is another earthquake that has sent shockwaves throughout the world. Many of us are dumbfounded that a man with such an enormous ego and misogynist views could experience such a meteoric rise in popularity.

But taking a step back, it is understandable, if no less worrying. Many Trump voters – or indeed those flocking to emerging populist parties in Europe – hold a view that politics and the economy are rigged in favour of the few. Elitism, lack of transparency, corruption are seen to hold together a system which protects powerful vested interests. Populist leaders have an appealing message when they speak of ‘giving back control’ or ‘protecting the nation’s interests’. Their tendency to challenge the status-quo and to ‘say things how they are’ is perceived as refreshing.

It requires those of us fighting for social justice to ask ourselves difficult questions. There are many of us making a living – sometimes a very comfortable living – promoting human rights and social inclusion. We share a similar diagnosis that power and wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few. We want to see more fairness, participation and ‘taking back of control’. We put our trust in the human rights treaties, hard-fought legal texts which reflect the very best of human values.

But those values can seem far removed from people’s day-to-day reality. We should be wary of being perceived as self-serving and insular, or too abstract and academic. We live in an era when there is much less deference for knowledge and expertise. This can only be a good thing. But neither our education nor political systems cultivate critical thought and individual autonomy. In fact they maintain old power structures. It is a fertile ground for leaders pushing simple answers to complex problems. And too few people have a direct emotional connection with the consequences of pursuing nationalist agendas.

Probably things will get worse before they get better. But this is not a message without hope. Ultimately human values of empathy, respect, dignity and solidarity will prevail. But they are values that need to be reflected in our schools, families and communities, and not assumed by a political elite or a professional class. If nothing else, the rise of populism challenges us all to be more creative, inclusive and humble. There are lots of great new grassroots movements out there, which challenge the ‘status quo’ but are based on openness not protectionism. We can only embrace and not resist this change.

Leonard Cohen, who passed away last week, left a vast legacy of wisdom. The quote that stays with me: “if you don’t become the ocean you’ll be seasick every day”.

Jana Hainsworth, President of Social Platform