‽istis wonders about change (weekending November 26th
2022)
This week when:
‽ the members of the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) eventually agree enough
to issue a statement including ‘a historic decision to establish and operationalize a loss and damage
fund.’[i], but perhaps cannot agree fully
how to “…win this battle for our lives”
‽ the journalist…. George
Monbiot ‘Tweeted’: ‘For 50 years (starting with the Stockholm conference in
1972), they have kept us safely talking. Summit after environmental summit has
failed even to begin the action that’s needed. At what point do we conclude
that the process is part of the problem? #COP27’ (21.11.2022)
‽ the RMT announces new strike dates on the railways [ii],
university staff strike,[iii] more
unions ballot members in relation to prospective strike action and remember
that withdrawal of labour is perhaps the action that best reminds the bosses and
us all of our dependency? (discuss!) including the Royal College of Nursing[iv]
‽ the deadly war in Ukraine continues and whilst the original
outcome may not be realised (‘Russia embarked
on a full-scale invasion of Ukraine with the aim of
toppling the Western-aligned government of Volodymyr Zelenskyy.’[v]),
relations will be altered absolutely fundamentally for a very long time
‽ calls come again for action to improve safeguarding and child
protection arrangements in England and Wales[vi]
after the death of Logan Mwangi[vii] -
new approaches to continue to improve the safety net through which some
children fall so catastrophically (yet which does manage to protect so many
whose names will, fortunately, never be highlighted on national papers)
‽ the immigration and
asylum system continues to be in the spotlight and revisions are mooted with
flags perhaps being run up flag poles to test the water for possible proposals
(and to mix metaphors)[viii]
‽ The Labour Party talks about reforming the House of Lords[ix]
‽ A programme on BBC4 highlights the state of a bay and coast on
an island far away and over time – and considers what it may tell us about
there and us, then and now[x]
‽ new gestures to raise awareness
about human rights matters are aired across the world – from rainbow bucket
hats (not allowed/now allowed in a FIFA not-so-okay-cokey, sic)!, to fingers on
lips, to pundits’ introductions, to personal boycotts[xi]
‽ Tory MPs are invited to
indicate whether they will stand again at the next election[xii]
as the chances of electoral loss and potential strength of ‘give the other lot
a chance’ voting vagaries are calculated
‽ ….and on and on – just try
listening, reading and seeing the news through the lens of the word in italics
below…
‽istis continues to ponder ‘change’ and wonder at processes
that may be involved… What comes to
mind?
·
What might we do if we can’t really calculate
potential cost/benefits longer term‽ Assert confidently? Proceed cautiously? Precautionarily
not proceed at all?[xiii]
·
Am I fundamentally a ‘jerk’ or a ‘smoothie when it
comes to thinking about evolutionary processes‽[xiv]
·
‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’ – or – ‘We
but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be
found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in
the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the
attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A
wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see
what others do.’[xv]
·
Is ‘lifestyle authenticity’ the only antidote to cries
of ‘hypocrisy’‽
·
Is this ancient wisdom actually the
case – in theory and practice?: ‘Everything flows and nothing stays. Everything
flows and nothing abides. Everything gives way and nothing stays fixed. Everything
flows; nothing remains. All is flux, nothing is stationary. All is flux,
nothing stays still. All flows, nothing stays.[xvi]
And, perhaps, possibly, maybe most critically of all, this week ‽istis
has pondered and wondered: what difference can I make… and how can
I make a difference…‽ What change do I need to make, to make change‽
©
‽istis
NB: further reflections and comments linked to this week’s theme and
past blog entries to be found on Twitter: replies, retweets (which don’t
necessarily indicate approval, sometimes the very opposite!) and ‘likes’:
@Pistis_wonders. ‘Follows’ and respectful comment and dialogue welcome...
[i] https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/cop27
See https://unfccc.int/documents/624444
for the Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan.
[iii] https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/12609/Biggest-ever-university-strikes-set-to-hit-UK-campuses-over-pay-conditions--pensions
[iv] https://www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-events/news/uk-nhs-pay-dispute-first-nursing-strike-dates-announced-251122
[vi]
See ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (2018) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/942454/Working_together_to_safeguard_children_inter_agency_guidance.pdf
[vii] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/nov/24/logan-mwangi-review-highlights-systemic-child-protection-issues
[viii]
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/some-foreign-students-could-be-banned-in-move-to-lower-immigration_uk_63806e01e4b0b7f65305867d
[xii] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11460863/Tories-brace-flood-MPs-QUITTING-election-given-up.html
[xiii]
Vote to leave the EU, or not…?
[xiv]
Gradualism v sudden-transition? https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2004/12/16/repeat-after-me
(apologies for citing a reference behind a pay-wall… even for an article from
2004, well thanks for that ‘The Economist’ (might you consider
suddenly-transition to a new policy on articles that are more than, say, 5
years’ old?)…
[xv] https://professorbuzzkill.com/gandhi-be-the-change-you-wish-to-see-in-the-world/
[xvi]
Commonly attributed to Heraclitus: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Heraclitus
