Humainologie creative dialogue Wednesday November 17 on Cleaning Up the Toxic Culture We Live In

“If people lead, the leaders will follow.” - Spanish proverb

“The most pressing environmental problem we face today is not climate change. Rather it is pollution in the public square, where a smog of adversarial rhetoric, propaganda and polarization stifles discussion and debate, creating resistance to change and thwarting our ability to solve our collective problems.” – James Hoggan, author of I’m Right and You’re an Idiot: The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean It Up

“I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.” – Booker T. Washington

Reportedly, an elected member of the House of Representatives, Paul Gosar, posted an animated video of himself as a superhero attacking another elected member of the House, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, stabbing her and then threatening President Biden with two long knives. This CNN report refers to that and other evidence of a political culture that seems to be headed toward a cliff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2By_eLtbQrc

You are already familiar with the mass killings in schools, in grocery stores, and elsewhere in North America. We live in a toxic culture. Would you like to help clean it up?

What if we turned 180 degrees away from the direction of cultural toxicity and looked as far in the opposite direction as we can imagine together? What would that look like? Perhaps it would look like a world in which human well-being and joyful human relationships are given priority over money and ego and power.

We have learned from Robert Reich about the rigged system, in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. In the 1920s and 1930s, solutions were offered by the Nazi tyranny (on the right) and the Communist tyranny (on the left). As Mark Twain once said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” Wannabe tyrants are waiting for their chance.

We still have time to take the lead, to move relentlessly and intentionally toward genuine democracy based on the priority of human well-being and joyful human relationships. There will be obstacles along the way, and we can turn them into opportunities. We can take Rosa Parks and others in the civil rights movement as role models, move in the direction of our vision, and never stop.

Our topic for creative dialogue on Wednesday November 17 will be Cleaning Up the Toxic Culture We Live In. I have appended herewith my synopsis of a related book by Diane Kalen-Sukra. Before our dialogue, I will send some good questions related to the book, to help get your creative engines started.

Here is the Zoom link provided by Shinobu for the dialogue:

Topic: Humainologie Dialogue Session Time: Nov 17, 2021 06:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada) Every week on Wed, until Dec 29, 2021, 9 occurrence(s) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89600374916?pwd=OXg2dkF4NEtsMmNzSkdRdW1kdUV5UT09 Meeting ID: 896 0037 4916 Passcode: 12345

Arthur

Book: (Diane Kalen-Sukra) Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community and What to Do about It (2019)

Chapter 1 (“City Gates.”) opens with the description of a mayor’s resignation in 2018 because, as he expressed it, “I actually feel ill every time I return to town and sick to my stomach to attend council meetings.” The mayor further stated that some members of the community had “poisoned the workings of council.” Diane Kalen-Sukra, comments: “The trouble is we are seeing a sharp rise in incivility and bullying in our communities everywhere, stifling democratic debate, paralyzing municipal councils, costing precious resources and tax dollars, and hampering the proper and effective functioning of local government.” She then quotes from a 1946 documentary film that was made to educate citizens about the importance of local democracies: “What happens in a single community is the problem of its own citizens. But it is also the problem of us all because as communities go, so goes the nation.” We as citizens are given the responsibility to clean up the toxic culture in which we live. Kalen-Sukra mentions a “litmus test” for democracy: Democracy is in decline when the legitimacy of one’s opponents is denied. Robust local journalism is essential. Bill Moyers had described the quality of democracy and the quality of journalism as “deeply intertwined.” Based on his 1831 travels to observe American democracy, Alexis de Tocqueville noted both strengths and dangers. In particular, he warned that it could unleash a tyranny of the majority. “His observations make it clear that a toxic culture is detrimental, if not fatal, to a thriving democracy.” Kalen-Sukra, who lives in Canada, sums up one of Tocqueville’s lessons as follows: “a healthy democracy requires active, informed, and engaged citizens.” In drawing Chapter 1 to a close, the author adds the essential point that citizens must seek the well-being of each and every person, or democracy will fail.

Chapter 2, “Surviving Uncivil Society,” emphasizes signs that the well-being of people is being marginalized. An outcome is the growing incivility, the toxic culture that will kill democracy. In Chapter 3, “Sanctuary,” the author mentions sanctuary cities in the United States and the Canadian Sanctuary Network, which provide sanctuary for refugees whom the national government would otherwise deport. Some churches had provided sanctuary for civil rights activists during the civil rights movement. The civil rights movement steadfastly responded to violence with nonviolence, and thus changed the course of history. As cultural toxicity grows, sanctuary is threatened. To restore sanctuary in our society, there are many things we can do. An example of such initiatives is the “Sidewalk Talks,” a community listening project started in San Francisco by psychotherapist Traci Ruble in 2015. “According to Ruble, the program now has a thousand volunteers in twenty-nine US cities and is active in ten countries. Volunteers sit in chairs on sidewalks, with an open chair before them and invitation for anyone to sit down and talk. She says it isn’t a professional counseling service – they are simply offering ‘human connection.’”

Chapter 4, “Join the Renaissance” begins with a quote from Aristotle: “The society that loses its grip on the past is in danger, for it produces men who know nothing but the present, and who are not aware that life had been, and could be, different from what it is.” In the Renaissance of the 15th and 16th centuries, there was an awakening to what had been learned in the past, and an application of that knowledge to build a better society. If we pay attention to Jane Jacobs (1916-2006) for example, who had studied what makes for vibrant city life, we can learn how to make our city a great place to live. From Jacobs and others, we learn that local government should not only provide sustainable service delivery (the “what”), but also “foster community well-being through democratic local government, citizen engagement, and building a sense of community and prosperity.” That’s the “how.” And the most basic thing is to know why you are doing this. The author mentions a TED talk by Simon Sinek, “Start with Why.” Know the purpose behind any action. “Good governance is the art of putting wise thought into prudent action in a way that advances the well-being of those governed.” Based on this, a city council should foster a sense of personal responsibility and a strong public service ethos. Kalen-Sukra cites the municipality of Courtenay on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, which has formulated a list of values: People matter. Depend on each other. Make a difference. Be accountable. Pursue excellence. Celebrate success.

In Chapter 5, “One Ship, One Destiny,” service to others is a central theme. It’s in contrast to the mindset of an egotistical consumer society. Consumerism and citizenship are antithetical: “Consumers think in terms of their personal self-interest and not the common good. …Citizenship, on the other hand, is built not on self-interest but rather on a sense of belonging and shared destiny. It presumes a commitment to the well-being of the community, a responsibility to be informed, act and speak out when necessary….” Universities such as Harvard were established not just for the purpose of credentialing or to convey knowledge, but to cultivate wisdom so essential to civic responsibility. The author refers to the civic training in which citizens of ancient Athens experienced intense debate, political discourse, and other exercises not unlike athletic training, “to cultivate in the people an appetite for good governance and meaningful community engagement.”

In Chapter 6, “Global Call for Values Education,” Kalen-Sukra refers to a 2013 report that “half of Yale University undergraduate students sought assistance for mental health” in response to which Yale launched a course called “Happiness 101: The Science of Well-Being,” and in the 2018 spring semester almost a quarter of the student body enrolled, “the largest reported enrollment for a single class in Yale University’s 317-year history.” The course has been made available free online. A Harvard University study is the basis of a TED talk by psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, “What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the Longest Study in Human Happiness.” The study “showed that close social connections, warm and trusting relationships were the greatest determinants of human well-being, longevity, and happiness. Not money, power, or fame.” We ourselves determine cultural values: “Culture is not something that happens to us. It’s something we make happen.” City governments can lead the way. After a divisive 2018 election, the City Council of Victoria, British Columbia, “under the leadership of Mayor Lisa Helps, proactively addressed values and culture.” They created a Declaration of Principles and Values, which – as Mayor Helps stated in her inaugural address – was designed “in order to create a culture of deep respect, to build the relationships, to do the work and aspire to be our highest selves.” The declaration includes deep listening and critical thinking; practicing generosity, curiosity and compassion; and keeping a sense of humour and light-heartedness with each other. Worldwide, other signs of progress include a Social Progress Index https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Progress_Index “to rank societies based on how they meet the needs of citizens and promote well-being” and the Charter for Compassion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_for_Compassion .

In Chapter 7, “Love Is the Greatest Civic Virtue,” the author explains that incivility “spreads like a contagion.” In this context, “we are either part of the solution, or part of the problem.” Democracy itself depends on civility: “Democracy is a system grounded in a universal principle – a sense of justice that says we are all equal in our humanity and before the law. That we are all worthy of dignity, well-being, respect, liberty, and security. Preserving this principle is the very essence of civility. Citizens seek the well-being of their neighbours, their city and themselves as necessary to the preservation of a democratic way of life. Anything other than that, is uncivil.” Kalen-Sukra provides six guiding principles, starting with “Be civil. Be compassionate.” We must practice civility in our daily lives. “Don’t give in to incivility. Be courageous.” The longer you tolerate incivility, the bigger the problem gets; and she adds, “Educate bystanders, reward [those who stand up and speak out for civility].” “Form civility circles.” Any group of people in a city can intentionally respect each other and create “safe spaces – sanctuaries – where trust, good will, and collaboration flourish; and scheming and gossip die for lack of oxygen.” “Arrange for training.” Such training is already very much in vogue, and the author writes, “Remember, civility involves teachable, learnable skills.” “Partner with local schools and colleges to model and promote civility.” Finally, “Love your neighbour.” “Above all else, civility is about respect for the human dignity and worth of all.”