Stepping into the Second Circle - the importance of communicating with clarity

“What social media has done” opined Nigel this morning, “is to democratise opinion.” And as ever, he was right. 

Social media is creating new circles of community, new ways of connecting and new means of sharing ideas. The workings of it, on the surface, are simple. Live in the UK?  Can’t see pictures of a topless future queen? Log on to the tweets and join the crowd! 

The reason social media works is that it replicates the way human beings work. The internet has become a virtual water cooler, whether you want to swap gossip or profound philosophical insights. And one simple act of connection can link you to an entire planet. 

All the more reason for communication to come from an honest place, and for ideas to be spoken with clarity: a basic fact that hit me once again thanks to a posting on the Syracuse communications class site by Heather, a student of theatre, featuring the Guidhall voice coach Patsy Rodenburg. She was teaching the important of energy; which she divides into three circles. The first (call it the “Eeyore” circle) sees us holding all the energy inside, slumped in on ourselves; the third (call it the “I’ve had one too many tequilas” circle) is the loud, pouty, shouty one used by the most (self) important person in the room. The second, and the most important, is the place where we are truly present with both ourselves and our audience. 

When we are present we can speak with truth. And when we speak through social media, we speak truth to the world. 

See video: Patsy Rodenburg on the Second Circle - comunicating in the present

Let fair play be the legacy of the games

Writing as Gutenberg. This piece appears in New Europe on September 15th 2012

 

A few weeks on from the Olympics, life is returning to normal. The commentators are back to griping about the Eurozone, and whilst a generation may well have been inspired, most of us have lost our inspiration to get to the gym and are back slouching on the couch. The summer of sport is over, but its legacy remains. 

Big international events such as the Games are more than just highlights in the sporting calendar. They tap into ancient myths about the nobility of the human spirit, the fundamental role of fairness, and the importance of individual endeavour. The London Games saw many such moments: former Somali refugee Mo Farah’s delighted face when he took Gold for his adoptive Great Britain in the 10,000 and 5,000 metres; the delight and pride of 16 year old judoka Wojdan Shahrkhani as she became the first Saudi Arabian woman in Olympic history; Oscar Pistorius of South Africa lining up with his able-bodied team mates as the Game’s first double amputee. The stories of inspiration continued well after the closing ceremony, with athletes coming home to thank their local communities, and at least one - Polish windsurfer Zofia Noceti-Klepacka – auctioning her medal to pay for treatment for her neighbour’s seriously ill child. 

There was, of course, a downside. China reacted with accusations of cheating and unfairness, especially after its team was barred for throwing its matches. Doping was also in evidence, with some experts warning that the tally might have been much higher had testers been able to detect extra small doses of testosterone, and that athletes may have been using a new and difficult to detect drug. 

Keeping up with the development of new substances is not an easy task. It is the main theme under debate at a joint conference organised in November by WADA (the World Anti Doping Agency), UNESCO and the Council of Europe. Fairness and safety in sport is a major theme for Europe’s human rights watchdog, with its Anti Doping convention setting the standard for international action since 1989, and its Convention on Spectator Violence – prompted by the 1985 Heysel tragedy    - regulating safety in stadia all over Europe. Doping is particularly relevant to the Council’s key mission: if fairness and equity cannot be guaranteed in sport, how can it be guaranteed in society?

But if Pistorius can use “blade runner” legs to compete, why should it be illegal to enhance your performance in other ways? The ancient Greeks ate specially prepared lizard meat, 19^th century cyclists took strychnine and athletes in the 1930s tried their chances with the newly-developed artificial hormones. It was the deaths of Danish cyclist Knud Enemark Jensen in the 1960 Olympics and Tom Simpson in the 1967 Tour de France that spurred international efforts to clean up the sporting scene, and showed that doping was not just cheating, but a major health hazard. And it can be just as hazardous for international relations: East Germany’s use of steroids in the 70s and 80s – only discovered after the fall of the Berlin Wall – turned its athletes into pariahs and cast a long shadow over German sport.

This year, the news is good: only one medal winner fell foul of the rules.  Sport seems to be cleaning up its act, and with bodies such as WADA and the Council of Europe pledged to keep sport fair, clean sport could well be the most outstanding legacy of London. 

Steampunks for a new Europe

I want to be a steampunk – one of that rather jolly gang who dress in Victorian style, tote “eye”-pads and discourse on the finer points of H G Wells. I’d fit in rather well, with my peculiar taste for ancient sci-fi, enjoyment of the company of the Roma and love of science (but complete inability to understand most of it). Besides which I have a rather wonderful silver-haired Edwardian style husband who would look fabulous in a tweed outfit with a weskit. 

The thing that most appeals is the sense of optimism and endeavour; the lovely feeling that technology can make the world a better place, and that you should never forget to say a polite word and doff your cap. As I trudge into the office to write about human trafficking, neo-Nazis and the failures of democracy, the steampunks ‘ sunny disposition seems a thousand miles away from the real world. 

Yet in my new avatar (Lady Kathryn Boppington- Twatt or some such) I must attempt to bring the values of yesteryear to bear on the sad gloom of today. Well, why not?

Potter into the office on the penny farthing, salute the guardians of the law at the main portal. Calls from those chaps at the wireless about that white-slaving report: child gangs on the streets of England, too appalling!! But reason will prevail surely, as we chide the leaders of that great nation to secure protection for these poor mites. 

Our Great Forum on democracy is approaching in the most promising manner, and all will be revealed at the meetings here in our hallowed Palais on the 8^th to 12^th of October next.  We will be inviting a large number of courageous bloggers from the empires of Russia and Turkey, and even the Orient , where recent Exciting Events may encourage us all in pursuit of this great task. Democracy is one of our most fundamental values!  No more are we in a world where we have to throw ourselves under horses! Votes for all !

The Swiss, I hear, have invented a charming machine to count votes. Could see it used in the next American Presidential elections I wager! A great day for democracy indeed!

The March of the Women - mostly round in circles?

Handicapped in the three legged race?

When I first saw the British hit series Life on Mars, I was convinced it was a documentary. Obviously, these guys were the 1970s Northern police force I had first encountered as a cub reporter up in Yorkshire; but the big give-away was the lovely fictional PC Annie, by equal measure ignored, victimised and goggled over by the men.

Once upon a time I might have been a police officer. Careers advice being what it was at the time, the most inspirational piece of role-modelling I saw was a police dog at a jobs fair...seemed like a good way of earning money to me. What put me off, however (besides the fact that I would have immediately poked out the eyes of my first commanding officer) was the fact that women PCs could be seen, but as far as I could tell, not heard.

(Valerie Singleton, on the other hand, my childhood idea of a "journalist" managed to travel to the Ganges, interview interesting people and make useful household items with sticky-back plastic)

With the commentariat over the past few weeks making much of whether rape is rape, and whether Naomi Wolf is a fake feminist now she has stopped faking orgasms, I decided it was time to do a proper review of my life so far.

1970s - blonde cub reporter with large breasts. Police believe me dim. Consequently get shitloads of scoops.

1980s (early) - blonde hair cut short. Shuffle around in large mac covered in badges. Picket the porn shops in Leeds and join the reclaim the night march, narrowly miss being murdered by the Yorkshire Ripper.

1980s (middle) - live in Toulouse, France. Cannot find bra large enough to fit me. Apparently I "trouble" the local menfolk.

1980s (late) - serious job with Labour-oriented local Council. Everyone swears themselves to perfect equality. Get huge amounts of male attention and a frisky social life as a result.

1990 - cut hair very short. Get the job.

1994 - move to Strasbourg, join team of French women who spend their lunchtimes (and most of the afternoon) at the beauty salon. No prospects of either interesting conversation or promotion.

2000 - live in Kosovo. No need to wash. In fact, no possibility to wash. Feel at one with the male sex.

mid 2000 - get female boss with high maintenance whims. Get promotion.

2010 - get male boss. Make coffee.

So, on the strength of my own Lebenslauf ( as the Germans say) I guess that the march to equality is not so much that of an army of soldier ants, but more like trying to do the shopping after a heavy session at the pub. Wander into the supermarket, pick up something that looks good, try to remember what you put on the list that you accidentally left on the kitchen table, get diverted into the chocolate department and end up coming out with nothing that is a. what you need b. of any use whatsoever. 

Still, I suppose it could be worse. At least now I have the distinction of being invited onto the women's senior management group at work. Main agenda item: how do you get that promotion?