Watching the deaths last night in Berlin, Ankara and Zurich and the consequent cries for the West to change its mind from some leading politicians, I felt saddened.
As some of us react to these atrocities in our cities with an increasingly xenophobic view, we are accelerating the breakdown of the peace we seek at Christmas. We are in danger of handing power to those who favour isolationism and who believe that they are better than others who are not like them. I fear we are living in a simmering situation not dissimilar to Europe in the 1930s, where division and cruelty fed on dissatisfaction and the rise of right wing populism.
During periods of such uncertainty we have choices – to watch or to take responsibility, to follow or to lead. In organisations and countries right now I believe we need a stronger voice for the human values of respect for all, tolerance of those who don’t see the world in the same way as us, and the courage to be the best we can be. We also need leaders who can articulate a clear direction and a deeper sense of purpose, to engage with people from across the divisions of religion, politics and race in pursuit of a more peaceful and united future. Sadly we are witnessing the opposite in many cases, with populist leaders becoming more and more popular with their varying brands of intolerance. As Angela Merkel seeks to maintain the confidence of the German people in her vision of an open and generous society, I am willing her to succeed, and I hope other politicians will support her in her time of need.
I'm interested in what you think. If you’d like to share your views, please leave a comment below or tweet @SimonJHayward.
During periods of such uncertainty we have choices – to watch or to take responsibility, to follow or to lead. In organisations and countries right now I believe we need a stronger voice for the human values of respect for all, tolerance of those who don’t see the world in the same way as us, and the courage to be the best we can be. We also need leaders who can articulate a clear direction and a deeper sense of purpose, to engage with people from across the divisions of religion, politics and race in pursuit of a more peaceful and united future. Sadly we are witnessing the opposite in many cases, with populist leaders becoming more and more popular with their varying brands of intolerance. As Angela Merkel seeks to maintain the confidence of the German people in her vision of an open and generous society, I am willing her to succeed, and I hope other politicians will support her in her time of need.
I'm interested in what you think. If you’d like to share your views, please leave a comment below or tweet @SimonJHayward.