Past and Future Identities
Past and Future Identities
Engaging whilst disengaging. How is this possible?
How can we talk to people in our own community when we are all feeling so emotional and so polarised?
I chose this topic because as a Jewish woman, I am opposed to Zionism and the Occupation. I hold this consensus reality position.
It is also important to me to be able to have community conversations with more mainstream Jewish people who hold opposing positions, Jewish people who support the Israeli government and their policies in Gaza and the Occupied Territories. I am struggling to be understanding and empathetic to their views and I worry about how I am contributing to the current world field of polarisation and war if I can't find a way to listen to people in the wider Jewish community with oppositional views to my own on this war.
Philipa
On Saturday the 18th of May 2024, we stepped into the third cycle of Worldwork Journalism. This time we come together from Kenya, Australia, India, Thailand, Ukraine/Switzerland, Lithuania, Poland, the UK and Germany - as much a stretch as timezone differences make possible. We share the ideas of Worldwork and deep democracy (see further below) facilitation, before we ask for topics that people would like to work on.
The co-creative process starts with an online Worldwork session (facilitated dialogue) during 30-40 minutes, before everybody captures their own experience in words and deepens personal highlights by writing. For this, we gave some questions as writing prompts:
Writing prompts:
What was your experience of this Worlwork dialogue?
Was there a role or a moment that disturbed you or had special energy for you?
Is there an experience / voice / role that you would like to describe more and deepen?
Has anything shifted for you?
After the online session, in the role of an editor, I extract lines of the individual writing and try to sculpt a storyline so that readers from outside can find access to the co-written mosaic. The article should picture the transformative beauty and multidimensionality of a ‘world in dialogue’.
Of course, we will not cover all perspectives in their whole depth. Ideally, this stays not a static artefact, but becomes an invitation to you as a reader to share more or deepen some of the aspects in the comments below, or for yourself or further in your family. No matter what and where the dialogue goes on - in a non-linear way - it ideally stimulates awareness-building conversations.
Please note, that most of us are not professional writers or journalists, and many of us are not English Native speakers, we aim to stay with words, and tonality close to our personal experiences and at the same time we want to make the experience accessible and co-create further, but we know we are far from perfect and that is great and also an expression of diversity in a way.
This project is still in a very early and experimental stage and feedback is very appreciated and means support for its further blossoming.
Source: Photo by Prochurchmedia on Unsplash
How can we talk to people in our own community when we are all feeling so emotional and so polarised?
And if I choose to engage with saying No
Philipa speaks about the strong bond that connects Jewish people (and as she explains probably many marginalized groups). I am starting to get a sense, of how different this is to my often-felt not-wanting-to-belong-to my family and / or larger community. This feeling gets sharper when I notice myself ‘standing’ there as a German in front of a Jewish woman.
Some other voices speak, and my heart keeps bumping fast and loud. From far I hear, wisdom about the beauty of engaging, forgiveness and kindness, it flirts with me, but it is not the time yet. Ok, short struggle, inner work, is it the moment to bring this historical darkness … and I say
I am standing here in front of you as a German and I can not do differently than having a clear NO to what ‘my’ people thought, did, or let happen to many of ‘your’ families during the last centuries, especially during the Second World War but also any anti-semitic voices today.
And I also feel a NO towards some parts of my close family today. Maybe there comes the day I will engage again, now I am disengaged, and yes, I need and appreciate the freedom to choose whom I want to connect with and to belong to.
Stephanie
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Stay away from them
I am feeling moved and emotional, from young I was taught to have nothing to do with Germany and German people, not to trust them …and I am now realising that some can be teachers in how to deal with, understand, and relate to my Jewish identity and heritage and my feeling of deep responsibility for what is happening in Gaza both for what the Israeli government is doing and for what many mainstream Jewish people think…it moves me so deeply…my realisation that the past ‘enemy’ (German people) hold wisdom, it feels like a very deep and raw shift in me, I didn’t realise how very deeply my upbringing was still impacting me and this will help me better understand Jewish people with deeply held opposing views to my own.
Philipa from UK
Source: Photo by Rodolfo Quiros on pexels
Victory against your community
This topic reminded me of the classical scene in the Hinduism scripture “Bhagavad Gita” when Arjuna is dreadful to see his relatives and friends on the battlefield and instead of fighting, he would rather put down his bow. But God-Friend Krishna explains that this is a righteous war to fight and one must perform the duty at the same time detaching from the fruits of action. Standing in the Kurukshetra, Arjuna is facing a dilemma which could be vocalised again with Stephanie’s question – “what makes you think that they are your community?” After listening to divine guidance of Krishna, Arjuna regains his focus, strength and successfully pursues victory against his “community”. As an additional perspective this poem can be seen as a metaphor of our inner polarised communities of carnal and spiritual tendencies too. But in the inner world the question remains the same – am I aware which community I want to support and identify with.”
Lukrecijus from Lithuania
As I listen to Australian news reports on the ‘surprisingly’ high level of antisemitism here, I reflect that people are reacting to the injustice of the unequal warpower rank but then conflating that with Jewishness. A lot needs to be done to untangle this, which is why this topic is so important.
Penny from Australia
The threat of annihilation
I am so familiar with the voice of the Israeli Jewish woman strongly aligned with the ‘no’ or … all Palestinians are a potential threat …. That fear is so deep it shuts out an ability to recognise power. Also for me that victimhood as a Jewish woman is so familiar.. it’s in me… it’s so much easier than recognising the power of the perpetrator…. Seeing myself as part of a community that has the intention and the power to annihilate another…. It’s almost unbearable… the role of the Jewish Israeli woman is one of the roles I want to engage with in the Jewish community I know it… deeply… it’s in my own family…. I have worked in Palestine and understand the same role amongst some Palestinians…. The threat of annihilation by the other….
I met with 2 friends from my childhood, in Israel, who are living in a settlement on the West Bank…. I know that deep sense of victimhood and I see the stuckness of the past… and the current rise in antisemitism and dangers of seeing all Jews as having one voice… I recently spoke at a pro Palestinian March and a Moslem leader said many Moslems think all Jews are supportive of Israel… so what I said was important for them to hear…. I think hearing Stephie speak about her No helped me realise and in that moment have empathy and understanding of the deep seated beliefs of Jews who are aligned with the Israeli state and their actions as I realised my own deep seated beliefs towards Germans shift… beliefs I didn’t even realise were there…. But keeping that empathy and openness is so hard….
Philipa from UK
Source: Photo by Дмитрий Рощупкин on pexels
Hope
It’s a very painful topic and process for me personally as there is a war in my home country Ukraine. There is much pain and fire from not being able to stop wars, more conflicts are happening, conflicts escalate more, and lots of hate. One has the right to defend our homeland and democratic values and we need to find civilised ways to solve this, at the same time we have to kill our enemies to protect ourselves as they are killing us. As humankind, we are in a deep crisis and it brings a lot of pain, pain that unites us together. It gives lots of hope too as we are learning from our past and our ancestors, searching for new ways of addressing these issues.
It gives me hope to be in this conversation between Stephie and Philipa, maybe our current enemies may evolve similarly and my heart fills more with love than hate.
Tanya from Ukraine / in Switzerland
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Being a convener
My experience in the group process was more solitude, emotional and engaging.
Yes, it made me sink into the genocide incident in Rwanda. A friend shared how it is so emotional to facilitate the victims of genocide and that the perpetrators were also in those forums and they know each other. Some victims wish to pay back, while some wish to get answers for their many many questions. The perpetrators on the other hand seek forgiveness and can't really explain why they got involved in such inhumane activities. The victims are still hurt and take the desire for forgiveness as mockery and pretence. I went silent and shook inside.
My role there was the one of a spectator/convener, hoping the ghost role would yield something.
Seeking peace and healing to happen, this does not happen with my help but with both victims and perpetrators agreeing to engage in a dialogue, however emotional and divided they are. The answers and solutions lie with them.
Yes, yes yes….a lot has shifted. I feel I should be more present, my presence is important for parties to engage more.
Mildred from Kenya 🇰🇪
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Embrace exclusion?
I think about the idea of identity, I think about the idea of a group.
I think about the idea of belonging that we all long for
And it brings up for me the ghost of rigidity
A system that says - You can come together only if you all have the same vision
A system that has no space for diversity of thought or values
There is only this or that, for or against
There is no tolerance for ‘and’
I think about the start of this meeting
The definition of deep democracy
A reminder that everyone and everything is connected
I ask myself - can I hold space for the ugly, the violent, the unjust?
If not, then am I any different from the other.
Can I truly let go and embrace my exclusion?
Maybe go a step further and feel ok to be erased.
To just accept and flow
To know that I will be rewritten in time
And it may not be in the same way.
Kruti Saraiya from India
Not belonging
This was a moving topic, stirring deep emotions in all of us. There's the feeling of not feeling like you belong because you're part of a community that isn't you, but you can't really escape it since you grew up in it. There's many questionable acts that happen in the community, that makes it easier to disengage than to engage, but the pain unites and moves us all. That’s the beauty of being human.
The topic felt very real, and it brought about a mood shift that is happening as we speak. A whole new perspective challenged me to wonder what it would be like for the people experiencing this. Questions full of despair such as why this is happening and what one could do to stop this filled my mind as I listened to the voices that came up. Why does it feel like a nightmare you can't get up from? Yet somehow, it also demonstrates how kind and compassionate humans can be.
Cynthia from Kenya
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No US anymore
I remember one meeting at the Waldorf school where I work. It is the end of the school year, and many teachers are tired. It is our final meeting and very soon we will separate for a summer holiday. The atmosphere is warm, friendly and supportive. People understand each other, there is a lot of laughter. We just had a seminar about burnout and how important it is to take care of yourself. We feel important and valued.
And then - the final issue. There is a proposal to have bigger classes next school year. To accept more students and also more students with special needs... Something blows inside of me. I can hear many different voices, different reactions - inside and outside. People are starting to be emotional, they speak louder, they don’t listen to each other. Some are fighting, some are withdrawing. We are divided now. Some are for (because we need to be responsible and do our duty), some are against (because we need to take care of ourselves and the kids that are already in our care). I feel so threatened that I can hardly breathe. I feel such a rage about some opinions that I would like to make my opponent disappear. And the most painful part - somehow there is no way to find any understanding. As if there is a wall between us. The more we talk, the worse it gets. For someone to be right, someone needs to be wrong… Where are my people? The ones I felt so much in common with? Where is this feeling of warmth, support and togetherness? There is no US anymore, we are apart.
Well, but it is different, - says some voices inside of me. Because, you know, nobody died. Yes, many people that day were hurt and something was lost. But you are still alive. You are safe in your land. There is no war, no killings, no genocide. Just a conflict, just some different opinions. Then why do I feel so threatened every time such a thing happens? And so afraid? Why do I forget how privileged I am to live in a free country, to have a home, a family and many other gifts? And the most important question - what if I was as powerful and so overtaken with the feeling of being right as Hitler or Netanyahu? Would I do the same? Oh, how lucky I am not to be tested.
Kazimiera from Lithuania
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Hunger strike
I’ve been following the news. Thinking that there’s war everywhere. The Israel and Palestine conflict is quite far from my region as I live in Bangkok, Thailand. Lately, I felt the feeling of desperation for a few months on this issue.
14th May 2024, some real serious damage occurred in Thailand's social equality movement… A very strong-minded 28-year-old activist has passed away from a hunger strike in the past more than 100 days. I’ve read Facebook comments from allies. I felt the pain, grief and anger. Many friends were not anymore.
The activist who passed away was the same age as me.
My eye saw a Facebook status recalling Black May 1992, another political incident 22 years ago. That day the Father of the deceased activist got shot by the authorities, a lawyer and a judge who was rooting and planting for Democracy to blossom in Thailand. Who would know that 2 decades later his daughter would have such a massive heart for others but not enough to allow criminals against les majestal to get out of prison?
Perry from Thailand
Is it worth fighting for your truth no matter what?
When people started to offer topics, protests in Georgia came to my mind.
May 2024. The government of Georgia approved the law against the so-called “foreign influences”, which gives them every tool to silence opposition or whoever would dare to criticise them. It is also called a “Russian law”. That probably means - no more European future for Georgia. Huge crowds have been protesting in the streets for many days. Even when threatened to be attacked by the police, they don’t plan to withdraw. That reminds me of the times when Lithuania was trying to leave the Soviet Union and people were standing against the Russian army and against the tanks… So, my topic was: “Is it worth fighting for your truth no matter what?”.
Kazimiera from Lithuania
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Stretching around the globe and engaging nearby
There is so much going on inside of me – now after our group process.
I engage quite often in emotional conversations. I identify as more of an introvert and after these emotional talks I sometimes fall asleep because I am so exhausted. So I learned to look out for myself, engage when my impulse tells me to do so and walk away when it becomes just too much.
In contrast to those experiences, I feel close to relaxed after our group dialogue today. It was such a rich and touching experience to listen to the different contents that were stirred up by Philipa’s topic. I learned a lot and I felt as if I started stretching across the globe – looking at the topic from Australia and Lithuania, from Thailand, India and Kenya. So beautiful.
And now I remember being with a family member last week and just the tone of voice irked me – it sounded so „know-it-all“ to my ears. I kept quiet, I did not engage and after a while, I realized that there are times that I sound a bit like that too. I am practising and learning and sometimes waiting, being silent.
Gitta from Germany
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The wind in the trees
The topic stirred a strong energy around my heart to begin with and as everyone shared more I found a calm within, deeply listening. I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors, their history is my history, actually, I feel from our sharings today everyone's history is interconnected to our own history. Many of us have pain in our history, from wars, genocide, trauma, famine, displacement, colonization and many other atrocities and we are all connected to this pain in some way.
Lately, I often see myself wondering why humanity has not learned from the past and history, how we have not learned from history and the past and done things differently.
As Stephanie shared about her ancestors and says NO to alignment with what happened and then Philipa feeling a sense of relief. I saw learning and healing between the two.
When Cynthia shared about how pain reminds us of our humanity and connects us, I think this speaks to the connection we witnessed between Stephanie and Philipa. How being in pain together can move us, can allow us to act, change, shift, move, heal, reconcile and regenerate.
I witnessed energy moving like a being in space, it moved all of us like a ripple, a wave or like the wind the trees. It was beautiful, I think if we can be more present to these energies - we can play and dance in the pain together.
Anna from Australia
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About 🌏 Worldwork
Worldwork is an application of Processwork also known as process-oriented psychology. As a psychological and conflict-resolution approach developed by Arnold Mindell in the 1970s, it's based on the principles of Jungian psychology, Taoism, and systems theory, and it is used in various settings, including therapy, organizational development, community building, and conflict resolution. At its core, Worldwork aims to explore and understand both individual and collective processes in order to address conflicts, promote personal growth, and transform tensions into co-creative energy in relationships within groups and communities. It focuses on bringing awareness to marginalised or ignored perspectives, as well as the deeper layers of consciousness within individuals and groups.
The initiators of this space
Stephanie Bachmair (founder B.ONFIRE) is a communication passionate, facilitator, leadership coach, and process work diplomat. She supports individuals, teams, and organizations to explore and craft their stories, tell them with charisma, relate to their audience, and increase their transformative power through dialogue.
Penny Watson (MACF) works as a coach, group facilitator and community development worker. She loves working with people in nature using process-orientated earth-based practices. She lives in Mparntwe, Alice Springs, and is deeply inspired by the people and lands of the Central Australian Desert.
If you want more
If you are interested in knowing more & experiencing process work, a Deep Democracy / facilitative leadership training is coming up soon: Me and We. Politics within and around us. 8th to 10th of March in Hamburg. More info here.
More Writing/Reading/Podcast … B.ONFIRE Insights&Conversations is a separate publication here on Substack
For professional updates on leadership, communication, and facilitation check our website www.b-onfire.com, and other social media channels: https://linktr.ee/b_onfire
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