Will Belgium seperate....................?

115 days without being able to form a new government, the international community looks at Belgium, slightly amused. Where will this already very tiny country go if it splits up? And what about Brussels? Will it become international no mans land? I don't think so!

I have been now living in this country for more than 2 years and as much as I did not like it at the beginning, it has become like a third home for me now. Other than in my study times in Italy, here I have been living what they call an "expat life", lots of international friends, not really participating in the local reality... In the past months this has changed a lot, of course, because I am co-founding a center for social innovation here, so I better be aware of what is going on in this society. But today it really struck me: we were walking around in the city with my friend Diane and saw shops selling Belgian flags. She said to me: people who don't want Belgium to separate buy it and hang it out of their window. It reminded me of the times when people in Italy were buying rainbow peace flags and hanging them out of their windows to prevent the US to invade Iraq... it didn't help. So this brought up some strange emotions and that's why I am writing about it. I don't understand much about politics here, I just know it is really complicated and that people have a short memory, forgetting that once, in the times when agriculture was still important here, it was Wallonia to drag along Flanders and now, in the industrial age, the cards have changed and who was weak before is now strong and showing it to the former strong part like a little kid that says: Hah, now I have the bigger toy! Of course I am simplifying things here, but isn't it funny somehow?

Belgium is quite a bizarre country. In fact some weeks ago, a journalist wrote in the Economist that Belgium is not even a real country and the only thing that unites both sides is football and beer. I am not quite sure about this! What I have come to believe is that Belgium is the place where the Mediterranean "dolce vita" lifestyle and the germanic-nordic work and result orientedness clash... (of course again cultural stereotypist simplification). So where will this go? This is not the first time this happens to Belgium, but will this be taken as a chance to learn form? We will see!

Reflections on the situation in Burma and change

A few days ago in a meeting about sustainable business somebody said something like "sustainable change can only happen when there is sufficient pressure from the inside and from the outside of a system. If it comes only from one side, attempts often fail. Let's say South Africa was a positive example. But what will now happen in Burma? Its people are ready for the change, they want freedom and democracy, hundreds of thousands demonstrate on the streets. So what would be the needed pressure from outside? Petitions signed by a million people? Countries imposing sanctions? Throwing a missile onto the government? Diplomatic efforts?

I can't stop myself from thinking that it's not fair, that the big empires bomb the countries of their convenience without asking if their people are ready for the change towards democracy, but when people cry fro help, we don't give it. I know it is not that simply and easy, but it still makes me angry, when I see the pictures of tortured and killed monks and people having to fight for their basic human rights (see pics here). Is it than all only about the money? Where is the humanity of states? Corporations are beginning to show their humanity more and more, shamed publicly, forced to change their way of operating by the NGOs and the media. But what about the states? Will they be the boo-men of the next era? Will they change then? What would would "socially responsible government" mean? How would it look like? And by the way, should a government not be socially responsible by default...???

Support freedom in Burma

Message from the Avaaz team:

Dear friends,

Our emergency petition to stop the crackdown on peaceful protesters in Burma is exploding, with nearly 500,000 signers from every nation of the world. But the situation in Burma remains desperate, with reports of hundreds of monks being massacred and tortured. Burma's rulers have also killed and expelled international journalists, cutting off global media coverage of their cruelty.

China is still the key - the country with the most power to halt the Burmese generals' reign of terror. We're delivering our message this week with a massive ad campaign in major newspapers, beginning Thursday with a full page ad in the Financial Times worldwide, and in the South China Morning Post. The strength of the ad comes from the number of petition signers listed – can we reach our goal of 1 million signatures this week? The link to sign the petition and view the ad is below, forward this email to all your friends and family!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/u.php

China continues to provide key economic and military support to Burma's dictatorship, but it has been openly critical of the crackdown. Now we need the government to match words with actions. Our ad paints a powerful moment of choice for China in its relationship with the world – will it be a responsible and respected member of the global community, or will it be associated with tyranny and oppression?

People power, on the streets of Burma, and around the world, can triumph over tyranny. Our strength is in our numbers, spread the word!


For the best local reporting on the situation in Burma, try these links:

http://www.irrawaddy.org

http://www.mizzima.com

Pangea Day Needs Your Videos!

On May 10, 2008 - Pangea Day - will come to fruition as sites in New York City, Rio, London, Dharamsala, Cairo, Jerusalem, and Kigali will be video-conferenced live to produce a 4-hour program of powerful films - supplemented by visionary speakers, and global musicians. The purpose: to use the power of film to promote better understanding of our common humanity. A global audience will watch through the Internet, television, digital cinemas, and mobile phones.

Watch the trailer and check out www.pangeaday.org for more details.

forest feelings

Today Oskari and I had a little walk in the forest near Neerijse. We discovered a mystical place, where we felt like doing this...

How I spent my birthday...

Yesterday was my birthday, wonderful! I am really blessed to have found such amazing and diverse people here in Brussels - that's why I finally enjoy this city so much now!

The day stated off with a great breakfast at "Le pain quotidien" offered to me by my beloved one and then I was off with Melita, Anton and George to spend a day in the forest for "Arborotao"
I had met Michel, founder of the Universal Human Development Research 2 weeks ago with George and he invited us to take part in this pilot training, where you get in touch with the energy of trees and through that with your own potential. We first did some exercises to enter in contact with ourselves and the trees and in the afternoon we climbed up into the crown 5-15 m high. It was amazing feeling to be up there and I strongly felt I need to be more in nature!

I never really believed that there was a way to "speak" with trees - to be honest I was smiling about people who said they speak with trees - but I have always loved the forest in a special way. Now I experienced it myself. I don't know how it happened and how it works, but there are definitely some trees that do not want to speak to you and some that do. It is as if your energy resonates with them and you feel inside yourself what they want to communicate, but not through the intellect, the message comes through the heart. I am sure you need to be ready and open for what the message can be and I definitely felt a bit that I could hear only what I was ready to hear, but maybe that is how they operate.

Most of the messages I received from the trees and learned from the interaction with them

"Trust the way and follow where it guides you." I realised I need to do this more, instead of always wanting to push for what I think is right or good or what I would like to do.

Messages from the trees:

"We grow out of the earth that you are walking on and we produce the air that you are breathing. We are here to serve you, but our purpose is not serving you."

"Accept the circle of life and death, without being passive: practice active passivism. We don't get angry when you cut us down, we just accept, but that will not stop us from growing."

"It is your responsibility to create the conditions for yourself to be in your energy and to access your full potential. If you are, you can do everything you need to do your work in the world. If you are not, you can't. Spend more time in nature!"

It was such a pleasure to climb the trees, although it was not easy. It was also an extreme pleasure to help others climb, stand there at the bottom, hold the rope, encourage them, help out to find the way, I really like doing that!
I discovered how important it is to take your time, shall do that also in life! Why not do it? I should be worth it to myself, no?

After Arborotao I came home and Oskari took me out for a surprise. I had no idea! We arrived at the Restaurant Hemisphere - one heart one soul (Rue Des L'Ecuyer 65, near Gallery Royal, 02-5139370)! How fitting to me and my values and to us: a wonderfully diverse group of old and new friends, who were waiting there for us: 12 people from 10 different countries, the youngest 26 and the oldest 62. Everybody had the chance to briefly present themselves and what they do, we connected and shared and eat great Indian, Moroccan, Libian and Greek food!

Thanks guys for having been there and to all of you who could not make it but thought of me on my birthday!

reflections on the Art of Hosting of the Art of Hosting

The AoH continues to bring joy, learning and healing into my life. The gathering of AoH practitioners took place in the wonderful rural belgian learning centre De Heerlijckyt van Elmeren and I could be there only for the first part, as George and I were of to a client event in Rotterdam on Thursday afternoon.

I would have wanted to stay, but at the same time the event at CBI has opened up exciting new work opportunities for George and me, finally on international level... we might be getting invited to Jordan, Ecuador, Pakistan to help business support organisations to build smart networks. Will my wish to serve and learn from the developing world come true?

Contemplating on what Chris wrote in his blog about day 3 of the AoHoAoH, I just wrote to Tom: ...sitting with the strong wish to to have been there, facing my own shadows that prevent me from serving the world from a place of dignity, compassion and unconditional love and being backed up by my mates. I ask myself if compassion and passion, unconditional love and longing to be loved can coexist? My head knows they can, but my heart suffers the tension, or is it the other way round? Is it the intellect that suffers?
I also left a comment I left in Chris' blog (scroll down) related to this stream of thoughts.

More harvest: Helen was non-stop with the camera and her collection is beautiful, Ria posted a few photos, and Chris has uploaded a small set as well. I was trying to upload my pictures too, but first need to resolve my computer-internet communication problem, grrrr!
Then there are more blog postings from Ria on day one and day two and more from Chris about days one,two.
Over on the Evolutionary Nexus, you can find a lovely archive of the conversations we had leading up to the gathering and soon there will be a wiki page with the complete harvest also on e-nexus.

hosting in the family

It's been a while since I last posted something.
A lot has happened, but I want to tell about something that occurred only last weekend... during eastern...

We spontaneously decided to drive to Germany to see my family, even though we had wanted to stay here in Brussels, after 2 weeks traveling to Spain and Italy.
It was the best thing we could have done and it was the most beautiful and harmonic family gathering we had in years!

Hosting my family, for the first time feeling comfortable in my role of standing in the middle of the circle and holding the space, repairing the net of relationships, weaving around the wholes of the past... but actually doing nothing else, but practicing the art of listening with consciousness from a place of deep love and understanding for everyone.

They opened their hearts and were just present with each other... wonderful! I love my family!

another Art of Hosting training... and more dots get connected

This was the check-out excercise of the second day. Really nice one! We got a huge paper, lots of colourful pens and stuff and created all together "our world". I got so into this as I was able to use my hands and creativity to create a physical manifestation of what I was carrying in my heart: a feeling of being at home with these people I had not met 2 days before. And this was my main personal learning from this training: how can I host myself, to create this feeling of being "at home" also in other situations, so I can always act and speak from this place - which I feel is so authentic, so powerful and meanigful?

What stops us from being always "at home" in ourselves all the time? Would that not be the most natural place to be?