Talking to a friend from Belfast today.I had been listening to a podcast which mentioned Primo Levi. Levi was a survivor from Auschwitz. He had been in the concentration camp from 1944 -45.He said that the network inside the concentration … Continued
In the last few days I am preoccupied with this question. For two reasons. One is the horrifying case of Gisèle Pelicot. Her courage is immense. The realisation that there are seventy plus men from all walks of life who … Continued
As I see dehumanising images and remarks proliferate on social media, I wonder if we are in danger of forgetting that ALL dehumanisation leads to more of the same. All war propaganda involves dehumanisation. We are constantly surrounded by war … Continued
It would be so refreshing to hear someone ask their political ‘opponent’ what makes them think as they do and then really listen. I have just been listening to the US House of Representatives Covid panel questioning Anthony Fauci. It … Continued
I go to the park for the trees, the birds and the occasional dog with whom I exchange greetings. I love the play of light and cloud in the sky, on the bark of the trees, on the water. Though … Continued
I’ve just been watching Five Steps to Tyranny, a programme originally made by the BBC, on how we humans can be induced to do terrible things to each other. There are the usual experiments cited, Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison experiment and … Continued
When I went to see The Zone of Interest I wondered in the first ten minutes if I would be able to sit through the whole film. For those unfamiliar with the movie, it is the story of Rudolf Höss, … Continued
When I was a child I had a book in which there was a woman called Mrs Do-as-you-would-be done-by. Her task was to help children become aware of the importance of treating others as they themselves would want to be … Continued
From Reactive to Responsive Sometimes when we are reacting really strongly to a situation it may look like there is a lot of feeling going on but in fact we may not be really feeling at all! We are just … Continued
I am noticing people who are not really present. They are amongst trees, water, birds and dogs. But they are actually elsewhere. Technology is fantastic in many ways. You wouldn’t be watching this without it. But what does our increasing … Continued