Organizing retrospective 67

This is a post in my series on organizing ”between and beyond.” Other posts are here. This is a retrospective of what has happened during the week. The purpose is to reflect on the work itself. Here is my previous retrospective. Here is my next retrospective.

What has happened? What needs to be done?
I have continued to follow the events in Catalonia.

Fernando Betancor has written several posts on the crisis in Catalonia. Betancor describes how Partido Popular have changed the laws in a partisan fashion, how Mr. Rajoy obtained carte blanche from the EU to deal with Catalonia, and how the Catalan desire for freedom is a truly popular desire.

Below are quotes from Fernando Betancor’s many posts (in chronological order):

2014
“The Populares have always equated their political interests with Spain’s national interests, despite plenty of evidence to the contrary; and have always ignored the difference between law and justice.”¹

“It is particularly ironic … that the party that has most vehemently argued for an uncompromising defense of the Spanish Constitution … is the same party that is so savagely attacking the rights of citizens guaranteed within that same document.”²

“… only Partido Popular…voted in favor… They have done so despite … the protests of civil society, the deep misgivings of Spanish … constitutional authorities, and the … objections of human rights organization and the EU.”³

2015
”The history of the European Union … ought to dispel any illusions that democratic legitimacy matters in the slightest”⁴

”Mr. Rajoy will request and receive carte blanche from Berlin to deal with Catalonia …”⁵

”… the government now has the legal tools to fine, prosecute and imprison pretty much anyone it finds offensive”⁶

”…a substantial proportion of the Catalan population could be persecuted should the gov … choose to do so”⁷

2016
“These are shocking revelations — or they should be, even for a country as jaded as Spain. … It is an unfortunate truth that Spanish politicians have to be caught committing murder in delicto fragante for them to be forced out of office …”⁸

2017
“Sedition … inciting people to rebel… Rebellion … the action … of resisting authority, control, or convention. But any act of protest is an act of resisting authority …, which means the Spanish government could charge anyone protesting their actions …”⁹

”That is the failure of Europe: the failure to progress beyond a club of member states.”¹⁰

“Had the country in question been a small country … or a rebel like the UK, you can be sure that the Europen Union would be sending commissioners, preparing indictments … and levying fines … for violating fundamental human rights … As it is, Spain gets a pass.”¹¹

”Rajoy’s plan – I use that term very generously – seems to be to jail everyone the Catalans elected”¹²

“… the European Union will happily ignore democratic mandates whenever it deems it necessary.”¹³

“… the Catalan desire for independence is a truly popular desire: arrest all the leaders … and there are still two and a half million more leaders waiting to take their places.”¹⁴

New books
The new book which arrived this week is Shakti Leadership by Nilima Bhat and Raj Sisodia.

Shakti is described as the creative force from which all structures arise.¹⁵ Shakti is understood as creative and generative, and is therefore represented as feminine.¹⁶ Deeper generative orders for organizing are, in other words, feminine.

What was good? What can be improved?
I’m deeply impressed and moved by the Catalan people, their democratic values, their non-violence, and their amazing organizing capabilities

Work doesn’t have to deplete us. It can be most meaningful. But to get there, we need to recognize that our workplaces have largely been devoid of of a crucial part of being human: the feminine aspect.¹⁷

Notes:
¹ Fernando Betancor, The Partido Popular Assaults Spain’s Constitution, 2014-12-22 (accessed 2017-11-22).
² Ibid..
³ Ibid..
⁴ Fernando Betancor, Catalonia: A Flawed Strategy, 2015-02-26 (accessed 2017-11-12).
⁵ Ibid..
⁶ Ibid..
⁷ Ibid..
⁸ Fernando Betancor, Spanish “Witch Hunt” Against Catalans Revealed, 2016-06-22 (accessed 2017-11-12).
⁹ Fernando Betancor, Catalonia Update: Political Prisoners Return to Spain, 2017-10-17 (accessed 2017-11-12).
¹⁰ Fernando Betancor, Catalonia Demonstrates the Limits of European Integration, 2017-11-03 (accessed 2017-11-12).
¹¹ Ibid..
¹² Fernando Betancor, Catalonia: Change the Rules or Lose the Game, 2017-11-07 (accessed 2017-11-12).
¹³ Ibid..
¹⁴ Ibid..
¹⁵ Nilima Bhat and Raj Sisodia, Shakti Leadership: Embracing Feminine and Masculine Power in Business (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2016), p.ix.
¹⁶ Ibid., p.xviii
¹⁷ Ibid., p.xvi

Related posts:
Organizing in between and beyond posts