No matter how worldly wise we think we are, there is always something else to learn. To facilitate learning one of the things I always try hard to do is to question my assumptions - not always successfully. So there I was, November 2013 Brasilia, sitting in a meeting of the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty, and agreeing with all that was being said. Oligarchies were being dissected and lambasted, the issues the food system faces in Australia were the same the world over, and issues I knew from papers and articles were being confirmed first hand and in real time. I was happy, very happy. I was representing the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance and Oceania, surrounded by like-minded people from all over the world, and charting the course of the international movements next steps. These people were speaking my language and I was luxuriating in that feeling of being at ease and with my tribe. So on day 3, and another 12 hour day of meetings, I am giving great consideration and nodding in solidarity with the speakers from Latin America detailing the struggles of the landless peasants. To put this into perspective one woman who spoke had her husband, brother and son killed in the struggle for the land they had occupied for generations, now being acquired by corporations using lethal force. This was literally (and remains) a life and death struggle, something we in Australia are barely aware of. The meeting breaks for a much-needed coffee, I am pulled aside by one of the more experienced participants and asked in a serious, almost reprimanding tone, What is it that you disagree with? You have said nothing! Enter cognitive dissonance! I thought I was showing agreement and solidarity with all that was being said in all of the meetings. How could my gentle nodding and silent ascent be perceived to be anything but agreement? Culture! Our cultural preferences and hierarchy of values were different. To the cultures steeped in an oral tradition, silence can mean disapproval. Silence is much worse than vocal opposition and seen as withdrawal from the process; the ultimate condemnation. It didnt matter that I was in complete agreement, and that I thought that my body language said so, I had to speak up and say so. Day 4 of the meeting and it is coming to a close, I am forcing myself to say a few words of agreement, even when I didn’t think it was necessary and that others had more to contribute. It remained surprisingly hard to overcome the Anglo cultural norm (assumption) that being quiet and attentive means respect (assumed consent). In the end I was honoured and asked to address the IPC on the food sovereignty situation in Australia and give one of the thank you addresses to our wonderful hosts CONTAG contag.org.br/ So it all ended well despite the potential for cultural blocks and misunderstanding. I share this story as a reminder that we all may have cultural blind spots and assumptions that can hinder progress and understanding, and some are so deeply culturally ingrained, that even when made aware of them they are hard to overcome. Silence is not always golden.
Posted on: Sun, 20 Apr 2014 02:04:21 +0000
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