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Europe
November 2009 
Europe failing two life and death tests: We must act together
Posted on Jan 13th, 2009
by 
Albert
Albert
Timothy Garton Ash, one of the founders of European Council On Foreign Relations, is expressing some strong feelings and observations about current state of global shaping power of EU. I enjoy his special emotiona/rational writing style.His statements integrate the biggest amount of emotional intelligence regarding the newly emerging level of European Union as holon, as collective entity.
However, stil missing is any developmental perspective. Pragmatically he is. Yes.
But Europe as a evolving entity is utterly complex in its vertical layers. They need in depth inspection . And a new defining moment in history for even changing constitutional fundaments.
With new purpose, mission, vision and understanding of all the evolving identities.
And a feeling of the SOUL of this process in at least all pioneers moving this edge.
Co-Shaping the function of Foreign Policiy- as European Council on Foreign Relations does-can produce, evoke and catalyze those processes. The more pain is felt for any deficiancy as TGA et al are expresssing the more it will become clear what needs to be done.
And this is by far more than any take-home-lessons the crowds of consultants, coaches, advisors and cultural astrologers can provide right now.
Thanks TGA for this piece!( I created some hyperlinks for the sake of immediate background about some persons.)
Europe is faling two life and death tests: We must act together now.
By Timothy Garton Ash - 09 Jan 09
This article was published in The Guardian on 8 January 2009.
The EU has taken great strides in the last decade. But when dealing with the world beyond, it is as weak and divided as ever
Weak, divided, incoherent, hypocritical and infuriating - that's how you hear the EU described privately in Beijing and Washington. The events of this first week of 2009 suggest that our critics are entirely right.
Look at the mess we're in. Europe faces two acute crises that threaten both our interests and our values. The Gaza war is a negation of every principle for which Europe claims to stand. It directly affects our vital interests, not least because the latest round of Palestinian suffering (compounded by the Palestinians' own divided and irresponsible leadership) will further inflame the anger of Muslims living in Europe. The Russian-Ukrainian gas dispute has already resulted in elderly citizens of some eastern European member states shivering in unheated apartments. If protecting our people from dying of cold is not a vital interest I don't know what is. And this conflict, too, mocks European ideals of conflict resolution by peaceful negotiation under the rule of law.
So how does Europe respond? Ludicrously, it has been represented in the Middle East by not one but two separate missions: an official EU one led by the Czech foreign minister, since the Czech Republic has just taken over from France the still-rotating six-monthly presidency of the EU; and another consisting of the king-emperor Nicolas Sarkozy who clearly liked being president of Europe for the last six months so much that he feels Europe and the world cannot possibly do without him. To adapt Louis XIV: "L'Europe, c'est moi."
At a moment when the United States is suspended between an outgoing president who won't do anything to stop the slaughter and an incoming president who feels he can't yet, Europe has a chance to show what it can do. So here it is: weak, divided, and still as infuriatingly pompous and vacuously self-aggrandising as it was in the early 1990s, when the foreign minister of Luxembourg descended on disintegrating Yugoslavia and cried "the hour of Europe has come". Like the Bourbons, the EU seems to have forgotten nothing and learned nothing.
The official EU delegation's demand for an instant ceasefire was simply rebuffed. Sarkozy, to his credit, has at least worked urgently with the state on Gaza's southern border - Egypt - to come up with a concrete plan. But even if Israel agrees to some version of the Egyptian plan, it will be for its own combination of operational and political reasons, and/or because effective pressure comes from Washington.
Ach, Europa! sighed the German writer Hans Magnus Enzensberger some 20 years ago, with affectionate exasperation. Ach, Europa! I cry in 2009, more in anger than in sorrow. While the human suffering caused by the Russian-Ukrainian gas dispute is less acute than that in Gaza, Europe's failure here is even more culpable. For all its economic power, Europe cannot stop the Gaza tragedy without help from the US. Not true in respect of Russian gas. If we had done what the experts have been urging since the last Russian pipeline throttling and had begun to create a single European market in natural gas; if 27 EU member states consistently acted as one in the positions they take with both Russia and Ukraine then we would never have descended into this sorry mess. As it is, when I hear officials of the European commission huffing and puffing - this is "unacceptable", they say, "Russia must ..." - I not merely anticipate but inwardly almost share the contemptuous reaction of Gazprom and Vladimir Putin.
Read more..
More references to writings of TGA:
09.Nov 07 ECFR Grand Launch in Berlin
Posted on Oct 26th, 2007 by Albert
I was very happy to be invited as new Associate Member of European Council on Foreign Relations to the Grand Launch on a significant day. As the ECFR is really the first pan-European Think Tank which has... More »
Shaping a Free World and Foreign Relations
Posted on Nov 3rd, 2007 by Albert
Preparing for Grand Berlin Launch of European Council on Foreign Relations I Located different voices and contributions which will be most interesting and relevant to interact with. Especially Mark Leonard and Timothy Garton Ash are brilliant... More »
A House divided against itself cannot stand
Posted on Nov 7th, 2007 by Albert
Daniel Korski from European Council on Foreign Relations wrote an article about current status of EU and Europe. He referred at the end of article to a brilliant speech Abraham Lincoln gave in Springfield, Illionois,... More »
Birth Hour For First Ever Pan-European Think Tank
Posted on Nov 9th, 2007 by Albert
I am back from the: ECFR OFFICIAL LAUNCH IN BERLIN It was a great event. See Executive Director Mark Leonards: Welcome Message For ECFR Portal. 600 invited guests, political leaders, ambassadors, experts and members of... More »
China and Africa
Posted on Nov 12th, 2007 by Albert
I already wrote about Roger Hamilton and his: Biggest Entrepreneur and Social Enterprise Network in Asia Pacific This is an interesting snapshot from his newletter. Indeed it underlines the rapidly growing importance of Asia Pacific... More »
European Treaty Lisbon: Ode to Joy or Manual for forklift truck?
Posted on Dec 13th, 2007 by Albert
While European Politicians celebrating today the new treaty for Europe and listened to Beethovens ecstatic Ode to Joy there are still lots of under-expressed feelings, thoughts and wishes. Timothy Garton Ash, co-founder of recently launched... More »
Enlightened Fundamentalism or Racism of Anti-Racists?
Posted on Dec 15th, 2007 by Albert
A snapshot of fierce discussions in Europe about MUlti-Culturalism and different values. Provided by: sign and sight Thats again stuff for considerations about national and stratifed global democracy. About stratified Values and Integral Considerations on... More »
Who should be the Worlds most powerful Person?
Posted on Jan 10th, 2008 by Albert
At the Beginning of this year 2008 US nomination- and election campaign Timothy Garton Ash who is also co-founder of newly launched European Council on Foreign Relations , asks a relevant question. And, as always with... More »
Broadening Global Constellations and International Anthem
Posted on Jan 25th, 2008 by Albert
Timothy Garton Ash did it again. here are two insightful articles about the state of the global world. So far no World governement even in sight, but relevant considerations about the next stage . TGA... More »
Integral Global
Posted on May 8th, 2008 by Albert
As the 9th Annual Confab of SDi is nearing, Don Beck communicated some very important points.And I see them all in realtion to what might be called Integral Global. Moving far beyond European and North... More »
The EU cannot afford to become a symbol of weakness or decline
Posted on Jun 30th, 2008 by Albert
As the EURO2008 is over I feel more than ever before the unique colors, powers, energies and flows in the different European Nations. it was a great celebration in Austria and Switzerland and I feel this... More »
Advice for Obama from 10 Leading Global Pundits
Posted on Aug 2nd, 2008 by Albert
This is a Newsweek Special with an article of Fareed Zakaria, reflecting his impressions and view from his interview with Barack Obama . I agree with Fareed nearly completely. And I see signs in Baracks... More »
However, stil missing is any developmental perspective. Pragmatically he is. Yes.
But Europe as a evolving entity is utterly complex in its vertical layers. They need in depth inspection . And a new defining moment in history for even changing constitutional fundaments.
With new purpose, mission, vision and understanding of all the evolving identities.
And a feeling of the SOUL of this process in at least all pioneers moving this edge.
Co-Shaping the function of Foreign Policiy- as European Council on Foreign Relations does-can produce, evoke and catalyze those processes. The more pain is felt for any deficiancy as TGA et al are expresssing the more it will become clear what needs to be done.
And this is by far more than any take-home-lessons the crowds of consultants, coaches, advisors and cultural astrologers can provide right now.
Thanks TGA for this piece!( I created some hyperlinks for the sake of immediate background about some persons.)
Europe is faling two life and death tests: We must act together now.
By Timothy Garton Ash - 09 Jan 09
This article was published in The Guardian on 8 January 2009.
The EU has taken great strides in the last decade. But when dealing with the world beyond, it is as weak and divided as ever
Weak, divided, incoherent, hypocritical and infuriating - that's how you hear the EU described privately in Beijing and Washington. The events of this first week of 2009 suggest that our critics are entirely right.
Look at the mess we're in. Europe faces two acute crises that threaten both our interests and our values. The Gaza war is a negation of every principle for which Europe claims to stand. It directly affects our vital interests, not least because the latest round of Palestinian suffering (compounded by the Palestinians' own divided and irresponsible leadership) will further inflame the anger of Muslims living in Europe. The Russian-Ukrainian gas dispute has already resulted in elderly citizens of some eastern European member states shivering in unheated apartments. If protecting our people from dying of cold is not a vital interest I don't know what is. And this conflict, too, mocks European ideals of conflict resolution by peaceful negotiation under the rule of law.
So how does Europe respond? Ludicrously, it has been represented in the Middle East by not one but two separate missions: an official EU one led by the Czech foreign minister, since the Czech Republic has just taken over from France the still-rotating six-monthly presidency of the EU; and another consisting of the king-emperor Nicolas Sarkozy who clearly liked being president of Europe for the last six months so much that he feels Europe and the world cannot possibly do without him. To adapt Louis XIV: "L'Europe, c'est moi."
At a moment when the United States is suspended between an outgoing president who won't do anything to stop the slaughter and an incoming president who feels he can't yet, Europe has a chance to show what it can do. So here it is: weak, divided, and still as infuriatingly pompous and vacuously self-aggrandising as it was in the early 1990s, when the foreign minister of Luxembourg descended on disintegrating Yugoslavia and cried "the hour of Europe has come". Like the Bourbons, the EU seems to have forgotten nothing and learned nothing.
The official EU delegation's demand for an instant ceasefire was simply rebuffed. Sarkozy, to his credit, has at least worked urgently with the state on Gaza's southern border - Egypt - to come up with a concrete plan. But even if Israel agrees to some version of the Egyptian plan, it will be for its own combination of operational and political reasons, and/or because effective pressure comes from Washington.
Ach, Europa! sighed the German writer Hans Magnus Enzensberger some 20 years ago, with affectionate exasperation. Ach, Europa! I cry in 2009, more in anger than in sorrow. While the human suffering caused by the Russian-Ukrainian gas dispute is less acute than that in Gaza, Europe's failure here is even more culpable. For all its economic power, Europe cannot stop the Gaza tragedy without help from the US. Not true in respect of Russian gas. If we had done what the experts have been urging since the last Russian pipeline throttling and had begun to create a single European market in natural gas; if 27 EU member states consistently acted as one in the positions they take with both Russia and Ukraine then we would never have descended into this sorry mess. As it is, when I hear officials of the European commission huffing and puffing - this is "unacceptable", they say, "Russia must ..." - I not merely anticipate but inwardly almost share the contemptuous reaction of Gazprom and Vladimir Putin.
Read more..
More references to writings of TGA:
09.Nov 07 ECFR Grand Launch in Berlin
Posted on Oct 26th, 2007 by Albert
I was very happy to be invited as new Associate Member of European Council on Foreign Relations to the Grand Launch on a significant day. As the ECFR is really the first pan-European Think Tank which has... More »
Shaping a Free World and Foreign Relations
Posted on Nov 3rd, 2007 by Albert
Preparing for Grand Berlin Launch of European Council on Foreign Relations I Located different voices and contributions which will be most interesting and relevant to interact with. Especially Mark Leonard and Timothy Garton Ash are brilliant... More »
A House divided against itself cannot stand
Posted on Nov 7th, 2007 by Albert
Daniel Korski from European Council on Foreign Relations wrote an article about current status of EU and Europe. He referred at the end of article to a brilliant speech Abraham Lincoln gave in Springfield, Illionois,... More »
Birth Hour For First Ever Pan-European Think Tank
Posted on Nov 9th, 2007 by Albert
I am back from the: ECFR OFFICIAL LAUNCH IN BERLIN It was a great event. See Executive Director Mark Leonards: Welcome Message For ECFR Portal. 600 invited guests, political leaders, ambassadors, experts and members of... More »
China and Africa
Posted on Nov 12th, 2007 by Albert
I already wrote about Roger Hamilton and his: Biggest Entrepreneur and Social Enterprise Network in Asia Pacific This is an interesting snapshot from his newletter. Indeed it underlines the rapidly growing importance of Asia Pacific... More »
European Treaty Lisbon: Ode to Joy or Manual for forklift truck?
Posted on Dec 13th, 2007 by Albert
While European Politicians celebrating today the new treaty for Europe and listened to Beethovens ecstatic Ode to Joy there are still lots of under-expressed feelings, thoughts and wishes. Timothy Garton Ash, co-founder of recently launched... More »
Enlightened Fundamentalism or Racism of Anti-Racists?
Posted on Dec 15th, 2007 by Albert
A snapshot of fierce discussions in Europe about MUlti-Culturalism and different values. Provided by: sign and sight Thats again stuff for considerations about national and stratifed global democracy. About stratified Values and Integral Considerations on... More »
Who should be the Worlds most powerful Person?
Posted on Jan 10th, 2008 by Albert
At the Beginning of this year 2008 US nomination- and election campaign Timothy Garton Ash who is also co-founder of newly launched European Council on Foreign Relations , asks a relevant question. And, as always with... More »
Broadening Global Constellations and International Anthem
Posted on Jan 25th, 2008 by Albert
Timothy Garton Ash did it again. here are two insightful articles about the state of the global world. So far no World governement even in sight, but relevant considerations about the next stage . TGA... More »
Integral Global
Posted on May 8th, 2008 by Albert
As the 9th Annual Confab of SDi is nearing, Don Beck communicated some very important points.And I see them all in realtion to what might be called Integral Global. Moving far beyond European and North... More »
The EU cannot afford to become a symbol of weakness or decline
Posted on Jun 30th, 2008 by Albert
As the EURO2008 is over I feel more than ever before the unique colors, powers, energies and flows in the different European Nations. it was a great celebration in Austria and Switzerland and I feel this... More »
Advice for Obama from 10 Leading Global Pundits
Posted on Aug 2nd, 2008 by Albert
This is a Newsweek Special with an article of Fareed Zakaria, reflecting his impressions and view from his interview with Barack Obama . I agree with Fareed nearly completely. And I see signs in Baracks... More »
Access: Public
IN the event that the United States has been suspended between an outgoing
president who won’t do anything to stop the slaughter and an incoming
president who feels he can’t yet, and THE FACT that Europe had a chance to show what it can do …
BUT, as always, remained weak, divided, and still as infuriatingly
pompous and vacuously self-aggrandising as it was in the early 1990s,
I WOULD actually say that TIMES have NOT changed ONE IOTA since my sojourn in the Avenue Louise in the 1970’s. They thought of me then, with all my talk of the BIG PICTURE and establishing a system to monitor the dynamism of chaos withing the serenity of order, in the context of BEING an “exocet missile” dispatched to the mainland of Europe to destroy their plans of European Integration.
I made a lot of friends but had little influence on the OLD ORDER MIND-SET.
” Like the Bourbons,the EU seems to have forgotten NO THING and learned NO THING” … INDEED
The future can ONLY be told in the moment by moment unravelling of the present and that FACT requires a MIND-SET switch towards a NEW ORDER of UNDERSTANDING
EXACTLY!
Thank you, Albert, always for your posts. I do not comment on them becauseof mypoor political understanding. I so much appreciate yours and Michaels posts and comments. I have been enjoying the education, as I develop a heart of compassion for the worldly events.
Thank you,
Cheyenne
My pleasure Cheyenne.
Right now I am Associate member of ECFR. Maybe later a stronger status will emerge. Depending on dozens of other developments.
Check out this editorial of Nancy Roof from Kosmos Journal:
http://www.kosmosjournal.org/kjo/backissue/s2008/editorial-s2008.shtml
Its about connecting and bridging gaps between inner and outer developement.
Dear Albert, how wonderful for ECFR to have you as an Associate member. And it would be brilliant for you to have a stronger status! I am inspired, educated and movedby your work and words.
This link that you sent me is so, as you say, spot on! I am one who has spent their entire life on inner developement and now looking out of my eyes wondering now how to reach. I am perfecly grateful for yourefforts. And my heart is learning the beat of your drum.Sincerely, Albert, I amgrateful for your efforts; otherwise, I would not know how to begin.
Cheyenne
Cheyenne.the beat of the drum….this is such a strong perception of you!
Indeed its a wild, untamed and breathtaking kind of music, sometimes even frightening.felt inside.
Tim Merry articulated this in a kind of conscious rap.
http://voyager.gaia.com/blog/2006/10/time_to_awaken_conscious_rap
And Sri Aurobindo wrote his essay about future poetry. Not in the sense of a separated art form. This too. But do describe a kind of new rhythm in life.A felt new cadence and sequence of events, moments and change. Read the bok “Sri Aurobindo or the Adventure of Consciousness” written by his student Satprem. Lots of examples.
I am grateful for your deeply felt comments.
Albert
Albert, forgive me for saying, yet I wish to convey, you have a complete fan in me! Your blood is starting to run through my viens and I am so blessed for it. I do wish to become more involved and give my whole soul to this world. Walking here in your shadow is the best place to be. You are so gifted with the position you are in. You make it so easy for someone as myself to become involved and open immediately to awareness and loving this world.
Thank you!
Cheyenne
Cheyenne,
an integral approach and action in the world needs real conectivity to real life instituions in politics and culture. Salons, circles and private forums are NOT enough.
This is a long way. When you are not established in the corridors of power, the think tanks and organizational worlds the first job is creating access. Then involving , engaging and exploring. As much as time and ressources permit at a given time.
Another, English speaking and global, online integrated community is:
www.atlantic-community.org
One of the few, globally oriented and interactive community with a German Office. See my blog entry from last year:
Atlantic Community and Global Online Communication
Spoke last year personally with Jorg Wolff in his bureau about global issues.
It was refreshing.