Christmas message

2015 has featured events that undoubtably have had the consequence of making us sad, worried, stressed, afraid, angered and disillusioned.  I won’t list these events here (we won’t agree on some of them), but it surely fair to say that this has been a difficult year, including here in Wrocław and the rest of Poland.

Wrocław as the European Capital of Culture is shortly upon us.  My fear is that it will be overshadowed by what neo-fascists are doing here.  I can envisage the NOP – “march of patriots” being used by them and others as representative of what Wrocław is about.

There are a number of good initiatives in Wrocław, responding to the refugee crisis, racism in Wrocław, help for Roma from Romania, homophobia, women’s rights to abortion, parenting classes, cultural activities to name just a few.  The thing is, as good as these events are, there is a low degree of collaboration between organisations.  This reflects a lack of trust in Polish society.  This is not just my view, a group of people who work with economics, anthropology, psychology, the civil sector, theology, the press, democracy and sociology came to that conclusion in this report.  As people are slowly discovering (see the KOD protests) it is empowering to work with people one doesn’t know in order to achieve ones aims.  Certainly, the fash are doing so.

Let’s be creative in growing trust in Wrocław.  Let’s work towards more solidarity as opposed to seeing people as competing entrepreuners, thinking just of themselves and family.

I have a vision that 2016 will see the people of Wrocław, including you, dear readers, starting to work more with people they don’t know.  I have a vision that people get to know their “competitors”, go to their events, get to know them personally, taking an interest in their work, meeting them socially, speaking to people they don’t know at such events; not being shy with people they don’t know, generally being open.

I have a vision of people seeing other people as people they can work with, people they can learn from, people who can do them good or with whom they can do good things.

I have a vision that similar events won’t happen at the same time or within a few days.

I see with this vision a birth, a synergy of energy and ideas for co-creating a Wrocław with a strong sense of democracy and culture.

I have a vision that all those people who do cool events related to music, art, work with toddlers and children and whatever else become representiave of Vratislavian culture, for Wrocław, the European City of Culture 2016 needs a society, and a society needs trust, and this need concrete signs of trust.

Are you with me?

I am asking you to simply get to know new people, to build relationships with others, to build trust as a component of Vratislavian life.

To show that I am putting my money where my mouth is, I have an idea.  First, watch this video:

It goes like that.  You buy a present costing, say, less than 10 złoty.  You then wrap it, with a note saying something like “To the person who finds it. You, yes you.  Please look on the other side” attached to it.  On the other side of the parcel, you place a note saying “Give this present to the first person you see who you don’t know”.  You then do that, explaining why you are doing so (i.e. because of the note).

Inside the parcel should be a note saying something like “A European Capital of Culture needs a healthy society.  I am glad to be able to share this society with you”.

Now, you may not be a fan of Wrocław 2016 European Capital of Culture thing.  That doesn’t matter.  How about we use this year to work on building culture via building society?  How about we will be able to look back on 2016 a year from now and see movements of trust between people, movements where people do things without wondering if they get something in return, movements where people do things simply for the benefit of others, because they recognise that this is what a healthy society needs and consequently, invigorating our culture.

SERIOUSLY, let’s do this!  Be part of this.  Buy a cheapish present, wrap it up with a note, leave it somewhere where it can be found, or give it to a stranger.  Steal this idea and pretend it’s yours.  Do a “present giving flashmob” on Rynek.  I don’t care.  Just do something, and do it now.  You can leave the present to be found before Christmas, or include this activity as part of your Christmas Day walk.

To add some excitement, you could put it in a place where you can hide and watch to see what happens.  For example, the rynek will give you places where you won’t be spotted, or in some park, or at a tram stop, or wherever.

To show that people are doing it, go on my Czarny kapturek Facebook page and upload a photo of the present.  Wouldn’t it give a hopeful sign for the new year if it was full of such photos?

I’d be well happy if you could do so.  If there are loads of photos done and across Facebook and Twitter, maybe the press will found out and this will grow this year and in the next.  Maybe, just maybe, people will see that Wrocław is a place where people care for each other and that people who set fires to figures of Jews are a massive minority.