Weaving webs for a new Venezuela

By Teresa Sosa Vegas

“We must learn to live with uncertainty and not deny it. The only thing certain in the world is uncertainty and we need to learn to navigate with it”. French sociologist and philosopher Edgar Morin wrote this in 2002 when defining the challenges we face in the world today.

We in Venezuela understand the sentiment. We are under siege, in disarray and in seeming collapse. But as another French philosopher Teilhard De Chardin said,  groups sharing common relationships, connections and anxieties eventually lead to a “reawakening of a common force” and a “unified consciousness”.

We watch as our hard-earned fledgling democracy is wrenched from our grasp. We know first-hand how easy it is to lose our freedom, democracy and standing in the world. Democracy is messy, difficult and requires a “unified consciousness” but that messiness has been turned against it. Our evolving participatory process has been hijacked and is being destroyed.

Many ask: “Have we become a democracy in name only?” The rule of law, the economic social and educational opportunities, and personal freedoms are being systematically undermined. Our once safe and democratic country has fallen into a dangerous proxy dictatorship. Civil rights, safe streets, freedom of movement and expression, a thriving economy and trust are all gone. Our natural resources are sold to the highest bidder. Businesses and the land is stolen and plundered by those drunk with power.

I have no words to express the experience of what is going on. There is no safe distance to observe from and no ability to be logical because our world is one of momentary survival. It is easy to assume from afar that things have a meaning but for us the meaning comes from understanding the moment, for all we have is the moment.

Our dream is to banish the chaos, corruption and usurpers and return to a safe and secure country where our freedoms - to speak, to travel, to question – are restored.  What was once real - democracy and freedom - is now a dream. We worry whether a military crackdown is about to happen as it has in Syria. Where is the tipping point?

Those who oppose the current regime and are consistent in their vocal resistance are the students. They are the generation that is breaking through ideology, class, ethnic divisions and geographical self-interest. It is they who are creating “the common will” that De Chardin spoke of and attempting to rally around a unified consciousness.

Venezuela has become a place where ideology is used to mask corruption, greed and the insatiable desire for power.  When lives are taken or threatened, when safety is ripped away, people seek resolution. Survival requires the creation of uncommon alliances, networks and webs of relationships. This is difficult, given the government’s crackdown and its control and takeover of all major media outlets. It has even created a scarcity of newsprint to muzzle the ability to communicate.

Yet new technologies, which younger generations are adept at using, are creating virtual relationships, networks and webs of communication outside government control. This, much like the “Arab Spring”, demonstrates the creativity of an opposition that is using wireless technology to share information, dreams and ideas with non-traditional communities.

These invisible networks encourage individual sharing of stories on the Web and other social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Whatsup. While witnessing the destruction on the ground, we have created a virtual community of resistance. We are hopeful that from this will come a new Venezuela. But the present leaves us wondering - what have we lost and what more could we lose? This is the age-old story of aggression.

In addition to these webs, I have found the ICA’s book, The Courage to Lead, an invaluable resource. The facilitation processes, especially TOP and Focused Conversation, offer guides for creating structure out of chaos and practical approaches for personal and social transformation.

In these chaotic circumstances we do not have the luxury of attending a workshop or planning our next move in advance. I have found internalizing the principles, methods and processes of the ICA invaluable for framing, managing and directing social participation. During these moments you realize whether or not you have integrated the principles of caring and self-conscious reflection; are open to comprehensive perspectives; and understand historical involvement, the nature of responsibility and what constitutes social pioneering. It is in these moments that one asks: do I have the courage to lead?

ICA and personal principles and values are the foundation for living through this chaos. They provide a framework for establishing and maintaining our shared webs and networks. These principles are creation, development, expression, action and reflection. Only through networks can we maintain and strengthen these webs of relationship and information sharing. We hope they gather enough support to lay the foundation for a conscious citizenry willing to participate and become more fully engaged in local, community and civic activities.  

Creating networks and webs, and forming communities based on commonality is just a start. People, interests, networks and webs are constantly being recreated. We understand that together we are the network, the web, and the foundation of our future. Through our common interests and humanity we strive to re-create our country, not one based on ideology but on the humanitarian needs of citizens, a system based on truth, respect, dignity, justice and freedom. To paraphrase Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a group of conscious, interconnected and articulate citizens can bring about change and transform any society”.

Professor Teresa Sosa Vegas teaches at the Post Graduate School of Political Science, University Simon Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela.