Europe’s greatest qualities are unity and peace
Pieter Boeder
Admittedly, I love 1960s and 70s brutalist architecture. The bare concrete conveys a blatant belief in progress towards a better world, a silent tribute to the greatness of mankind. Of course there are all sorts of reasons why brutalism should apply to buildings only, certainly not to people.
Yet these monuments of post-war optimism are reminiscent of an era when a naive sense of progress prevailed and the Amsterdam Zuidas area, long since morphed into a high-rise gateway suburb, was still a lush green field where my friends and I used to play as children.
As retro-romantic as it may sound, there is nothing nostalgic about this feeling. Notions of identity, belonging and progress are highly relevant in the 21st century. They are at the core of today’s concepts of unity and peace, of the inherently human benevolence that has prevailed.
Identity and Belonging are at the very core of Europe’s Values.
These issues of identity and belonging are at the very core of Europe’s values. What does it mean to be human, what does it mean to be part of something that is greater than ourselves, and what do we have to do now to make things better — in Europe and in the rest of the world?
Our culture has produced many different answers to these questions. In past millennia, different concepts of society have come into being, have been embraced for a time and been rejected again. What remains today is a European culture that is based on values, on tradition and diversity.
Knowledge is another important component of this heritage, now largely in the public domain. As a species, we are getting better at knowing ourselves and how things work. Young people know how to network and share information, being connected empowers them. That, too, is progress.
Sometimes it takes very little to shift a balance, to change a status quo. Subtle actions can have significant effects. The energy that is required for creating momentum and, ultimately, change can take many different forms. So do the results. It is important that we work together, now.
Bringing people together is but one prerequisite for such processes to happen. Creating unity and shaping communities, often from scratch, are among the many strengths of A Soul For Europe. Together, we are building the spheres and communities that will shape the Europe of tomorrow.
Whether or not concrete has a soul is hardly a relevant question in the greater course of things. Yet how future European citizens will create consensus, empower one another and shape a common future on this continent — and elsewhere — are among the most important questions of our time.
Europe’s greatest qualities are unity and peace. Its foundations have been laid by those who came before us, but it is a work in progress. Europe is here, and Europe is now. Crucially, Europe has a soul: Delicate, fragile and precious yet increasingly powerful. Let’s carry on the good work.
Pieter Boeder has a background in journalism and in communication management. He holds an MA degree in Journalism Studies from Cardiff University. Currently based in Athens, Pieter works as a communication and strategy consultant, teacher and coach.
