“Polarisation is communication. Communication is also polarisation.” These were the words by which Friso Fennema, Director of Communications at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, opened the National Congress for Public Communication (PubCom19). His opening keynote framed the challenge that many people in the audience are faced with in their daily work. During the afternoon the congress’ theme of polarisation was tackled in various ways by the different speakers: local versus national versus international, from intuition to ratio as well as grasped from the poles of society towards the centre.

“Polariseren is communiceren. Communiceren is ook polariseren,” stelde Friso Fennema, directeur communicatie bij het Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat in zijn openingadres op het Nationale Congres voor Publieke Communicatie (PubCom19). Het thema was polarisatie, dat op diverse manieren werd aangevlogen door verschillende sprekers. Dit werd vanuit lokale, nationale en internationale dimensies benaderd, vanuit intuïtie versus ratio alsook vanuit de polen ten opzichte van het middenveld.

“I opened my eyes. Glimmers of early morning sun peeking through the curtains. I looked around the cabin. This was the big day, 21st of June 2030. So wonderful that the team had organized for me to stay right here, just next to the festival area. I opened the door and looked across the trees onto the beautiful fjord. Celebrating ten years since the great transition, ten years since humanity managed to create this new sustainable society. New energy no longer new, ecological farming the norm, animals plenty as they are protected by human rights. Gross Happiness Index rather than GDP. I thought about Greta, that determined Swedish girl on a mission. Oh, I have to get going, the conference organisers are waiting for me!”

“At the end of life you will meet the person you could have become.”

 Please let those words come to you. They make you remember that life is full of choices. These words were not spoken in a church, nor at some spiritual gathering. They were expressed by Marcello Palazzi, one of the B Corp Leaders at the recent B Corp Summit, in Amsterdam on 23rd and 24th of September. He spoke those words from a deep conviction that entrepreneurship is something very human, that it can be good and beautiful. The Summit convened businesses to address the change that is needed to help tackle the world’s greatest challenges and to build a more inclusive society. 

It would be clay, Viktor said.

perfect for designing our new home, because

we should go away.

Change is the new constant. Was that ever different? In his book "Thank you for being late" New York Times journalist Thomas Friedman describes that the speed of technological change, globalisation of the market, climate change and loss of biodiversity all have a huge impact on the way we work, live, on politics and ethics. He proposes to ‘pause in stride’. A worthy advice in these fast times.

We all know what it can feel like when our vote does not land with the majority, when our proposal is not backed or when our choice cannot see the light of day, even if all of this was dealt with democratically. It is painful. We react in different ways: we may give in, we surrender, we might joke or moan. Worse, we may become angry, we may start to sabotage, organise strikes and, in the worst situation, our (re) actions might lead to fights, to war.