Reflections in the glass facade

There is currently a war in Europe, there are wars in other parts of the world. We are at the brink of a famine, there is a climate and environmental disaster looming. The UN with all its satellite NGOs and state-run agencies is central to the work trying to alleviate this coming onslaught of disasters. I went to one of the hubs of the UN for the Geneva Peace Week as a film composer trying to see what this place was about and if there was any overlap with my creative projects TRACKS, BARDS and FLYT. Surely, we are in a storytelling age? 

First I met a Brazilian taxi driver who in no uncertain terms let his steam out. He said there is no life here, they think they are rich but they are poor, I am going back to Brazil in January. At least he knew how to talk without leaving open the option of being interrupted open, something that might be a good skill to have in a town of many words. 

Geneva is made of glass and shiny objects that speak of vision, power and on a good day transparency. There is an odd lack of street life, be it along the lake with the banking towers or around the UN a bit further up. I had a sense of people being brought up in a system of a certain jargon that bounces around off these shiny buildings, and that is being echoed up and down the elevators and escalators. The dizzying jungle of abbreviations feels like it is designed to keep the non-initiated on the outside, until I spoke with someone on the inside who said they also felt confused. Language matters, but actions matter more.

Every morning there is a long queue of cars from France into Geneva. The prices are rather inflated in Geneva due to the nature of the organisations present here and this makes it necessary for some to shop and live outside. This city feels distinctly artificial in a very beautiful way and speaks of a game that needs to be played, maybe not so different from other places in the world. Geneva to me felt like an island in some strange way.

There is naivety in the political world that funding solves all problems. But behind the nice academic jargon I heard a need for solid trustworthy people on the ground. But these people will not just magically appear even with the solid amount of money thrown after them. In some cases, they are not even interested in money as it can corrupt and make them less agile. The Midas touch might not always be splendid if you are in need of food. 

The funny thing is that it feels like a game of hiding, where objectivity inside political or academic cliches is being touted as the holy grail, but in many eyes, I saw remnants of childish belief in a better world. I looked around with a silent question, at which time in your life did you suddenly get filled with hope? What happened then, when did you believe in a better future, I hope you have not forgotten. Until I know when you changed, I cannot trust you. So, tell me your story, and I will tell you mine. 

At one workshop we as the audience were challenged to reflect back what we thought was missing in an academic analysis of digital tools in a peace context. As the echo chamber fed back its normal words, I suggested that we might need better storytelling, and the room agreed in a distinct and slightly surprised murmur. Later in the day this moment was mentioned as a word that had not been mentioned in these circles before. The elephant in the room had spoken. I felt honoured to be the person to surprise people just by being in the wrong place in the right way. In a world based on control, surprise is a real currency. 

The UN is important, with all its ecosystems and I met many absolutely fascinating people in Geneva. If the UN could reflect the real world and the real heaven it is there to serve and reach for, it would be more powerful in my view. I think we need more odd people present there, I would love to bring more artists there and maybe the jargon could be more emotional and storytelling-based. Every system builds pride into its core principles and artists are no different from academics or politicians in this respect. However, we need to lower our guards and unprotected venture across the street or maybe down to the party of the people down in the square. 

It’s a new age, it’s the return of an old age, it’s a challenge for all of us and we are all inside some kind of glass cathedral. There is no point in sitting inside your own protective sphere and point fingers. The problem belongs to all of us and the solution also. I encourage all of you to go to places where you feel completely out of your depths and stay until it makes sense. I tried it a bit this week and came away exhausted and encouraged. We are all people looking for a language in the noise, a path in the fog. There is no time for blame but rather for ruthless encouragement to seek a living truth. And maybe the longing for freedom will lead to actual peace, and the path is paved with stories of transformed hearts. 

I believe in people, inside the NGO/UN bubble or outside, but mostly when people are honest and dare to be people, not facades. Sometimes in the facades we can see reflections of heaven but heaven in someone’s heart is always better.