Beyond borders
George Macpherson asks: Are we ready for a ‘person state’?
Coming to terms with the ‘Out’ vote in the recent referendum on Europe takes a while. And how are we left?
Seventeen million Brits have revolted – bloodlessly, except for one tragedy for which we, as voting or non-voting citizens, all bear some responsibility. Jo Cox’s husband, the father of their children, has to learn how to live without his vibrant MP wife; and those children now have no ‘Mummy’.
The first week, for those of us who were sure we should remain members of the European Union, was a bereavement too – though mild in comparison. There was sorrow and anger – and, beyond that, fear. In the second week, on both sides, we began to question how we voted. We began to listen to each other – and listen to God (The Light, Love, Allah, The Great Spirit) for ways through – for solutions. Here are some of the musings of ‘what might be’, in place of ‘what might have been’ that emerged during our Meeting for Worship.
The industrialised world may be on the brink of a change that means the diminution and eventual disappearance of ‘the nation state’, as each of us becomes our own ‘person state’ – responsible for our own defence and peace; our own economic viability; our own communication and media; our own taxation; our own health, public relations, global conservation and environmental legacies to our partners, children and future generations.
Our development has reached a stage in which we are challenging planet earth’s control of itself, as is witnessed by climate change, diminution of biological diversity and destruction of the habitats on which we, and our fellow living creatures, depend for existence.
Uniting nations
Recent evidence that the human race has, in the face of real danger, collaborated to reduce the hole in the ozone layer by international agreement (by not using certain gases in aerosols and refrigerators) gives us hope that we might live, as humans, as a union of ‘person states’. For me, as a former employee and devotee, this is the United Nations, an organisation that is waiting for (us) nation members to gain further self restraint in reducing greed and fear.
We have moved from the unit of the family, to the tribe, to nations and then to empires.
The European Union was an attempt to create an ‘empire for peace’. Britain is withdrawing because more than half of us voted to leave. At Meeting it seems that some of us voted out because ‘I had the feeling we’d be better off and not be overrun by foreigners’, while others were taking two huge steps out – forward from ‘nation’, missing empire – and going direct to individual ‘person states’.
One Friend said: ‘I voted out because I want to see the end of national and international divisions.’ I understood that she believed that each human, given the will – the spirit of love – could live in global harmony, giving an example to others.
Like our primate ape cousins, we, as a species, increase our knowledge by carrying experience forward to the next generation. Chimpanzees teach their children how to use stones to crack nuts and sticks to reach honey. We teach our children a lot more – although it would seem we still have a way to go! We have not learned to live in peace or teach our children how to.
Love and egalitarianism
Jesus, and other prophets, began their witness for peace by preaching ‘do as you would be done by’. They were misunderstood, as clever priests and warriors manipulated their messages for their own purposes. It is taking many centuries for us to come back to understanding and implementing those original concepts of love and egalitarianism. Over the years groups, who often perpetrated religious myths, had different aims and objectives and competed with each other for dominance and control through violence. The logic of these myths and the resort to conflict were challenged by realists – scientists, philosophers and academics – many of whom were persecuted. The competition for dominance and control is now becoming – we hope – less lethal. Certainly, its violence and devastation seemed to peak in 1914-18.
The next attempt at communal harmony was born shortly after the first world war with the creation of the League of Nations, which lives on as the United Nations. Britain was a founder member. The Quaker United Nation Offices in New York and Geneva are an inspiration and one way that we support this unsleeping ‘patrol of hope’.
The EU is a minor version of the UN. Since 1945 we have not seen any major conflicts in Europe, although, at the edges, hideous bloodshed has continued in places such as Bosnia, Serbia, Cyprus, Ukraine, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Algeria and Turkey.
The United Kingdom is now to leave, thus removing a major pillar of the EU. Many of our twenty-seven companions have large populations who will wish to follow our example: they feel deprived – that their lot is unfair and that no one listens to them. Our departure may bring further ‘Eurexits’. Scotland, likely as not, will try to go independent and join the EU. Northern Ireland, too, may unify with the Republic of Ireland.
This domino effect might well begin on the European mainland – with chunks of Spain copying Scotland and German-speaking people in north-eastern France, and Russian-speaking people in Latvia, Lithuania and… and… who knows… more crumbling, dividing nations?
Beyond borders
How is this thinkable? How is it possible? Could it happen? Are we ready for it? Will technology and education save us? Communication and migration has, over the past century, begun to make national politics less significant. Gone are the days (we hope) when Queen Victoria’s grandsons, as heads of state, can decide to take their nations to war, killing millions of citizens.
In our family, our children and grandchildren are spread around like pollen. For example, I have two Norwegian grandsons and two Norwegian step-granddaughters; I have Canadian great nephews and nieces; we have Canadian and US cousins by the thousand. There being no work in Macpherson country in the Highlands of Scotland they emigrated, often as soldiers, around the world. We have myriads of cousins in Australia and New Zealand, hundreds in Africa, India, Burma and Malaysia, for a start. I have close cousins in Switzerland, the USA and Scotland too; cousins in Kuala Lumpur (although they’re actually from Borneo) who are devout, loving Muslims; others, from Burma, who are Catholics.
Then we all have great friends and colleagues in other countries with whom we are in frequent contact – often seeing each other as we speak on Skype, or spending holidays together. I have American friends in Botswana; I have ex-in-laws and friends in Tanzania; former colleagues and friends in Malawi and France. One of our daughters is living in Germany and working throughout Scandinavia and Europe, my oldest son lives in Norway.
Making things work
Our family is by no means unique – most of us consider these links to be permanent, valuable and part of our lives. But when we connect with family and friends do we think ‘Oh, Rob and Emmie are Swiss’; or ‘Nickolai and Synne are Norwegian’, ‘Gaeage and Doug are Botswana/American’? Of course not! They are people we love – blood relatives, life friends and colleagues – fellow citizens.
So yes, nationality can be a hindrance to universal peace. For the wrong right reasons, like ignorance and fear – or, indeed, the idealistic reasons of stepping towards the ‘person nation’ – we are leaving the EU, perhaps contributing to its break-up and that of the United Kingdom. As Quakers and Friends it is up to us to try to make things work. This is going to mean travel, (despite CO2), expense in contributions to Quaker offices in Geneva and New York (and Moscow and other capitals), writing letters, supporting good causes and signing petitions. So, let’s roll up our sleeves, pack our suitcases, and flash our credit cards and chequebooks! And let’s negotiate in the spirit of the ‘Light within’!
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