On the global concern unfolding in Russa - Ukraine
by Layla Rosas
An evening with Gerald Häfner in the Youth Section's House
Gerald Häfner started the talk by framing the theme of the current war in Ukraine in a very large scale, far back in history: he started talking about the expulsion from paradise and how that act and happening opened the door to our development has mankind, but also to disharmony, root of war, by taking the fruit of knowledge and becoming conscious. This awakening of consciousness meant at the same time our separation from and with the whole, the break of a unity and harmony for the development of consciousness and freedom.
After this big contextual picture, Gerald got more detailed and political, sharing many interesting biographical stories. It was very inspiring to hear how ideals can become concrete, and to learn that clear thoughts and a persistent will can make big changes in the world. “The change starts in each of us!” he said.
War is happening in Ukraine, Europe, 2022. What is the position of Europe? What is its task? Europe is between west (America) and east (Asia); could the task of Europe to be in the middle and to stay and act as middle? Europe is between two world orders: capitalism (America) and communism (Asia), and nothing captures this situation better as the broken and divided Germany after the II World War and the wall in Berlin. The eruption of the war in Ukraine brings to the surface the same question and dilemma: is Ukraine part of the west or the east, is Europe split into a wester part and an eastern part but nothing by itself? Or have Europe and Ukraine his own entity, its own task, a third ideal, which is not the duality of East or West, capitalism or communism?
These questions are very important, especially for Europe, which has been losing ideals and identity for a long time. The idea of Europe as neither East or West but a third space is quite unpopular but still a very interesting one and full of hope. What is Europe? A direction towards an answer can be found also in Ukraine, and what Gerald answered to the question of a solution: neutrality. Ukraine is both eastern and western and it would make no sense to make it become only one aspect of itself. Neutrality offers the possibility to stay in both sides, and even create, with time, its own individual space. Is this the direction Europe should follow? And the biggest question: if not East nor West, if not Capitalist nor Communist, what is Europe?