Brexit Citizens and Communities

Today, Theresa May and Angela Merkel met for the first time. I have followed Brexit events closely. Oddly enough, I have been working on a translation on team-building. The respective terms citoyenneté and community in French and English have stood in sharp contrast. French and English are full of false and fickle friends. The words may look similar, but they often have different positive or negative connotations, emotive appeal or different usages. They only look like equivalents. This set me thinking…

I used community in my translation. My French client queried my word choice. Communauté does not have the same resonance for him as citoyenneté. Yet, for me, the word community has a much greater emotive appeal and greater resonance in a text about working together. The emotive effect of a word in a foreign language is different for us.

I wince when I read an EU text addressing citizens. My reaction is instinctive. I wrote it off as Eurospeak until today. Now, against the Brexit backdrop, I see a fundamental breakdown in communication. I remember how odd the EU’s citizens’ dialogue sounded. The wording seems wrong to engage Brits from the front cover or the first words of a speech.

Citizenship in English is closely tied to nationality – and that now infamous Brexit word sovereignty. Sovereignty is important to the British for strong historical reasons. Citizenship is a cold, legal term; we associate it with our passports and official form-filling. It doesn’t have the same sense of belonging as community.

Citoyen has a much stronger emotive appeal in French than citizen in English. Its usage dates back to the French Revolution with its sense that all are equal. It appears in La Marseillaise – can you get more emotive than a country’s national anthem?

Researching my subject, I found that citoyenneté appears to have much of the usage of the English community. In a highly topical usage, I found it applied to efforts to bring Muslims and Christians closer together. A similar UK local government text refers to community cohesion.

My research has left me wondering if the UK would have felt more emotionally connected, if we had been choosing to remain in the European Community rather than leave the European Union. I suppose Brexiters will merely say that I am crying over spilt milk. I’m splitting hairs over word choice. Yet, such nuances do matter. They speak to something deeply rooted within us.

EU Presidency

The UK was to take up the EU Presidency in 2017. I think it was wrong that UK voters were never told how close we were to holding the EU Presidency during the Referendum. This should have been the UK’s chance to influence the future direction of the EU. Very few Brits were aware of the UK’s forthcoming opportunity. Nor did they know that the Presidency would have meant working as a team or trio with Malta and Estonia. The EU Referendum should have followed the UK’s Presidency if Brits were still dissatisfied after this 18-month period of influence.

Theresa May today suggested that she would let the EU Presidency go. I believe that this is a mistake. Even without Brexit, the EU will have to redefine its mission and remit. All the indications suggest that the UK will remain one of Europe’s staunchest allies and a strong trading partner. Our pragmatic approach could prove useful in the tricky times ahead.

Cultural differences in communications

I can only hope that the EU PR machine reconsiders its homogenised communications as a result of Brexit. It needs to take greater account of cultural differences. I wonder how many other miscommunications like citizen and community are lurking in other translations. I can’t help thinking about Khrushchev’s “we will bury you”. What we understood and what he meant weren’t the same thing. The influence of those words was far-reaching, as Brexit is proving now. 

What will Brexit mean for democracy and union in the United Kingdom?

Ah, but Theresa May and Angela Merkel seem to agree that ‘Brexit is Brexit’. Did they mean it? What do they each understand by Brexit? Undoubtedly, not the same thing at this early stage.

What did the UK public understand by Brexit? Not how it is turning out… Will the Referendum withstand legal challenge in the courts? Where does any course of action leave democracy?

Is the subject really so dead and buried?

Michael Morpurgo comes to Wedmore

Hay Festival, London, Wedmore… The Wedmore Arts Festival staged a coup thanks to Hay Festival connections. I saw the world famous author of War Horse, Michael Morpurgo, give a talk as part of the local festival.

Asking questions after Michael Morpurgo's talk

Michael Morpurgo is one of Britain’s best-loved storytellers. I relished the opportunity to hear more about his work. He shared how he puts a story together with an enthusiastic audience ranging in age from 7 to 80. Some stories take 3 months; others can take 25 years. He weaves different experiences, anecdotes, facts and fiction together.

He went into detail on the various elements that came together to create The Butterfly Lion. It all started with the purchase of a second-hand book from a shop during the Hay Festival. He had been reading Chris McBride’s book on white lions on the train. He looked up to see the Westbury White Horse carved into the Wiltshire hillside.

A boring dinner party provided a fascinating, true World War One story about some circus animals. Then, he was stuck. He knew nothing about lions. He met Virginia McKenna of Born Free fame in a lift by chance one day. Now, he had his source for information about lions.

The story was still missing a voice. That voice came from his own memories of running away from school as a child. Now, the elements were all in place to write the story.

And where does Michael Morpurgo do his best writing? At a desk? No. Standing up at a lectern? No. In bed. Just like in a picture he saw of Treasure Island author, Robert Louis Stevenson. It’s by far the most comfortable place. You can even take a nap if you need one. Dreams can help.

One child asked why does the author write so much about wartime? Because all around him when he was growing up people were grieving about lost loved ones in the Second World War. He told how he used to get scolded by his mother for staring at a family friend whose face had been badly burnt in the war. He later wrote the story and sent it to him. The man replied that he remembered and appreciated him as the boy who looked at him. Others always looked away.

How did he start writing? It evolved. As a teacher of Year Sixes, he used to read other people’s stories at the end of the school day. He started creating and telling them his own stories. 130 books later and still writing…

There were many fans both young and old in the audience. A show of hands revealed that a surprising large number had read lots of his books. We were all urged to read more. The story of a ghost king and the local football team is on the way. Can you guess which king and which football team provided the inspiration?

Michael Morpurgo also spoke fondly of the Farms for City Children charity that he founded with his wife Clare. The village children perhaps could not imagine how lucky they are to live in the countryside with animals all around. War Horse was inspired by observing a badly traumatised boy who had lost the ability to speak. Yet, the words tumbled out as he stroked a horse on the farm. There is an unspoken connection between people and animals that can run very deep. Over 90,000 city children have now benefited from visiting the 3 farms.

The farms are an additional legacy to Michael Morpurgo’s life’s work.  His great talent is in making wartime events accessible to today’s children. Through his books children can understand the significance of events long before they were born. They can see the importance of remembering and respecting the sacrifices. And the importance of continuing to say ‘Never again’ to the next generation.

Wedmore War Memorial, St Mary's Church

Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité

I have been enjoying a period of calm away from London and back in the area of Somerset in which I grew up. Looking at the familiar Mendip Hills and the tranquil Somerset Levels, it is even harder to fathom the madness in the world. 

Then comes news of another tragedy in Nice, France.

ITV tweet re Nice attack

The tranquillity of Thiepval Woods in France was torn apart by the Battle of the Somme one hundred years ago. The First World War touched every community – the local village war memorials bear testament to that. 

In the local churchyard there is also the grave of a man who died afterwards of his injuries in Winchester Military Hospital. The horrors of war continued long after hostilities stopped. They lived on in the memories of survivors and the bereaved.

There is a shiny plaque inside St Mary’s Church, Wedmore. It looks new. It seems more likely that it has been polished for the recent World War One commemorations.

I was shaken when I read the words on that plaque. It commemorated the loss of a couple’s only son. He was shot through the heart while leading an attack. He is buried in Ploegsteert Wood in Belgium near the French border. He was exposed by being a little too far ahead of the rest.

Stanley Benskin Henson, Second Lieutenant in the 1^st Somerset Light Infantry, lived over a hundred years ago. He died on my birthday. When I looked him up online, I discovered another coincidence: he was born on my elder son’s birthday. It really hit home what peace in Europe means at that moment.

Nice

Today, I have been shaken again by the tragic news from Nice. I can’t help thinking about how my sons and I walked, without a care in the world, along Nice’s Promenade des Anglais in 2015. My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the bereaved, the injured and all those affected.

On such days, we share a common humanity and solidarity. It is a pity that it always seems to take a tragedy to bring us all together. In another coincidence, the murdered British MP, Jo Cox, is buried today. I recall her words:

“We are far more united and have more in common

with each other than things that divide us”

On such days, we come to appreciate the freedoms that were won in two world wars. It is so easy to be complacent. Terrorists will not win. It is hard to see how security forces can anticipate the crazed activities of every isolated extremist.

Increased intrusion into our lives, tightened security and extended states of emergency won’t deal with the issue. Instead they may rob honest, law-abiding citizens of their hard-won freedoms.

Not all social change can be imposed by legislation from the top down. It has to come from the bottom up - from all around us - from all of us.

We take our freedom for granted and do not notice its gradual erosion. We too easily believe that the behaviour of an isolated, extremist minority reflects the beliefs of a whole ethnic community.

We tend to believe that our vote and voice do not count or make a difference. Today, many are sending out prayers and messages to Nice on Twitter. It’s hard to know what to say. We are not all blessed with the gift of the gab. We feel powerless. Our words feel inadequate.

Every tweet and message sent into the apparent ether adds up. It is important that the voice and conscience of the honest, caring, law-abiding silent majority drown out the atrocities of terrorists and extremists.

Unfortunately, we know again today that there is much work to be done in healing the world’s communities.

I think of France’s inspirational Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité.

Liberté: We have freedom, but it is under threat and still not shared by the whole world.

Egalité: Could do much better. It’s not all about legislation. It’s about mindset.

Fraternité: This is the responsibility of every citizen not just politicians. Why does it always take a tragedy to draw us closer together? It only takes a smile and a kind word - regularly and on ordinary days. Others may appear different, but they hurt and bleed just like us.

My prayers are with Nice on this dark day.

Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité

Je profite de quelques jours tranquilles loin de Londres et séjourne dans le Somerset, la région de mon enfance. Difficile de concevoir la folie du monde face aux collines familières des Mendip et au calme paisible des Somerset Levels.

Quand soudain, une nouvelle tragédie survient à Nice en France.

-   Au moins 84 décès

-   202 blessés

-   25 personnes en réanimation

-   52 personnes en état d’urgence absolue

-  10 enfants et adolescents parmi les victimes

Ligne téléphonique pour les familles :

 04 93 72 22 22

Bataille de la Somme

Il y a cent ans, la quiétude du bois de Thiepval en France fut brisée par la bataille de la Somme. La Première Guerre mondiale frappa l’ensemble de la population comme en attestent les monuments commémoratifs du village. Les horreurs de la guerre, profondément imprimées dans la mémoire des survivants et des familles endeuillées, ont perduré bien après la fin des hostilités.

En témoigne une plaque dans l’église St Mary à Wedmore. J’ai ressenti un véritable choc en lisant le texte gravé sur cette plaque. 

En mémoire de

STANLEY BENSKIN HENSON

Second lieutenant 1^er régiment d’infanterie légère du Somerset.

Fils unique du Dr. W.J. Henson et de Mme, habitant Elmsett Hall à Wedmore.

Le 19 décembre 1914, il fut abattu en plein cœur alors qu’il menait 

une offensive contre les tranchées allemandes.

Enterré à Ploegsteert en Belgique.

Stanley Benskin Henson, second lieutenant dans le 1^er régiment d’infanterie légère du Somerset, a vécu il y a plus de cent ans et il est mort le jour de mon anniversaire. Grâce à quelques recherches sur internet, j’ai découvert une autre coïncidence : il était né le même jour que mon fils aîné. J’ai réalisé alors ce que la paix en Europe signifiait à cette époque-là.

Nice

Aujourd’hui, j’ai été choquée à nouveau par les nouvelles tragiques en provenance de Nice. Je ne peux m’empêcher de penser à ce moment de 2015 lorsque mes fils et moi nous promenions sur la Promenade des Anglais, totalement insouciants. Mes pensées et mes prières accompagnent les familles endeuillées, les blessés et tous ceux qui sont concernés.

Dans un moment comme celui-ci, nous partageons une même humanité et une même solidarité. Mais pourquoi faut-il toujours une tragédie pour que nous nous rassemblions ? Autre coïncidence : la députée britannique Jo Cox a été enterrée aujourd’hui. Ses mots me reviennent :

« Nous sommes bien plus unis, et avons bien plus en commun 

les uns avec les autres, que de choses qui nous divisent »

Un jour comme celui-ci nous fait comprendre la valeur des libertés acquises à travers deux guerres mondiales. Il est très facile de sous-estimer l’ampleur du problème. 

Les terroristes ne gagneront pas. Mais comment les forces de sécurité peuvent-elles anticiper les actions folles d’extrémistes isolés ?

L’ingérence croissante dans nos vies, la sécurité renforcée ou la prolongation des situations d’état d’urgence ne vont pas résoudre la crise. Aux citoyens honnêtes et respectueux des lois, ces mesures ne risquent-elles pas de reprendre des libertés si chèrement gagnées ?

Dans nos sociétés, le changement ne peut pas toujours venir d’en haut et de la loi. Il doit venir d’en bas, de partout et de tous.

Nous considérons notre liberté comme une chose acquise pour toujours sans observer sa dégradation progressive. Nous cédons à la facilité et pensons que le comportement d’une personne isolée ou d’une minorité extrémiste reflète les croyances de toute une communauté.

Beaucoup d’entre nous estiment que leurs votes et leurs voix ne comptent pas et ne changeront rien. Ces jours-ci, en pensant à Nice, nous sommes nombreux à envoyer des messages et des prières sur Twitter. Il est difficile de trouver les mots, le don d’éloquence n’est pas donné à tout le monde. Un sentiment d’impuissance nous envahit, nos paroles semblent vaines.

Pourtant, chaque tweet et chaque message, envoyés dans le monde virtuel, comptent pour le monde réel. Il est vital que la voix et la conscience de la majorité silencieuse honnête, attentive et qui respecte la loi, couvrent les atrocités des extrémistes et des terroristes.

Malheureusement, encore une fois, nous réalisons qu’il y a encore beaucoup de travail à faire pour guérir la planète et ses communautés.

Je pense à la devise de la France « Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité », véritable source d’inspiration.

Liberté : nous jouissons de la liberté, mais elle est menacée et reste non équitablement partagée dans le monde.

Égalité : nous pourrions faire bien mieux. Ce n’est pas seulement une question de loi, mais également d’état d’esprit.

Fraternité : c’est la responsabilité de tout citoyen, pas seulement des hommes politiques. Pourquoi est-ce qu’il faut toujours un événement tragique pour nous faire nous rassembler ? Il suffit d’un sourire, d’un mot gentil, régulièrement et au quotidien. Les autres nous semblent différents, mais ils souffrent et saignent exactement comme nous.

En ce jour sombre, mes prières accompagnent la ville de Nice.

 

Traduction de l'anglais par Nathalie Joffre

Entrepreneurs at the French Chamber

Anglicity was delighted to attend its first meeting as an Active Member of the French Chamber of Great Britain. This first session was entitled: ‘From Scratch to Success: Business Stories’. President Estelle Brachlianoff introduced the panel of 3 visionary entrepreneurs and chair Eric Albert, City Correspondent for Le Monde. It was an inspirational evening providing welcome respite from Brexit discussions and uncertainty. It proved that you can succeed no matter what the odds.

The French Chamber's panel of entrepreneurs at the French Institute

Alain Afflelou

Alain Afflelou is one of the best-known entrepreneurs in France. He is a trained optician with a good eye for business. His name is closely tied to the French optician chain that he founded and now runs as CEO. He is the face and brand in his company’s advertising.

Alain’s description of his faltering beginning was highly entertaining. An initial refusal from the bank to finance his optician business did not stop him. The cheeky 20-year-old complained that they were ruining the dreams of two people – his and the man who wanted to retire. He ended up with a larger bank loan than his initial approach and bought the building.

That first shop was in Bordeaux. Other trained opticians might have been content to just run that one business in Bordeaux. His drive had its roots in his arrival from Algeria as a teenager. He went on to take over the franchises of Carrefour’s opticians. He made his takeover seem a funny tale of envelopes. He didn’t speak Spanish, but he didn’t let that hinder his expansion into Spain later either.

It rapidly became apparent that here before us was a shrewd operator. Alain recognises opportunities, drives a good deal and is an instinctive salesman.

Jean-François Cécillon

Jean-François Cécillon talked us through the highs and lows of his career. He relocated to London at a time when it was not so commonplace for a Frenchman to live and work out of London. He tagged along socially too with his British colleagues as their token ‘Frog’. The move did not make sense to his colleagues back in Paris. Jean-Francois relished the chance to travel the world. He showed us a video of all the stars that he worked with during his career at EMI. He made things happen, managed creative egos and used his gut instinct tellingly.

The most memorable moment was his description of a shirtless 20-year-old standing on his low coffee table, reciting some words. That young man was Robbie Williams. Those lyrics became the hit Angels. The rest is history.

Jean-François’ career at EMI became history too. He was not downed for long. Too young to retire, he has proudly fought his way back.

Ning Li

At 32 Ning Li was the youngest entrepreneur present. His tale was no less extraordinary - if not more so. He arrived in France for his education at the age of 16 from China. His parents could have done their homework better. He didn’t speak a word of French. He set about the task by learning the dictionary from cover to cover - page by page.

In order to help his parents out financially, he decided to look for a job. Where can a Chinese boy with little spoken French get a job? He headed for Chinatown and struck lucky. He found a family of Chinese immigrants with a bakery from his home region. As well as passing his BAC (just, so he says), he became a trained baker by working in all his holidays and spare time.

Ning could have settled for the safe career that his French higher education often provides. His admiration for that immigrant family pushed him towards life as an entrepreneur. The desire to buy an expensive sofa resulted in him co-founding his online furniture business Made.com.

There were mistakes along the way – such as using nude women to sell furniture to a largely female target audience. He admits the mistake. Yet, sometimes bad press gives you a higher profile than you could otherwise achieve. The resourceful Ning now gets customers to volunteer their homes as his showrooms.

Three very different men. Three different career paths. All three inspirational.

The above event was the third in the series that form part of the French Chamber of Great Britain’s drive to recruit more SMEs. At the end Managing Director, Florence Gomez announced a special publication is planned in response to Brexit.

Photo credits (except 2nd photo from top): Joana Saramago and with kind permission of the French Chamber of Great Britian