Andre Claessens MSC (Belgian Provincial) - The characteristics of contemporary Western European Culture

Some characteristics of contemporary Western European Culture

André Claessens MSC

Outline of Contents

Introduction

A Globalizing World

1. The economic globalization

2. The political globalization

* neo-liberalism

3. The globalization and culture

A Secularized World

1. Religion today

2. The religious free market

A Multicultural World

1. The “stranger” as a trouble and a challenge

2. Migrants, asylum seekers and refugees

3. Demography, Unemployment and redundancy

The private sphere and emo-culture

Challenges for Mission

Introduction

“Father Jules Chevalier returned from a retreat in 1850 a changed man. Where he had been stern and serious, he became a man filled with the love of Jesus and the determination to share that love with everyone, everywhere”, said Father Mark McDonald.

Throughout the past 150 years, the Missionaries of Sacred Heart have spread from Issoudun all over the world, according to the motto “ametur ubique terrarium…” (May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved). The call to spread the Good News of God’s love has sometimes placed religious in dangerous places. Over the years 70 members have been martyred. Most died because they chose to stay behind and care for their flock, even when they could have fled to safety.

The General Chapter 2005 reminded us once more that Jesus loves us with a human heart and that we must share that compassionate love of Christ with all people. That is the reason why you are gathered here in Tilburg this month, reflecting on how to incarnate this mission into your new community. Therefore it is good to start your intensive reflection time with a reflection on the characteristics of contemporary Western European Culture. We must know the context in which we have to incarnate that desire to reach out and to reveal and to love, and not to be afraid to touch the sufferings of others.

We have just ended a century of world wars, gulags, concentration camps and genocide. While the U.N. commemorated the 10^th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda and with one voice proclaimed “never again”, the shameful operation of ethnic cleansing was taking place in Darfur in Sudan. While the past century and present day have witnessed a great development in human rights, the past decade globalization has accentuated the gap whereby the rich become richer and the poor become poorer. That is a part of the world we are living in.

A Globalizing World

The first characteristic is not only one of European culture, it is becoming “ubique terrarum”.

In 1996 Hans Küng published his book Yes to a Global Ethic[1]. Writing in 1999 he explained it in this way: “The globalization of the economy, technology, and the media means also the globalization of problems: from financial and labour markets to the environment and organized crime! What is therefore also needed is the globalization of ethic. Again: not a uniform ethical system (“ethics”), but a necessary minimum of shared ethical values, basic attitudes and standards to which all regions, nations, and interest groups can subscribe – in other words, a shared basic ethic for humankind. Indeed, there can be no new world order without a world ethic, a global ethic”[2].

Religions and faiths, religious and missionaries are actors in developing common values. Pope John Paul II stressed more than once in his social teaching that we as Christians have to “globalize solidarity” in a “culture of death”.

In his contribution Modern Evils – Challenges of Today, Fr. Klaus Sanders wrote:

"The world we are living in is very complex and is characterised by very big contrasts. On the one hand, there is an enormous wealth, a very high level of technique with a mad armaments race, means of global communication, 'the dominance of the global market is pressuring all the nations towards a desperate competitiveness, cutting wages and the number of workers, destroying natural resources'. On the other hand there is immense poverty and scandalous misery of men, women and children; there is overpopulation in certain regions and refugees all over the world. Hope that blossomed after the fall of the communist imperialism has faded; deception and frustration dominate"[3].

It is obvious, we live in a complex, interrelated society created by innumerable trends, continuous interactions. Events taking place in one part of the world inevitably affect the rest of the world. Because of the rapid changes there is an urge to have a prospective look. We need the capacity to be discerning in a rapidly changing society in order to become builders of change, not just accepting change without taking action.

One of the deepest and irreversible processes in the history of mankind is the suppression of borders

- geographically

- in the movement of people, capital, goods

According to Ruud Lubbers globalization is a complex phenomenon: technology, economics and politics. It provokes rapid changes in social systems and cultures.

Ruigrok & Van Tulder distinguish seven aspects[4]:

- globalization of finance & capital

- markets & strategies

- technology & knowledge

- way of life, patterns of consumption & culture

- regulation capacity & government

- as unification of the world

- perception & consciousness

The catalyst of the process is worldwide communication.

It is not my purpose to analyse all the aspects of globalization, but to analyse the situation in order to disclosure the link between the economical, technological, political and cultural aspects. As Christians and religious we have a duty in this area. With the words of John Paul II to the Pontifical Council of Pastoral Care to the Migrants (May 18,2004) :

3. Indeed, if "globalization" is the term which more than any other describes historical modern development, the word "dialogue" must also characterize the mental and pastoral attitude that we are all called to adopt in view of a new world balance. The steady number of 200 million migrants makes this even more urgent. Integration on the social level and interaction on the cultural one have therefore become the presupposition necessary for authentic peaceful co-existence between peoples and nations. This is more necessary than ever now due to the process of globalization, which increasingly unifies economic, cultural and social development.

1. The economic globalization has changed drastically the condition of labour.

The technological and economic changes are the centre of the whole process with huge consequences in the lives of millions of people. Enlargement of the world market creates unknown possibilities for the exchange of goods, services and capital. This could contribute to more investment, more innovation, jobs and satisfaction of fundamental needs[5]. But this optimism was opposed by James Wolfensohn (chairman WB) in his speech “The Challenge of Inclusion”, tackling the tragedy of exclusion. In a lot of countries he said 10% of the poor have less than 1% of the national income and 20% of the rich more than 50% of the national income. Improvement is only possible if we develop enough mechanisms of redistribution.

One of the characteristics of globalization is the ‘creative destruction’: at one hand new jobs are created, at the other hand more jobs are eliminated[6]. Especially people who have a lower level of education and those older than 40 years are victims of this destruction.

At one hand this is the consequence of the globalisation of the financial markets with its successive waves of fusions and take over of firms and the restructuring imposed by these transactions. The financial markets don’t bother about social welfare. All must contribute to more benefit for the shareholders.

At the other hand the loss of jobs is also a result of the de-locations of plants and the move to the low-cost countries. This process is similar to what happened in the 19^th century in Europe: workers become rivals for one another[7].

People in developing countries have some benefit of this process because new jobs are created, but there are negative effects as well. What is happening to people in China is the most eloquent example. The life of farmers, workers, fishermen etc. becomes tough because of low salaries, and bad work conditions. Genetic manipulated crops are introduced, poor farmers cannot afford the high price and become still more dependant because of debts, goods from Western countries are dumped at low prices and destroy local agriculture. Poor fishermen can’t catch enough fish because huge industrial shipping destroys their fishing grounds.

All over the world the work ‘ethos’ is changing. More pressure is put upon people. Who can’t follow the rhythm or who doesn’t have the knowledge needed for the market are excluded[8]. The problem is no longer poverty, but also exclusion. This is a process in which an important group in society is excluded and marginalized not only for a short period, but very often for a lifetime. They are pushed into ghetto’s in our mega cities, their children don’t have access to good schools and are early in life in touch with violence of all kind. Together with the children of the developing countries they become the pariahs or underdogs of the post-industrial society. About 50% of the world population is living in these cities (10% at the beginning of the 20^th century). Also managers experience negative consequences: increasing flexibility, more workload and pressure, intercontinental journeys put pressure on family life, huge consumption of tranquillizers and anti-depressants. The price for always more innovation and development is too high.

Behind all this we can recognize a deeper process: the importance or value of people is reduced to the economic value or utility. Human resource can be replaced by another resource when this becomes cheaper. A world market is created and there is a place for every product: a pop star and a football star are imported together with coffee from Brazil. The market becomes creator of culture: the going price on the market becomes a reference, a norm. Sometimes it is like a tyranny or a colonisation. Profit at all costs, solidarity between rich and poor changes into the right of the strongest. Without taking into account the structural vulnerability of people social insurance is under attack and individual insurance is promoted as an alternative for existing systems of solidarity. More and more collective services are privatised (e.g. water supply). Even free time becomes business and people are made redundant consumers. Goods from all over the world are worshiped like divinities, logos (Nike, Adidas, Microsoft) get a kind of religious esteem. Publicity and marketing become a most powerful oppressor to promote new products and image building.

Another side-effect are the new migration streams: about two hundred million people are living today in regions where they are not born. A lot of them are trying to escape violence, oppression and poverty.

2. The political globalisation: consequences for democracy and a new world order.

National states remain important actors, but their power is reduced by the process of globalization. They are no longer able to counter the growing power of the multinationals and the financial markets. Because of competent lobby work multinationals succeed in translating their interests into the law and do use expensive lawyers to exploit the weakness of laws. Key-sectors of energy supply are taken over by foreign holdings and escape national control. The WTO (a non-democratic body) is taking over as if it were a supra-national government of technocrats, accountable to nobody !

Neo-liberalism.

One day a reporter asked Margaret Thatcher about her definition of a society. Her answer: something like “that doesn’t exist”. According to her only individuals exist with their interests, their rights and responsibilities. Everyone has to look after him/herself.

The role of the State is to safeguard that individuals are not hindered in achieving their goals. The objective is to realize the maximum of benefit out of one’s efforts.

This liberal individualism was promoted by the American philosopher John Rawls in his “Theory of Justice” (1971)

- those who don’t succeed need help, but this is not a right

- social services are minimal

- decreasing solidarity in society as a whole, only the inner circle counts

In the Eighties a reaction came by communitarism (John Taylor, Michael Walzer, Annitai Etzioni). In 1993 Amitai Etzioni founded a Communitarian Network in order to counter the break down in the moral fabric of society.

Communitarism starts from “community”, the conviction that individuals belong to a body, a social bond.

This is a growing awareness: the international forum can’t be reduced to mainly two players: the free market led by multinationals and the State. There is a third way: a responsible society based upon voluntary ethical behaviour, open dialogue and a process of participation and sense of belonging. This is a kind of third power: civil society in which the national and transnational NGOs form a more efficient counter-power, a new form of democratic opposition (e.g.. Greenpeace, Oxfam, Amnesty International). They reveal things that remain hidden, hidden agendas and corruption. They increase transparency and give voice to the voiceless. They are loudly present at international conferences, meetings, etc (e.g. Seattle in ’99; Porto Alegre in 2003; Gleneagles in ‘05). Their expertise is highly valued and they become more and more partners in the discussions. They have a very professional relationship with the media and are able to put their agenda and actions on the spot, wherever in the world. Generally they are pleading for another globalization and organize their alternative Summits to contest the deliberations of the WTO or Davos summits. It becomes more and more evident that bilateral and multilateral agreements can’t solve the cross borderline problems like international crime, terrorism, environment and migration issues. To solve these there is a need to strengthen world governance like UNO, NAFTA, EU etc., but we also need enough local power to make sure that cultural diversity is maintained.

In matters of international trade we have already the non-elected body of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). It is the most important regulator of trade at international level and also sets the terms within which regional agreements can be signed. In this way, globalisation is managed at world level from a trade perspective. Actually, 130 countries must jointly open up their economies to each other and abide by common rules making easier trade and invest. In signing WTO agreements, governments abdicate a lot of their power to control their domestic economies and set their own development priorities. The WTO is an important instrument of global deregulation. Enforcement of WTO obligations guarantees companies – especially those with global capital – freedom to operate where they can benefit most.

The competitive globalisation promoted by the WTO is praised for creating more jobs in the export industry and stimulating economic growth, for making products more affordable and enlarging consumer choice, and for alleviating poverty by creating new opportunities in export-oriented sectors employing poor unskilled workers. In practice Transnational Companies are using increased market access and competition to get the best prices from suppliers, limit their labour force, get the best investment incentives and make deals over markets and the development of new technology. The overall result of this process seems to be marginalisation of poor and small producers who are being locked into low-paying production and declining sectors[9]. So, for them, what kind of integration in the world market?

It is obvious, the need for a new world structure needs an ethical foundation. Important protagonists of a new world ethos are the religions. Secular scholars recognize that religions, in spite of possible ambivalence through abuse by extremists) can play a positive role in the peace building. Usually religions stress the unconditionality of ethical norms and they are pedagogic communities where altruism and community building are strongly promoted. A movement like Sant’ Egidio built up a good reputation in the peace and reconciliation efforts in the last decades.

Nevertheless, there is also the thesis of Huntington who in his Clash of civilizations[10] saw at the horizon a new world conflict between the West and a coalition of fundamentalist Islamic states and prosperous East-Asian countries dominated by Confucianism. The terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre gave new life to this vision. Anyhow, Huntington has a point: globalization is not only a motor for universalisation, it provokes a new search for identity and fosters fundamentalism as a defence of purity of doctrines, opposition to other traditions that are often experienced as coming from above and abroad[11].

“Il est certain que pour accélérer le changement des politiques économiques le rôle de ce qu’on appelle la ‘société civile’ est essentiel. Il est le fruit de la démocratie et d’un sens accru de la responsabilité universelle. … Mais les organisations non-gouvernementales seront efficaces et crédibles à condition de refuser toute ambivalence et d’alerter les N.U. à leurs déficiences. Soyons honnêtes, aussi bien les N.U. que l’U.E. manquent d’un leadership. Dans un interview courageux d’il y a deux semaines, le Vicomte Etienne d’Avignon, ancien commissaire européen pour l’Industrie et le Marché Interne, a dit crûment qu’il n’y a personne qui gère la mondialisation. Ce qui explique le malaise général envers les autorités »[12]

3. The globalization and culture

No doubt that all these changes influence very much the structure of our societies. One of the consequences, especially in urban areas, is the mix of cultures. In Belgium we use the expression “multicultural society”. The process of cultural change is problematic because of the rapidity of changes taking place. The Western countries had about one century to evolve from an agrarian towards an industrial and post-industrial society. Rapid change provokes disorientation and implosion. There is a ‘culture gap’ when the material culture is not in harmony with the immaterial culture (social norms, social tissue, etc.). We are getting into a situation already described by Durkheim. “Anomia” is a situation where the fixed frameworks of reference are disappearing and people are more and more supposed to be self-regulators. Socially disrupted, lacking roots, they are looking for new certainties and security and become also more vulnerable and exposed to political adventures. Some analysts do think that the wave of “new right” or “extreme right” point in this direction: the less individuals are integrated in civil society, the less they take part in associations assuring social integration, the more they take refuge in cocoon-houses with TV-soaps and only computer communication and tend to trust those who offer security and an abstract identity.

An example of the culture and generation gap are the Londsdale teenagers. You can meet them in our towns with the cherished T-shirt “Londsdale”. On the web and on the Lonsdale chat rooms you can meet the most dingy racist talk. This uniform provokes riots with migrant youngsters. Some translate it by “Laat Ons Nederlanders Samen De Allochtonen Elimineren”(Let us Dutch people together eliminate the strangers). It was also associated with NSDA, Hitler’s party. After the murder of Theo van Gogh they put the fire on an Islamic school and a mosque. Nowadays there is an antiracist website for Londsdale fans. While Londsale is now campaigning antiracism, the neo-Nazi have a new tradename CONSDAPLE with all the letters NSDAP. Also sneakers with the name New Balance are claimed and say that NB refer to New Berlin.

According to Claude Lévi-Strauss too much communication nurtures the feeling of meaninglessness. It is urgent to offer young people not only “knowledge” but to interpret the information and to help them making choices. There is again a need to acquire an overall view which enables to develop a rich understanding of reality and not to get struck in one-dimensional thinking.

A Secularized World

Europe seems to be the most secularized continent in the world. The process of secularization is fairly complex and understood in different ways[13].

At first it is an emancipation process of society. The various institutions that built up a society – religion, economy, politics, etc. - acquire a growing autonomy. Religion doesn’t give meaning at the whole of reality and is more and more situated in the area of ultimate meaning. Growing pluralism and tolerance are highly ranked values spreading worldwide. Nevertheless modernity is destabilizing for all tradition[14].

In Europe the word “secularization” is also used to indicate the growing distance between ‘sacred’ and ‘secular’. Secularism is secularization pushed to the extreme. Today the 19^th Century insights of the Masters of Suspicion become popular thinking. A lot of atheists today refer to religion as an “alienation”[15]. The ‘secular’ is in the lift and religious practice is less relevant. In the rest of the world the crisis doesn’t seem to give the same picture. Intelligentsia in Europe seem highly traumatised by the powerful Church institutions that have dominated a large part of European history and a tradition of mistrust and religious indifference is dominant[16]. Other ideologies are also under threat in postmodernism. New religious movements take their place on the market.

Religion today

It is obvious that in most Western countries institutionalised religious practice is decreasing and indifference growing. The most committed faithful are middleclass people. This massive Church-exodus doesn’t mean people don’t believe anymore[17]. According to the European Value Study a vast majority of Europeans don’t profess the essentials of the Christian creed. Most people, even Churchgoers, give another content to the concepts used in Christian faith[18]. They make their own religious cocktail.

Two recent developments contributed: the secularization and growing individualism. Secularization means that the Church can no longer impose its will. The new dogma is that the individual has the right to decide in full autonomy what is good for him/her. A conscious “enlightened” by Church teaching is suspected as “indoctrinated”. Claims of absoluteness of religion are utterly repudiated as a kind of fundamentalism or integralism.

Thus, the new religious sensitivity is not linked to the official teaching of the Churches. Rational explanations are not necessary the emotion is central as part of a more general emo-culture. This nurtures interest in popular devotions: processions, pilgrimages, apparitions. The Church is listened to, not in order to obey its commandments, but hoping that Christian moral values will be defended, especially in the area of social teaching. The word of the Church gains credibility only insofar as the life of its communities in a given country gives a vivid testimony of faith[19].

What does this mean? Minimally, the data represent a slide into a loss of fundamental conviction about the truth of Christian faith. In addition, there is a tremendous loss of “Christian memory” in Western Europe. In many families one cannot speak of a transmission of the faith from parents to children. A considerable proportion of younger parents are unable to answer questions their children ask about religious matters and problems.

Youngsters between 18-24 years old seem to become a particular group in society. They are looking in all directions for meaning[20]. They are in touch with all kind of traditions and the local culture doesn’t convince them. They don’t think ‘ideas’ will change the world. Usually they don’t want to change the world, but use its possibilities to enjoy life. A lot of them experienced the vulnerability of relationships (especially marriage of their parents) and are very reluctant to commit themselves in a conventional relationship. Their trust in life, in God, is so shaky that they hesitate a lot to commit themselves in a definite, a total way. As long as possible they want to keep the future open. Love and fidelity are important values, but they are handled with suspicion because of the deep fear to get hurt.

The religious free market

The monopoly of established Churches in Europe is over. A lot of people feel insecure and vulnerable, are looking for protection and healing. Therapeutic, more or less sectarian movements, respond to this need, e.g.. Christian Science is such a group. Referring to Christ as a healer and some medical insights spiritual exercises are developed to promote health, wholeness. The ‘divine’ energy in us is used to expel illness and suffering. Another well known current is the New Age in which several traditions and practices form a big melting pot. They all have a ‘holistic’ approach of the human being and his world[21].

Theosophy takes elements from Tibet Buddhism and inspires anthroposophy, scientology, etc. in which psychotherapy has an important part. The aim is to bring the individual to inner harmony so that it can use its plain potentialities and talents.

Most of the European still belongs to an established Church, except the youngsters. Especially the people who have no longer a sense of belonging to a Church are sensitive to the offer on the new market which they approach with a ‘shopping mentality’.

Also more traditional religions born on other continents appeal to Europeans: Buddhism and Islam are attractive alternatives for Christianity. Elements out of Hinduism and African traditional religions are used (e.g. reincarnation, horoscope, spiritism, etc.). At the end of the ’90 there was a lot of interest for angels in the States. All together, the main purpose is to develop ‘self’ and to realize happiness in life.

The religious climate of European society is characterized by a pluralism of religions, on the one hand, and large blocks of the population who are without any religion, on the other.

Thus far, I have referred mainly to Western Europe. The situation in Central European countries has peculiarities, but also many similarities. In all these countries, with the exception of Poland, ecclesiastical institutions are week and fragile and the contemporary culture is largely shaped by a-religious people. It is commonly observed that Poles, upon emigrating to Western countries, often give up their Catholic practice (unless they find a good functioning Polish parish in their neighbourhood).

A Multicultural World

It is only after World War I that in certain more informed circles “a world consciousness or awareness” began to raise. In former times tribal and national consciousness was dominant in the mentalities. Don’t forget that till the beginning of the 20^th century the majority of the population of the blue planet was illiterate.

At first let’s have a look at some prospective figures:

In 2010 Africa will count about 1 billion inhabitants, Latin America 958 million, Asia 4, 251 billion, Oceania 34 million, North America about 334 million (because of the birth-rate of Black and Hispanic people!). About twenty years ago Alain Peyrefitte wrote a book entitled: Quand la Chine se réveillera, le monde tremblera. Also the population of India increases more in one week that the EU in one year ! Europe (25 countries) actually counts 456 million and for 2050 only 449 inhabitants are prospected because of the low birth-rate.

The stranger as a trouble and a challenge

Massive intercontinental migration is a recent phenomenon provoked by Europeans themselves. Let us remind the large amounts of people that fled from a pauperized, crowded and intolerant Europe in order to start a new and better life in America (4 million of Irish)! But this “new life” was more difficult than estimated. The indigenous people were forced to execute the heaviest and unhealthy work and perished quite soon. The solution was to catch slaves in Africa. Also people from Asia were engaged but in better conditions.

After World War II a new intercontinental migration took place. The decolonization of Asia and Africa brought Europeans back to Europe. The need for manpower to rebuild a destroyed continent provoked also an attraction of workers from the Mediterranean area and the ancient colonies, especially in Great Britain. Later on a new wave will come when people will look for refuge in the West because of the dictatorial regimes installed or supported in the South. Migrants from Italy and Spain are integrated while the North – Africans are not.

In the sixties the return home of the migrants did not take place, instead their families joined them. This created the problem of religious and cultural formation for women and children. The homelands sent teachers and didn’t want to loose grip on their citizens while the European public opinion asked for more integration.

In the seventies it became obvious that there wouldn’t be a return home. The grip of the parents on their children was less stronger than in the past while the tensions and clashes with the native population were more frequent. The mosque became the centre of community life and the imams sent from abroad exploited the difficult situation to promote a combative Islam.

In the eighties the second generation took over. This generation speaks currently the local language and feels the need to built up its own identity. In the meantime other foreigners have integrated the local society and those of the Mahgreb realize they will remain redundant strangers. (Extreme) right political parties exploit the feelings of insecurity and racism that are present in societies of rivals. These groups are more or less important: in France more than 5 million immigrants from North Africa, in Germany 3 million from Turkey.

In the ninety’s the situation of migrant workers is under threat. A lot of them are working in the “black labour market”, exploited as cheap labour forces. On the continent there is no adequate control of the frontiers and the control to enter the UK cannot stop illegal immigration. Undocumented Migrants are a huge problem together with the large amounts of political refugees who ask for asylum in the EU. “Fortress Europe” is a challenge for the Christian Churches and their mission of solidarity with these groups. More and more the Convention of Geneva is violated and the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and their Families under threat.

Migrants, asylum seekers and refugees

The Papal Instruction The love of Christ towards migrants ( Dec.2004). The Pope made a clear statement that migration is of all time and that politics of assimilation are not what respects human dignity in a Christian perspective.

2 Indeed, it is essential to exclude on the one hand assimilationist models that tend to transform those who are different into their own copy, and on the other, models of marginalization of immigrants, with attitudes that can even arrive at the choice of apartheid. The way to take is the path of genuine integration (cf. Ecclesia in Europa, no. 102) with an open outlook that refuses to consider solely the differences between immigrants and the local people (cf. Message for World Day for Peace 2001, no. 12).

3. Thus the need arose for a dialogue between people of different cultures in a context of pluralism that goes beyond mere tolerance and reaches sympathy. A simple juxtaposition of groups of migrants and locals tends to encourage a reciprocal closure between cultures, or the establishment, among them, of relations that are merely superficial or tolerant. We should encourage instead a mutual fecundation of cultures. This implies reciprocal knowledge and openness between cultures, in a context of true understanding and benevolence.

The Pope is also sensitive to the problems caused by the important Muslim community in European countries:

“5. The process of globalization not only calls the Church to intercultural dialogue but also to interreligious dialogue. Indeed, humanity of the third millennium urgently needs to rediscover common spiritual values on which to found the project of a society worthy of man” (cf. Centesimus Annus, n. 60).

“However, the integration between populations that belong to different cultures and religions is never free of uncertainties and difficulties. This especially regards the immigration of Muslim faithful, who present specific problems. It becomes necessary in this regard that pastors accept precise responsibility, promoting an evermore generous evangelical witness given by Christians themselves. Fraternal dialogue and reciprocal respect must never serve as a limit or barrier to Gospel proclamation. Instead, love and welcome are the first and most effective forms of evangelization”[22].

Non-governmental organisations, Christian organisations and ecclesiastical solidarity groups are responsible for assisting illegal migrant workers with their protection. They bear this responsibility because they are part of the civil society. They are under an obligation to respect the existing legislation and to see to it that this legislation is carried out[23].

According to the dialogue also Jessica Stern thinks that in Europe we should urgently create relationships with Muslim communities and make an effort to understand their needs. As teaching about Islam and Islamic culture is nearly absent in our schools, young Muslims feel very frustrated. It is also very necessary to form the imams here in our countries[24]

An individualistic and less democratic world

Obviously individualisation is a positive evolution. The (post) modern citizen is able to decide him/herself, the citizen is free in the choices to make about life, no tutorship is required. The huge scale of possibilities (in education, culture, way of life, etc. …) enriches the personality and increases the capacity to help oneself. It is the consequence of material well being and the cultural emancipation in the Western countries. People are encouraged to be assertive in their life situation, in the company, on the work floor, in gender issues, etc. Direct democracy, without intermediary levels of trade unions, committees, advisory boards, etc., is the ideal.

But, on the floor the individual experienced that vulnerability, dependency, competition, power abuse in relations, “dualisation” in prosperity, education and culture do remain and even increase (dual society). Since the ninety’s rightwing popular parties are in the lift in the whole of Europe[25]

In former times there was a socio-economic division in our societies. Today the division is different: the society of knowledge that emerged makes possession of material goods less determinant. Children of economical weak families may reach high positions because of their study. Society is divided in high and low educated people. This gap is widened by the media. Youngsters in professional schools develop a kind of counter-culture of discomfort. Very often these schools have a higher concentration of children coming from socially weaker milieu’s. In this class of lower instructed/educated people who are not in tune with the ICT society there is a feeling of frustration, discomfort, impotence. Scientific investigation proved that low and high educated people live in a separate world. This is a worldwide problem because the ICT society is everywhere. In the city of Sao Paolo the city government decided to establish 106 cyber café’s in the poor areas hoping to fill the digital gap for 380 000 poor people. The goal is to have 7000 internet café’s after two years.

In the city of Rotterdam the authorities run a project excluding low income people from poor areas in town. The purpose is to get a better mix of poor citizens with those who had more success in life. People who can’t take part in this ICT society feel marginalized, insecure and often threatened, they are authoritarian in their behaviour and political thinking. Sometimes they used to think that a strong leader, even a dictator, would be able to solve the problems of society, they are in favour of a more repressive intervention of police and justice, they don’t believe in a parliamentary democracy. They feel frustrated (powerless) in their influence on political life. People who cling on to slogans of extreme parties are doing it very often because they are no longer identifying with a political family (e.g.. socialism, humanism), religion or a framework that gives direction and meaning to life. Research has established that people without such a framework of meaning have less confidence in society, expect less of the future and live with more discomfort. Regular churchgoers are the most positive, but sometimes also the most rightwing citizens.

9/11 was spectacular and big terrorism by Al-Qaeda, but still at the other side of the Ocean. Terrorist attacks in Madrid (March 2004), in London (July 2005). Terrorist who have grown up in our societies. You’ve grown up with the underdog syndrome, inferiority feelings, problems with your social identity, low self-image. Is their a direct brainwash necessary to become a self murderer?

Murielle Degauque, 38 years old Belgian lady from Charleroi, author of a terrorist attack in Iraq on November 9^th 04. After her wedding with an extremist Muslim she became Muslim. Later on other suspects were arrested, all of them had the Belgian nationality. It was the same phenomenon in Madrid and London[26], the young people were well known in Leeds[27]. Questioned about growing violence among groups of Morocco youngsters in the Netherlands, Glenn Audenaert Director of the Brussels Federal Police respond: “But the youth of foreign origin, who are very often living in precarious conditions, are very receptive to this kind of talk. It is the fertile soil of bitterness, oppression and poverty of chances in life… We have known for a long time that a secion of the young people are radicalising. We notice that people radicalise when their first attempts at integration fail. And that is not always their own fault. In my opinion, Islamic terrorism is a worldwide patchwork of radical cells that turn into armed action and that float on waves of humiliation, frustration and bitterness. These are the grass roots” [28]. Didn’t we read or hear the same commentaries when the suburbs of Paris were on fire?

Demography , Unemployment and redundancy

Above we’ve met figures about demography and become aware that the European population is shrinking. There are important consequences for prosperity. With constant factors in Belgium there will be only 28% of the population on age to work in 2050, more than 30% will be older than 65 years. The created economic product will be insufficient to respond to the social needs of an aging population. This becomes a huge worry for the post war generation.

More often we hear people say that they don’t like to bring children into the world. Some of the reasons seem to be quite reasonable. But, fertility has perhaps more to do with religiosity than with rationality. To fall in love, the choice of a partner is also more than a rational process. It is a question of surrender of oneself to another. The most important form of surrendering is not sexual intercourse, but the willingness to establish a bond with another by the means of a child. For ever we remain the parents of this particular child. To risk this adventure is a testimony of trust, belief, courage. The philosopher Peter Sloterdijk characterized our Western society as the society on the way to become the final consumers: people so afraid, so egocentric that they are disabled to procreate while they use all the reserves of nature so that even the non-western world is under threat. In the meantime this generation is pleading to make a clone even of a human being as the ultimate narcissism.

The private sphere: the emo-culture

The life context of young (and less young) people today is one of “unlimitedness” in most of the aspects of life: material, cultural, relational, spiritual. Also the symbolic limits are disappearing: dominant institutes, symbols and people: traditional family life and marriage, link between sexuality and fertility, patriarch figure, big stories of meaning (religious, ideological). All the preceding periods were characterized by an imposed limit to human desire or longing (because of various reasons: political, economical, religious motives). There is a radical change with a mega-effect on the behaviour of young people. The message they get wants to replace all the former restrictions: “enjoy as much as you can, here and now”; “feel free”; “shape your own identity”; “don’t postpone the fulfilling of your desire, unhappiness is to be avoided” - no long term thinking: immediacy is everything.

From the old commandments and restrictions only echoes are left. For example: "you shall not kill" has a lot of holes now: abortion, suicide, euthanasia. But to be free includes the capacity of making choices, respecting limitations for yourself. This is a huge question: how do you do that? Alongside a growth in freedom the boundaries that helped former generations to live their freedom have disappeared. A new criterion has appeared: “don’t postpone the fulfilling of your desire”. One of the first moments of choice is to choose a study and a place for it. It is postponed as long as possible. Another problem is gender diversity. The father-figure is fading and young males have an identification problem. Gender-identity is no longer linked to cultural determined behaviour. Fathers are behaving like mothers and mothers take up the role of the fathers. Also sexual identity is under thread. The fading of gender roles makes the identification process more difficult. More young people hesitate between hetero and homo- sexual feelings and behaviour.

Contemporary families have a wide scale of attitudes in this landscape. No pedagogical choice is a guarantee for successful education. Nevertheless, two types have to be avoided anyhow: overprotection and permissive behaviour. In the first case the message of freedom in society conflicts with the oppressive family structure. This conflict is unbearable for the young people.

In the society-conforming family the messages got from the society are confirmed by a lifestyle: to enjoy and to consume. Often there is poor communication, especially not on the issues of life. Conflicts are avoided, sorrow and other feelings oppressed, nobody learns how to deal with tensions and failures and there is neither attention to meaning. A frequent complaint is: at home we never discuss these items! So, they lack vocabulary and stay on with amounts of emotions. All is allowed and often they get contraceptives from their parents without education on relationships and tenderness. A few symptoms of the anxiety to be:

- reluctance to leave parental home and live independently (studio flat, apartment, etc) – superficial consumption, looking for ‘kicks’ – anorexia for girls – failure anxiety, to puzzle one’s head off – violence and vandalism as expression of powerlessness in conflict and failure management – blunders in relationships – suicide (attempted or effective)

Nearly all youngsters today reflect on the possibility of suicide because our culture presents it as an effective method of conflict management, especially for boys, girls will engage in long-term depression before getting into suicide. For these adolescents it may be a liberation to discover that feelings can be shared, that besides “shit happens”, “shit” can also be avoided, that life can be directed consciously and that cynicism is not the only way of life. Negative self-image is developed because they have never been confirmed or stimulated in their value and authenticity.

In the family with a critical openness towards society youngsters are more balanced in relation building, have less anxieties, make choices easier and have easier self integration, less need of cocooning. Sometimes they come from broken families, but in general there is a good culture of dialogue on all subjects. Parents can allow their children to go their own way and give confidence.

Peer-groups (today mostly gender mixed) are very important as a structural response to live in a complicated world. Similarity is important to recognize one another. Solidarity is highly valued. It is a place where feelings and emotions can be expressed, named. They have often their own code, language, music, clothing, behaviour, etc. They are self-centred, not society-centred. Self-integration is necessary to be able to turn one-self towards the outside world. Today peer groups are the most natural context for self-integration. This will also be the context for pastoral activity. The most appropriate is that the pastoral worker will create the circumstances in which there is a place to work on self-integration[29].

Challenges for Mission

Missionaries of the Sacred Heart get a lot of incentives to witness of Christ’ love for every human being, in particular the poor, the little ones, the marginalized of our cities. Be it Rome, Birmingham or … the Pope’s words can also appeal to us:

“The field of action that unfolds daily before your eyes is enormous. Indeed, many serious problems afflict our society. Looking at the reality of our City, how can you not recognize, unfortunately, the shortcomings of the social services and the inadequacies of the basic services in various outlying districts, serious forms of inequality of income and of access to such primary goods as education, housing and health care. Then what can be said of the marginalization of beggars, nomads, drug addicts and AIDS patients, not to mention the disintegration of families that penalizes the weakest, and of the forms of physical or psychological violence inflicted on women or children? And how can we forget the problems associated with immigration and with the growing number of lonely elderly people, of the sick and of the underprivileged?

This disturbing social scene that is often combined with a regrettable lack of respect for life and for the human person and a disconcerting absence of moral and religious values, challenges the institutions first, but is also a particular incentive to the Christian community, which has always seen charity as a primary route to evangelization and human advancement.

Volunteer work, so widespread in Italy, is an authentic "sign of the times" and reveals a keen awareness of the solidarity that links human beings. By giving citizens an opportunity to take an active part in the management of the services intended for them and for the various structures and institutions, volunteer work contributes to bringing to them the "supplement of soul" which makes them more human and respectful of the human person”[30].

The overall challenge for the coming decade is to start building a just economic order and to develop solidarity-infused life styles in the global village: "It will be necessary to abandon the mentality which considers the poor – individuals and nations – as a nuisance and inopportune, greedy to consume what others have produced… Promoting the poor is a big opportunity for moral, cultural and even economic growth of the whole human race" (Centissimus Annus, 28)[31].

Let's end this short overview with a critical note towards ourselves. José M. Castillo states:

"As we are speaking about the poor and, in general, about excluded people that abound in our society, we know it is a secret to no one, for example, that not rarely do we meet 'men of the Church' who get impatient and are even irritated by the simple fact that some liturgical norm is not observed in all its exactitude, while at the same time, are not concerned, do not remember, much less are irritated, by the fact that there are people suffering, even dying of hunger or abandonment near, perhaps very near, where they are celebrating or hearing Mass. … In ecclesiastical circles, there are many people ready 'to help' the poor, even 'to evangelise' the poor. But let us be sincere. How many 'men of the Church' are truly convinced that we have 'to learn' from the poor?"[32].

André Claessens msc

February 2006