Ferguson Fury and Fire (6)

Despite calls from Attorney General Eric Holder for Peaceful Protest as Hallmark for Change, Ferguson, Missouri erupted in violence and destruction upon hearing the court ruling on Monday evening, November 24th 2014.  The ruling was on the following fateful incident:

Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot dead on August 9 by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. Some witnesses say the teenager assaulted the officer at the outset and tried to grab his gun; other witnesses say Wilson was the aggressor. All accounts agree that Brown ran and then turned back ... but to attack or surrender?

Reference: What happened when Michael Brown met Officer Darren Wilson.

I posted the following on Google+ last Friday, at the heels of Thanksgiving and on prophetically Black Friday:

Pleas to get off the streets went unheeded; earlier calls for calm simply fell like lead balloons. 
So what do leaders and residents, like those of Ferguson, truly want for their community?  What are the things that grieve them, disenchant them, infuriate them?  How badly do they want a better life in their community? 

The first question isn't What can they do, but rather What do they need to do, in order to have that kind of life they want?  Then, what can they do and not do, and what assistance, guidance and resources do they need vis-a-vis what they want?  What compromises are leaders and citizens alike willing to make, in order to gain a semblance of a better life?

How willing are they to do what they need to do, in order to get what they want?  What are the pragmatics and challenges of making a better life actually happen for themselves?  How will they sustain their effort in this regard, monitor their progress, and adjust their course as necessary?

These are Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3 of The Core Algorithm.

Ferguson Fury and Fire (5)

Despite calls from Attorney General Eric Holder for Peaceful Protest as Hallmark for Change, Ferguson, Missouri erupted in violence and destruction upon hearing the court ruling on Monday evening, November 24th 2014.  The ruling was on the following fateful incident:

Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot dead on August 9 by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. Some witnesses say the teenager assaulted the officer at the outset and tried to grab his gun; other witnesses say Wilson was the aggressor. All accounts agree that Brown ran and then turned back ... but to attack or surrender?

Reference: What happened when Michael Brown met Officer Darren Wilson.

I posted the following on Google+ last Friday, at the heels of Thanksgiving and on prophetically Black Friday:

Ferguson fury smouldering, Ferguson still on fire into the night.

Ferguson Fury and Fire (4)

Despite calls from Attorney General for Peaceful Protest as Hallmark for Change, Ferguson, Missouri erupted in violence and destruction upon hearing the court ruling on Monday evening, November 24th 2014.  The ruling was on the following fateful incident:

Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot dead on August 9 by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. Some witnesses say the teenager assaulted the officer at the outset and tried to grab his gun; other witnesses say Wilson was the aggressor. All accounts agree that Brown ran and then turned back ... but to attack or surrender?

Reference: What happened when Michael Brown met Officer Darren Wilson.

I posted the following on Google+ last Friday, at the heels of Thanksgiving and on prophetically Black Friday:

Thankfully ensuing protests in New York City and Chicago were, by and large, peaceful. 

Ferguson Fury and Fire (3)

Despite calls from Attorney General for Peaceful Protest as Hallmark for Change, Ferguson, Missouri erupted in violence and destruction upon hearing the court ruling on Monday evening, November 24th 2014.  The ruling was on the following fateful incident:

Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot dead on August 9 by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. Some witnesses say the teenager assaulted the officer at the outset and tried to grab his gun; other witnesses say Wilson was the aggressor. All accounts agree that Brown ran and then turned back ... but to attack or surrender?

Reference: What happened when Michael Brown met Officer Darren Wilson.

I posted the following on Google+ last Friday, at the heels of Thanksgiving and on prophetically Black Friday:

Ferguson is the 1960s in 2014: So what kind of progress have we truly made in 50 years?

Ferguson Fury and Fire (2)

Despite calls from Attorney General for Peaceful Protest as Hallmark for Change, Ferguson, Missouri erupted in violence and destruction upon hearing the court ruling on Monday evening, November 24th 2014.  The ruling was on the following fateful incident:

Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot dead on August 9 by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. Some witnesses say the teenager assaulted the officer at the outset and tried to grab his gun; other witnesses say Wilson was the aggressor. All accounts agree that Brown ran and then turned back ... but to attack or surrender?

Reference: What happened when Michael Brown met Officer Darren Wilson.

I posted the following on Google+ last Friday, at the heels of Thanksgiving and on prophetically Black Friday:

Officer Darren Wilson "was cleared of any wrongdoing by a grand jury."

Ferguson Fury and Fire (1)

Despite calls from Attorney General for Peaceful Protest as Hallmark for Change, Ferguson, Missouri erupted in violence and destruction upon hearing the court ruling on Monday evening, November 24th 2014.  The ruling was on the following fateful incident:

Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot dead on August 9 by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. Some witnesses say the teenager assaulted the officer at the outset and tried to grab his gun; other witnesses say Wilson was the aggressor. All accounts agree that Brown ran and then turned back ... but to attack or surrender?

Reference: What happened when Michael Brown met Officer Darren Wilson.

I posted the following on Google+ last Friday, at the heels of Thanksgiving and on prophetically Black Friday:

It isn't just law enforcement; some communities do not trust local government and court rulings, either. 

Dubai a Cauldron of Volatile People?

A masked performer, just outside a theater in Festival City, Dubai (February 8th 2008)

Personally, I'm concerned that as stress in our daily lives heighten and as we continue to have an influx of different nationalities, Dubai will become more and more a cauldron of volatile people.

That is what I wrote to Brandy Scott, when I e-mailed her on June 18th 2008, about what I was observing among people in Dubai.  She was a broadcaster and a co-host of Business Breakfast talk radio.  I'd listen to their show every morning en route to the office.  Here is the full text of my e-mail and our exchange:

I'm a Philippine-born, American expat in Dubai. I have a PhD in clinical psychology, but I shed the "shrink" moniker years ago when I moved into management consulting (Middle East, US and Europe).

When I was a psychology professor in that previous life, I reflected on race relations and the dynamics or mechanisms that make these positive or negative. What I came up with was a Model of Cultural Imperatives.

First of all, an imperative is like a drive, a need, or even a force. Whatever drives a moth to flame, e.g., is what I mean by "imperative." There are four: (a) sameness, (b) identity, (c) safety, and, yes, (d) simplicity.

Briefly:

• Sameness - it's what drives people to relate to (hang out with) people of their own nationality or profession or neighborhood etc. We can see this phenomenon at a cocktail party, e.g.
• Identity - it's what a person or group is compelled to establish for itself: Who I am or who we are... [fill in nationality, trait etc.]
• Safety - we humans are geared to protect ourselves, not just physically but also emotionally, psychologically and spiritually (cf. The awful worldwide row surrounding the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad [pbuh] from that Danish newspaper. Many people experienced these as a threat to their safety, and reacted violently to defend and protect themselves.)
• Simplicity - take the smartest, most open-minded person in the world, and put him or her under great stress, and his or her thinking, attitudes, outlook etc. can become very black-or-white. Such a complex, sensitive issue as abortion in the US has become, at points in time, a simplistic, polarized stand between Pro-Choice and Pro-Life proponents.

Why, on this last imperative? Well, our brains and our disposition have limited capacities. Given high levels of stress in our daily lives here in Dubai (from high costs of living, traffic congestions, construction sites encroaching everywhere), even the best of us can handle only so much. Thankfully, the vast majority of us have good capacities and don't go bonkers. Nevertheless, I think cultural tensions are seeping more and more seeping into the things we say to each other, what we do, how we relate to one another: To wit, "if you don't like it here, get out!"

This Model of Imperatives offers insights into the nature of race relations, cultural differences and human behavior. Personally, I'm concerned that as stress in our daily lives heighten and as we continue to have an influx of different nationalities, Dubai will become more and more a cauldron of volatile people. What I began to build into my Model, however, are ways to improve relations and minimize such combustible tensions.

Anyway, lots to talk about here. Pls let me know if you'd like to discuss.

On June 28th Scott responded:

Interesting stuff! (I take it this is in response to the chat I was having with Alex McNab last week, about the language used in Dubai.) Actually, I've noticed lately how many people seem to be happy to report that others are struggling to make ends meet, or that international reports are saying the boom here 'can't last' - do you think this is because it makes them feel better about struggling themselves? Perhaps makes them feel that it is not just them?

Who are you a management consultant for, btw?

Then, I responded the next day:

It was actually a chat you had with Wael Al Sayegh that morning when I sent my SMS and e-mail to you. The subject was Modhesh and the universality of the brand. A bit later on in the chat, you referred to simplistic attitudes of people.

(BTW: I've met Wael and he's surely an articulate, learned man. Glad you have him on your show periodically.)

Sorry, I didn't fully introduce myself: I'm a management trainer at Emirates National Oil Co. (ENOC) Group, where I specialize in leadership development (2 years in Dubai). I was formerly a management consultant with Personnel Decisions International (US-based firm), and my client work became more focused on the Middle East in the 4-5 years before I left the firm. I left clinical psychology in 1999 to become a management consultant with PDI.

Yeah, I think you're right. But there's just so many complex things about us human beings that there's no one explanation for the things we do or say:

• It could be denial - a flat refusal to accept the reality that one is struggling: 'It's them, not me!' (imperative of identity, the need to set well-delineated boundaries between us/me and them).
• It could be the sort of solace in "misery loves company," where 'I feel better, knowing others are struggling, too' (imperative of sameness, which is comforting to many people).
• Then, it could be the cruel nature of some people, who take pleasure in others' pain, misery or unhappiness (imperative of safety, perhaps, if that cruelty arises from feeling supremely vulnerable or threatened underneath it all).

I hadn't thought much about my Model of Cultural Imperatives in recent years. But as cultural relations become more and more of an issue in Dubai, it's rising up to my consciousness again. Your chat with Wael was definitely a trigger.