A programme titled "Memento" on the World Service on Friday interviewed refugees who had had to abandon their homes due to fear of their lives, with no time to pack belongings. Those interviewed talked about the one item they had chosen to take as a memento. One man from Afghanistan who had to leave with no time to pack any possessions grabbed a pen given to him by his father - it was not just the fact that it was a gift from his father but it was what it symbolised for him - "with a pen, the whole world is open to you - a pen, not a gun, will bring the world to you".
The next day, there was an interview on R4 with a couple in Baltimore who described their journey out of chaotic lives of addictions (drugs, alcohol), crime, imprisonment and despair. One of the couple described the pivotal moment which thrust him on his path to rehabilitation - with the word "why" from a member of staff. Kate Mosse, prize winning writer, listening to the story picked up the theme of the power of words - "it is words not guns that change lives".
Communication can drive people apart and it can bring people together - it can help people out of crisis and it can be a major component of change. The story of the truth and reconciliation talks in places like South Africa and Northern Ireland are testament to the power of words and talking in order to achieve understanding and movement from strongly held positions. In workplaces, communication can be inspiring, motivational, supportive, empowering - just as it can be decisive, de-motivating, counter-productive, and undermining. The phrase 'words not guns' reminds me of the Aesop fable of the sun and the wind with their different ways to try and make a man take off his coat. Using the 'force' of an authoritarian management style can indeed achieve 'results' (although often strengthens resistance) - other times, with 'warmth' of trust, laying a foundation for change, people are motivated and empowered to drop resistance long enough for change to happen.
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