In our perypatetik project, particularly the emblems in The Anthology of Global Instability, The Codex of Uncertainty, and now The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes, we have been collecting the work of translators and writers from diverse backgrounds on one platform without the discrimination, bias or elitism characteristic of established publications and media.

These texts give us, on the one hand, an impression of different cultural attitudes toward a given topic (instability, uncertainty, polarization, extremes), and, on the other, an understanding of how the common wo/man thinks in our (post-)modern-age.

While all contributions are welcome, we have especially hoped to receive work capable of shedding light on marginalized groups, in particular a major international, overarching type that we call romantics (as opposed to pragmatists). This is a type that is not necessarily associated with any gender, sexual orientation, race, nationality, class, etc. All of these subgroups consist of both romantics and pragmatists, even if one or the other type may be more common in each of them.

The reason behind the thinking here is that we live in an age of tremendous tolerance in terms of these subgroups, but, at least judging by the media, we are seemingly intolerant about ideology and worldview. To the extent that this statement is true, it is in many cases reflective of a misunderstanding about life today due not to our own perceptual inadequacy, but rather to the one-sided representation of life dominated by the materialist agenda of pragmatists.

It is not easy to judge the time one lives in. Comparison with a generalized and – usually – idealized past is problematic since we cannot live identically in two times at once.

Nonetheless, it does seem possible to make some statements about our time.

In terms of differences, we can say, for example:

If we recall the influence of organized religion, the church, in the centuries preceding the 20th, then we can call our post-religious age of money, property and success materialist.

Relative to most of the twentieth century when attention was drawn to competing materialist systems – Soviet communism and American capitalism – the economic system in almost every country today is capitalist, i.e. companies are controlled by the private sector as opposed to the state.

Within capitalist societies, the previous balance between capital and labor has swung greatly in favor of capital.

Almost irrespective of our situation, we sense and often participate in technological development – primarily through the computer and cell phone. It is now a reality that many of us spend extensive periods of life in front of a screen.

Increasingly, various forms of intolerance (racism, sexism, discrimination) are not accepted, and all environments – from lines for clubs or concerts to staff in corporate offices – are far more diverse than fifty years ago.

Despite these differences, many aspects remain the same:

Most of us will work for almost all of our productive adult years.

All of us are easily replaceable (as partners, spouses, parents, friends, employees, managers, etc.).

Almost nobody will be extremely successful or get rich.

The world has not come to an end (nor has work).

Life is difficult, or difficulties in life continue to surface.

There will be no permanent state of happiness, despair or otherwise for any of us.

Our perception of the present day is particularly difficult due to the role of mainstream media (television and newspapers). They have a near monopoly in terms of shaping public opinion, with other institutions such as the church, the arts (mostly televised/streamed shows and film) and academia being overwhelmed by the pervasiveness of moderators, pundits, journalists, talk show hosts and op-ed writers.

Media’s primary objective as a commercial business complicates the picture even more. It must generate profits. By polarizing almost every topic to draw attention, the media business model tends to exacerbate and reinforce existing differences. This approach, coupled with our tendency to trust our preferred sources of information, is bound to increase division.

By contrast, our diverse society – with people across the archetypal spectrum constantly coming into personal contact with each other – acts as a counterweight to media divisiveness.

Our perception is also guided by social, economic and political factors. In stable countries such as America, France, Germany, the UK, Italy – to name but a few – entrenched stakeholders in the form of investors, lenders, boards, employees, association members and their associates informally exercise immense influence. The lengthy period of stability in Western countries has allowed them to consolidate their grip as senior stakeholders informally vet subordinates and prospective managers. The future generation of leaders is therefore determined by the preceding group, ensuring continuity in business, but also in the mission or orientation. In America, we see this in the material (i.e. profit) orientation of companies. Throughout the West, we have witnessed this in the hesitant and slow diversification of management. These influencers naturally weigh in on the programming, staffing, mission, etc.

In this constellation, society as a whole should not be forgotten. While its interests are primarily monitored by parties looking to take advantage of and manipulate it (usually by extracting its money through consumption), there are cases of outrage that resonate with the public and require stakeholders to react. In 2017 and 2018 we saw this dynamic in various sexual harassment scandals involving actors, entertainers, corporate officers and directors.

The distinction between romantics and pragmatists can be crudely summarized – for the time being – on the basis of rough artistic generalizations as follows:

Romantics can be said to accept fate, view life as a process, not worry about the future (but have a more pessimistic outlook), disregard education, success, achievements and money, be less open to strangers (not in the sense of immigrants/refugees, but rather people outside of their immediate circle of friends and acquaintances), have a sense of humor, relax, rest and enjoy their leisure time, have polarized minds (swinging from very active to complete lethargy), think quickly (but are erratic in terms of acting), love freedom, live existentially, produce and work.

Pragmatists shape their fate, are focused on the end of the process rather than the process itself, are optimistic about the future, consider education to be critical, success and achievements as proof of personal value, are frugal and cautious with money, network and are basically moralists with an intellectual sense of humor, work constantly, do not think quickly, but act consistently, prefer activity to breaks, like (primarily social and financial) obligations, embrace materialism, consume and manage.

As we have seen in The Anthology of Global Instability and in The Codex of Uncertainty, translators as authors not only are ideal mediators for exploring a culturally conditioned, grassroots view, but also act as a reflection of these idealized types and variations thereof.

In regard to the grassroots, a longstanding problem that intellectuals around the world have faced is that the position of mediator (author, writer, artist, etc.) entails that one is no longer a member of the folk (middle class, lower-middle class, lower-class, precariat – to adopt class terminology for the sake of clarity). The attempts to work around this by interviews or even obtaining direct accounts from the folk generally fail due to the inevitable confusion that ensues in the encounter: if you are not familiar with being interviewed, you will probably make a mistake and in all likelihood even say things you don’t mean at all. If you are given a piece of paper, you will freeze up and fail to compose much comprehensible work. Translators’ familiarity with words and text, their exposure to various fields (the ones in which they translate) and their need to work in order to survive give them a unique position that is oddly close to the vast majority of the folk.

As a result of this position, the texts of translators qua authors can and should hew to the masses (in all their diversity). This applies to both form and content in the traditional sense. But it would also be valid if we reinterpret form and content in the context of the perypatetik emblem project. Accordingly, the content would be, naturally, what the author has to say about the topic in any given year (instability, uncertainty, polarization, etc.), while form in this case would be what the texts or parts of the text say about the characteristics of romantics -> pragmatists.

In 2019 we will learn about a wide range of perspectives on polarization and extremes, just as we did on instability and uncertainty over the last two years. At the same time, however, we will also be able to see fundamental differences between the thinking of romantics and pragmatists. Both are everywhere among us and would be everywhere in the media and thus in our consciousness if only we were aware of the possibilities. We hope you enjoy the possibilities in The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes.

Angelika Friedrich, Yuri Smirnov, Henry Whittlesey

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes Transposed – Part 1 – Spain

Censorship and Cultural Survival in a World without Gods – Mavi Romano

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Cinemblem (audio/visual) channel: https://youtu.be/imBF2MUPZvM

Fragmento:

Of all the benefactors of mankind, my favorite is Prometheus. His audacity provoked the wrath of Zeus when he discovered that Prometheus had given fire to the human race. The latter feared that our mortal species could not defend against the attack of beasts in an inhospitable world without a basic element of survival. Thanks to fire, humans were inventing increasingly precise and sophisticated tools at the same time that their body and brain evolved and created the first cultural forms along with the appearance of language. However, Zeus seemed to know that if a mortal race could take possession of technological development, that mortal race would end up stripping the gods of Olympus of their power over the world and would take their place in the form of totalitarianism. Several centuries later, Nietzsche’s Zarathustra shouted to the crowd gathered in the market that God had died and that they should not cling to supernatural hopes. He announced the arrival of a chaotic and uncertain time that humans would have to face by changing the meaning of their own actions on earth.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 2 – Brazil

Lack of Social Trust – Joana Alencar

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/2019/01/the-syncretion-of-polarization-and_12.html

Cinemblem (audio/visual) channel: https://youtu.be/Y8Y30m7pF2I

Fragmento:

The last few years in Brazil have been challenging for most of us, Brazilian citizens.

We have experienced many highs and lows in our society and its economy for a while now.

But this period, the biggest economic crisis in our history, has also come along with a devastating decrease in our standard of living as well as the widespread perception of a deeply corrupt political system. This combination looks terrible on a daily basis, but beyond that, it has also led us to a desperate desire for change, radical change.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 3 – Venezuela

Hanging by Extremes – Veronica Cordido

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/2019/01/the-syncretion-of-polarization-and_19.html

Cinemblem (audio/visual) channel: https://youtu.be/Jo8jBBrh9rU

Fragmento:

There is also a marked division between the opposition and supporters of the regime. The food basket that the government gives out to the people can only be obtained by holders of a special card called: “Carnet de la Patria,” which is only given to Chavistas and Maduristas who then are forced to vote for the regime and do lots of pro-government things such as marching, protesting and wearing their symbols and apparel. If not? The government threatens, the government punishes, the government sets up and imprisons.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 4 – South America

Polarization within Ourselves – Alejandra Baccino

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Cinemblem (audio/visual) channel: https://youtu.be/Ntu0CONQogw

Fragmento:

The ever-changing circumstances and the capacity to keep questioning ourselves, even when we believe that we have the right answer, is what makes us human, and fortunately what will make us evolve into more caring societies despite those who think mostly of themselves. Sometimes though, certain extreme ideas are embedded in ourselves, without questioning and without reason, as in the first case with soccer where there is only enough place for hatred and hostility. Fortunately, something that took so long to build can be transformed quite easily, if we only learned to be more respectful of our fellow peers, and whatever principles each individual decides to defend and live by.

In summary, polarization is a part of human nature. We can either chose to analyze it and draw conclusions to make positive changes in our behavior, or take it to be a revealed truth and live by it accordingly, knowing that we will be an accomplice to hatred and retrogression.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 5 – Germany and Romania

A World of Victims and Perpetrators? – Andreea Sepi

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/3WYPsiP27tI

Fragmento:

Perhaps (hopefully!) polarization is only a moment in time, a swing of the pendulum in its inexorable movement towards a new equilibrium. People do not become polarized for nothing. “Nu iese foc fără fum,” the Romanians say. There is no smoke without a fire. Extremism is not only a rejection of the center, it is also a feeling that the center is feckless or ineffectual. It is a cry for help and a form of testing one’s power. It is an appeal for a different vision, for less taboos in the conversation. We should initiate that conversation before the camps become so hardened in conflict that the only remaining option becomes “zusammen in den Abgrund.”

We don’t want the abyss to be the only place we can still go together.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 6 – South Africa and Angola

Walls and Resettlement – Toni Wallis

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/2019/02/the-syncretion-of-polarization-and_9.html

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/O-smZ2Aa0XU

Fragmento:

Apartheid polarized South Africans, and the extremities between the abundance of the rich and the poverty of the poor remain entrenched and have become a cause of conflict as the disenfranchised poor seek a share in some of the wealth, while the rich, finding themselves under siege, raise the walls that divide the two communities.

In Angola, war brought people from all walks of life together. This diversity is chaotic and unsightly to the government. So in an effort to promote a new and modern post-war country, the state has built extremity into the physical landscape. The rich elite, almost all of whom have ties to someone in government, live in the spanking new city center, while o povo, who make up the masses of the Angolan nation, have been pushed out to the extremities of the city, lamenting their demolished homes and having to get used to becoming invisible in a new kind of apartheid.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 7 – Bolivia

Progress in the Face of Polarization – Osvaldo Montano

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/3b8DBjJ6d1A

Fragmento:

It is clear that Bolivia as a country and its population has grown in the face of adversity and has changed for the better. Our culture continues to move towards a future where technology, social networks and tradition come together, hopefully with less polarization.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 8 – Spain

Extremism Is Now the New Hype? – Jonay Quintero Hernandez

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/2019/02/the-syncretion-of-polarization-and_23.html

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/tANHPx1M7Ro

Fragmento:

When you surf the Internet, open a newspaper, listen to the radio or watch TV it really feels like we are in the 30s again. Watch out. Most people who lived during that time are long gone now, so what happened in those years has become a “not so serious” account performed by Hollywood, the History Channel and history books. Finally, as most educational systems in Western Europe have abandoned humanistic disciplines, this creates the perfect background for a new surge in these dark ideologies of the past. The effects of fascism and communism are a foreign experience for most millennials, who are at risk of repeating more than just an environment of polarization and extremes.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 9 – Indonesia

Polarization in Politics: All a Cebong or Kampret – Rina Sitorus

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/2019/03/the-syncretion-of-polarization-and.html

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/zCQrO_foKXA

Fragmento:

It seems logical that polarisasi politik could strengthen democracy if both sides would just stop using identity politics and negative campaigning to attack their rivals. It also seems logical that polarisasi politik would benefit democracy if people were to first check the authenticity of news or a story before sharing it on social media or in group chats. But the thing is, when you have decided to support one side no matter what, your heart has already decided that for you, and I’m afraid there’s not much room left for logic.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 10 – Mexico

Student Movements – Alejandra Gonzalez Sariñana

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/2019/03/the-syncretion-of-polarization-and_9.html

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/IN3i1a2p3H0

Fragmento:

But, who wins when a student movement is ignited? Can the students win? I recently asked one of the participants in the movement if they ever question who is behind the events that lead to protests and strikes, and what their political agenda really is. He answered that he does, but only in conversations with his friends, not in the open meetings. In the end, he says, it doesn’t matter, as long as the main issue gets resolved and actions are taken to create a safe environment for the community, he doesn’t care if somebody gains political power or leverage. I guess it’s true, even if social movements are used to polarize society and push political agendas forward, the underlying issues that give rise to them should not be forgotten. Those issues are real, as they have been real every time, and, yes, they divide opinions and they are used by politicians, but they are important.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 11 – Armenia

The Era To Close – Nane Sevunts

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/xOBeuw6Csqs

Fragmento:

I am Davit. I am 13 years old. I live in a shelter in Giumry, an Armenian town. I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters. They are younger than me. I need to work to feed them.

This is my mom. Her name is Shogher. She is sick. She can’t work so I have to work to take care of her.

I get up at 5 o’clock and go out to clean the yards. I work as a janitor from 5 am to 7 am. Sometimes it is cold outside, and my hands are freezing, but I am happy I can work.

Then I go to school on some days when we have food. If we don’t have food, I go to find wood in the forest to sell to my neighbors so that I can buy bread.

I want to become an astronaut. But first, I need to feed my family.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 12 – Serbia

Extreme Immunity to Functional Tax & Judicial System – Vuka [Vuka kao reka]

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/2019/03/the-syncretion-of-polarization-and_23.html

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/l8jxcHwgHoU

Fragmento:

We’re kind of a nation of outliers with huge gaps in normalcy because each pole within each cohort regards the opposing pole as totally crazy, and their own self as being totally victimized. A bunch of people gone crazy for being terrorized by a bunch of crazy people, multiplied by the number of particular industries within which they would very much prefer to operate freely. Alas, they linger where they are, oppressed by a bunch of wackos and deprived of the basic human right to function normally.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 13 – Peru

Adults and Children – Monica Valenzuela

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 14 – The Balkans

The Loss of Identity – Aleksandar Skobic

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 15 – Argentina

A Thought about Polarized Insecurity – Julieta Spirito

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 30 – Argentina

The Canyon Inside Us – Javier Gomez

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/xl5RYnyCbvY

Fragmento:

But I think there’s a simple explanation for this, and I believe we shouldn’t see it as an us or them situation. Or maybe we should, but at an individual level. There’s a rift in all of us, implanted as we grow up and learn about life. We are taught to perceive everything as a dual scenario and one of the sides always has to win, to conquer the other. And so, otherness becomes the enemy. As a certainly not-open-minded writer once said, the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. Violent species as we are, the human approach to overcoming that fear has usually been to destroy what causes it. And that is just one of the myriad of things we have been doing wrong throughout history.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 31 – Turkey

Polarization and the Epidemic of Extremity – S.A. Dastan

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/6THaPa3DmOc

Fragmento:

I don’t know exactly when it started. Maybe it had been in us for decades and was waiting for the right time to be unveiled. Or, a new phenomenon just developed and burst out. What I do know is that things changed in the summer of 2016 – suddenly and irreversibly. It was like the instant rise of a flood that topples everything ahead of it or an avalanche that starts with a rolling snowball and then transforms each snowflake into a massively destructive whole.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 32 – India

At the Crossroads – Sanjay Kumar Ray

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/nk2rSst1Nt0

Fragmento:

Social scientists have referred to this as identification alienation. Individuals belonging to one particular group identify with each other and are alienated from those belonging to another group. The advent of social media has enabled similar groups to connect and act on a real-time basis across different geographic locations. Various agitation programs pursued by diverse groups can easily bring thousands of people to the street at short notice thanks to Whatsapp, Facebook and other internet media. At the same time, pictures of social agitation, discontent and extremist actions are beamed through televisions into our homes as and when they happen. Individual anger is channeled into group agitation.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 33 – Russia

Feminism – Anastasiya Zakharova

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AagiyPCj2OY

Fragmento:

Imagine a child shouting in their attempt to share their emotions, express their feelings, explain ideas, and share a vision of the world. The child wants to say something important to us, but the adults watch and laugh, saying, what a pretty child, how smart, but paying no attention to the words coming out of their mouth.

This is the situation of feminism in Russia. Progressive minds know that it is important to fight for their rights, but the majority of us stick to their view that there is nothing to talk about, that we have equal rights and that feminists are just crazy about following ghosts.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 34 – Canada

Bilingual Par Excellence – Maha Husseini

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/W9N8URpb_LU

Fragmento:

We are witnessing increased and intensified polarization all over the world. History is full of examples of divided societies and political disparity, which contributed to shaping policies and influenced the course of peace and war. Disparity, exclusion, diversity and cultural differences may give rise to extreme standpoints.

Elements such as nationalism, identity, distribution of wealth and language are generally used for political purposes. Unfortunately, these elements create discord and division and are responsible for divergence. Society is then pulled apart and driven to conflicting extremes.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 35 – Spain

Why Live on an Edge? – Virginia Sanmartín López

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/zuPHCl_zdBs

Fragmento:

These definitions show us two possibilities, two extremes, two poles of each case. We need to feel and know pain in order to feel and know joy (and vice versa). Have you ever been surrounded by the most peaceful and comfortable environment and wished with all your might that you were in some crowded pedestrian street on a sales day? Who has not started a strict diet based on proteins and has found themselves (suddenly) ingesting “strictly” sugar and fat? We can do our best to maintain an idea, stay in a place or follow certain rules, but a human being lives in a continuous intermediate point.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 36 – Argentina and Turkey

Needing a Sustainable Future in the Midst of Political Polarization – Peren Çakir

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/vNk4XYhkwlU

Fragmento:

Polarized societies spend too much energy on a zero-sum game where both parties are negatively affected by the consequences. People, countries, and nature lose precious time for the establishment of a sustainable living environment in such a context. We need to become aware of our limited time and resources and start to appreciate a collaborative mindset. This applies to not just Argentina, but also Turkey, the UK, the US and the rest of the world.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 37 – Armenia

Polarization ≠ Extreme – Hayk Antonyan

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/Yj1wD_FT5fA

Fragmento:

The habit of aligning polarization and the discourse of extremes has come a long way. We have inherited the tradition of equating polarities and extremes. We consider it to be a given and do not challenge it; we do not engage in deep reflection on the subject. It has played a bad game with us: we have been deceived by the commensurability of polarity and extreme, wrongly thinking that it entails or implies equivalence, comparability or correspondence.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 38 – Italy

The Unbearable Weight of Being a Woman – Sara Deiana

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/L2MvLOhv0BU

Fragmento:

It is a major problem. Sadly, one spread across our whole planet. The victims are all different: they may be black, white, atheist, religious, well-educated, monogamous, sterile, libertine, married; and yet they all share the same fate – they were born a woman.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 39 – Montenegro

The Law of Silence – Nikolina Pavicevic

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/Q2ZqXDvrY-8

Fragmento:

Sometimes patriarchal structures and a strong wish to preserve traditions seem to prevail over this area. However, there is another, less known side of Montenegro. I was born and live here, and I can, without a doubt, say that gender inequality is one of the biggest problems our society faces.

Gender inequality isn’t discussed, mentioned or even acknowledged by the majority in Montenegro. And a woman’s fight starts even before she is born.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 40 – Columbia

Between the Sky and the Earth: Looking for Love – Christian Escobar

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/EpcwCXih-Bs

Fragmento:

In the life of every human being there are moments of rupture: situations where we experience such intense emotions that our world is turned upside down. A few months ago, I turned 31 and, during the several weeks after my birthday celebration, I wondered about a lot of things: Where will my work take me? Where am I going to live? Will my beloved ones stay by my side for a long time? But, among all those important questions, there was one that is still preoccupying my thoughts: Where can I find true love?

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 41 – Kenya

Religious Extremity And Exploitation – Kenn Mwangi

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/DDm0-vwyKOE

Fragmento:

Since the majority of the Kenyan population identifies as Christian, Sundays hold a special place in their lives. Every Sunday without fail, millions of Christians from all walks of life throng to their favorite places of worship. We come together eager for a chance to commune with the man in the cloud. Each worshiper is driven by personal reasons often revolving around five main categories – expressing gratitude, asking for forgiveness, seeking blessings, reinforcing their faith, and reserving a place in the afterlife.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 42 – Pakistan

Shrinking Space for Dialog – Kashif Butt

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/vwoFhtA6aU0

Fragmento:

Pakistan, a mostly Muslim country with a history of long-term military dictatorships, often appears in the news due to some cataclysmic events or incidents. After separating from British India, we enjoyed a healthy environment for dialog over the first 2-3 decades, where several movements emerged and successfully engaged the masses. However, in 1974, the first lockdown was witnessed when, under the extreme pressure of Muslim fundamentalists, a second amendment was adopted for the constitution of Pakistan, and the Ahmadiyya Muslims were declared non-Muslims. This amendment not only decreased the space for religious dialog but also opened the way for rigid Sunni Muslims to initiate a movement for declaring Shia Muslims as non-Muslim too. Hence, the previous religious dialog turned into a state of no tolerance, and a door opened for religious terror throughout the country.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 43 – Tunisia

Organizing Change – Sarah Turki

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/IfqNyI_-opc

Fragmento:

Ever since the 2011 spring revolution, Tunisia, a small country in North Africa, has witnessed a progressive improvement in democracy, stability, safety and rights. Yet, sadly and unfortunately, these rights have been limited for some minorities, including the LGBT community.Organizing Change – Sarah Turki

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 44 – Estonia

Thoughts of Two Generations: Polar Opposites? – Mari Tammpuu

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/IT4LZRS2BXk

Fragmento:

This is the only life I will ever have.

Klišee. But this thought haunts me night after night. Sometimes I wish I believed in god, so I could also believe in some sort of an afterworld, where I could start all over again. But as the studies say, Estonia is one of the least religious countries of all. And at least in this sense, I am a prime example of a typical Estonian, whether I like it or not.

I’m not saying I’ve had a hard life. We were poor for the first three years or so; the Soviet occupation had just ended, making for a newly independent state of theoretically infinite possibilities, but a whole lot of confusion in practice. Fresh out of university, my parents were desperate for jobs. And whatever they got, they worked hard at it. Overtime, weekend work – anything to get by.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 45 – Ghana

The Family: Bringing Us Together, Tearing Us Apart – Kwasi Amankwah Awuah

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/j03hVxv5MvA

Fragmento:

An individual born into a family has a set of rules that are instilled in them regarding how to trace their family roots. No matter where you find yourself, even if born out of the country, you automatically become a member of your mom’s or dad’s family according to the familial system of your tribe. Ethnic groups differ in the type of familial systems practiced, with most being matrilineal or patrilineal. These systems entail complexities and bonds first to an ethnic group, then to the family of the parents and then to that of the nuclear family. In my society, the extended family system is so influential that it has more power over the body and property of a dead individual than the nuclear family. The extended family is said to own the individual.

Comparing the family unit in the West to that of my cultural setting reveals a vast difference. In the West, America in this case, the family usually consists of the nuclear one. Apart from a few minority groups, most individuals are brought up with no sense of an extended family, and systems do not help with that either. Imagine the shock I got the first time I heard that a child could come from a different state than that of their mom or dad. “Really? You do not live where you were born?” I wondered, thinking about how this gave an individual no reason to trace the roots of either of their parents. Over time, the links to these family members from other states will weaken and break off, leaving generations after that individual with no idea of who they might actually be related to in other states.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 46 – Dominican Republic

Social Polarization – Aura De Los Santos

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/XvZOmjYWpFQ

Fragmento:

While it is true that many positive aspects of our country can be highlighted, when we dig deeper into the reality that is lived day by day, we can see that the differences and the present struggles people have are quite serious. The differences are very noticeable. Visiting one part of the country and seeing the luxury that surrounds it is impressive, but it is sad to go to one of the poorest neighborhoods and witness the little access they have to basic services that every citizen should enjoy. Here we begin to see a part that many people have little or no knowledge of.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 47 – Croatia

Polarizing LGBTIQ Life – Stevan Milivojevic

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/xd_TnYVwULI

Fragmento:

The LGBTIQ community in Croatia became visible, in an informal self-organizing sense, during the 1980s. Along with Slovenia, this made it one of the first countries with LGBTIQ activism in the Balkans region. The legal position of LGBTIQ people in Croatia changed several years before the official activist initiatives, after changes to the constitution were adopted as part of the judicial reforms and the transference of power from the federal level to the republic level. These reforms, which took place in 1974, amended the federal penal code, and by doing so, regulated the decriminalization of same sex relations.Polarizing LGBTIQ Life – Stevan Milivojevic

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 48 – America

A Polarization of Family Values – Talia Stotts

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/U8sNGlkY2TE

Fragmento:

If you were to travel back in time to the mid-20th century, you would notice a lot of key differences from the way life is lived today. You might note the lack of cellphones and computers; you might be surprised by the number of newspapers being read and friendly conversations in the streets. You might notice a distinctly segregated way of life with regards to race. Or it might even just be the clothes people wear that give you the most pause.

Whatever you might notice, the 1950s were very different from where we are currently in 2019. Even so, those years of long ago are still heralded as the “good old days” for whatever nostalgic reason people may find. However, it is the expectation of the family dynamic of those times that causes some of the greatest polarization among citizens in America today.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 49 – Philippines

There’s No Justice, Just Us – Kristin Uusitalo

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/IWo4RjJ30g8

Fragmento:

I did not have the best childhood. I was not part of the wealthy groups. This allowed me to see things in a different light. My mom and I rented a home all our life, allowing me to experience people from all walks of life. Growing up in an area with people of limited financial means, I shared the same lot as my neighbors. I love those people, my friends. When I asked them about their dreams, it was not about going to college. Their dreams were to leave the country and make a better life for themselves. People, who don’t know the struggle say, get a job and work for college. I do not see how that is possible when the rent itself is the same amount as your minimum wage paycheck. I have met extremely intelligent people who would put graduates to shame, but could not afford to go to college. No school loans, no welfare; it’s just passion and ambition. A burning desire for success, but when push comes to shove, that friction turns to fire.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 50 – Peru

The Struggle for the Working Class – Martha Corzo

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/297aJ_CGnvs

Fragmento:

One of the greatest extremes in Peru can be found in people’s standard of living.
We can arrive at this conclusion if we consider that many families in Lima, especially the immigrants from the highlands, live on an average of 1,000 soles (or less) a month (equivalent to less than $300), while, by contrast, there are also many families who spend that sum on a ticket for entertainment or other things as insignificant as that.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 51 – Hungary

Are You Willing To Be the Judge? – Zoltan Molnar

Intermezzo: https://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarizatio…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/EKknr1p3x-o

Fragmento:

Let’s jump a few years ahead.

The star parents are 35, the daughter is 4 and the boy has just started walking. Dad has succeeded at work and been promoted. Mom is thinking about looking for a part-time job because she needs some more company and a change of environment from constantly being at home.

There are garden parties every month; some old friends have reached the maturity level to be able to spend time with us again. We smile, you smile, we like you, you like us. This is a textbook case of a happy life, right? Facebook is the place where we can find millions of happy family pictures. As if there were no bad days or anxiety in the background. Many use social media to present themselves as stars. The best mother. The cutest baby, etc.

And then, the mother calls her best friend at nine in the evening. She is sobbing uncontrollably; her words can hardly be understood. It turns out the father left her and the kids.

The Syncretion of Polarization and Extremes – Part 52 – Montenegro

Merging the North and South? – Ana Boričić

Intermezzo: http://www.perypatetik.org/…/the-syncretion-of-polarization…

Home: https://perypatetik.net/

Cinemblem (audio/visual): https://youtu.be/QtJtTMLMp3w

Fragmento:

Despite these differences, all citizens of Montenegro share similar hopes. They would like a highway to connect all the regions of the country. This would mean connecting the north and the central part, and therefore the south of Montenegro, so a higher percentage of young people would stay in their hometowns and a richer social life would be achieved in every sense. The idyllic dream is to connect the sea with the mountains, the sunshine with the snow, the shoreline with the pasture. In this dream, Montenegro becomes a place where, regardless of our birth, cultural heritage or social environment, we have, we will be able to enjoy, the same opportunities and a somewhat harmonious lifestyle.