It was back in 2017 that I shared the stage with some fantastic speakers. It was a special night, the keynotes they gave were inspiring, I keep following the careers of all of them since that date, Sachli Gholamalizad, Jean-Marie Dedecker, Veerle Malschaert & Marion Van San. It felt so good as a keynote speaker to speak in front of young university students in a culture temple in Belgium. For someone like me waiting in the wings of a real theater always brings me back to my teenager times as a dancer. Recently Marion send me the project she is working on to create a chair about radicalization. It made me think about this problem, about what the history tells us but moreover what the future will hold. I understand the need of further research as Marion wants to launch. The terrifying thing is that basically anyone can become a victim of ideological-driven violence. But an ideology does not necessarily means violence. But radicalization, which results in violence, has consequences for the social climate that is for sure. And this actual crisis and what people think also leads at the moment to further polarization. Let’s therefore try to look further than only the 1 idea someone has about a certain topic that might be the opposite of your own idea about it, to consider a friendship or not with that person for example, or to give up on one, as we now see happening with the ideas about the actual sanitary crisis we are all facing.
People are more than just that 1 idea. Let’s also continue doubting about the ideas we have. Because when I spoke about this project yesterday to my friend Daria, what she said felt very true: when people stop doubting about their ideas, things are not ok and the danger for radicalization steps in.
Let us also not forget the power of leaders and role models, some inspire in a positive way leaving things open to fill in by their followers, mostly youngsters. Others want to spread their ideas as if they never doubt, as if every morning they get up with the same feeling: everything I do is perfect and I want you to look exactly like me.
That’s not ok when this is the way you think as an influencer. We are all different, that is the beauty of our species, let’s keep it that way, let’s cherish the fact that we have different ideas. Let’s try to go for our dreams and ideas but let us be careful that strong ideas do not become an ideology. And more over let’s indeed do that research to understand when ideology becomes violence against others, so we can prevent bad things happening in the future.
I am grateful for the many great speakers I meet on stage, whether that is as a fellow keynote speaker, a moderator or an interviewer as their thoughts make me doubt mine, which I am happy about.
