Woman Power With a Difference

Susanne Schaup

Angela Merkel is the first woman Chancellor Germany has ever had. When she was elected, her opponents were so stunned they couldn’t believe it and at first refused to acknowledge her as the new head of government. Too awkward, too dead-pan serious, too inexperienced, too down-to-earth and objective (as if that were a liability!), no sense of humor. People made fun of her figure, her hair style, her dowdy wardrobe. Moreover, they questioned how a woman but recently arrived from the former DDR, the Communist part of Germany and trained as a scientist, could possibly succeed on the slippery stage of German politics after the reunification, with all the problems evolving from this historic event. Her party affiliation is Christian Democrat (CDU) like Helmut Kohl’s, the long-time German chancellor and engineer of the German reunion. He had groomed her, commended her energy and ability of sober analysis, condescendingly calling her “my girl” (mein Mädchen). He underestimated her totally.

Merkel is no longer a laughing-stock. Critics grudgingly admit that she handles the nitty-gritty of political reality surprisingly well. Her diplomatic skill is widely acknowledged. She may never cut an elegant or a glamorous figure, but her hair style has improved, and her dowdiness is a thing of the past. She moves with greater ease and self-assurance now, without losing her homely, motherly charm and her expression of utter sincerity. Her political know-how is beyond dispute. She is clearly competent. She never loses her temper. She masters the art of careful listening, hearing everyone out with patience and courtesy, and a sincere desire to learn. She is most impressive when the wind is in her face: She does not flinch, but always seeks ways to negotiate obstacles with gentle perseverance. She gives them all her attention and tries to understand them. This may be the secret of her success in tackling difficult problems. While not stepping on anybody’s toes, she maintains a firm stand of her own. For example, when criticized for not getting on with health reform, she insisted on doing it her way. “My style of doing things is different,” she declared. “With such an important matter as health reform, I don’t want to take chances. I will listen to everybody’s standpoint, no matter how long it takes. I want to consult with all interest groups and then come to a decision.” And so it was done.  

Born the daughter of a Protestant pastor, Merkel grew up under the Communist system where her background was a handicap. Children of “bourgeois” intellectuals and confessing Christians were discriminated against and often barred from higher education and an academic career. There was constant pressure to compromise values and conform to the official ideology. A home where Christian values were cultivated despite political pressure was an excellent training ground for the future politician: Merkel has been trained not to give in to pressure. Now, flexible and ready to work out a fair compromise whenever possible, she will not retract on basic values or her sense of justice for the sake of popularity.

How does Angela Merkel differ from the strong female leaders of the past century, most notably Indira Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher? These women were hardliners, reckless defenders of their political goals, possessed by the will to stay in power. In short, they were thoroughly patriarchal in approach and performance. They fully embraced the political behavior typical of men.  A quip about Thatcher at her time said: “She is the best man we have.” Unlike her predecessors, Merkel is not power-driven. She brings different qualities. In her concern for ecology and human rights, she is outspoken and sincere.  She is highly aware of women’s issues: the growing poverty among women, the precarious situation of single mothers, the inequality on the labor market. And her success has proven her right. Unemployment in Germany is way down; the economy is flourishing. Her leadership has won respect, not only in Germany, but internationally.

As a role model for women, Angela Merkel’s significance can hardly be overrated. The message is: You don’t have to be hard, power-drunk or mad with ambition to make it in the political arena. A woman can hold her own on the most slippery ground if she remains true to herself and her values—provided the framework is a working democracy. It is not a law of nature that political power has to be corrupting. It depends on how power is defined, how it is wielded, shared and delegated—and how a person relates to it. After two years of leadership, Merkel is standing firm. May her strength and quiet determination not leave her. May the qualities she represents signal to the rest of the world that there is another kind of leadership that is better equipped than the old patriarchal ways to deal with the challenges of our time.

                                             The Earth Values Caucus at the United Nations

The following is the second part of the position paper developed by the Earth Values Caucus (EVC) at the United Nations. (The first part may be found in the summer issue of “Weaving the Connections”). Members of the EVC used the paper as the basis for a workshop which was presented at the UN on September 6, 2007. The workshop was entitled: “The Climate Change Crisis: Seeing Wider; Digging Deeper.” The moderator, Suzanne Golas, introduced the workshop as an examination of the perspectives we have, the paradigms relevant to our relationship with the planet today, and the potential opportunities available for bonding between human beings and the rest of the community of life. The first speaker, Carl Murrell, addressed the issue of “seeing wider” by summarizing the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), a major scientific study which found that, of 24 major ecosystem services, 15 are being pushed beyond their sustainable limits or are already being degraded. These ecosystem services, which include providing fresh water and regulating climate, make life on Earth possible. Eleanor Rae then addressed the issue of “digging deeper” from a values perspective by looking at the assumptions, often unconscious, that underlie much of our actions today. She was followed by Ann Braudis who described and set out the principles, values and visions drawn up by the EVC. While not all-encompassing, they are an attempt to encapsulate the main beliefs and attitudes necessary that would help protect and enhance the continuing evolution of the planet. The final speaker, Michelle Yoon-Kyung Lee Kim addressed the ethical and moral aspects of the ecological crisis. She described the cosmos as governed by both law and chance. She also used the word “holistic” to describe nature, saying that the whole cannot be explained as the sum of its parts. She emphasized that we human beings have responsibility for the continuing evolution, that creation is the primary revelation of the Divine, that the cosmos is not random, but is intelligent and evolving and that there has been a paradigm shift from autonomous ethics to ethics that are of a communal nature.

Associates of C:WED:

Eleanor Rae, Ph.D., founder

Anne Andersson, editor

Giles E. Rae, publisher

Representatives at the United Nations:

       New York: Rosalyn Dischiavo

                          Lina Gupta, Ph.D.

                          Alayne O’Reilly, Ph.D.

       Vienna: Susanne Schaup, Ph.D.

Mission Statement

     The Center for Women, the Earth, the Divine is dedicated to exploring the parallels that exist between the imaging and treatment of women and of the Earth, and how our images of the Divine are related to these parallels.

     We began by exploring these relationships within the context of our own tradition— the Christian. While we continue our exploration in this tradition, we have also engaged people of other traditions such as the Buddhist, Goddess, Hindu, Indigenous, Jewish and Muslim. Our work is made available through talks, workshops, writings and retreats. The immediate purpose of the Center is educational, while the ultimate goal is the healing of the Creation.

The founder of C:WED is Eleanor Rae, Ph.D., author of Women, the Earth, the Divine, President Emerita of the Network Alliance of Congregations Caring for Earth and founder of the Earth Values Caucus at the United  Nations.          

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                                                        The Teachers—Mary Oliver

                        Owl in the black morning, mockingbird in the burning

                                  slants of the sunny afternoon declare so simply

  to the world everything I have tried but still

          haven’t been able to put into words

                         so I do not go far from the school

                                  with its star-bright or blue ceiling,

                        and I listen to those old teachers, and others too—

                                  the wind in the trees or the water waves—

                         for they are what lead me from the dryness of self

                                  where I labor with the mind-steps of language.       

                         Lonely, as we all are in the singular,

                                  I listen to the shouted exuberances

                          of the mockingbird and the owl, the waves, and the wind,

                                  and then, like peace after perfect speech, such stillness.

                           Or, as we read in Job 12: 7-8, written millennia ago:

 But ask the beasts and they will teach you; the birds of the air and they will tell you

or the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you.

                                                                                                                                        [RSV]

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