RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF UNDERSTANDING MY OPPONENTS
For Gina Gylver (22), the leader of the organisation Nature and Youth – Young Friends of the Earth (NU). In her activism, dialogue stands out as one of her most fundamental and frequently employed tools.
-One of the scariest things about the climate debate – especially in recent years, but really as long as I've been involved in it – is the extent of the polarisation between the involved parties. Sometimes it's more trench warfare than actual conversation and debate, says Gina Gylver.
We meet the NU leader in the organization's worn-out headquarters in Torggata, where a steady supply of cooking fat from the neighbouring kebab shop has turned the backyard into a paradise for rats.
Indoors, the atmosphere is more pleasant, even if Gina is annoyed by the debate climate in the public conversations around the environment and climate change issues.
- The environmental movement itself must bear part of the blame, both for tone of the debate and also strong lines of conflict that have arisen. Both the one between people in urban and rural areas, but also the one between the trade union movements, sectors of industry and the environmental movement. It is about which words we use and which collaborations we seek. It hurts the case tremendously when we create or play up disagreements that are often artificial.
This year, NU and Industriaksjonen, a coalition of trade unions, have joined forces and launched ten proposals for a fair and green transition. In their ten point plan they have tried to find common ground between the trade union movements and the environmental movement on issues concerning industrial development and policies for the future.
- Projects like these are of great importance - and really exciting, says Gina.
GINA GYLVER'S TOP FIVE TIPS FOR A BETTER DIALOGUE:
1. Be aware of authority bias
It is very important that we recognize the authority bias that exists in different relationships. Identifying and recognising this is one of the most important things when we enter a dialogue.
2. Seek the sincere
The desire for dialogue must be sincere from both sides of the conversation. And you have to – scary as it is – be willing to accept that you can be wrong.
3. Do your homework in advance
To have a real conversation, you may want to do some homework to familiarise yourself with the dialogue partner's culture, history, traditions and language.
4. Build relationships
Take the trouble to get to know people beyond the issues you are discussing. It makes it easier to understand why they mean what they do and their motivation for doing so. You don't have to become best friends along the way.
5. Accept differences
I occasionally meet people who are on the same team as me, but still disagree - for example, climate sceptics who fight for nature. In these instances I just have to accept that we live in different worlds, but still be able to cooperate on individual matters.
Disclaimer and paralysis of action
Despite her young age, Gina is already a veteran of the environmental movement. The 22-year-old has been a member of NU since she was 12. Social engagement runs in the family, growing up, we talked a lot about climate, justice and politics around the dinner table.
- Then there was one year in particular that became very defining for me – when I was eight me and my family moved to Madagascar, where we lived in the slums of Antananarivo for a year. It was both wonderful and terrible at the same time. Madagascar is one of the countries most severely affected by climate change. It left a deep mark on me to see the extent of the poverty and the consequences of gross injustice at such close range, and to realize how unbelievably lucky we are to accidentally be born in Norway.
Four years later, during the general election in 2013, she felt the need to do something - both for the young people in Madagascar and her own generation here at home. The outlet for 12-year-old Gina’s social engangement was NU, where she was elected as the leader of the local chapter in Oslo East the following year.
-For the first time, I recognized that our top elected officials actively make decisions each day that put our entire future at risk. This is a significant acknowledgment, and it doesn't stem from ignorance but rather from a lack of determination and pushing away responsibility, she states.
- It was very, very frightening - an existential experience that we are heading towards two all-encompassing crises or are right in the midst of them, without politicians taking action.
Dialogue carries responsibility
Adolescence is perhaps not the period in life where dialogue and responsiveness stand out as the most natural impulses. Nevertheless, Gina Gylver has learned the value of listening and talking together during her years in NU.
- Dialogue is a job. It doesn't come by itself. It is about creating good frameworks and conditions and spending a lot of time. And it is binding. Building trust is something that really takes time.
For Gina, dialogue in practice involves getting to know what her opponents think, and not least why they do it.
It's something I decide upon, but it's also very easy to mess up. It's simple to paint people in a negative light and demonize the big capital interests, those working in the oil industry, and politicians. However, that doesn't get us anywhere. So, it's something I actively work on, and I can see the impact of my efforts.
The importance of civil disobedience
If this is the first time you've heard the name Gina Gylver this year, there are natural reasons for it: she was heavily involved among the activists who took over the government quarter earlier this year in protest against the state's ongoing human rights violations against the Sámi people in Fosen.
Here, the environmental movement employed another essential tool from their toolbox: Civil disobedience.
"The Supreme Court ruling was clear, the state has violated the human rights of the Sámi people in Fosen. Since that ruling, it has been 500 days since without any action. So we occupied the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. Then, in a week, we blocked 10 ministries, gathered 2,000 people in front of the Parliament, and held a silent protest in front of the Royal Palace. We filled the government quarter with tents, chains, and banners," Gina explains.
"It was only then that the government acknowledged this as an ongoing human rights violation and apologized to the Sámi people in Fosen," she adds.
Gina points out that civil disobedience, paradoxically, can sometimes be the prerequisite for initiating a dialogue.
- It was impossible to have any dialogue while the state believed that this was not a human rights violation, ignored the court ruling, and didn't apologize or acknowledge anything. It's only now that the dialogue and work are beginning, and civil disobedience has played the most crucial and constructive role in this process.
"It was very, very frightening - an existential experience that we are heading towards two all-encompassing crises or are right in the midst of them, without politicians taking action. "
Clammy embraces
Being young and politically engaged doesn't come without its costs. One aspect is the polarization that manifests itself online and on social media, often in the form of harassment and ridicule. Another is the arsenal of manipulation tactics that Gina and her allies frequently encounter in discussions with older debaters. This fact has led NU to educate its members on recognizing these manipulation tactics.
- It can range from invisibility – where the debaters don't address you on a panel, for example – to ridicule. The opponent emphasizes how young and idealistic you are, suggesting that your perspective will change as you grow older and gain more experience.
Another, less obvious manipulation tactic is what Gina Gylver calls "clammy embraces" – a favorite move among many politicians, according to the NU leader.
-It's when they say, 'Yes, you are absolutely right. I agree completely!' Then you're left wondering what to say next. They often follow it up with, 'It's so good that you're engaged!'. It's a disarming and belittling statement in reality, says Gina.
Slow progress
It may be tempting to succumb to despondency when contemplating the significant challenges ahead – at least if we want to preserve a somewhat inhabitable planet for future generations.
However, positive developments are occurring both nationally and globally, not least a recent international nature agreement in which countries around the world commit to preserving and sustainably managing nature.
Banks and insurance companies are blacklisting companies engaged in environmentally harmful practices. The financial industry has awakened to climate and environmental risks, incorporating the gradual divestment of the oil industry by the sovereign wealth fund into their assessments.
Even Norwegian winter sports have started discussing the climate crisis, Gina points out.
- And we can see that the environmental movement is achieving many significant victories. We've managed to keep Repparfjord and Førdefjorden free from mining waste, and we'll see what happens when we face the state in court on September 18th. We won the case against the world's northernmost oil field, Wisting. We'veestablished a new norm for highways that are less energy-intensive and less destructive to nature.
- And just look at what we accomplished during the Fosen demonstrations. The popular mobilization and momentum created there give me hope. Good things are happening at all levels of society. It's just not happening quickly enough, and the biggest and most powerful players are still not on board.
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Hedvig Montgomery
Hedvig Montgomery believes that our ability to communicate improves with each new generation. However, there's one modern phrase that particularly irks the psychologist.
Do you want to learn more about dialogue?
Go to our dialogue-site and find our toolbox for better dialogue, including our interactive film.
