By Pilar Fontaneda, Las Gildas
Maybe the most important ingredient, besides the desire, is the optimism and the trust in human beings, that we all feel that we are necessary and that from what we each contribute, in the end a stew is made. The stew isn’t made by one or two, we all contribute. This internal-external aspect is what makes Las Gildas unique; the visible part is this and the other part is less visible but you still see it, it’s what gets people hooked because we don’t go further than the group wants to go. I can have a reflection about me wanting there to be whole grain bread at the parties, but if the group doesn’t agree, it’s fine, there will be white bread until the group sees the need to change and if they don’t, it’s okay too. It’s a silly example but it shows that the group as a whole has to agree with our direction. If the group doesn’t go together, it’s fine. Transformation doesn’t happen until the group agrees…
In order to weave a network of trust, we have to cultivate conditions of mutual representation, respect, and care… Trust can be woven by creating spaces for respect, for respecting one another, for making us feel safe in the sense that what I contribute is valuable and what you contribute has as much value as what somebody else contributes. This can be felt and transmitted. Then it’s true that, during this moment in society, trust is being questioned and it’s very difficult, we don’t always have it. I’m saying this and there are times when I lose it, but we are aware of the fact that the key is in losing fear, trusting ourselves, the person next to us and other people. And with others it might be that you don’t agree at all, but never for this reason do we de-legitimize their motives for being where they are at. I think that this is one of the characteristics of Las Gildas, also when we are coordinating with others and mobilizing. We might be guilty of even understanding others too much because we know that others have their reason for being where they are.
