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BY DR ALAN WARING
I was once threatened with arrest by a local manager of a UK client who had failed to read communications from his national director that I would be visiting. They had had a lot of adverse media attention and this chap just assumed wrongly that I was an investigative journalist trying to infiltrate the organization. I could see what he was thinking but knew that I had a cast iron authority to be there even if he disputed it.
In the 1990s in Iran, I found myself in the office of the Editor-in-Chief of the government’s official journal (the OJ) when I should have been in the office of the Director of the Ministry of Economic Affairs as invited. They both had the same name and recently they had both moved offices in adjacent buildings. An easy mistake for a foreign visitor to make. However, the OJ crowd represented the hard-line anti-western faction in the government so initially they were understandably suspicious of who I was and what I was doing there. The tension was palpable. Nevertheless, a truly incredible, courteous and educative exchange then took place over half an hour which I still dine out on – but that’s another story.
In both cases, tensions were eventually diffused through calm discussion and commonsense prevailed. I am still here as living proof. I was not arrested in London and I did not end up in Evin prison in Tehran.
It Takes Two to Tango
Quite often in disputes, a lot of unpleasant accusations are lobbed between the parties in conflict. Quite often, too, angry exchanges degenerate into character assassinations and he said-she said ‘evidence’ of the other party’s supposed lack of integrity. Bad motives are ascribed to the other party and ‘autistic hostility’ (imagined hostility) builds up. In Cyprus, this kind of melodrama is all too common and often takes on a Clochemerle character that is quite laughable, however serious the issues in dispute.
People tend to take up positions too quickly and dig themselves into corners with no way out. There is a well-known principle of psychology that ‘behaviour begets behaviour’. In other words, if you are aggressive you are more likely to evoke aggression in others. If you are calm, talk respectfully and make clear you want to be open and want to understand them and their concerns, you are more likely to be treated similarly.
Spiralling out of Control
In my experience, unresolved disputes suddenly get out of control because either (a) the parties do not really understand each other or their respective motivations, priorities and rights, or (b) at least one of the parties is afraid that they will lose control in some form or (c) at least one of the parties introduces intemperate language or behaviour. Maybe they perceive that they will have to change their attitude, position, policy or procedures or do something faster or differently than previously. They may fear loss of face, loss of dignity, loss of assumed authority or loss of money or assets. However ludicrous it seems to the rest of us, parties to disputes do tend to take themselves very seriously and quite often unrealistically.
The recent spat in Peyia between the mayor and a local Belgian woman campaigning about rubbish is an example of ‘how not to do it’. Let me say that I do not know either of these individuals and I am only responding to press reports describing the dispute.
The Great Peyia Rubbish War of 2010
The Belgian lady apparently has lived in Peyia for 23 years, speaks Greek and knows the mayor. Her husband is on a council committee. She claims that she turned up to a council meeting expecting to present her case but was rudely turned away into the rain by the mayor as the agenda had been suddenly switched to accommodate the Bishop and the church committee. She then complained to the municipality that the mayor and council had shown racism and lack of respect. He in turn has threatened to sue her unless she retracts.
For someone who has lived in Peyia for 23 years, speaks Greek, knows the mayor and is familiar with the local council, it is hard to believe that she has not, apparently, learned the basics of local culture. The Bishop is a very important person and I can see immediately why the mayor, on this occasion, felt it necessary to change the agenda and put the Bishop first. Her insistence on being heard that night seems unreasonable. It was hardly the end of the world as far as Peyia rubbish is concerned and the issue was not being dismissed, merely postponed temporarily.
Was the mayor rude? I do not know but, when a VIP visits, the mayor as top man is bound to focus his attention on the VIP and someone complaining about local rubbish is likely to be seen as a distraction, if not an irritant. I cannot see where or how the mayor and council were being racist. Apparently, one of the council referred to her as ‘Anglezou’, a derogatory term for British people, although she is Belgian.
Shorthand, sometimes dismissive and jokey terms are often used for all sorts of other peoples by most of us. In China and the Far East, I and any other person who looks Caucasian or European are referred to as ‘gweilos’ or ghosts. The gweilos even refer to themselves as gweilos. Do I get upset? Of course not! Many of my Anglo-Chinese friends laugh and call themselves ‘bananas’ – yellow on the outside, white on the inside.
Uncle Napoleon
In Iran, on several occasions government officials have made fun of my name by mis-pronouncing it Warring and demanding to know if I have come to wage war on Iran! I take this is harmless fun and laugh it off. Despite the British Empire being extinguished some 50 years ago, there is an enduring belief (even among some Cypriots!) that Britain is the arch-schemer who is behind every problem that befalls them. Although there was some basis for this belief in Iran some 50 years ago (MI6, the CIA and the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company engineered a plot to overthrow the democratically elected government of Dr Moussadegh in 1953), British power and influence have diminished substantially since then. Yet, the shetan-e inglisi (British devils) are still ascribed miraculous powers of causing storms, creating economic crises, being behind every bit of skulduggery, real or imagined, and generally walking on water. If the Tehran Stock Exchange index falls, ‘inglis hastan’ – it’s the Brits. If a power plant fails – yes, you’ve guessed it, inglis hastan. There is even a popular TV series called Uncle Napoleon with the central character as a kind of Iranian Alf Garnett nationalist who rants continuously against the Brits. If his milk is off, inglis hastan! If his car won’t start, yes inglis hastan! The rest of his family are normal and spend their whole time trying to convince him he is talking nonsense.
When you see Iranian leaders making wild accusations about Britain trying to take over their country, remember this background. However daft and paranoid it sounds to us, to them it is real.
I have learned to take such jibes and ludicrous comments as harmless fun. It is, after all, very amusing to be thought of like this. Also, the Iranians do actually like the Brits and the miraculous powers they wrongly think we have show a kind of admiration and respect. Whatever it is, it is not racist.
In Conclusion
Getting back to Peyia, I think Anglezou sounds quite nice to the ear. Let all the Brits make it a rallying cry from now on: Anglezou! Anglezou! If it really is being used in Cyprus as a derogatory term against Brits, then if the Brits themselves use it all the time its power as an insult diminishes greatly among any Cypriots who use it.
The mayor is probably a proud man and feels indignant and backed into a corner by the complaint from this diligent lady who is focussed on rubbish removal. She, no doubt, believes that she too has right on her side. Cypriots are renowned for rarely apologizing (although I just received one twice from someone!) so she will need to think of a way out of this ‘storm in a teacup’ before it escalates. Both sides need to get a sense of proportion.
The Peyia rubbish saga is a small example of how poor communication, lack of savvy, injured pride, discontent and ingrained beliefs about self and others can create disputes that can get out of control unless calm and commonsense prevail.
Dr Alan Waring is an international risk management consultant with extensive experience in Europe, Asia and the Middle East with industrial, commercial and governmental clients. [email protected] .
