On our last article about Catalonia we used the two elephants from the great painter Salvador Dali, now with this picture of three elephants, we add a third element: Dialogue.. Even if it’s the sunset or  dawn  of a new reality  we cannot be able to move forward without the three at the same level.

One of the most important aspects of a democracy is the capacity to gather people with a wide range of ideological positions. When a society doesn’t allow to host different positions it becomes a tyranny in which any attempt for negotiation or just dialogue is taken as a symbol of weakness or failure. Recently opposition leader Pablo Casado (PP) referred to this process as a “humiliation to Spain”

Dialogue is an essential pillar for building a State based on Rule of Law, the opposite stage is the Imposition of Law against the will of a majority of citizens, closer to dictatorship rules. It´s so, that reasons coming from opposite leaders as Albert Rivera (Ciudadanos) to be against a Constitutional reform as “destroying Spain” , “anti-democratic” and a “threat to Spanish Unity” are not solid enough and there are only a way to reassure Spanish Nationalism power.

A democratic system must allow and negotiate diverse positions if not, it destroys and threats de coexistence of the entire Spain, not just of Catalonia.

Now, what´s wrong with Catalonia claim for independence? The process in itself: lack of strategy, lack of vision and focus, -particularly for financial stability,- euphoria and frustration from citizens due to high levels of Corruption from the Central Government and the Monarchy. The latest, is an institution that has been unable to reshape itself, become innovative and adapt to the new challenges with flexibility and sensibility to accept political diversity.

 Both sides have transformed the process into extremism. A process that can be resolved by dialogue, Negotiation or/and Mediation from institutions -as the Monarchy- instead, it has become a big “monster” out of control.

Indeed, the impression from the citizenship is that Catalans have become “the enemies that want to break with the harmony of a united Spain”, fed by a biased press and Reformist leaders without focused goals that results on a process that gets out of hands.

Catalonia, after decades of claiming for a change is walking with clumsiness towards alternatives. Independence, it´s just one of that way out. In a Democracy, Unity comes from diversity not from a totalitarian regime of “applying law” without criteria, sense of reforms and taking into account the will from a majority of citizens.

There are two many emotions on stage: anger, frustration and euphoria from Catalans and leaders and institutions without will to search for alternatives as alliances by applying SDG 17 Partnership. In the end, moving within a Democratic framework means being united on diversity.

This is what really kills Spain´s hope for Unity: lack of political will for alliances.

 Political prisoners, leaders in exile, a closed Parliament, it’s the stage of chaos and the exaltation of Spanish Nationalism, post-Franco dictatorship, that is not allowing to move beyond traditions. A vicious circle of “pseudo Rule of Law”.

 Modern societies vulnerable to crises with high levels of corruption, can only find their way with an in-depth reshape of their institutions not to a violent defense of a status quo that is not responsive and is not delivering results for a pacific coexistence for the entire Spain, not just inside Catalonia. Its precisely this Spanish Nationalism –coming from Franco´s era- that prevents to follow European Union recommendations of building trust and confidence through dialogue and reforms.

Political leaders without vision are becoming more and more weak on their argumentations and because of this reason become more aggressive. Literally they are claiming for an “aggressive application of art. 155” (intervention of Catalonia institutions), denying any possibility for dialogue and feeding hate every day instead of reconciliation and negotiation. To the point that a simple act as using a yellow ribbon by Catalans represents a threat and almost violent sign for Albert Rivera (leader of Ciudadanos) who has participated with their team on removing yellow ribbons from public spaces.

When we arrived to this level of euphoria and hate for applying law within a Democratic system by saying NO to dialogue and not listening to European Union recommendations, the second step is External Mediation.

Its paramount to print with coherence and vision an stage of chaos in which getting stuck and not moving towards solutions is not the answer and will bring more rejection from Catalans.

A new concept of sovereignty is what builds a global world and the acceptance of ideological diversity is what leads towards integration and coexistence. Catalonia is claiming for a change in which Independence is the last step.

For getting to Unity we must stop Spanish Nationalism and the steady feed of hate from political leaders.

Catalonia process: a war of Nationalisms that needs Dialogue, Negotiation and Mediation

• Catalonia/Spain the dangerous road towards authoritarianism https://thesustainabilityreader.com/2017/10/11/cataloniaspain-the-dangerous-road-towards-authoritarianism/
• Spanish Version: Cataluña/España . el peligroso camino hacia el autoritarismo 
• https://thesustainabilityreader.com/2017/10/11/catalunaespana-el-peligroso-camino-hacia-el-autoritarismo/