PURPOSE
in Picasso’s painting of the same name. In 1937
the German Luftwaffe bombed this small town in
northern Spain, but by some miracle an oak tree in
the town square survived. Ever since Guernica was
founded in 1366 that tree, or its descendent, has
stood in the square and citizens have gathered under its branches to create laws, swear oaths of fealty and discuss community matters. Whenever the
tree became sick, another sapling grown from its
acorn was planted in its place, because residents
understood its symbolic role in the community.
Although the aerial bombardment caused widespread death and destruction, the town’s “freedom
tree” survived along with the spirit of its people.
INTERVIEW
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jim Hoggan is one of Canada’s most experienced
PR people, and president of Hoggan & Associates .
A tireless advocate for ethics and integrity in public relations, he has advised a wide range of organizations. He is the founder of DeSmogBlog, an
influential website that exposes misinformation
campaigns around climate change and the environment, and is the author of Climate Cover-Up
and Do the Right Thing. His latest book is I’m Right
and You’re an Idiot, the Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean It Up (2016, New Society). It reflects his concern about the polarizing
and misleading tribal style of PR that is polluting
public discourse, and offers some useful wisdom
on how to bridge the divide. More on: imrightandyoureanidiot.com/
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW
51 | NEW CONSCIOUSNESS REVIEW
We need to protect our public square from the
bombardment of propaganda, polarization and
failed communication. We need to treat it with
great respect as the sacred place that it is, and if
we seek change we should learn to use speech for
its highest purpose — moral discourse.
In 2011, I travelled to Dharamshala to attend the
23rd Mind Life Conference and I interviewed the
Dalai Lama about how to avoid corrupt conversations and propaganda. He gave me one of the
most profound pieces of advice I’ve ever received:
“I think you acknowledge sometimes the Western
brain looks more sophisticated, but in Tibet we
operate from the heart and this is very strong. So
combine these two, Asian heart and Western mind,
and then we will have real success. Real success.”