my letter to Liege 2015

Dear founder/committee of Liège 2015 ‘movement’(http://liege2015.eu/)

I admire your energy, creativity, determination and a truly ‘spirit’ of Liège. You have done a good job up to know. You have started the ‘snow-ball’ rolling. Hopefully it will gain momentum leading to a break through.

However this is a complex snow-ball with multiple facets. To have a real break through you will need to prepare the slope well at the start.

As Sun Tzu (Chinese strategists/philosopher) said 2000 years ago, “One should only start a war if you know that you will win….not to go into a war and then try to win it….”

In essence, the key is to have a good preparation. (I am not advocating analysis paralysis by over analysis but rather through pareto rule of 20/80).

In my opinion getting the 19,000 signatures to enable a ‘referendum’(consultation populaire) should not be the objective (eventhough it is a milestone). We should however start with the end point in mind that is to make Liège the European Capital of Culture in 2015. (staying away from du pain et des jeux….)

As you rightly said having a ‘consultation populaire’ will not make Liège the European Capital of culture. Why do we need it then? … I understand the minimum legal requirement is such…. BUT using the energy and support of 18,999 individual just to have a debate that might or might not lead to something…..is it not a ‘waste’?

Lacking of a clear vision and framework, will put this beautiful effort to quickly degenerated into ‘chaos’ where others could hijacked it for personal, political, cultural, economical, regional or societal interest. Whereas Liège 2015 effort is greater than all of this interest this combined (as it should included all this issues and beyond) …

Hence if we(you) all believe that Liège have what it takes to make it. We (you) urgently need to back this signatures gathering effort with a clear visions and possible actions or scenarios. By showing how we can dream and ways to turn this into a reality: Liège as the European Capital of culture 2015.

The stake is too high to shoot blanks (if we-you don’t have a clear vision and actions that follow).

With ‘power’ comes responsibility. By empowering you with vote/signatures, it is normal that the public (we) expect concrete actions and results in return. If you take without giving ……..

Hence, my question to you is: are you ready for this ? where do you want to go? where will you start? And how will you do it? What do you need to get there? And when ?

I end with a poem by T.E. Lawrence …

All men dream: but not equally,
Those who dream by night in the dusty
recesses of their minds wake in the day
to find that it was vanity:

but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men,
for they may act their dreams with open eyes,
to make it possible.


Yours respectfully,

Denny