Hello from Fryslân, Reader!
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First of all, thank you for all the responses to my latest newsletter. One of you wrote me an email saying: “​​Thanks for making Inclusive Journalism which gives safe refuge for DEI thinkers like me.” I couldn’t be more happy with feedback like this.

And now I’m back in The Netherlands, after a 25 hour - smoothly running - journey. It’s weird to leave Bali where I felt at home and it’s exciting to connect with my family and friends over here. And I’ve been looking forward to staying in Fryslan for a while, to get a better idea of my own (people’s) history and the culture I grew up in. It’s one of the things I’ve learned in recent years focusing on inclusion and decoloniality: getting to know your own roots is crucial for understanding your position in the world.

Christianity as a secret power

As a white Western woman I hardly ever get confronted with my ethnicity. Authorities don’t question my whiteness, in daily interactions nobody ever asks me where I (really) come from and in many foreign countries I’m welcomed as someone you want to be in a picture with. An aspect that is less discussed however is the inextricable connection between being white and being Christian. White privilege isn’t just about skin colour, it’s also about Christianity as the dominant religion.
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When I look at my own life, the fact that I was raised a Christian plays a big role. Christianity is the predominant faith in The Netherlands and the religion was imposed on cultures around the world during colonialism. It wasn’t an easy fact to digest for me. The Christianity I grew up in wanted the best for this world, how could it also be used as a justification for the horrific actions of colonists? Even now, when writing this newsletter and knowing that my father reads it as well, it’s hard for me to clearly state that the principles of this religion created the inequality of today. Interesting right, how religion works in our minds?
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Understanding whiteness is also understanding and acknowledging the influence of Christianity in the Western dominant history. As Peter Frankopan writes in his book "The Silk Roads":

And, even more interesting, Christianity is still connected closely to Western hegemony. A documentary series on Netflix called “The Family” (I mentioned it in my previous newsletter) - based on the book by American journalist Jeff Sharlet - shows the influence of a secretive Christian association on United States politics. It blew my mind because suddenly the ‘elite ruling the world’ narrative as used often by conspiracy theorists isn’t so far fetched anymore.

Surely, the interpretation of Christianity in “The Family” is conservative and radical, focusing solely on the life of Jesus and assuming that Jesus didn’t care so much about the poor but instead wanted to focus on a small group of chosen leaders who need to spread his values. With the vision of generating spiritual awaking this group travels around the globe to talk to world leaders and inspire them to enforce anti-gay, anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion legislation and policies, in the name of Jesus. Even the idea of the American dream is based on the belief that everything is possible for an individual as long as you believe in God. This capitalism-Christianity has formed the moral and ethical system the US as a country is saturated with.

Western media is shaped by Christian values

And so American imperialism propagates these values to the countries where they interfere, like for example Afghanistan. It could declare why the US never wanted to negotiate with islamist religious political movement the Taliban even though peace with them was possible as early as 2001. Dutch journalist Bette Dam lived in Afghanistan several years and wrote an insightful article about the missed chance. She emphasis the role of media:

I personally experience that not being aware of how the Christian Western values I grew up with have shaped the world through colonialism and still model the ways in which Western countries, especially the United States of America, act in this world, has created the same blind spot as being white. And when confronted with being white, it’s very easy to say: “I’m not a racist”, like it’s easy to distance ourselves from these crazy white men in “The Family” but the root is the same. It will be uncomfortable and yet necessary for people growing up in The West to acknowledge that. Even if you’re not Christian (anymore).
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Malaysian businessman and founder of The Global Institute for Tomorrow Chandran Nair wrote a piece for The Diplomat about how “key international institutions such as the U.N., World Bank, WTO, and IMF are set up according to Western values” and that we “should also not be surprised that the people involved who are decreed most qualified and elected to leadership positions are White Westerners, establishing a permanent “ruling class” when it comes to global and elite institutions.”
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It suddenly sounds familiar within the context of The Family, doesn’t it?

Solutions outside of religion

Nair’s three solutions aren’t phrased along the lines of religion, which shows that acknowledging the Christian influence doesn’t mean there isn’t a way out of religious influence:
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1. "First, Western-led international institutions should be humbler and more empathetic in their prescriptions
2. Another approach would be for Western multilaterals and governments to recognize the successes of other regions in preserving peace and prosperity.
3. Lastly, demands for geopolitical equality must be backed with proactive multinational efforts on the behalf of non-Western countries."

I’m not sure if I’ve grasped this topic completely here, but I guess the fact that Christianity, colonialism and capitalism are linked is the most important insight. And for Western journalists the awareness about whiteness should go hand in hand with the awareness about Christian values.

-Sanne

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Journal prompt

Did you have a religious upbringing? What values from your religion do you still hold in your life? And if your upbringing wasn’t religious, which faith is dominant in your country? Are you aware of how these dominant values have shaped the way you look at the world? Or would you say you’re not influenced by them at all?

What am I reading or watching?

• During my flight to The Netherlands I saw the documentary Our Towns by journalists and filmmakers Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan. They travel through their country (the US) to collect stories from different towns and communities about the state of the country. The film exposes the need for local media initiatives and journalists and shows how national news often isn’t a topic in the daily life of ordinary people. It puts the job of journalists in perspective and gives a necessary insight into occurrences that really matters.
• The book ‘The Silk Roads’ by Peter Frankopan was waiting for me at home. I didn’t bring it on my travels 2,5 years ago because of the weight. I just started and am already intrigued.

What can you do?

• Follow journalist @Stephglinski on Instagram to get a glimps of the daily life in Kabul. She also uploaded a highlight about how she was forced out of the country by US military but found her way back to her home in Kabul.
• Do some research about your roots if you haven't done it already. And if you like to share what you've found so far and if it was surprising to you, please email me!

See you soon!