Wicked problems; wonderful opportunities – a letter to the British Prime Minister

– Dr Barbara Holtmann Dear Mr Cameron,

Some thoughts on what it looks like when it’s fixed

This month has seen London and other cities in the United Kingdom burn; traditionally benign neighbourhoods went into lockdown in the face of apparently lawless, mindless violence. Government leaders, both local and national returned hastily from their summer holidays. Their response was single-minded and purpose- ful. More police, swift arrests, every offender to be punished. So-called “supercop” Bill Bratton, he of “zero tolerance” and “broken window” theories in New York City in the 90s, was patently thrilled to be brought out of the locker to consult to your government. (Bratton was welcomed as the con- quering hero in South Africa too in the late nine- ties, but that didn’t work so well). No doubt there will be long and various post-mortems once quiet is restored, but the question will always remain: what was it that caused these commu- nities to respond like a rampant wild fire to the striking of a single match? When Mark Duggan was shot – it seems by police, it sparked a con- flagration that reflected a society in anguish and it is this anguish that must surely be addressed, not just the violent riots that ensued. Your re- sponses were often disappointing yet predict- able: you said that a part of your society was sick and you wouldn’t tolerate it. That there was no justification for the behaviour; that it was simple criminality… And that it would be punished. You brought in more cops. You muscled your way through the crisis and the crisis has subsided.

You’re right of course. A part of your society is sick. But to respond with intolerance (or, as your would have it, zero tolerance) is like demanding that you have your leg cut off

26 Management Today | September 2011

because your knee is infected. Or to suggest that when your knee is infected it is only your knee and not your whole body that should be treated. It’s not helpful; when a part of you hurts, you need to start with compassion for all of you – and you need to ask yourself the question; “what does it look like when it’s fixed?” before you start slashing away at the most obvious offending bits. In healthcare, it’s the difference between a holistic care and symptomatic treatment. In social terms, it’s the difference between spending on security (protection against a known or perceived risk) and investing in safety (a state which requires less security). What does it look like when it’s fixed? It does not look like overflowing prisons and a policeman on every corner. It does not look like rage and lockdown. It surely looks like a place where everyone is welcome, has a contribution to make, has a sense of destiny and belonging, where everyone protects the status quo because they have a stake in it. Where the consequences of anti-social behaviour are obvious and commonly understood and where pro-social norms prevail without CCTV cameras flowering on every street corner. So many people know so much about all this; vast libraries carry great volumes of literature on risk and resilience, inclusion and opportunity. We’re all facing the same problems, Mr Cameron. You don’t have to do this alone, with bluster and at the cost of your dream of a Big Society. Real leadership now will be about setting aside your personal fears of moral decay and a society controlled by law and order, in favour of a collective vision of peace and hope. This moment represents a unique opportunity; what you’ve been doing has failed, there is no risk is doing something completely different, new, innovative – the greatest risk lies in repeating what has not worked.