Courage is something you can feel

Thinking back, I can recall many moments of impotence over the years. I know how important it is to quickly overcome that feeling so that you can move away from powerlessness towards power. For me, power means the ability to act. It means finding a way, even if the circumstances, politicians or anyone else say that it can’t be done. As a medical doctor, I also know that when there is no prospect of overcoming it, powerlessness inevitably leads to somatic or psychosomatic illnesses.

It’s important to find answers quickly. It all started after Chernobyl, when we not only felt powerless, but also had an instant enemy. It was crystal clear who our protests should be aimed at: politicians and, above all, the corporations that owned the nuclear power plants and had a monopoly on the energy supply.

But how can I speed up the communication between my brain, which has the information, and my heart, which decides how I behave? The way I saw it back then, I could either float around feeling powerless like a gnat in space, or I could say: “It’s up to me now; I want to get off my arse and do something.” It was my choice.

So it’s really a matter of wanting it, first and foremost. I often find that if I truly want something, I will usually be able to achieve it. You have to set your sights ahead and say, “Yes, it might be a difficult and risky road – and maybe nothing will come of it. But there’s no use just sitting around and wailing at the wall”.

We quickly managed to get other people excited and helped them realise that taking action is not only exhausting – it can actually be really good fun to see something through together, as a community. We had a clear, goal-oriented and emotionally charged utopian ideal: a future without nuclear power. It was a mammoth task – and, of course, there was no guarantee of success. But we said to ourselves: “Right, let’s do it!”

We started out by organising energy-saving competitions, our motto was “Saving energy makes nuclear power plants redundant”. After all, decisions we make cooking dinner can help get rid of nuclear power plants faster. That’s how it began. And a few years later we decided to transfer ownership of the Schönau power grid to its citizens, and with it control over the town’s energy supply.

We knew we had to divide the road ahead into individual stages. You can’t just click your heels and arrive at the final destination; you have to take many small steps and perhaps even some detours. When we started out, we didn’t realise how many of those there would be. In the beginning there were just a few of us responsible for drawing up this roadmap. But once we knew which way we were headed, others joined us, saying, “Wow, I want to be part of this!”

And we were lucky enough to find many fellow activists willing and able to take on the wide range of topics we wanted to tackle. We soon had a legal expert in our ranks, for example, which was especially important for the referendums. But I don’t believe luck just happens – you need to have the power to bring people together and make them feel something.

This is where a bit of my own personal philosophy comes in – I believe in savouring the moment after each successful leg of the journey. It’s important to celebrate what you have achieved. But also to take time for rest and relaxation. That way, I make sure my batteries are recharged for the next step.

The best thing is that I don’t have to walk this road alone. I’m part of a community that supports me. And if certain things don’t work out, we pat each other on the back and say, “Okay, that could have gone better, but we’re not giving up. We won’t be thrown off track that easily.” There’s an element of stubbornness to that mindset, but it’s mostly about courage. And courage is something you can feel. 

That’s something we experienced at our “electricity seminars”. These events bring so many vastly different people from far and wide to Schönau. They’re not only here to listen to presentations and discuss ideas with us, but to draw energy from the community. Many people realise “I’m not the only one who thinks this way. Back home, everyone may think I’m mad, but here I’m part of a community of several hundred people.” That sort of experience restores people’s faith and gives them the courage to take risks and step into the future. When those people go back to their hometowns and start planning solar installations or some sort of campaign, I always think: “That’s the Schönau spirit!”

The Schönau spirit is shaped by culture, by experiencing things with all the senses – and by humour. Every electricity seminar includes an “electricity night” with cabaret performances, music, food and a barrel of Gutedel wine that we empty together under a starry sky. We throw this party not only for the sake of our guests, but also for ourselves – because we are driven by a lust for life. And that’s an attitude that has also helped us all in our daily lives. We know that even though we have to go through the odd shitty situation, we haven’t forgotten how to laugh.

It has always been important to us to appeal to all five senses. We have to engage with people’s very different needs and expectations – and often a good way to do that was not to talk about energy. Instead, we put on folk music and “Rock for EWS” events, we invited people to classical concerts and exhibitions – we also organised medical lectures and much more. This can be a way to really get under people’s skin. And we didn’t just want to repeatedly bash one key of the piano – we wanted to play a whole melody.

But I also believe in taking a clear stance and calling a spade a spade. Say what it’s really about – even if you’re in the minority at that particular moment. That’s something you have to come to terms with with, too. And also what defined us, to a certain extent. We put out our message as powerfully as we could: “Something has to change!”

Of course it’s also necessary to fight in the political arena. But that doesn’t mean you must come out swinging and yelling, “You guys are hopeless, you can’t do anything!” That’s hardly the best strategy for success. Whenever I negotiated with mayors or other decision-makers, I always found it important to treat everyone with respect. I may have a different opinion and will fight for it, but I always see the person opposite me as a human being. I’m not attacking them personally, just the decisions they make.

And if you win, you also need to be a good winner, with the ability to approach your counterpart and be conciliatory. That’s not always easy because all of us are driven by both holy and unholy motivations. I admit to really enjoying poking a dinosaur so hard in the rear that it runs away bellowing! That’s how we fought against nuclear energy – and what helped ensure the fight was successful.

Another important goal was to drive the energy transition forward in a practical fashion. This naturally had financial consequences. Our idea was to enable citizens to participate in energy production and infrastructure – to set up an enterprise that would fulfil both ecological and economic requirements while also taking social issues into account. We wanted to prove that these three elements could be effectively combined. Our approach has inspired many other people.

But how much money does one really need? Sure, money is necessary to gain freedom. If you have to worry about scraping your pennies together every day, you’re not free. But instead of leaving your money just sitting around in the bank, you should think about using the freedom that money gives you to do good. That also means taking risks. Because for me, money is just a means to an end.

And that brings us to the cooperative principle: for me, it’s not about the dividend paid out in the end but what the cooperative does with the money. That’s where trust plays a crucial role: you’re being entrusted with people’s money – and trusted to do the right thing with it. That’s why, as part of a cooperative, I always have to consider whether a specific action runs the risk of damaging that trust – because if it does, then I’m not going anywhere near it. Trust takes a long time to gain, but can be lost very quickly. Trust is essential for a cooperative to survive.

With a climate crisis looming we face an even greater challenge now than in the past. Of course, a great deal of responsibility lies with the political establishment that refuses to take action, and with corporations who continue to amass millions – but the rest of us must also face up to our responsibility.

We have to decide today whether we want to enable future generations – and by that I don’t just mean my grandchildren, but their grandchildren too – to live a decent life, or whether that goal is too ambitious for us and we would rather just experience as much comfort and luxury as possible during our own lifetimes.

Through our actions each of us is directly complicit in the climate crisis. We must recognise that every action we take, every decision we make, has the potential to heal or further damage our planet. It is about consciously choosing which path we want to take and understanding that our decisions and actions are the legacy we leave behind. The enemy is not only on the outside, but also within us. How do we deal with this impotence towards ourselves? It’s a problem I have no solution for. And yet I believe that we will be able to miraculously flip the switch in time.

Dazu müssen wir uns nicht nur eine bessere Welt vorstellen können, sondern auch eine neue Form von Gemeinschaft entwickeln. Erst wenn beim Einzelnen dieses «gute Gefühl» entsteht, kann er seine eigene Verhaltensänderung als Gewinn erleben und seine politische Veränderungskraft wieder spüren. Wir müssen kraft unserer Lebensfreude einen Weg finden, wie wir nicht nur die Menschheit, sondern auch die Schöpfung an sich bewahren können – indem wir nicht nur an uns denken, sondern auch an das Leben in seiner Gesamtheit. Und deshalb brauchen wir auch wieder viel mehr das Gemeinschaftliche. Dazu gehören auch Kultur und das gemeinsame Erleben von Freude, Sinnlichkeit und Spaß an der Gestaltung einer besseren Welt. Das stärkt nicht nur unsere Gemeinschaft, sondern auch unser Durchhaltevermögen und unseren Optimismus.

I will continue to fight courageously against those who are driven by selfishness and consider themselves the centre of the universe – who couldn’t care less if life on our planet perishes; who recklessly play with fire and endanger our community and our democracy.

Democracy is invaluable, as it gives us the freedom and the opportunity to act. It is thanks to democracy that we can make the choice to seek out new, different solutions. In view of the climate crisis, this is more important than ever. The time has come when we must find the courage to embark on entirely new paths – including paths that may seem strange to us today. That’s the only way we can create a world that is not only worth living in, but will support life for generations to come. We must face up to this responsibility!

I believe in the good in people. I’m not stupid; I know there can be plenty of bad in them too. But we should not underestimate the other part. Perhaps the “good” is not only a cultural achievement of the individual, but a cultural achievement of the community. I firmly believe that, in the end, community is the only way. And community takes courage!