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Jean Monnet, a source of inspiration at the For Good Leaders event



Our institute had the pleasure of evoking Jean Monnet’s vision, action and method at the For Good Leaders event, part of ChangeNOW, last April.

Why Jean Monnet? Because, over the course of his 60 years of commitment (1914-1975), he succeeded not once, but several times, in turning his ideal of peace and unity into reality. And all this without ever – or almost never – holding an official position, or even taking part in conferences. The most spectacular achievement, of course, is the one we’ll be celebrating in May: 75 years of peace within our community. Uniting Europeans after centuries of conflict: isn’t this a major source of inspiration for those who aspire to turn their calls for change into concrete results?

There’s no such thing as a ready-made recipe, but there are a few essential ingredients that we’ve shared with participants, and which we believe can fuel our own thinking:

1) An unshakeable conviction, formulated with absolute clarity.
Monnet knew that the strength and clarity of his convictions were both the fuel and the compass of his actions. They were neither intuitions nor mere aspirations, but beliefs that had been carefully nurtured, born of deep reflection and numerous consultations, until they imposed themselves on him as a matter of course, making his determination unshakeable. For him, forging these convictions was the real work – often done on morning walks in the forest.

2) A meticulously-constructed action strategy.
Monnet saw himself – body and mind – as an instrument in the service of his convictions. Although he sometimes dreamed of becoming a great orator, he soon realized that his talent lay elsewhere: convincing. “He couldn’t read, speak or write, but he always persuaded,” said Sir Arthur Salter. Rather than hold power, he chose to influence those who wielded it, even if it meant remaining in the shadows. He knew when and where to intervene to bring about decisive change. “In times of crisis, most people don’t know what to do. I know,” he used to say.

3) Organizing collective action.
For Monnet, collective action was both a means and an end: nothing builds unity like acting together. But for people with divergent interests to cooperate, the right conditions – psychological and material – must be created to encourage positive behavior. Monnet excelled in this art, not least because he never acted for himself: his sole objective was to solve the problems that divided others.

4) Building effective institutions.
Human beings are imperfect, and their actions are limited in time. That’s why well-designed institutions, capable of capitalizing on experience, serving the general interest and making decisions, are essential to human progress. “Nothing is possible without people, nothing lasts without institutions. The latter establish a framework of rules conducive to virtuous behavior, where individuals, left to their own devices, tend to deviate.

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