Re: [Int-koordination] Fwd: PPI statement on the Bordelais affair

[michael john sinclair <mickeyy_sinclair AT yahoo.de>]

On monday there is a PPI board meeting if you can be present i can foward your letter for the meeting.

Best regards 

Mickey Sinclair

Team Int Koord.

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

On Fri, 5 Apr 2019 at 15:09, Patrick Breyer

<europa AT patrick-breyer.de> wrote:

Hallo,

ich habe dem PPI-Vorstand mal was zu seinem Statement geschrieben.

Vielleicht könnt ihr das gebrauchen/aufgreifen.

Beste Grüße

Patrick

-------- Weitergeleitete Nachricht --------

Betreff: PPI statement on the Bordelais affair

Datum: Thu, 04 Apr 2019 14:02:00 +0000

Von: Patrick Breyer <europa AT patrick-breyer.de>

Organisation: Team Patrick Breyer (Piratenpartei)

An: Guillaume Saouli - PPI <guillaume.saouli AT pp-international.net>,

vorstand AT piratenpartei.de

Dear Guillaume, dear PPI board members,

I am referring to your statement on the Bordelais affair

(https://www.piratenpartei.de/2019/03/15/waehlerinformation-betreffend-unsere-liste-zur-europawahl-2019/

) and, being PPDE's lead candidate in the upcoming elections to the

European Parliament (but not a member of its board), I would like to ask

you some questions on your text.

First of all I agree with many parts of your statement, including not

tolerating any downplaying or victim blaming, thanking Julia for her

great work, pointing out the importance of our movement's credibility

etc. But other parts of the text don't seem to be fair to me:

1) Have you studied what the PPDE board (

https://www.piratenpartei.de/2019/03/15/waehlerinformation-betreffend-unsere-liste-zur-europawahl-2019/

) and I (https://www.patrick-breyer.de/?p=575559#en ) have published on

the affair? It is important to know the facts before making a judgement.

Did you present your draft statement to PPDE's board beforehand so they

could comment?

2) Your statement criticizes PPDE's board for "lack of action and

oversight" and "apathy, lack of common sense and lack of leadership".

What exactly is the action you believe was lacking, and how would it

have prevented the terrible outcome of the affair?

Unless you can say specifically what other course should have been

taken, it would be better not to voice such criticism.

In hindsight it was certainly a mistake to trust Gilles Bordelais to

honor his promise to step down. However I don't think this mistake is

fairly appreciated with words such as "apathy" or "lack of common sense".

3) The headline of your statement "Sexual harassment cannot be accepted

in our circles" can be read as suggesting that PPDE is accepting sexual

harassment in its circles. Do you intend to say that?

I am sure you are aware that the party has instituted proceedings to

expel Gilles Bordelais, so I don't think such allegation is fair.

Likewise, your text says: "we have no right to ask for votes when we

tolerate oppression and unequal power dynamics". In the context, this

can be read as saying that PPDE tolerates oppression. Is this what you

intend to express?

4) You are saying that due to "the apathy, lack of common sense and lack

of leadership displayed by its board", "the entire movement is now

paying for this and most likely will for a long time, in addition to the

actual victims who will live with their experiences forever".

Pointing out the devastating damage done to the movement is fair, but

the sexual harassment took place before the PPDE board had any

knowledge. So it is unfair and unacceptable to blame the board for the

victim's suffering. Certainly the victim is likely to be as appalled as

PPDE by itss failure to have Bordelais removed from the list of

candidates, but your statement does not make it clear that this is what

you mean.

5) Your statement alleges "that so-called legal obligations were

prioritized over what was morally right". What do you mean by this? In

which way were legal obligations prioritized?

6) You end by presenting your apologies to Julia and her team "for the

ordeal they have endured", apparently due to the actions of PPDE's

board. It appears to me that the greatest part of the ordeal they went

through is due to the actual harassment, the bringing complaints,

dealing with terminating Bordelais employment etc. None of this can be

attributed to PPDE. So I don't think it is fair to indirectly attribute

the "ordeal they have endured" to PPDE's board.

I myself am dissatisfied with some decisions the board took (or didn't

take), and have myself voiced loud criticism at various stages. However

I insist that we should deal with the affair fairly and seek a common

approach, rather than begin blaming one another publicly. If you are

prepared to answer my questions I am confident PPDE's board should be

happy to issue a joint statement with PPI to replace your post, and

accept that part of responsibility that can fairly be attributed to

them. In PPDE's post I mentioned above they already express regretting

the failure of having Bordelais removed from the list, and having

trusted him to honor his promise to step down.

Best regards

Patrick

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