Chorus chief accuses university of #metoo intimidation
mainHendrik Vanden Abeele, artistic director of Belgian Chant group Psallentes, has published an open letter, detailing his treatment over 11 years by the University of Leuven.
He accuses the university, among other things of ‘lying, manipulating and isolating, threatening and intimidating, and placing the blame for what is happening on the victim himself.’
He writes:
It is no coincidence that I began this message with the words Me Too. Under this painful name, countless disconcerting stories have come to our knowledge recently about sexual abuse. Prior to that, we also had terrible accounts of child abuse. I think it is now high time for a new hashtag, again with a theme, so that stories about classic abuse of power can come to light as well. This sort of abuse, although not physical, often also has very serious consequences.
Read on here.
Prior to becoming a nurse I was a caseworker in a government agency. I used to tell my clients “Bureaucracy is monster. It eats you” The powers that be want yes men who do not upset the status quo because that is what is easier for them. No one likes to be criticized because even the powers that be are very insecure. (This is true also in the hospital setting).
I know this is small comfort for Abeele but all I can say is do not take it personally. Everyone in a bureaucracy is dispensable and is treated in the same dismissive manner. To get along, for the most part, one must go along and get used to the very slow pace of change. Eventually if you go along enough, the powers that be may trust you enough to allow you to make some small non threatening incremental changes. However, it is those incremental changes, not the radical ones, that survive in an institution.
Remember the serenity prayer, “May G*d grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change that which I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”. (Reinholdt Neibur) Good luck to you.