42: Ukraine: Weaving War Reflections with Simon Western and Caroline Bainbridge

In this episode, Simon Western is joined by organisational
consultant, certified Analytic Network coach, and Emerita
Professor of Psychoanalysis and Culture Caroline Bainbridge to
reflect on what is happening in Ukraine, drawing on psychosocial
thinking. Their aim is not to provide answers but to stimulate
thinking and insights.
This horrific, shocking, and unnecessary war is about the Putin
regime deepening its own power base, and imagining themselves as
Tsarist heroes ‘making Russia great again’ to borrow from their
‘Trumpist’ friends.
At the heart of this project is repression; the war can be
thought of as a ‘return of the repressed'.
Fukuyama proclaimed the End of History when the Soviet Union
collapsed, and many swallowed the kool-aid and repressed the
clear signs that totalitarianism was returning within China and
Russia, while authoritarianism was resurfacing through populist
and nationalist politics in the west.
The war can also be thought-about as part of the Putin regime's
desire to impose a new repressive regime across the old Soviet
empire.
Simon and Caro reflect on these and other thoughts, hoping to
create thinking space for those listening to engage in their own
reflections, in order not to fall into the traps of
repression.       


  


Bios


Simon Western is the host of Edgy Ideas Podcast,
founder of the Eco-Leadership Institute
www.ecoleadershipinstitute.org, and CEO of Analytic-Network
Coaching- an advanced coach training company. He is the author of
internationally acclaimed leadership and coaching books, and
blogs on wider social-political issues. Previously a past
president of ISPSO,  a family psychotherapist, general and
psychiatric nurse, and a factory worker.  Simon works with
senior leaders in global companies as a leadership consultant
with the aim of delivering new eco-leadership cultures that
support system-change, and to coach ‘leaders to act in good faith
to create the good society’.





Caroline Bainbridge is an organizational
consultant, accredited Analytic-Network coach, and Emerita
Professor of Psychoanalysis and Culture. She specializes in
inclusion-focused leadership work and organizational change, and
executive coaching that centers on complex experience. After more
than 25 years as a university lecturer, published writer, and
researcher, Caroline has been recognized as Emerita Professor of
Culture and Psychoanalysis. She is fascinated with how our
networked and mediated milieu shapes experience and behavior.
Caroline trained at the Tavistock in London and at the
Eco-Leadership Institute. Find out more here.