The sensitivity of a woman
could give Mexico a hope for change
This is a letter sent to “La Opinion de Houston” by Dr. Habib Chamoun-Nicolás
I am a Mexican who, like millions lives abroad. I live outside my country, not because of insecurity, but for lack of opportunities in my work area.
My exodus abroad occurred about 25 years ago, when I decided to go to graduate school in order to make a difference in the business environment of my country upon my return. Shortly after getting my Doctor in Philosophy and in Engineering at the University of Austin, Texas. Specializing in the petroleum industry, I started a postdoctoral position with Elf Aquitaine, a world recognized French oil company.
I was doing well, but I wanted to return to my home country, so I prepared my resume to send to Mexico from France by diplomatic courier. Soon thereafter I received a letter from the Presidency of Mexico, citing that I would soon be receiving correspondence from Pemex, the only petroleum company in Mexico. It was a memorable moment for both my wife, Marcela, also proudly Mexican, and myself.
Indeed, I received a letter from my respected PEMEX, kindly stating that I was over-qualified for any office in Mexico. I warmly thanked the PEMEX representative who drafted that letter, as my career path took another turn. Since then I have devoted myself to understanding the art and science of negotiation, which I discovered is my vocation.
I write to express the reason for my prolonged departure from my mother country: the need for a decent job to provide a better quality of life for my family.
I write because I'm sure 2012 is truly a year of faith and hope for Mexico. I have been blessed to learn the philosophy of life from two great female leaders: my grandmother, Mariam, and my mother, Maria Elena, to whom I owe what I am.
And now I have the happiness of having a new generation of women leaders in my home, my wife, Marcela, and my daughter, Marcelle, who at age 12 had the courage to send a handwritten protest letter to the Texas House of Representatives, concerning proposed cuts in state government for primary education. Marcelle's request was read on the floor of the House of Representatives in Austin and also resonated at the White House in Washington.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS5hCSl8U1U )
I have also discovered the leadership of women when conducting research on the most famous negotiating culture in history, the Phoenicians. I was surprised to learn that one of the principles of that culture was the respect for women, along with equality, fairness, and integrity.
To the Phoenicians, women played an important role, not only in the family, but also within society. Even a continent bears the name of a nymph and Phoenician princess, Europa, sister of the first teacher of history.
It's amazing to realize that the founder of Carthage, the Princess Elisa or Dido, made history because she preferred to die in flames than lose her dignity. For the Phoenicians, dignity is not negotiable and always above each deal.
I've always been a true believer that we should promote women for top positions regardless of political party. The rise of Josefina Vazquez Mota opens a huge range of possibilities for our country, if we place our faith, hope and support in her leadership. Just as the Phoenician Princess Dido founded a trading empire in Carthage from nothing, I trust Josefina will support the restructuring of the Mexican economy from households to large international corporations. What better leader to have than a woman who knows what it means to be committed to family and country!
I have been giving lectures, courses, and consulting in international trade and negotiations for more than 15 years in more than 40 countries around the globe and have seen something we all have in common - we live in a deep crisis concerning core values.
The core of the family is being attacked constantly. Indeed, it has been fractured, but we have no one to blame but ourselves as parents. We do not pay enough attention to our children.
What psychologists call an authority gap is forming between the two most important actors in the family: mother and father. This authority gap is getting bigger every day and is becoming an abyss.
Confused children take wrong paths instead of becoming a star. A sick family makes the economy sick. So, we need more than ever to have a woman leader take charge of our beloved Mexico. Remember the story of the three horses and a lion, in which three horses were very close, so close that nothing could not kill them for centuries. One day a lion came and began to whisper in the ear of the horses one by one. The lion’s goal was to put one against the other. After much manipulation and insistence, he succeeded in separating the horses. The lion could then attack and kill each horse easily. One by one they disappeared forever. I tell this parable, because we think that one horse represents the children, another horse represents the parents, and the third horse represents society. The lion represents the spirit of evil, envy, arrogance, ego, corruption, bribery, abuse of authority, negligence, lack of commitment, cynicism, disloyalty, etc. ... We live in a time when the lion is roaring everywhere. Watch out! The lion is roaring where we least expect it in order to devour us. Do not let that lion destroy our society. We need a different leader, a leader unlike one we’ve ever had. We need Josefina to lead us, who, with the help of all, will kill the lion.
I have never before actively participated in politics or sought any political office. I have never in my life written publicly my thoughts and reflections on behalf of a candidate for President of the Republic of Mexico, but now I do, because I demand a real change.
I understand that change must start with me. That is why I am committing to my principles and disseminating a public opinion. If not now, when? Today is the time to act on our desire to have a better Mexico for us all!
Dear Fellows Mexicans, this is the time to use our talents to serve others for the common good. As God has blessed us with talents not to bury, but to use. The more we have, the more responsibility we have to use them. Let's make history. Let’s vote for Josefina for President. She is committed. Her origins are like the Phoenicians, like the iron woman Margaret Thatcher. We have a strong woman with conviction and with great faith, as the Phoenician woman who negotiated with Jesus on behalf of her ailing daughter. Undoubtedly, we are blessed. We have woman candidates in the nation’s top offices. Let's make change a reality! Mexico needs us more than ever! Don’t let the evil spirit continue conquering our country! I leave you with a very old proverb of the sea, a philosophy of Phoenician women and men, “Amel Mnij ¨ w Bel Kepp Baher.” That means, "Do good and throw it into the sea". This proverb has four dimensions: 1) the sea is so vast that no one will see your good deeds, 2) the waves overshadow all that is seen and all that is good, 3) the vastness of the sea means we will never fill the sea with our good deeds, and finally, 4) the sea is dynamic, not static, thus the goodness you cast out will return to you. The sea can send back a tsunami of goodness, happiness, harmony, love, and spirituality.
This is precisely what we should do! Do good for a better Mexico. Unexpectedly, we will get a return with a better community, with a better country. As in construction, with the help of lime, water, steel, and cement, we can build either bridges or walls. In the same way, we Mexicans with our own materials, hands, hearts, and minds, we can build a better Mexico or a wall to progress. Let us not give up; we can still recover the country.
The decision is in our hands! Voting for Josefina to build a better future for our children is not only an alternative, is the only alternative. It is a duty and a responsibility towards the common good of our society.
Houston/Texas, USA
May 5, 2012.