Lula the Lion

[Politics] Lula the Lion.
Lula Da Silva, Brazil's head of state, is a lion of a leader. He demonstrates a level of courage in dealing with difficult political situations that few leaders have ever done.   Being Lula's neighbor, many of us South Americans take our tolerant and open perspective on inter-religious and ethnic relations for granted. There are lessons to be learned by the rest of the world who are still struggling with their ability to have civil relationships let alone healthy, productive, cross cultural, inter-religious relationships that are common place in Brazil and other Latin American countries.

 I was so impressed by Lula's perspective, that I thought it warranted a re-posting of relevant snippets from a recent interview with Ha'aretz newspaper. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1155868.html

Importance of dialogue
"I was born into the politics of dialogue, I became president of this country through dialogue and I have conducted my entire presidency by means of dialogue. I believe that through dialogue we will succeed in solving all the conflicts which today appear to be unsolvable," he says. 

Dialogue between leaders
"The importance of talks between third- and fourth-rank officials [does not hold] even 1 percent of the importance of tete-a-tete talks between leaders. Politics is mainly contact. People have to look at each other, sense each other. A leader has to look into the eyes of his interlocutor instead of communicating with him through lower-level individuals." 


Rule with your head and your heart
"You cannot do politics with hate and resentment. Anyone who wants to do politics with hate and resentment should get out of politics. Nobody can rule a country through the liver. You have to rule a country with your head and your heart. Other than that, it's best to stay somewhere else other than in politics."