Candidate to the French presidency in the 80s, Francois Mitterrand did not enjoy the outgoing personality common to most public figures. This shortcoming, which could have been misinterpreted as being haughty or shy, was yet turned to advantage by great communications professional Jacques Seguela.

During the electoral campaign, the latter designed and displayed posters of Mitterand showing a picture of the candidate highlighted by the slogan “la force tranquille” – (quiet strength), which turned a perceived shortcoming to the benefit of the politician, hence convincing voters to choose him as their president.

Instead of seeing him as a taciturn, haughty man, French citizens were rather made to consider the greatness of a man who draws his strength from the depths of silence, a man who acts rather than talks.

Seguela recently met Sister Marguerite Tieberghen to share some of his communication skills with her. This little nun from the Sisters of Charity congregation had spent her life in poverty-stricken Congo where she ran a school offering free education to disadvantaged children. More than thirty thousand of them had been saved from the prison of ignorance thanks to Soeur Marguerite’s endeavours.

She was unfortunately called back to France due to her old age and her only wish is to rally enough support to keep the school running hence her meeting with the prince of advertising.

While Jacques Seguela’s mission was only to give some communication advice, he was so overwhelmed by the nun’s kindness that he ended up writing her biography. Sister Courage, which has just been published, aims at making the life of this profoundly charitable lady of hearts known to the public.

“Touched by kindness rather than grace”, Seguela is convinced such lives should be glorified and publicized. He advocates a Who’s who of kindness as part of his plans to counteract the despising attitude we tend to have towards that vital virtue in our modern society.

Nowadays all sorts of businesses seem to be fuelled by malicious behaviour and reflexes. For instance, in some TV programs, people interact in a very hostile way and people seem to draw a sadistic pleasure out of watching them. TV icons, such as Marc Olivier Flogiel who hosts the program “On ne peut pas plaire à tout le monde” and Laurence Boccolini from “Le maillon faible” do not spare their guests from uncalled for, embarrassing remarks, a style which seems to be approved and… appreciated by their audience. People seem to celebrate the ends without caring about the means. In that respect, uncharitable behaviour which leads to short-term success is often used to subdue others to one’s whims and authority.

Kindness is often confused with meekness while it implies active fighting of maliciousness on top of the urge to do good. Meek persons do not fight, they just comply. Kind persons never comply with evil, they fight it sometimes at the cost of their lives like Gandhi, Luther King, Lincoln and Rabin.

People who think kindness is the prerogative of the weak surely have not heard about the very strong judo Olympic gold medallist, David Douillet, who spearheads charitable action, “operation pieces d’or”, in which coins are collected to improve children’s hospitals. He is just one example of successful persons who encourage kindness by example. Let’s take, for instance, the regular concerts organized by local artists to raise funds for needy persons who require urgent treatment abroad.

Another example of kindness in action is the ongoing recent crusade of the press against the plague of poverty. Many steps through the different articles which I hope will lead to a great leap in making poverty history in our country at least, but it all depends on how kind we all can be.

Kindness is intimately linked to service and we are all called upon to serve in one way or the other. Human beings cannot escape from cooperation and service. By the way, did you know the word ‘minister’ literally means servant? Yes kids, ministers are in fact servants of the people, who in democracies are chosen by the people themselves. Therefore there is nothing downgrading in service-on the contrary it is the vehicle of kindness by excellence.

We can all show and nurture kindness. On top of it, and highly desirable, is our duty to be charitable to others. One cannot claim to be kind to God while being unkind to others.

A good deed a day keeps evil away; why not give a chance to kindness? It is undoubtedly a “force tranquille” which does not boast about itself. This does not mean that it should not be glorified because, without it, the world would have been annihilated long ago.

<B>Alain JEANNOT</B>