A new survey claims that the majority of Americans no longer trust their elected officials. We’re certainly not the first citizens to feel that way, but, then, we haven’t seen much creative thinking going on in our governing body.
Imagine what could happen if we did. Can’t imagine such a thing? Read on.
Antanas Mockus had just resigned from the top job of Colombian National University. A mathematician and philosopher, Mockus looked around for another big challenge and found it: to be in charge of, as he describes it, “a 6.5 million person classroom.”
Mockus, who had no political experience, ran for mayor of Bogotá. With an educator’s inventiveness, Mockus turned Bogotá into a social experiment just as the city was choked with violence, lawless traffic, corruption, and gangs of street children who mugged and stole. It was a city perceived by some to be on the verge of chaos.
People were desperate for a change, for a moral leader of some sort. The eccentric Mockus, who communicates through symbols, humor, and metaphors, filled the role.
When many hated the disordered and disorderly city of Bogotá, he wore a Superman costume and acted as a superhero called Supercitizen. People laughed at Mockus’ antics, but the laughter began to break the ice and get people involved in fixing things.
The fact that he was seen as an unusual leader gave the new mayor the opportunity to try extraordinary things, such as hiring 420 mimes to control traffic in Bogotá’s chaotic and dangerous streets.
He launched a Night for Women and asked the city’s men to stay home in the evening and care for the children. 700,000 women went out on the first of three nights that Mockus dedicated to them.
Another Mockus inspiration was to ask people to call his office if they found a kind and honest taxi driver. 150 people called and the mayor organized a meeting with all those good taxi drivers, who advised him about how to improve the behavior of mean taxi drivers. The good taxi drivers were named Knights of the Zebra, a club supported by the mayor’s office.
“Knowledge,’” said Mockus, “empowers people. If people know the rules, and are sensitized by art, humor, and creativity, they are much more likely to accept change.”
Great ideas! Can we import him to the US?
Don’t you wish? I love the mime traffic cops the best.
I love this! Had to google him to find out more about him. I used to attend the Humor and Creativity Conference in Saratoga Springs, NY and this is exactly the kind of speakers they get – people who use such ideas to change the mood and structure of their work places, educational systems, etc. And the mimes are just the best!
A proven creative streak should be mandatory for elected officials. Instead it seems we keep getting more of the same. Do they make these people on some assembly line somewhere? I’m with Dixie – can we import him?
Empowering people is the key, isn’t it? Like Jamie Oliver, running around the elementary school playground wearing that great big pea suit on Food Revolution. We can do it. We have serious problems, but that doesn’t mean our approaches have to be so serious. Good grief – how about a little humor, art, and creativity instead? If we come to the middle and start collaborating, maybe we can lift that heavy lid and bring a little SuperCitizen moxie to our own communities. Or the Knights of the Zebra- I really like that one! I would wear a Zebra sash and be in that club.
Oh, Kerrie, I love Jamie as the Giant Pea. Actually, I love silly costumes of all sorts except the poor Statue of Liberty ones that stand on the street advertising tax preparers.