Dear ConsenSys: It is sad to take back what you have given!
“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed;
rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light.
For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.” Jesus Christ
It is frustrating. Believe me. Imagine you forgive your lover a kiss and after a while ask him to give it back! What would happen? It would not be possible. Gifts are like kisses. If they are authentic, it would not be possible to take them back. They will go and go and finally reach their original owner. It is not in the economy of gift to begin reciprocity and then cancel it out. It is more like a financial transaction: invest now to gain more later! And when you find out that it is a risky investment, immediately suspend all you have done before.
I am among those Iranian students who the ConsenSys academy provided with a scholarship to enrol on a blockchain developing educational course a few months ago, an event that heightened a lot of admiration in Iran and created a wonderful atmosphere for those who were interested in the fantastic world of decentralized currencies, a world in which there is no separation based on gender and nationality and power and responsibility is distributed fairly and humanity enjoys equality and friendship. Everyone wanted to receive the scholarship and be part of the program. For a decentralized world wonderer, what would be better than to get training by the pioneers?
Everything was fine, and leftovers were planning to have the chance to take the upcoming opportunities but good days lasts short. The Academy cancelled out everything, seemingly due to the US Financial Sanctions against Iran. In fact, they take back what they have forgiven because we acknowledged and agreed to the terms of the conditions! It is not still that romantic. It seems so disappointing to me, not because some young talented students would not be able to learn how to be the new world developers, you know that there are always alternative solutions, but because it with itself unfolds the underlying truth of our current transition to the so-called decentralized world, a world which surprisingly ConsenSys itself is a designer of that.
Alleviating our emotions, we can see a problematic paradox here as you know that it happens exactly where you teach your students about the decentralization of power, governance and responsibility. It happens right where the developers of the new world hope to render obsolete those old hierarchical power relations. Our promised land became a place that enforces discrimination based on gender and nationality. It is making me sad; it means a lot to me. May we are not entering a genuinely new world, but we are just witnessing a transition of our old institutional relations, which are the relations of inequality and power, to just new forms and institutions. For me, as an Iranian, This is the ruin of last hopes. A Hope to have a more equal and healthy world which the Blockchain promised.
A question that arises here is how can we truly imagine a new world when the foundation is building upon the ruins of this unequal world? How can we truly believe that in the new world, that now the ConsenSys pictures, we, the oppressed, will have more fair conditions and opportunities? How can we remain optimistic about what we see in the landscapes?
However, we need to keep our hopes. The Blockchain has taught us that there are always new ways of doing things. We will learn from these events and continue our efforts to build a healthier world, not for a group but all. A world where there is no discrimination and inequality and opportunities are available to all, regardless of nationality and gender. I think that was the real message of the Blockchain to us: to keep our hope and continue dreaming.
And you, the ConsenSys Academy, That was not a gift; I do not need that, please!
