Swaziland admin on 22 Jan 2007 05:23 am
We Are all Romantic
Romance – For a Nation
Usually, I feel as if when I blog, I have had ample time to process and come to grip with certain concepts in order to write about them – not this time.
I have been battling for nearly a month with this one. It is something that the more and more I think about it, the more complicated it becomes and seems to further unravel my experience here in Africa this year. I believe I could summarize and tie back, everything which I have learned, experienced and changed back to one concept – perspective.
Africa, the word stems from a Greek word meaning “Beautiful”. I find that ironic, because originally it probably was because the first explorers were overcome with the natural beauty of the continent. What is ironic now though is how a new type of beauty or in my opinion “ROMANCE” towards Africa is forming. Before I first really “lived” in Africa, I was caught up in this same wave of romance. Now after being here for awhile I see it also in so many of the temporary volunteers. It is not a bad thing, but rather something that must be mitigated with reality.
For instance, so often when we dream of going to Africa we have this romantic ideal of how we will change the place, how we will impress ideals upon this land and be inundated by the wild, adventurous and unpatrolled land. We have this “PERSPECTIVE” which we romance about regarding what we think Africa really is. Movies like “The Constant Gardner”, “Blood Diamonds” and “Lord of War” play a huge role in shaping this perspective. However, I think more than anything it is actually I Evangelical roots which play the biggest part.
The problem with perspective is that in North America, as Evangelicals we are brought up and taught that we have the right way, the truth and have developed in the right way. Our minds are taught to try and change others and their thinking, to convert them, to show them the “right way”. When we go to Africa on our romantic journey we cant escape this governing perspective. It influences all that we do. It is the medium that encases all of our ideals which we use to make others see – the right way.
Personally, I know that before coming to work in Africa I was a young, ambitious, even naïve “agent of virtue” who had many “academic” ideals of how to change Africa. I believed it an injustice to pay someone only $3 for a days hard work; I believed it was only right that in our organization that all new management positions were filled by local Swazi’s; I believed that to shove 20 orphaned children in a foster home with foster parents was inhumane. But all of these ideals were founded on a Western ideal, which created my perspective. I have to confess that many of my ideals have been smashed with a hammer of reality and been re-shaped with a different perspective. By no means do I feel though that I have lost any substance of values, rather they are lived out in a different “perspective”.
What I have learned though is that it is not that simple. Everything here works differently and is founded on different principles. Communication is done completely different, relationships are formed in other ways and trust is garnered through other means. So, as I have tried to watch and observe, releasing myself from my ideals I have noticed that those who continue to try to change this culture, they will only frustrate themselves and damage more than they help. But, rather, we in the West need to embrace the culture here, change our perspective and hold our ideals with a very open hand.
There is no way that I can actually see the changes which have occurred within me – it is like a frog in boiling water. However, I know that in just a few weeks upon arriving back in the West, the changes and ways which my perspectives and ideals have been altered.
In many ways, the perspectives and ideals of Christianity have also been imparted on African culture. When Christian culture was first formed in the first century, it was “translated” into Judaic – Roman culture. Rather than being translated into African culture it has only been placed upon. There is a translation which needs to take place. I am not talking about Syncritism, which has widely been the case with Catholicism in South America, but rather a process where culture interacts and participates with the translation of Christianity.
In many ways any modes of development or work in Africa is the same.
Romance is a wonderful ideal and is necessary. But the reality is that romance wears thin and fades away in time. But that is not to say that we shouldn’t still try. A friend of mine encouraged me a few weeks ago saying “under the surface of militant altruism there needs to be a sheen of realistic understanding with regards to how much will change in the time of one person’s lifetime.”
Africa is wild, dangerous, beautiful, full of novelty, everything to create romance, but it is a place that will change you more than we can ever romance of changing it.
on 22 Jan 2007 at 3:03 pm # cath
Mr Woller,
Great blog! Some good stuff that I can agree with on and stuff that I have to most certainly contest! First up – I could almost do you up for plagiarism! Glad to see that our people and wonderful continent are influencing you and grabbing and pulling at your heart strings. Perhaps in one of your next blogs you could share about the strengths and lessons that “Africa” has for Christianity and humanity in the west.
Next up – what’s with this thing of a generic term for “Africa”. Africa is a massive continent with tons of different cultures and tongues!
So lets see, couldn’t agree more with you and idealistic romanisticm that so many come with – but hey at least they come and if they are open and filled with love then maybe they will see that Africa has more to teach them than they have to teach her. The bigger problem is with the people that come with that Evangelical type of attitude that dictates “we are the way the truth and the life” when in fact it is Christ who is the way. In doing so their eyes are dimmed to the new perspectives of Christ as etched into his cultural creations. Success becomes defined in monetary terms. Let us stop here and ask the question: who was/is more successful – Uncle George or Mother Theresa?
I am glad to see that you couldn’t agree more with me
when you say that a translation process needs to take place as one participates within the community. I believe that is the way that mission and trips to other places must be approached. It is only in participating with people that you can really get to love them – ultimately that’s what it boils down to – if we have not love we have nothing. I think that when we participate – then we can actually begin to experience the traumas and injustices that people are facing. When we participate people are no longer turned into projects and into programmes. Rather they can be seen as common humanity. I love the Chinese proverb that says: go to the people, live amongst them, love them, start with what they have, build on what they know.
So this is where I have a little bone to pick with you - $3 a day is an injustice. Having to cram 20 kids into one little home is an injustice. It happens and in the short term cannot be stopped – but it is an injustice that humanity has created and an injustice that humanity can prevent. so I don’t think in any way you can say its OK that they only get $3 a day. Is this not just a refuge to ease the pain and anger that such injustice creates. Why not have the ideal that every management position be filled with Swazi’s. if not swazi’s then why not Africans? I believe Jesus had ideals and he strived for them and is still striving for them. Isnt that what the Kingdom of God is about – there is the ideal that we cannot reach yet – it is still to come but yet Jesus brought it. Please, my friend, don’t lose those ideals. Jesus hated injustice and so should we. Having said that I do agree in part with you – we cannot come with western ideal and ways of doing this because yes, it is different here. that doesn’t mean to say that people don’t want to live in dignity. By exploiting cheap labour for each to get his slice – are we not just continuing the cycle of injustice and exploitation so as to better myself. Here’s the other thing, if we go on with the idea of coming to Africa to do “development” work – are we not just perpetuating this Evangelical type of western attitude that my way is the right way. the term development has very condescending connotations attached to it. If they are not developed you are insinuation that they are undeveloped, uncivilised, immature. I would contend to say that the term transformation would be a better and more positive, uplifting term to use.
So the question I have for you is as to how your ideals have been smashed and how have they been re-shaped. Perhaps that is a life time journey. Perhaps some stuff to think about is how this time in “Africa” is going influence you when you get home. what, if anything, needs to change in who you are and in how you live your life?
Anyway, thanks for the blog – lots of good stuff in there to discuss! Hopefully more and more will come out here and fall in love not just with a generic Africa but with the people themselves. After all it is only through the people that the spirit of Africa is felt! Viva Amarula!