Teach GLOBAL
CITIZENSHIP network newsletter no. 20
Border-crossers, mediators & go-betweens.
Don’t we need more of them?
Today, where
confrontations and escalation of violence are flooding our media, I have begun
to wonder:
Where are the
voices trying to reduce tension, and develop peaceful coexistence, and how do
they do it? Further, how can we learn from them - and become inspired to
duplicate their efforts?
The content of
this newsletter addresses this question through examples of organized activities
& links, which I hope will inspire you - and if you are a teacher - to
start exploration of these questions by your students.
Following are
two examples of initiatives by border-crossers, mediators, & go-betweens
that I’ve met through my teaching in Kenya:
Example One: “Zanzibar
Interfaith Centre” and “Upendo Means Love” (hereinafter ZIC)
The Centre
& the workshop offer courses and seminars to Zanzibarians of every
faith. Examples include courses in
English, computer, and sewing as well as sport clubs and life skill education.
ZIC works also
with religious leaders at the national level, through a joint committee of
religious leaders for peace in Zanzibar and through more than 300 local peace
committees throughout Unguja and Pemba (the two largest islands of
Zanzibar).
The purpose is
to build bridges between followers of different religions, address conflicts,
and promote peace.
Source: Danida
Open Aid Project: Support to ”Zanzibar Interfaith Centre” and “Upendo
Means Love” (webpage)
The general situation in Zanzibar
Zanzibar is a
semi-autonomous region in the Indian Ocean, a few hundred kilometers off the African
coast. In 1964 Zanzibar merged with mainland Tanganyika, and the united
republic was named Tanzania.
Of the Zanzibar
population of 1,2 million, 97 % are Muslim, 1 % Hindu, and 1 % Christian.
Although followers
of these faiths have traditionally lived in peace, in recent years a rising
group of young Muslims have developed aggressive actions towards Christians.
They feel Christians hold disproportionate influence in Zanzibar - and in the
state of Tanzania as a whole. In recent years, there have been cases of
violence, arson, and the throwing of acid on Christian priests and Muslim
leaders, who cooperate with Christians.
Though the
radical elements, who turn to violence, are not the majority, the general situation
is characterized increasingly by mutual distrust and suspicion between the
followers of different faiths.
The basic ideas / the conceptual basis of actions
in ZIC
ZIC´s strategy
to change this situation is to start with joint activities where the
participants get to know each other and experience what they have in common rather
than what separates them. The first step
is called a Diapraxis, which is followed by dialogue.
The term
“Diapraxis” originates from this text:
“ … While dialogue indicates a relationship in
which talking together is central, Diapraxis indicates a relationship in which
a common praxis is essential. Thus by Diapraxis I do not mean the actual
application of dialogue but rather dialogue as action. We need a more anthropological
contextual approach to dialogue where we see Diapraxis as a meeting
between people who try to reveal and transform the reality they share.
From there, theological questions can be asked and
dealt with. Out of a "diapraxis" may emerge a deeper meeting, a dialogue. Diapraxis
is to question the status quo.”
Source: “From
Diapraxis to Dialogue. Christian-Muslim Relations” by Lissi Rasmussen
in "Dialogue
in Action - in honor of Johannes Aagaard." eds. Lars Thunberg,
Moti Lal Pandit, Carl Vilh. Fogh-Hansen, New Delhi 1988 (link)
Change of mindsets
(“Mindset” in Danish: Tankegang, tænkemåde, mentalitet
(Kilde: Gyldendals Røde Ordbøger: Engelsk-Dansk))
How mindsets
change through a Diapraxis is illustrated in this quote from a former
participant (now a seamstress in "Upendo’s" sewing course and production
project):
“I did not really understand when I came here what
Upendo was about, but I found out that Upendo wanted Christians and Muslims to
be together. I met that reality here, but in the beginning I had the opinion
that you should stay away from Muslims. They are dangerous people. It came for
example from the experience, that when we Christians walk in the streets we may
get yelled nicknames after us or other times churches are burned down, so we
thought those people are our enemies.
But now it is different. The activities here at
Upendo have made us equal towards each other, so now we have the understanding,
that we all are human beings being together. We are able to sit together, to be
near each other, to be together. I have now a good relation to Muslim women in the
group here at Upendo, and I have my friends. They care for me and I also care
for them. So my fear, that they might be my enemies, has disappeared. I see,
that they are my friends.”
(My translation
based on English subtitles translated in an oral Swahili video): (source)
Deepening potential:
- “Upendo means
love – promo video”: (4min., YouTube)
- “Upendo Means Love”- “Empowering Women of different
faiths”(website)
- On Facebook: (Upendo Means Love
Facebook page)
- Video from
June 2013 on the situation between Muslims and Christians in Zanzibar.
Especially interesting is a sequence near the end on “Why it is important to
work with the youth” by Lusungu Mbilinyi, youth coordinator at Zanzibar
Interfaith Center: (English speak, Danish subtitles, 5 min., video) (video, YouTube)
Example Two: “The
Centre for Christian Muslim-Muslim Relations in Eastleigh” (CCMRE) Nairobi,
Kenya
This center is
situated in the so-called "Little Mogadishu" which is a
sprawling suburb in Nairobi. Somali merchants have lived here for a long time,
and since the start of civil war in Somalia in 1991, this part of Nairobi has
been the main destination for a huge number of refugees from Somalia who are
Muslims. However, there are also people from all over Africa (and beyond) living
in every street, and the district is a commercial hub as well.
“Amidst the uncollected roadside garbage,
unfinished roads, glittering shopping bazaars, spicy aromas of the rival
restaurants, competing calls for departure for buses, loud announcements for
prayers and hustle and bustle of traders and customers for bargains, a diverse
community of people of various origins, cultures and religions compete to live
and give meaning to their life.” Source: Page 24 in “Mapping
Eastleigh for Christian-Muslim Relations”
Relations
The center is
situated in a building in the middle of the suburb, and it is a meeting place
for students from the Christian university “Sct. Paul’s University” (SPU) and
inhabitants of Eastleigh. It was created by SPU in 2010 with the aim to provide
a platform for academic and practical learning engagements between Christians,
Muslims, and non- and other-believers.
A mapping project in “The Centre for
Christian-Muslim Relations in Eastleigh”
An example of
learning engagement is a mapping project that took place in Eastleigh during
November 2012. The project is described and analyzed from different
perspectives in this book:
B. Peters,
Joseph M. Wandera, and Willem J. E. Jansen (2013): “Mapping Eastleigh for
Christian-Muslim Relations”, Zapf Chancery, Nairobi. (Bookseller’s webpage)
Twelve pairs of
students, one a Christian from SPU and one a Muslim from Eastleigh, each mapped
a street in Eastleigh. Each pair went from house to house and mapped what they
saw along with the faiths the occupants reported. Afterwards, each pair
summarized the information they had gathered as a map, before sharing it with
the other mapmakers.
The resulting
maps provided a much more diverse picture of the people in Eastleigh than they
had before:
On each street,
outdoors and indoors, distinct differences in wealth or poverty were indicated.
Although all the streets were dirty and smelly because of poorly functioning
public service, it was different inside the dwellings. Many were well kept, very
clean, nice-smelling, and equipped with high-quality Internet and
TV-connections.
When it came to
faith, most of the inhabitants on each street were Muslims, but there were also
Christians and believers of other faiths. Although there were tensions, there
were also many good relations between peoples of different faiths. For example,
on one street a Christian and a Muslim operate together a pharmacy. Many others
work for an employer of a different faith.
At times,
nonetheless, the project was close to collapsing because of inter-ethnic
mistrust, which others may have wrongly understood as Christian-Muslim
hostility.
Instead, a new
understanding was developed:
“The actual Muslim or the actual Christian exists
only in theory. In reality, however, they both are conditioned by their
spatiality” (page 65)
Another outcome,
which was intended, was that most of the student pairs developed good working
relationships although even though neither student had prior personal
experience working with another of a different faith.
An example of
how strong these new bonds were, took place in the last day of the project:
“… after
three days of hard work, Kaltuma and Susan hand certificates to each other. The
certificates declare that in addition to theory, analysis and designing maps,
they have gained practical experiences in establishing Christian-Muslim
relationships. …
… a call comes from a student of Sct. Paul’s: “You
must come at once, a bomb has exploded”. A hundred meters from where the
students are waiting, at the other end of Eastleigh, somebody has thrown a
grenade into an overcrowded matatu (minibus). At least 10 people are killed,
and many wounded. Almost everybody assumes that Al-Shabaab must be behind it.
This is how a meaningful day comes to a bizarre
ending …
… Kaltuma receives a text message that her live-in
cousin Ibrahim has died in the grenade attack. Kaltuma was the last person who
spoke to him before he got into the particular matatu.
Various people offer to take Kaltuma home in a
taxi. Kaltuma chooses Susan to accompany her to her family. … the mapping pair
returns to Eastleigh, where Susan and Kaltuma find a family in grief. …
On the last training day … the group is forming a
true peace caravan. “No more violence. Kenya is too beautiful for that”, sounds
from a big sound truck, and “The evildoer is poverty”.
During the last few days, Susan has become friends
with a Muslim, despite her hesitation at this prospect at the beginning. Today
she has learnt to know and “love her neighbour as herself. “Know your neighbour”
someone calls from the caravan. “That’s it”, she says.” Know your neighbour”.”
The conclusion
in “Mapping Eastleigh for Christian-Muslim Relations” is: “The result of the mapping exercise was a radical transformation both
in the mappers' own self-perceptions as well as their perceptions of Christian-
Muslim relations.”
Mapping is
therefore a good tool for personal development of mindsets.
Deepening potential:
- Book preview of
“Mapping Eastleigh for Christian-Muslim Relations” (page 1-19): (preview)
- Academic
deepening of the Foucault-concept of spatial dimensions being more important today
than historical dimensions: Crampton & Elden (2007): Space, Knowledge and
Power. Foucault and Geography. Ashgate. (390 pages, pdf)
The general situation in Kenya and specifically in
Eastleigh/ “Little Mogadishu”
While the
majority of the inhabitants in Eastleigh are Muslims, only 15 % of the general population
in Kenya is Muslims. The general situation is characterized by …“An apparently peaceful co-existence on the
one hand and an underlying mutual suspicion and hostility on the other".
(Source: Page 44-45 in “Mapping Eastleigh
for Christian-Muslim Relations”)
The suspicion
has grown tremendously in recent years where the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab
has carried out terrorist actions in Kenya where many have been killed.
The country of
Kenya as well as most of East Africa is a context in which religious communities
have lived side by side for centuries.
One of the founders of the center in
Eastleigh, Joseph Wandera, describes in an article what this means:
''My own experience (was) of growing up as a young
boy in a rural part of Mumias, Western Kenya, where traditional African
religion was practiced as a daily routine alongside Islam and Christianity...
Mumias had one of the earliest contacts with Islam
during the 20th century as a result of trade between Nabongo Mumia (a
traditional monarch) and the Arab traders. I grew up among Muslims neighbors,
friends, and relatives. I still remember vividly one of my childhood friends,
Abdullah, who I played with at about the age of nine. I watched closely as
Abdullah excused himself from play to go and conduct the ritual act of ablution
before salah (prayer). Abdullah invited me to his home on many
occasions where we shared meals and also went hunting for birds in the wild. I,
in turn, invited him to our home for all sorts of games.”
“My present engagements working with Muslims and
Christians at the Centre for Christian Muslim Relations (CCMRE) of St Paul’s
University, in Eastleigh, Kenya, has widened my appreciation of religious
diversity, and the challenges and opportunities it provides for mission..."
"Therefore, although I had an upbringing that
exposed me to both African traditional religion and Islam, the evangelical form
of Christianity with which I had a longer exposure through a lengthy period of
formal schooling and subsequently theological education, had the most influence
on me in the construction of my Christian identity and practice. This
inevitably left me torn between the demands of my Christian identity and the
plural religious context under which I was nurtured.
Despite my strong exclusivist evangelical ethos, my
pluralistic religious context constantly demanded building positive and
respectful relationships. These religious others were, and still are, my
neighbors, coworkers, and sometimes relatives with whom I share a common social
space."
Joseph Wandera
concludes in his article: "...
living together as religious communities is a human necessity that presupposes
and imposes mutuality" (in Danish: "en menneskelig
nødvendighed, der forudsætter og kræver gensidighed"). Source: (article on website)
Deepening
potential:
- History, mission, vision & objectives of CCMRE: (webpage)
- “Praxis:
Beyond textual and discursive dialogue in Eastleigh, Nairobi” (source)
- ”Images
in a cracked mirror: Muslim and Christian perceptions of each other in Kenya”
(link))
Final words
Change of
mindsets is a central outcome in both examples above. A typical definition of a
person’s mindset is “A habitual or
characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and
respond to situations”. The noun mindset was first used in the 1930ties to
mean “habits of mind formed by previous
experience”. (source)
As we see in
both examples, and as we all know from our own experiences, new experience may
provide proof to oneself that one’s former mindset was wrong, and one’s mindset
can change based on new experiences.
We have to be
very careful, therefore, not to define people´s mindsets as the root of
problems.
Historically,
border-crossers, mediators, & go-betweens are all descriptions of persons
who bridge the gap of understanding between different cultural & ethnic
groups. They have been viewed in many ways: With suspicion (also by their own),
with trust, with distrust and sometimes as leaders through difficult times.
Deepening potential:
- Academic
study by Jebs & Mackentuhn, eds. (2013): “Agents of Transculturation.
Border-Crossers, Mediators, Go-Betweens”, Waxmann
Teaching resources
“MAKING SENSE OF
WORLD CONFLICTS. Lesson plans to help learners understand the changing face of
conflict.”
Eight lesson plans for students 14-17 by Oxfam.org.uk. (Probably more time & instruction needed for students
with English as a foreign language)
“Teach
about war and conflict using this free resource for teachers. Drawing on vast
amounts of source material, case studies, and country information, this
resource helps investigate the complex subject of conflict, and builds
strength in enquiry, discussion skills, high level reasoning and creative
thinking.
Lessons
look at key issues in today's world including:
•
conflicts currently taking place
•
connections between conflict and poverty
•
how the arms trade works
•
When is conflict a war”
•
Download all “MAKING SENSE OF
WORLD CONFLICTS”- resources: (click)
These lesson-plans and materials may also be used as
separate topics. The following two are especially recommendable concerning the
topic of this newsletter:
“Futures” (Lesson 4) (for students 14-17, and beyond) (click)
How positive change happens is explored by use of cases
from the real world.
“Corneille
– the music of life” (Lesson 8) (for students 14-17
and beyond) (click)
This lesson uses the positive moves that the singer
Corneille has made to overcome his terrible childhood experiences through the
genocide period in 1994 in Rwanda, his country of birth. He is now a Canadian
citizen, and he has created his own English & French Rhythm’n’Blues style.
His songs show it is possible to move on – and also celebrate life! – even
after such tragedies without forgetting about the past. You may find his music
on YouTube.
- One Example: “Sur la tombe de mes gens” (In English:
“On the grave of my people”) (beware of photos in the music video from the
Rwandan genocide that are not suitable for viewing by younger kids) (click)
“WE
WORK TOGETHER. CAN YOU? Teaching ideas to help develop cooperation and thinking
about peace and conflict on a global scale.”
“The Interfaith Education Group” developed this
resource pack, which is a British partnership between 9 charities with the aim “to help teachers deal with the impact of
international interfaith and intercultural conflicts on their school.”
The resource pack includes activities for all ages.
The focus is on why working together is important, and the idea is to link
working together on a small scale to large scales conflicts around the world.
In this way ideas about different cultures and beliefs are explored.
The resource pack contains a poster, descriptions of
11 activities to choose from, and information on “The Interfaith Education
Group” and the members.
The titles of the activities are:
-
“Working together. A look at the poster”
-
“We´re working together”
-
“Same but different”
-
“People matter – a web search activity”
-
“Words matter”
-
“Solving conflict”
-
“Caught up in conflict”
- “In
the news”
-
“Stop and talk”
-
“Born equal?”
-
“Taking action”
Download all “WE WORK TOGETHER. CAN YOU?”- resources
here: (Click)
All
links were retrieved April 2016
Teach GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP network newsletter no.
20
To
read any of the previous 19 newsletters simply visit the blog (link). The content are
thematic introductions & curated teaching resources & learning
possibilities.
April
2016, Copenhagen, Denmark
Egon
Hedegaard
Email:
eghedegaard@gmail.com
Everyone,
who is engaged in developing global citizenship, is welcome to receive these
newsletters/ teaching resources. Please request via email, and network by
forwarding me questions, inspiring links, and texts to use in future
newsletters.
Overview of all “Teach Global Citizenship”
Thematic Introductions & Curated Learning Possibilities:
No. 19: ”I am your friend” project: An
inspiring example of welcoming refugee children (click)
No. 18: Three Pillars
of Success in a Democratic Society: click
No. 17: How Many Slaves Work for You? click
No. 16: Who Makes our Clothes so Inexpensive? click
No. 15: A Language Dies Every 14 Days click
No. 14: On Life in Slums click
No. 13: Up-to-date African Perspectives click
No. 12: See “Where Children Sleep”, What´s Your Thoughts? click
No. 11: What is Good “Citizenship Education”
Today? click
No 10: Place-Based Education Projects as Part
of Global Engagement click
No. 9: ‘The third Planet from the Sun’ – a
Global Dimension Case click
No. 8: Use School
Partnerships to enhance ELL, IT-learning & ... Intercultural
Citizenship click
No. 7: “You´re
Either Part of the Solution or Part of the Problem” (On genocide / folkedrab) click
No. 6: Teach about Indigenous Peoples of the World (In Danish: Oprindelige
folk) click
No.
5: Human Rights Education click
No.
4: Practicing Global Citizenship Education for Students Aged 3 to 19 click
No.
3: Global Perspectives in Challenging Ways of Learning from Kindergarten to
High School click
No.
2: Why Poverty? click
No.
1: Introduction & How to Play an Active Role in Local & Global Society click
I offer lectures and half-day professional development courses on all of
these themes in English as well as Danish
