Freshly Ground group outside Tutu tester at Masiphumelele

The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation is a public benefit organisation doing research and service provision, in the field of TB and HIV/AIDS. It has a site based at Masiphumelele (Cape Town, South Africa) that is serving predominantly the Masiphumelele community.

Our work currently focuses on HIV prevention research and strategies in the Community. This includes community education and awareness around prevention strategies which include Vaccines, microbicides and PreExposure prophylaxis.

The 1st December is World AIDS Day which we will be observing through an event aimed at making women aware of HIV prevention options that they have as well as ongoing research for an alternative HIV prevention method for women.

I will also be recognising women who have been attending ongoing Women’s Health discussions groups on issues affecting women such as Domestic Violence, Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV, Family Planning and general Women’s Health topics i.e. pap smears (doctors and other experts are invited to answer questions from the participating women). The discussion groups are open to all women from Masiphumelele community in Cape Town every Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The event will commence with March starting at 11:00am from the entrance of Masiphumelele around the community into Masiphumelele Community Hall (12:00) where various activities will take place. Due to the people we are targeting the programme will be conducted in IsiXhosa as the dominant language within Masiphumelele.

Tutu tester

Ps. our mobile Tutu tester will be outside the hall for voluntary counseling and testing.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu reacts in front of the 'Tutu Tester' mobile unit before being tested for HIV in Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday Oct. 22, 2009.

Yours in community work,
Sipho January
+2774 495 2022

Image via Wikipedia

spitting image
1. noun Informal.
Origin:
1925–30; from the phrase spit and image by confusion of spit and with spittin’; cf. earlier the very spit of -  the exact likeness of

2. British satirical puppet show which ran on the ITV television network from 1984 to 1996

In the spirit of the famous UK show, Kenyan politicians (as well as Barrack Obama and Michael Jackson) are being satirised in The XYZ Show, which has just finished its first season and starts again in January. This is a report from Reuters Africa.

Elsewhere, the South African Broadcasting Corporation commissioned and then rejected as too controversial the series ZA News (from the .za in  South African web addresses). It is now available for streaming and download over the internet. This is the first episode from October this year; of course, it’s difficult to follow if you don’t know about the news, but it’s worth watching if only for the puppets of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu at the beginning!

In the next instalment, we’ll be looking at the original Spitting Image and its European partners in crime in Spain, France and Russia!

—————————-

Strange Random Language Fact: There is no English word that rhymes with purple – so if you’re writing a song, consider using “blue” instead!

Khulu Radebe is on the Hillside Digital board of trustees and a member of the council of elders in Alexandra Township, Johannesburg. Khulu is a retired MK (ANC military wing) soldier. He was jailed during the Apartheid era on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela.

While in exile during Apartheid, Khulu; a jazz drummer, played in New York and Geneva. He played with some of the best jazz musicians of the day. Here he is explaining the meaning of the word “ubuntu” to founder of Hillside Digital, Danny Lurie.

Thanks to Tess Martin-Fox, in Chicago, for her courage in sharing her journey battling cancer, and for her passion for this project, that like a fire has spread to many folks there. To my dear Rushay, Port Elizabeth, for his “ubuntu” photo, that started all of this, he has become such a wonderful brother to me and to my best friend Angela in Miami, who  helped create this u tube video of the podcast :  she is in hospital today with major surgery and our thoughts are with her.

This interview was created in response to the #tatforanangel project started as a result of community across the world responding to a desire to raise a voice for the people of Alexandra via the work of Hillsidedigital.

This week Danny Lurie and his team will start training of selected individuals in the Alexandra Township. Several individuals will be trained in citizen journalism  film production. Their voices and stories will be shared with their local community groups as well as the international online media. Their needs will hopefully be enabled to access appropriate funds.

This work is overseen by the Council of Elders, for whom Khulu Radebe speaks. For the project to be sustained international & local support for Hillside Digital online Ecommerce platform must begin.

We are all so grateful for the many individuals across nations particularly on twitter and facebook who have already given their support. The Tattoo of  Ubuntu that myself and Tess will get is a creative a solidarity for that. Across the world we see the need for people to grasp that we are “One Humanity” and together we can make a difference to the lives of others less fortunate. That is the spirit of Ubuntu

Ubuntu Is Humanity

Someone asked me, just yesterday, whether or not they should go to Johannesburg and if so for how long. I’m so bad at answering these questions. Not sure why. Here’s my attempt:

I enjoyed my time in Johannesburg. But so much of what I enjoyed was made possible because one of my closest friends, S., lives there. The things that everyone would typically do in Johannesburg turned out to be very mundane. Our first full day in Johannesburg, we went to the Apartheid Museum, where we were first divided arbitrarily into racial groups to enter the museum and given a detailed history of South Africa and apartheid. Normally one who takes their time during museum visits, I seemed to speed through the exhibits compared to my friend, C’s, snail-like pace. We would have probably spent the entire day there, had the lights not gone out, forcing C. to run out of the museum, missing a little more than a quarter of the exhibit.

We also went to Soweto, the most popular township known for its role in the struggle against apartheid. We dined buffet style at Sakhumzi’s while we were serenaded by a girl with a beautiful voice, and joined by a contortionist who had been folding himself into awkward positions on the street with hope to receive tips, earlier. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from him. C., on the other hand, was not as interested. Sakhumzi’s perfect location put us right in between Bishop Desmond Tutu’s house and Nelson Mandela’s house, which is now a museum. So we visited the both, with the latter having more activity around it, particularly people selling things.

Speaking of selling, S. took us to the African Market at Rosebank to search for souvenirs. Let’s pause for a moment right here. NOTA BENE: When I say souvenirs, that is precisely what I mean. Trinkets. Magnets. Mass produced paintings. Etc. Although, I quickly fell in love with this number:

Yes, that is a real zebra hide. Yes, I saw it and was drawn to it, like a moth to a flame. Dear PETA, please don’t hate me. I loved it, up until I found out the price. 8,000 South African Rand. Please do the math on that. Yes, over $1,000. I chuckled and walked away, and it was mistaken for a negotiation tactic.

Salesman: How much do you want to pay? I give you good price.

Me: No no, honestly, I cannot afford it. The fact that you started at 8,000 rand means I shouldn’t even continue to talk to you.

Salesman: Give me 6,000 rand and you can have it.

Me: What about 6 rand?

Salesman: What you said? Six thousand? [Emphasis on thousand]

Me: I need to go find my friend.

The run-of-the-mill Johannesburg activities were fun, yes, but like most other tourist activities you may want to run quickly through them so that you can get to the real fun…

xo

J. Justine

straight from the….

OFFICE OF THE CHAMPIONS SECRETARIAT
Festus G. Mogae
Chairperson
GABORONE BOTSWANA

October 30, 2009 

 His Excellency, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni President of the Republic of Uganda
State House Nakasero
P.O. Box 24594
Kampala, Uganda

Your Excellency,
On behalf of the Champions for an HIV -Free Generation, I send you warmest greetings and best wishes.

We, the Champions for an HlV-Free Generation, are on a mission to exchange ideas and encourage stronger and more visionary leadership in response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Sub Saharan Africa. Our mandate is to promote key policy, legal, cultural and behavioral practices, as well as messages that help accelerate the social outcomes needed to achieve an HIV-free generation.

The first is a draft Bill, the “Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009,” recently introduced by a private member’s motion in the Parliament of  the Republic of  Uganda. Among the most disturbing  provisions of the bill are: Incarceration for any person convicted  of  ”homosexuality”; a sentencing of death for anyone with HIV convicted  of  ”aggravated homosexuality”; incarceration for “promotion of homosexuality”; criminal penalties that apply to citizens and permanent residents living outside of Uganda; and declaring null and void any “international  legal instrument whose provisions are contradictory to the spirit and provisions enshrined in this Act:”

The second Bill that has come to our attention is the draft “‘HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Bill,” currently under debate in the Uganda Law Reform Commission. Many positive aspects of the bill exist, including provisions against discrimination of people with HIV and AIDS in schools and at places of work. However, one provision of the Bill stipulates incarceration for offenses related to the “breach of safe practices of HIV prevention.”

Your Excellency, we respectfully express our concern at the provisions referenced in these two Bills and fear that passage of such legislation, which deviates from international best practice and recommendations, could lead to increased stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS and the groups most vulnerable to the epidemic.

The 2001 UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) Declaration of Commitment on HIV and AIDS, adopted by all UN Member Stares, emphasized the importance of addressing the needs of those “at the greatest risk of, and most vulnerable to, new infection as indicated by such factors as … sexual practices.”

At the 2006 High Level Meeting on AIDS, the Member States reiterated their commitment underlying the need for “full and active participation of vulnerable groups and to eliminate all forms of discrimination against them … while respecting their privacy and confidentiality.”

Furthermore, assessments conducted by UNAIDS for the General Assembly have confirmed that stigma, discrimination and criminalization faced by men who have sex with men are major barriers to the movement for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

UNAIDS has recommended that governments respect, protect and fulfill the rights of men who have sex with men and address stigma and discrimination in society and in the workplace by amending laws prohibiting sexual acts between consenting adults in private, enforcing anti-discrimination, and promoting programmes for men who have sex with men who may be especially vulnerable to HIV infection.

[ blogger note: this is always the part where I get troubled by the direction of the focus on 'queer' issues.....in a HIV/AIDS /neo-colonial framework...it is always the men who have to be singled out for protection...the silences are perpetuated with every pathologisation of OUR  sexuality....because this bill 18, which is the point of this protest in word, affects an entire rainbow soup of identities...

essentially we are all at risk of infection and transgressions carry the heaviest consequences...and what could be more real than 2 dicks fucking each other? life is real.......it's not just those MSM you have to worry about, the WSW are quite as dangerous too...there is power in/visibility.. ...]

African leaders are hoping major progress will be made during the UN’s climate conference in Copenhagen (COP15) which is scheduled to begin December 7.  Many believe the conference will be crucial in fighting world hunger.

As U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said there could be “no food security without climate security.”

Food security is an obvious problem for many developing countries who are already wielding from the current economic situation.  However, they may be disappointed to hear that U.S. President Barack Obama along with other world leaders will most likely opt out of signing any legally binding climate pact until at least next year, according to African Reuters.  But, they also reported that European negotiators have said the move did not imply weaker action.

Still, human rights activist and international executive director of Greenpeace, Kumi Naidoo, stated in an article for BBC that leaders need to take serious action now.  Arguing that

“Nature does not negotiate.  It will not wait for our political leaders to set aside their petty differences and short term self interest. It will not wait for civil society to join in common cause.”

In a video address, Archbishop Desmond Tutu winner stated that 185,000,000 Africans will die this century as a direct result of climate change.  He goes on to say,

“As I speak, famine is increasing.  Flooding is increasing. As is disease and insecurity globally because of water scarcity.  It is the countries which are the least responsible for causing climate change that are paying the heaviest price.”

Salifou Sawadogo, Burkina Faso’s environment minister, was quoted in October as saying Africa would need $65 billion to cope with the effects of global warming and along with other African leaders have asked to set up a global fund for the continent’s developing countries.

The Global Post reports that “moves to keep global warming down to an increase of 2 degrees Celsius could cost developing countries $140 billion to $675 billion a year, according to the World Bank. Adapting to global warming — as opposed to trying to stem it — could cost $75 billion a year.”

On a blog hosted by Cop15.dk, chairman of Malian NGO MFC Nyetaa Ibrahim Togola said,

“If the world leaders fail to understand this signal by not having an agreement in Copenhagen, then we should expect more displacement of people from one area to another and increase conflicts that could be critical for democracy and security in the World.”

Last time we checked, they didn't just interview anyone at half-time of a nationally televised professional basketball game.

There are numerous benefits to participating in PPI – CY’s activities, teams, and events. The most important of all these is the opportunity to meet and play basketball with members from the “other side” of the island’s divide, and form special relationships that shape a better future for the island of Cyprus. The breaking down of barriers and the dissolution of generations-old, inaccurate stereotypes are perhaps the greatest accomplishments of PPI – CY’s children. But there are other very important benefits to being a part of PPI – CY.

PPI – CY offers all children the opportunity to participate.

For most, participation on one of PPI – CY’s teams represents the first ever opportunity to play on an organized basketball team. Most club teams in both communities recruit only highly skilled players for their teams, and like most teams, only the best players get a lot of minutes on the court. PPI – CY offers a chance to anyone who wishes to play, free of charge. Members of PPI – CY’s teams have traveled to Northern Ireland on youth conflict resolution trips, played before sell-out crowds at Professional EuroCup basketball games (and then were interviewed on live television before an audience of millions), worked as ball-boys and ball-girls at the Games of the Small States of Europe (A.K.A. the Small Country Olympics),  shaken the hands of former President Jimmy Carter and Archbishop Desmond Tutu,  met and talked basketball with former NBA star Len Elmore, and have gotten their picture in the local newspaper on numerous occasions. The benefits of playing with PeacePlayers go well beyond the lines of the basketball court, and the desks of the classroom.

There are numerous opportunities involved with being a member of PPI – CY.

Maria Achilleas, a former member of the Greek-Cypriot Agios Antonios’ Girls Team (pictured above in the middle), was selected from a pool of candidates to attend last summer’s Youth Activism “Mission to Northern Ireland” with a mixed group of Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot boys and girls. The trip had a profound impact on her. Her parents said that “everyone should participate in this program.” According to her mother, since Maria started playing basktetball with PeacePlayers her school work has improved and her English language skills have improved drastically. Maria is currently playing for her school’s girls team and stops by PPI – CY practice every once in a while to say hello. Before PPI – CY started its team in Maria’s neighborhood, there was little opportunity for girls her age, regardless of athletic ability and social status, to be able to play on a real basketball team.

Tune in next week to meet the members of PPI – CY’s newest and perhaps most ground-breaking team: the Girls team of Agros.

The hardest part is what to leave behind . . .

It’s time to let go” [Winnie The Pooh].

On the last page of Success magazine is a list of 10 Actions You Can Take Right Now.  Basically, it’s a brief recap of the how to take the information presented in the publication and put it into action, essentially turning Knowledge into Power.

In the most recent issue, Action Item #8 caught my eye.  It simply stated, ”Forgive You.”

“Nothing can sabotage your life more than not forgiving yourself . . . Make a list of at least three grudges you are carrying toward yourself, and decide today to forgive yourself and leave them in the past.”

I don’t think I’d ever heard it presented quite that way, “carrying a grudge (a feeling of ill will or resentment) against yourself.”

I try to never hold a grudge against another person.  It’s not worth it. Unforgiveness takes too much energy. It wastes your time. It poisons your heart.

I believe that “forgiveness is the economy of the heart . . . it saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits” [Hannah More].

And, yes, I believe all of these things to be true . . . when I consider the actions of others.

But I am not nearly so benevolent with myself. I’m not so quick to overlook my shortcomings.

The relationships that ended poorly.
The harsh comment.
The neglected kindness.
The selfish action.
The thoughtless blunder.
The forgotten promise.
The missed opportunity.

I tend to think about them.  And then think about them some more. Point them out to others. Keep pulling off the scabs so they cannot heal. Believing that I need to do penance to atone for my sins. Why do I do this?

Why would I refuse to extend tolerance, patience, and unforgiveness to myself, when I offer it to others?  Sometimes I am my own worst enemy.

What about you? Are you holding grudges? Are you carrying around resentment toward yourself? Isn’t it time to forgive yourself and move on with your life?

Forgiveness is a decision; it’s not an emotion. When you decide to forgive, your emotions will follow your decisions.

There is no way your spirit is free to show joy, congratulate yourself on your achievements, and celebrate the life you have with your family, if you have not forgiven yourself” [Andy Andrews].

Let go of self-resentment and banish the grudges you hold against yourself so you can free your spirit to live a fulfilling life.

Forgive you. Today.

“Without forgiveness, there’s no future” [Desmond Tutu].

Whatever you are, be a good one!

Deanna

Last night (and today) New York City is pretty raucous. Maybe we should say more raucous than usual–Having to do, of course, with the World Series win by the New York Yankees. The Yankees happen to be one of those teams that you really like or you really don’t–there doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. There isn’t much “grey” territory in politics these days either. Today as I write thousands of opponents to the current version of Health Care Reform are gathering on the steps of the Capital Building in Washington, D.C. to express their opinion. If you watch closely contested elections or simply listen to talk radio or watch cable news opinions get expressed rather loud and forcefully (of course, if you know me you know that my opinions are not that strong and are generally kept to myself).

Some of these things are worth getting rather “excited” about while others are not. However, there are conditions in our world that truly are worth our emotion, effort, and concern–some of these may even be ones you are passionate about–I am speaking of some of the deeply horrific moral conditions around our world. Things like:

• world poverty/ hunger
  
• homelessness
  
• civil war/ethnic cleansing
  
• child sex trafficking
  
• AIDS
  
• abortion
  
• persecution of Christians
  
• racism/prejudice
  
• corrupt national leadership around the world
  
• etc., etc., etc.

I hope and believe that we would see these things as far more significant than who won the World Series. I want us, though, to think about our reaction–when we read that list, or read a magazine article, or watch a television program highlighting one of them–what does it evoke in us? Pity, tears, a shake of the head, denial, apathy, compassion overload, writing a check–or does something rise up in us that demands action?

Desmond Tutu was once quoted as saying, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”

Making the same point in even stronger terms, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.”

I have come to the realization that not everybody who reads this blog shares my Christian worldview–and that alone has made for some fascinating discussions–so whether it comes from a biblically based conviction or some form of a transcendent internal moral compass–is there such an undeniable sense of moral clarity that drives you to action?–and, if so, what action are you taking?

Pastor Jeff

Above: Actor and marshal arts expert Jet Li speaking on climate change for Cop15.

Here are some excellent questions which, if you’ve come to read this, will strike you as the sort which could be answered:

Is our species’ environmental clock really at 11:01 P.M.? With perfect prose and profound metaphor I would like to assure you it is, but half-a-century of experience and intuition about how humanity lives can’t help me put that into a sound-bite or paragraph. But, with patient, long-suffering experts like Tom Lovejoy telling us that we can expect that 1/4 to 1/3 of all species on Earth will perish unless we quickly pull our act together – now – that should get your attention and make you step into action. Tom also agreed that there’s no computer or scientist’s consortium – no modeling process – to accurately estimate the outcome of our species’ environmental influence.

Above: Desmond Tutu speaking on climate change for Cop15.

So if one assumes for the moment that we’re really in the middle of a big problem, what would be the next big step we could take to solve it? Would a multi-national conference with our best leaders be a good place to get rolling? Then the process of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change would be that place, known lately in the media as Copenhagen, Cop-15 and other slang.

Above: Denmark’s Prime Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, speaks about climate change for Cop15 and mentions the YouTube setup to send your video directly into the meeting’s conference rooms.

If the things above are what’s happening, and they are, then what has the United States done about its part in the Cop15 process? Who are the players? What’s the agenda? The meeting of our elected and appointed officials starts on December 7, 2009 in Denmark. If you look around the Web or listen to the old broadcast media you won’t find anything of substance about what’s being done. Do you want anything positive to come of this?

Why would the process, goals and names of our U.S. delegation to the Copenhagen meeting – from one of the world’s model democracies, with one of the world’s most respected leaders be so hard to find? Does the president of one of the most powerful and influential nations in the world, responsible with China for most of global warming, have a video that says exactly what he’s going to do to solve these problems?

These are questions we’ll try and resolve on the next Blue Planet Almanac, 11-23-09

NON-PROFIT ‘THE WORLD IS JUST A BOOK AWAY’ APPOINTS LEADING BUSINESSMAN EMILIO DIEZ BARROSO AS NEW CHAIR

TWIJABA WILL END INAUGURAL YEAR PROVIDING OVER 10,000 CHILDREN WITH BOOKS AND LIBRARIES

Los Angeles, CA, USA (November 2009) – Non-profit organization The World Is Just A Book Away (TWIJABA)—which supplies books, and builds libraries and schools for children in developing countries—is honored to announce Emilio Diez Barroso as its new Chairman.  Overseeing an impressive Board gathered over the organization’s successful inaugural year and a half by Founder James J. Owens, Diez Barroso’s impressive resume, business acumen and contacts make him a premiere choice to lead the next phase. Chairman and Founder of NALA Investments, LLC, Diez Barroso is recognized as one of the most powerful Latinos by Poder Magazine (2009) and The Hollywood Reporter (2007).

“It is an honor and pleasure to be involved with The World is Just a Book Away,” says Diez Barroso, who is also an avid reader. “I believe in the vision of its founder, James Owens, and what the organization stands for. This is an opportunity to leverage my resources and collaborate with a great group of people with the intention of bringing value through books to the lives of children.”

Diez Barroso’s company is a private investment holding company with operations across various industries including communications, transportation, energy, consumer products, real estate, IT infrastructure, media and entertainment. He has held senior level positions and sat on the board of most NALA owned businesses including most recently NALA Films, a production company that produces and finances feature films, television content, and new media.  Diez Barroso was raised in a highly successful business world:  his family created the two largest Spanish-language media companies in the world, Televisa (NYSE:TV) and Univision (NYSE:UVN),

He has been recognized with multiple awards in Latin America and currently sits on the board of directors of Summit Entertainment, a worldwide theatrical motion picture production and distribution studio; of MLA Partner Schools, a non-profit organization working to improve schools and empower neighborhoods in some of the most disenfranchised communities in Los Angeles; and Affinity Mobile, LLC, a telecommunications solutions provider, to name a few.

The continued mission of The World Is Just A Book Away (www.JustABookAway.com) is to bring hope—in the form of books, libraries, and schools—to thousands of children in developing countries. The program was launched in Sidoarjo, Indonesia, site of the mudflow disaster that displaced more than 60,000 people and destroyed many schools.  By the end of 2009, TWIJABA’s first year: 10,000-plus children will have access to books, 20,000-plus books will be provided, 22 school libraries will be built, and one Mobile library will serve an additional 28 schools.

Diez Barroso, who reads two to four books each month and calls The Alchemist “one of the most impactful books for me”, is looking forward to picking up on Owens’ momentum and accomplishments. “I want to have a positive impact in everything we do, from our internal meetings to our outreach to the communities we touch. I want to help grow the organization into a self-sustained entity with a qualified team executing on every front and secure stable funding sources that allow us to implement long term strategies.”

TWIJABA has attracted a strong and varied list of supporters across business, entertainment and academia. Advisory Board members include Jenny Ming, former President of Old Navy and one of Fortune magazine’s “50 Most Powerful Women in American Business”; Jim Ellis, Dean of the USC Marshall School of Business; and Tim Monich, highly-respected dialect coach of Hollywood.  Prominent non-Board supporters include Queen Noor Al-Hussein, Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall, Lois and Buzz Aldrin, Shirin Ebadi (2003 Nobel Peace Prize), Yo-Yo Ma, Muhammad Yunus, and the late Natasha Richardson.

The non-profit also enjoys the enthusiastic support of students and young professionals, dispelling the idea that being on a Board is restricted to the over 40 age group.  TWIJABA’s Board has members in their 30s, and Owens created the “Ambassadors” program as a stepping stone for the younger participants.

With Diez Barroso taking on the day-to-day Chairmanship, Owens is able to focus on the overriding mission of TWIJABA and attend significant events where he is invited to participate, and spread the word about his organization. The first weekend in November, he will attend “Festival of Thinkers” in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which brings thinkers together from across the world to share ideas, foster thinking, and inspire college-age men and women in the region.  In March, he attended Education Without Borders 2009 Conference in Dubai, UAE, as a Distinguished Guest and Mentor. Owens, who is assistant professor of clinical management communication at the USC Marshall School of Business Center for Management Communication, is also focused on the completion of his book featuring submissions from more than 70 of the world’s most prominent people about their love of reading and books that inspired them.  He plans to donate all the profits from the future book sales to non-profits, including TWIJABA.

###

Hi, my name is Jake. I’m an English major at Elmhurst College.

A story that illustrates why I chose to be an IFYC Fellow this year? Hmmm, well in order to answer this I feel as though I must answer a larger question as well, that being “Why am I involved with interfaith work in general?” The short answer is the cliché of peace, love and understanding. The long answer is this:

The first time I heard Desmond Tutu speak about his fight against Apartheid was also the first time I ever remember feeling truly moved or inspired by another. In his own, very Desmond Tutu way, he shared one of his guiding principles. Though he is a Christian, Tutu attributed his efforts to an African philosophy. A very simple, singular word. Ubuntu. He defined it as meaning “A person is a person through other people. No person exists alone. I am me because you are you.” For me, Tutu’s words expressed a sense of mutuality and interdependence which, up until that point, had never been articulated so perfectly and never seemed so possible.

So, I suppose that one word has led me to IFYC. I feel called to insure that you are allowed to be you in all your forms and that such respect is reciprocated to all. With all our unique idiosyncrasies, ideologies, beliefs, religions, heritages and ethnicity. And along the way we must do our best to understand one another and learn from one another and some day soon love one another.

With that, Id like to instill that mentality or at least present it to others. Especially college students. I would like to see this world handed over to a generation of leaders who at least have an idea of mutuality and interdependence and certainly a respect for others. With Ubuntu in mind the divisions between friend and enemy, ally and opponent blur just enough to force us to reconsider our actions. If we knew or felt or thought we were all related, why would hate even exist?

A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.

~Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Watch him talk about it here

This morning at church we looked at Matthew 5:14-16:

14″You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Bonnet, the pastor of Brethern in Christ church that shares Ferndales building was speaking and it was brilliant. He explored so many ways in which we are called to be light in this world! |The one that really struck me however was about ‘Doing the Unusual’.

He made the point that we often as Christians ‘do the usual’, so do what other people do. Do what is culturally acceptable.  And we do! This links into conversations I’ve had friends this week to do with Halloween and how we as Christians should celebrate it. i.e. do we totally avoid any dealings with it, or make a value judgment depending on what it is we’re doing. e.g. spending time with non Christian friends which has some Halloween content such as pumpkin carving and dressing up? I think I’d tend towards to the second but can understand why people would go for the first because we are called to be children of light . . .

But back to this morning, Bonnet gave the example of Desmond Tutu’s conversion which really struck me. Desmond grew up in South Africa during the apartheid so was used to the fact that he had to give white people the right of way whilst walking. According to wikipedia (not the most reliable of sources but pretty accurate this time I think) the story is as follows:

“One day”, said Tutu, “I was standing in the street with my mother when a white man in a priest’s clothing walked past. As he passed us he took off his hat to my mother. I couldn’t believe my eyes — a white man who greeted a black working class woman!”

This white priest did the unusual! He looked beyond the cultural norms and loved his neighbour, even though it would have been seen as awful.

This felt like such a challenge!

Det tilspisser seg mellom Zimbabwes statsminister Morgan Tsvarangirai og diktator Robert Mugabe. Trolig er ikke en samlingsregjering løsningen for et land, fullstendig politisk og økonomisk skakkjørt, etter mange års vanstyre.

Regjeringssammenslåingen som ble iverksatt i fjor høst, har siden da sett ut til å bli vanskelig å gjennomføre. Hyppige arrestasjoner av medlemmer av opposisjonspartiet MDC, samt full splid om viktige posisjoner i regjeringen, utmatter det allerede slitne landet ytterligere.

Valgfusk
Robert Mugabe har ledet landet siden 1980, og innehatt presidentembetet siden 1987, da statsministerembetet ble nedlagt.  I fjor sommer tapte Mugabes parti Zanu-PF valget, til fordel opposisjonsleder Morgan Tsvangirais MDC. Valget ble fort ugyldiggjort, sett med vestlige øyne, da internasjonale observatører ble nektet inngang til landet. Mugabe, som da hadde regjert landet i 28 år, nølte med å offentliggjøre resultatet. MDC var imidlertid tidlig ute med å erklære at de hadde fått flertall i parlamentet – noe som etter en stund ble bekreftet av valgkommisjonen, men med under 50 prosent flertall.

Mugabe erklærte derfor en andre valgomgang, men store uroligheter i landet gjorde dette umulig, og Mugabe klamret seg til makta. Etter intense forhandlinger, klarte imidlertid de to partiene i fjor høst å enes om en regjeringssammenslåing.  Nå spørs det om denne noen gang vil bli gjennomførbar. Historien mellom Tsvangirai og Mugabe er lang, og hvordan skal egentlig to politiske ledere som ikke tåler trynet på hverandre kunne samarbeide?

Kontroversielle reformer
Zimbabwe het en gang Rhodesia, var britisk koloni, og sett på som et afrikansk foregangseksempel – et fremtidshåp. Landet var, og er fortsatt, rik på naturressurser, og var regnet som ”Afrikas kornåker”.  I år 2000 startet imidlertid Robert Mugabe sine jorbruksreformer.  Problemet var at knapt 4000 hvite farmere, eide så mye som 70 prosent av den beste dyrkbare jorden i landet. Og mange svarte mente at de var ”frarøvet” jorden, og at de i så måte også var de rettsmessige eierne.

Tusenvis av hvite farmere ble jaget vekk fra gårdene sine, og for de 600 som fortsatt oppholder seg i landet, pågår terroren fremdeles.

Stoppet bistanden
Reformene i år 2000 ble også starten på en stor økonomisk kollaps i Zimbabwe. Da landet i 2003 opplevde en hungersnød skyldte regjeringen på tørke, mens FNs Matvareprogram sa det var et sammenbrudd i landbrukssektoren. Bistanden inn til landet ble stoppet som konsekvens av den hårreisende politikken, og Zimbabwes diplomatiske forbindelser til vesten havnet på kjølepunktet.

Inflasjonen i landet er et kapittel for seg selv, og nådde i 2006 tusen prosent.

Tidligere denne måneden varslet Storbritannia at de øker bistanden til Zimbabwe til hundre millioner dollar i 2009. Mens vesten ellers vegrer seg for å gjenoppta bistanden, gir britene mer til de sørafrikanske landet, enn noensinne.

Må øke presset
Nå er det kanskje på tide å se etter andre løsninger, enn et samarbeid mellom Zanu-PF og MDC. Problemet er – og Mugabes fordel – at afrikanske ledere vegrer seg stort for å kritisere mannen, som i 1980 ble sett på som en frigjøringshelt i kjølvann av borgerkrigen. Mugabe dyrker fortsatt høy status blant politiske ledere i Afrika, og tabbekvoten ser også ut til å være umåtelig lang.

Samtidig vil neppe den 85-årige lederen gi seg, i den prekære situasjonen landet nå er i. Manglende pressefrihet, human nød og økonomisk kaos er fasit for dagens Zimbabwe.

Noen afrikanske ledere har imidlertid tatt til orde for å få fjernet Mugabe. Den sør-afrikanske erkebiskopen Desmond Tutu og den Kenyanske statsministeren Raila Odinga uttrykte i 2008 at militær makt kunne være løsningen. Sistnevnte oppfordret også Den afrikanske unionens ledere til å engasjere seg mer mot Mugabe.

Zimbabwe har en lang vei å gå, og samlingsregjeringen i Harare ser nå bare ut til å minimere det direkte internasjonale presset mot Mugabe, og skape ytterligere kaos. Zimbabwe trenger trolig et fullkomment regimeskifte for å komme på beina igjen.

‘… time in jail was not wasted. He had gone to jail as an angry, frustrated young activist. In prison the fires of adversity purified him and removed the dross; the steel was tempered. He learned to be more generous in his judgment of others, being gentle with their foibles. It gave him a new depth and serenity at the core of his being, and made him tolerant and magnanimous to a fault, more ready to forgive than to nurse grudges – paradoxically regal and even arrogant, and at the same time ever so humble and modest’. – Desmond Tutu, ‘Setting Free the Past’, Oliver R. Tambo Lecture delivered at Georgetown University.

Our quest for interesting and insightful content on leadership leads us to the Interview with Desmond Tutu by freelance journalist Marika Griehsel in Gothenburg, Sweden, 28 September 2007.

The 1984 Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu discusses what makes a good leader. See the whole interview below

I have felt overwhelmed and immobilized by the enormity of the issues I’ve heard about since the start> series began.

All the info can make doing even small things seem like they can’t make a difference.

Here are two stories that melted away that “What good could I possibly do?” attitude.

STORY 1: Desmond Tutu from Session 1 of start>
Watch 11:25 – 13:07 and be encouraged.
Click on the Session Sample tab to play.

STORY 2: Jimmy meets his Compassion sponsor of 19 years.
Our Teaching Team had the privilege to experience this moment in person. After hearing them share, I found it online and wanted you to see it for yourself. The first 3:45 are filled with stats that may well overwhelm you, yet again. If you’ve had your fill, use this time to get a kleenex or two (or three.) You’ll thank me later.

Aside from this video making me want to run out and sponsor a child a hundred children, it also highlights how something so seemingly small (sponsoring A child) can make a big difference.

So my challenge to all of us – do something. Don’t know where to start, how about with these?

~ Sheila

Swine Flu’s Lesson for Christians and Other Humans
Swine Flu … It’s all over the place.  Unlike  the Bird Flu, each of us have either had it ourselves or know someone who has it.   Swine Flu leaves people with a high fever and a lack of energy.  It can also leave us with a lesson.

[Where We Were]
Americans like to think of ourselves as a collection of individuals.  We are ruggedly individualistic.  It’s the byproduct of 225+years of Democracy.  The iCulture that we live in flows from iVote.  Fences partition our homes (and lives) from our neighbors.  It has been difficult for us to see ourselves connected in any meaningful way to the person at the grocery store or a coworker.  

[Where We Are Because of Swine Flu]
Swine Flu Teaches Us That We Are All Connected.  Instead of seeing ourselves as individuals, we have begun seeing ourselves as part of a complex web of relationships.  It is like the game “6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon,” but without Kevin Bacon.  An 8 year old boy in a neighboring town has a classroom that is 50% absent due to sickness.  What does that matter to us?  Previously, not much.  Now, it is very relevant.  That 8 year-old has a mom and that mom works in the office with us.   The health of that child is relevant to his family as well as it is relevant to you and your 4 year-old.  With three degrees of separation, you can connect the 8 year-old from another town to yourself.  Suddenly we are seeing that the lives of one another are intertwined with our lives.  We are seeing the truth that we are all God’s people and part of a global community.

[Where We Can Go]
Some day the Swine Flu will dissipate.  We will either be inoculated or build immunity.  But when the Swine Flu fades, will we still remember its lesson: that we are all connected.  My suggestion is that we tie Swine Flu to the African belief of ubuntu.  Ubuntu means that “I am a person through other persons.”  It defines each human as primarily a relational being.    Desmond Tutu further described ubuntu this way:  “[Ubuntu means] In order for you to be all that you can be, I have to be all that I can be.  In order for me to be all that I can be, you have to be all that you can be.”  We are all connected so intiately that we can’t think of a “me” without thinking of a “she.” 

What if we thought of Love as a contagious action that has a series of ripple effects.  When you encourage your coworker, maybe they come home in a better mood for their 8 year old.  When you teach a child to love their neighbor, maybe they sit at a lunch table with the class pariah.  And maybe when you decide to not buy something you do not need, you see the money blessing a community of people with fresh drinking water. 

What if we recognized and celebrated our interconnectedness as God’s children and started spreading something truly great?  Like Jesus.