I was asked to talk at Camberwell Corp tonight – just a bit about what I’ve been doing – but connected to the theme of Peace...I was a little confused at first and I think the words I used was “what the hell do I know about peace!? Is the Peace Vigil about Iraq or something??”…cause I’m clueless. But I think God has actually been teaching me a lot about peace lately so I thought I would just share some of those rambling thoughts around what I’ve been doing...
For the past couple of years I have be working for the Asia Pacific Regional Facilitation team, and one of the places we have been most involved with is Sri Lanka. For those unaware, Sri Lanka is the tiny island next to India and has been in Civil War for the last 25 years. The Tamil Tigers in the North are fighting for independence from the Sinhalese population which represents the majority. But there is a strong resentment from the Tamil people of all ages, of the Sinhala majority.
When I first went there 2 years ago, the “peace” agreement was fragile but holding. We were actually able to go up to the North and hold a Tsunami Trauma Counselling Workshop – where we were trying to establish groups of volunteers to go and be community counselors, allowing people the opportunity to share their grief and deal with the psychological impact of the tsunami. Very quickly we established, the tsunami was just one part of a lifetime of war trauma. When the Tsunami came, people actually just assumed that it was the sound of fighting starting again. It was very much a superficial belief in ‘peace’ – they didn’t trust it. I can tell you some great stories about our translator for the week that ended up being a Tamil Tiger spy – just keeping tabs on what we were up to.
But one home visit we did, this tiny little lady sat in her temporary shelter and showed me the last picture she had of her 8 sons…Pointing to each one…war, war, tsunami, war …of her 8 sons, 5 were killed in the war, 2 in the Tsunami, and one had managed to escape to London. After a very emotional encounter, I came away from Jaffna asking a lot of questions about peace….
I have a good friend in Sri Lanka who is a young single officer and from the North and I once asked her the all important question of why did she decide to become an Officer? her response… “Because Tamil and Sinhala marry each other”…Not the response I was expecting but one that I’ve thought a lot about since. For her, The Salvation Army was modeling what society could be like, where Sinhala and Tamil lived together. What a powerful testimony to what we as the Salvation Army can be.
As limited as my understanding is, the peace agreement that was brokered by the UN did nothing to change the attitudes of people in everyday life towards each other, and so the grief and hurt still fuels the division hatred and fighting.
However God has really been challenging me a lot lately about how easy it is to look at places like Sri Lanka, say they should all live in peace without looking at what is underneath, and what’s more, without looking in the mirror on ourselves and in particular the Indigenous situation here in Australia. I won’t even begin on the Government’s intervention but the image of how the Salvation Army are modeling reconciliation in Sri Lanka (whilst not perfect), is a powerful statement. And my questions is…does our church model that same image of Australia reconciled with its Indigenous people??
Daryl Crowden has written a piece on Reconciliation (which I recommend, see his blog link on the right) and I particularly love a part under a section “WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE ARMY?”
“This means taking time to understand the Aboriginal culture, not just to observe and judge the forms, but take time to reflect on the function and meaning behind the often-misunderstood observable behaviours.
Allowing the culture to influence our own. Acknowledging that the culture has impacted our own. Our values are, in part, formed by our common history. We need to face this history truthfully and honestly – acknowledge the part we have played in the current economic, physical and spiritual context of the Aboriginal person and seek to find ways in which this wrong can be redressed. Forgive and be forgiven by hearing and telling the stories.”
But for me that means we need to make the first step to put ourselves in a position that we can actually hear those stories, we have to be in relationship.
Tuesday 18th is National Close the Gap Day – and Oxfam are holding a rally at Federation Sq 12pm – 2pm.
If anyone is interested in joining a group of us going as TSA, you’re most welcome. For me it is about starting to step out into spaces where I can learn about the Aboriginal people, their culture, doing something very small but symbolic to say that I care about the situation and that I want to learn and be changed by it.
I have fallen in love with a quote underneath a painting at THQ that reads:
"The promise of reconciliation begins with the journey of indigenous and non-indigenous people approaching the cross of Christ where we sit and share stories, honoring one another as those made in the image of God. United in purpose, we walk away as partners – reconciled people – committed to being agents of reconciliation"
So that is my small ramble about some thoughts around “Peace”…
Showing posts with label Sri Lanka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sri Lanka. Show all posts
Sunday, 16 September 2007
Peace
Monday, 2 July 2007
The Beach Boys & Shop 16...We're all on a journey
Down south in Sri Lanka, Hikkaduwa is known for its beautiful beaches and as such is a popular place for tourists to visit. It was also a town hit hard by the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2005.
The Salvation Army has been doing a lot of work there, not only with tsunami reconstruction but also in the area of HIV & AIDS. For many of the young men that live there, employment options are limited. There are limited labouring jobs, at best temporary, and there is of course the seasonal fluctuation of jobs within the tourism industry... and the hidden - ugly - side to tourism, that is the sex industry. A team mate working in the area told me a story about the local 'Beach Boys' in March that taught me on a much deeper level, the importance of being in relationship with people...of journeying with them.
In an area where unemployment is high, the team in Hikkaduwa have been starting a lot of sports activities in the community to not only give them something to do and an alternative to sitting and drinking, but to build relationships. In talking to these young men that they've become friends with, they were gently asking questions about thier choices to engage in prostitution with tourists, it was clear that they were not taking ownership of the health risks involved, the risks of contracting HIV & STD's. They were aware of them...but it wasn't a factor in thier decision making process. The youth often have this idea that they are 'invicible', young and strong, "It won't happen to me" attitude. It is for this reason that no amount of telling them what to do, or awareness programs alone will change thier behaviour. However, sadly there often comes a time when either them or a friend, does become the person that it happened to...If we are not there journeying with them, we may miss that 'light bulb' moment, where not only do they now understand the risks you were talking about in very real way, but they turn to you for support and advice... They give us permission to help guide them on a path to health and healing.
This week we were out at "Shop 16" in Reservoir, Melbourne and I was once again reminded about this lesson, that we journey with people in order to bring about behaviour change, to bring about health, healing and wholeness. How can such different places, different issues, different cultures, teach me the same lesson?
'Shop 16' is an amazing...to say 'place' would be misleading...i will say family and community that inhabit a shop front as thier home. During the morning out there, we spent some time thinking about how care is expressed within the Shop 16 community, but also what changes have occurred as a result of the care. A common reflection was that care is shown through acceptance and respect regardless of life circumstances . But also how the care that is shown for the kids and family has slowly evolved into a community culture that sets healthy expectations on each other. For example, the kids expect each other to actually go to school, or that after school they will look for work rather than rely on welfare etc....this is a huge shift in the attitutes and culture of the area. There is real behaviour change, that in the long term will break the cycle that is often generational. But this only comes through a long term, relational and loving acceptance of people and believing in people's capacity to care, change and make decisions for themselves that will bring hope for a healthier life.
The Salvation Army has been doing a lot of work there, not only with tsunami reconstruction but also in the area of HIV & AIDS. For many of the young men that live there, employment options are limited. There are limited labouring jobs, at best temporary, and there is of course the seasonal fluctuation of jobs within the tourism industry... and the hidden - ugly - side to tourism, that is the sex industry. A team mate working in the area told me a story about the local 'Beach Boys' in March that taught me on a much deeper level, the importance of being in relationship with people...of journeying with them.
In an area where unemployment is high, the team in Hikkaduwa have been starting a lot of sports activities in the community to not only give them something to do and an alternative to sitting and drinking, but to build relationships. In talking to these young men that they've become friends with, they were gently asking questions about thier choices to engage in prostitution with tourists, it was clear that they were not taking ownership of the health risks involved, the risks of contracting HIV & STD's. They were aware of them...but it wasn't a factor in thier decision making process. The youth often have this idea that they are 'invicible', young and strong, "It won't happen to me" attitude. It is for this reason that no amount of telling them what to do, or awareness programs alone will change thier behaviour. However, sadly there often comes a time when either them or a friend, does become the person that it happened to...If we are not there journeying with them, we may miss that 'light bulb' moment, where not only do they now understand the risks you were talking about in very real way, but they turn to you for support and advice... They give us permission to help guide them on a path to health and healing.
This week we were out at "Shop 16" in Reservoir, Melbourne and I was once again reminded about this lesson, that we journey with people in order to bring about behaviour change, to bring about health, healing and wholeness. How can such different places, different issues, different cultures, teach me the same lesson?
'Shop 16' is an amazing...to say 'place' would be misleading...i will say family and community that inhabit a shop front as thier home. During the morning out there, we spent some time thinking about how care is expressed within the Shop 16 community, but also what changes have occurred as a result of the care. A common reflection was that care is shown through acceptance and respect regardless of life circumstances . But also how the care that is shown for the kids and family has slowly evolved into a community culture that sets healthy expectations on each other. For example, the kids expect each other to actually go to school, or that after school they will look for work rather than rely on welfare etc....this is a huge shift in the attitutes and culture of the area. There is real behaviour change, that in the long term will break the cycle that is often generational. But this only comes through a long term, relational and loving acceptance of people and believing in people's capacity to care, change and make decisions for themselves that will bring hope for a healthier life.
Thursday, 31 May 2007
Sri Lanka PSS - Photos
The Family!!
Batticaloa Team
Manel & Sita
Batticaloa Team - Community Map
Community Counselling CycleTuesday, 29 May 2007
What are we creating?
Well I've just returned home from what was a really good week back in Colombo, where we held a Psycho-Social Support (PSS) Workshop. After 2 years of Community trauma counselling there, the local team saw the need to continue supporting communities emotionally beyond the trauma of the tsunami but in general life issues.
There are so many reflections i could give but the thing i wanted to write about is an eternal question within development circles that came up a lot this week...On our first day we asked the group, what are your hopes for your community? And the response that hit me was.. "to change the receiving mentality of our community"...The sheer amount of money and material aid poured into the tsunami response has changed communities, and i would argue not in a healthy or sustainable way.
On the other hand, during our workshop we spent a couple of afternoons in IDP (Internally Displaced Person) camps just outside Colombo that had been hit by the tsunami and it must have been one of the poorest tsunami communities i've visited. My heart was really broken by the stories of a number of the families we chatted to. A young lady our group visited really impacted upon all of us. Her husband had recently gone to prison and now she lives in the camp with her son who is 3 and she is 5 months pregnant. She told of how her husband had never been in trouble before the tsunami but he had started hanging out with people that were not good for him since. She shared of how her son cries for food and the support of her neighbours who are now helping feed them. Compared to areas in the south i've been to previously such as Hikadduwa, this area seems to have recieved very little assistance at all in the last 2 1/2 years. The camp was at the back of a buddist temple and the houses were very simple and life there still very temporary.
So where do we find the balance between material assistance and remaining true to the belief that these communities do have capacity within to collectively change thier situation? Whilst the communities maybe not able to change the hard employment situation that they face, and the material aid, liveihood programs, mobile clinics that other areas have would all provide huge benefits to that community, there is also a lot they themselves can do to improve life there in the camp...But the later often takes a bit more time, and time journeying with people, to show them that they can infact bring about change themselves and hope for a better future.
There are so many reflections i could give but the thing i wanted to write about is an eternal question within development circles that came up a lot this week...On our first day we asked the group, what are your hopes for your community? And the response that hit me was.. "to change the receiving mentality of our community"...The sheer amount of money and material aid poured into the tsunami response has changed communities, and i would argue not in a healthy or sustainable way.
On the other hand, during our workshop we spent a couple of afternoons in IDP (Internally Displaced Person) camps just outside Colombo that had been hit by the tsunami and it must have been one of the poorest tsunami communities i've visited. My heart was really broken by the stories of a number of the families we chatted to. A young lady our group visited really impacted upon all of us. Her husband had recently gone to prison and now she lives in the camp with her son who is 3 and she is 5 months pregnant. She told of how her husband had never been in trouble before the tsunami but he had started hanging out with people that were not good for him since. She shared of how her son cries for food and the support of her neighbours who are now helping feed them. Compared to areas in the south i've been to previously such as Hikadduwa, this area seems to have recieved very little assistance at all in the last 2 1/2 years. The camp was at the back of a buddist temple and the houses were very simple and life there still very temporary.
So where do we find the balance between material assistance and remaining true to the belief that these communities do have capacity within to collectively change thier situation? Whilst the communities maybe not able to change the hard employment situation that they face, and the material aid, liveihood programs, mobile clinics that other areas have would all provide huge benefits to that community, there is also a lot they themselves can do to improve life there in the camp...But the later often takes a bit more time, and time journeying with people, to show them that they can infact bring about change themselves and hope for a better future.
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