MORE THAN ONE-Sr. Luz Enith Galarza

More than one…

It has been two months of intensive work training teachers of elementary school, according to the purpose and agenda of this beautiful project called Solidarity with Southern Sudan.

We have added more than a hundred and fifty hours in the classroom, under the intense heat of the hottest time of the year, and the best of all, have had the possibility of knowing good people who are interested in preparing themselves to help rebuilding this country after more than 20 years of violent conflict. They feel and they assume this responsibility as their own, since they lost much during the war. In 2005 a peace agreement was signed and so everything - even their lives needs to be rebuilt

As a result of our life events we accumulate stories, apprenticeships and experiences that words are not enough to fully describe, given their deep and complex relationship with the essence and meaning of life itself.

These days, taking advantage of rest while waiting to start a new phase of the project, I find myself absorbed in reading a very interesting book called JESUS TODAY. A Spirituality of Radical Freedom, written in 2006 by Albert Nolan, a priest of the Dominican order, from South Africa.

Reading it has been something fascinating. I mean that this book is one of those offering a wide range of ideas that at once intertwine with others just as, emerging encounters between friends who have an appointment to socialize for a pleasant chat.

One of these “friend” ideas is his approach to the origin of the problems of modern men and women as due to individualism, a product of the Industrial Revolution. Since then he and she focused on their rights, leaving the common good in the background, so that the industrialized western society began to promote individual autonomy in which the other is not required except for sex.

The pursuit of personal autonomy, which of course, needs to be self-financing, becomes an end in itself and promises total independence, which will result in the acquisition of liberty.

The author proposes an interesting analysis of this context from different perspectives and compares this proposal with others which are opposed to it. As an example, the cultural base of several societies, like African, the human being is only understood within his/her place and link to the community. To paraphrase a popular local expression: “A person becomes a person through the others”.

Here the legacy of ancestors takes an important place, as identity is forged within the group context. In this new era you do not need a distinct identity when everyone can accommodate to the prevailing fashion, which is short-lived and soon to be replaced by the next new one to come.

No detailed studies are needed to analyse the consequence of the separation of men and women from the other and from their roots. Just look at two of the biggest problems facing humankind today: loneliness and suicide, because of the breaking of bonding, of being uprooted, not belonging, not having a “which” that belong to us.

There is a foundation in my country called Colombian League Against Suicide, with professionals who study to understand and prevent this problem, which sadly, is increasing at an alarming rate. One of their studies suggests that those with major affective networks, whose links are strong, are less likely to suffer from depression and commit suicide unless of course the source is clinical.

From the previous argument stems a consequence that reinforces the results of their findings. Happiness is directly related to the amount and quality of emotional ties that you have. This is a very interesting theory.

In practice, over the years we have been witnessing phenomena that do not properly illustrate how humans build or strengthen their affective networks. I will refer only to a few facts because I do not intend to cover all its consequences.

On the one hand the ’new interests” of couples in Europe, has reduced the birth rate to a worrying and problematic level. A decision of each individual couple can become a social phenomenon with broad and unprecedented impact.

On the other hand individual interests in the name of development of a few countries result in serious environmental problems, which impact on all to the detriment of the collective good.

It is unfortunate that those few powerful countries, despite international summits such as Copenhagen as a recent and sad experience, do not want to commit to the agreements to preserve the planet.

However the main focus in this reflection is the complete opposite side of this individualistic reality - namely the communitarian experience which we witness in our daily life in Sudan. This is the second “friend” idea.

The stream of individualism is coming to Sudan, but has not yet taken root. It is good to witness this and see the other side of the prism.

In the simple life of the Sudanese you can feel the priority that they give to the community in simple everyday details.

For example, if you are going to have a celebration or any type of activity consideration is due to the neighbors. It is not necessary to invite them, but to take them into account. Communication is a way to involve them, and during the event, if any problem arises, this will ensure their support. Not otherwise. If they were not warned, you do not have the right to seek their help in case this is required.

Another example related to celebrations.

The past Easter Vigil lasted five hours. I want to stress that all the time the community expressed the joy of celebrating together, through their songs, prayers and dances. Nobody complained or expressed discomfort. The only people who were thinking about time were us the outsiders perhaps because we focused on our own fatigue. We could complain saying that “this is not right”… as it is against my right to individual welfare, of course.

All celebrations which I have had the opportunity to attend during these almost two years have been characterized by these two aspects, the number of people participating overflowing with enthusiasm and the duration for long periods of time.

Father Nolan refers to something about it in his book, when he refers to the empty churches in Europe and other continents, but full in Africa.

All my reflection converges here. The community redefines events, circumstances, paradigms and life itself.

Bill Firman, La Salle Brother who shares with us this mission, is also renowned for his vast experience in the field of education. He coordinates the project in this area, and has the gift of seeing the day to day, learning lessons of life, which he then writes in a very unique style. He brought one “friend” idea to my pleasant chat that, without doubt, has much to contribute. It is about the role of the community in the education of children which is a very noticeable fact in all parts of Sudan, that so far, I have had the opportunity to visit.

Children respect and obey the elderly, because these in turn are responsible for them in any context. Women, learn from childhood the care for younger kids and when they become mothers, it is like the exercise of a collective motherhood. The role of motherhood, widely valued in this culture, gives them power to become respected by children and also by the adults. Everyone here obeys the “mamas”, who are identified by wearing a colorful piece of clothing tied on the right shoulder, locally called “Lao”

The ease with which this fact is assumed draws our attention. In my culture, just to name two examples, any mother would protest if others forbade her children to speak in the temple, or prevented them from entering and exiting during the Eucharist, or urging them to give up their seat to the elderly, to mothers with babies or the disabled.

Secondly those who know the life of a school know that this is one of the main problems: Parents who forbid us to say anything to their children, while recognizing that their behavior or lack of accountability is affecting them.

Education, like many other things, has ceased to be a collective responsibility and is delegated to others: one of the parents, together or separately; the grandparents; the teachers. In the case of parents appearing in the school one is almost given an instruction manual for each child! Even within the institutions themselves there is no consensus, no sense of joint forces which causes many problems between teachers exercising their vocational mission and those who do not.

I think community is the forgotten key which would address many of the problems which are affecting our society. Community can supply the key to men and women to draw them away from the false idea that they can achieve happiness and freedom based on selfishness.

I am convinced that any work you do makes sense if it contributes to community building. I find this is the essence of the Gospel. This community component, this tending to the common good, must become the basis for the construction of pedagogical models to educate for living in community and society.

Finally, I hope that if we do not come to this awareness moved by the reading of the results of the past, that natural instinct will move us. According to studies by neuroscientists, we owe the most developed area of our brain, the hypothalamus, particularly the “amygdala” to the multiple and complex connections that emerged in our primitive period, where the imperative need to hunt, to partner, to defend their young, to avoid predators, to survive – all required partnerships and associations – in another sense community!

Luz Enith Galarza M.R.F.