November 5-14, Sawubona from South Africa and Ujamaa Center Conference Pietermarzitburg

Sawubona from South Africa – Sawubona meaning hello in Zulu and Swati, two of SA's eleven official languages (including english). We could also say Dumela (Tswana and South Sotho), Thobela (North Sotho), Lotsha (Ndebele), Avusheni (Tsonga), Ndi matseloni (Venda), Molo (Xhosa) and Hallo (Afrikaans)! It's been almost a month since we arrived in this captivating, complex and challenging country and if you have read the blog you know we have had a difficult time posting anything both due to time and schedule and our inability to access cheap internet. There's much to catch you up on, far too much so this will most likely be highlights and random thoughts and reflections based on the past month of meeting and talking with people and traveling around.

Much of South Africa's sunbaked land is a vibrant green from the lush grass which quickly grows after the rains arrive. In a few short months though the hills will turn brown again as the rains stop. For many animals this is good eating time – both the herbivores with the plentiful grass and leaves and the carnivores who can prey on the susceptible young who are born this time of year. A time of hope perhaps in the animal world. I have been looking for signs of hope in the people we have met and talked with and have found much ambivalence regarding their country. All South Africans whatever their tint of skin or allegiance love their country, many don't love what is happening politically – some have no hope, some believe it will be better but it is going to take time. The hope and excitement that came after the 1994 elections and that was still present in ways three years ago when we were here seems to be diminishing. We certainly don't understand all the ins and outs but when you hear that Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela have said that they will not vote in next years election, there is pause for concern.

One of the most positive things that seems to be happening according to some is the split in the ANC party (the dominant party since free elections – with the creation of a new party that hopes to bring about reform and change. For many having a true opposition party is a sign of hope and political maturity. Yet there are still huge significant challenges. The current President is largely in a filler role until new elections next year as Mbeki was forced to resign. The one who is running for President for the ANC has had rape charges brought against him and has said some interesting things to say the least in regards to this. HIV/AID's statistics are still staggering and sobering – a new report released the other day has 50% of all deaths in this country being HIV/AIDs related. As Zimbabwe continues to implode and spiral downwards, there are huge immigration and humanitarian issues that SA is facing as people flood into the country desperate to work and eat. We have heard (no factual evidence – only what we hear from some) that many young white people simply want to move to Australia (and other places) and that many are. We have heard that corruption is rife, that many from Nigeria are coming here with huge amounts of money and are running all sorts of illegal activities from huge drug rings to passport/immigration fraud. We have heard that the Nigerians are becoming the mafia here. From whites (and some black South Africans) we have heard that in the commitment to Black Empowerment (the process of putting non-white people in positions of leadership and authority) over the past ten years that there has been too much emphasis on filling a position with a black person and not enough on the capability and caliber of leadership. So there are many positions of leadership that now have non-whites in them but there has not been the training or education to go along with it. Many white South Africans will have much less experienced supervisors over them. We have heard of citrus farms where all the orange trees are being used for firewood as those put in charge were not prepared or trained in the proper procedures. We have heard and seen evidence of much less infrastructure maintenance so roads are beginning to deteriorate. South Africa will admit to about a 20 percent unemployment rate but in reality it is still probably closer to 40%. No wonder that there is a reputation for crime in this country. There are still huge disparities between those who have and those who do not. You will rarely find a white person in any sort of service job. In grocery stores, museums, national parks, there will be non white people on the front line, but there will often usually be a white person in charge in the back. Just in the paper yesterday the front page had an article about the Black Empowerment Enterprise which found that out of 118 companies only two or two percent were black owned.

So depending on who you talk to... is there hope? For some no, for some yes, for some hope is just that – confidence that it will get better somewhere down the road. We have seen that there is hope in this new political party, we see hope that anti-retro viral drugs are available for those with HIV and we have seen hope in the conference we attended our first full week here.

Although I don't believe much that happens to us is random chance (except for spotting any sort of large cat while on safari – more on that later) quite randomly, two and a half months ago I had met Gerald West when he was in the Seattle area doing a training. Gerald is a professor in the School of Religion and Theology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is also the Director of the Ujamaa Center (which is under the University also.) (UKZN has about 50,000 students I think.) Gerald is a pretty brilliant guy, with a fascinating story himself – he himself has sacrificed immensely in the past as he joined the fight against apartheid – if interested go to the schools website and read his accomplishments – for that matter here's a random thought...it's interesting how often we can hold something up as the best thing around and not realize that there are so many other possibilities. For example, within the Presbyterian circles that I have moved in the past 15 years or so, Princeton Seminary is the school that is held up as the 'best' for any future pastor/theologian. Just for kicks, go to the UKZN's website and check out the professors of the School of Religion and Theology and all they have done. I'm guessing that not too many Princeton seminarians have heard of any of them, but maybe they should have...but I digress.)

The Ujamaa Center for Biblical and Theological Community Development and Research is (and I'm quoting from their published material now) an interface between socially engaged biblical and theological scholars, organic intellectuals and local communities of the poor, working class and marginalized that uses biblical and theological resources for individual and social transformation. It came about during apartheid state sponsored violence. In this context of daily death and violence, the cry went up, 'how can we hear God speak to us in these times?' The Ujamaa Center was one response to this bringing the previously mentioned groups of people together to read the Bible together. What emerged is what they now call 'Contextual Bible Study' that is used to mobilize, train, support and empower the poor, the working class and the marginalized – specifically with women, youth, people living with HIV/AIDS and the unemployed. They have done some amazing work bringing about justice and raising a voice for those who so often cannot speak for themselves. Their Tamar Campaign reducing violence against women has been launched in Kenya, Zambia, Cameroon, Gambia, and Angola as well as SA.

Anyway, when Gerald heard we were going to be in SA he invited us (not sure he thought we would actually take him up on it!) to attend a training the Ujamaa Center was holding from November 10-14 so that is how we arrived at the FOCCISA/ Ujamaa Contextual Bible Study Training Workshop in Pietermaritzburg for the week, (FOCCISA stands for Fellowship of Church Councils in Southern Africa – I think!) joining with HIV coordinators and pastors from all over Southern Africa including Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania learning from each other, listening to stories and seeing how some of the studies can bring life into dark situations. It was a fascinating week watching so many passport and ethnic cultures, ages, gender and experience run into each other. The work of Ujamma and its staff is desperately needed! Their staff and the work they are doing is a living breathing sign of hope for me. Again there is much we don't know but much to absorb and learn. Another group to learn from and about is The Concerned Women of Africa founded by Mercy Amba Oduyoye from Ghana when she realized that women had no voice in the African Church. She is held up as a hero for many women theologians. For more information and reading material go to www.clusterpublications.co.za.

The conference was held at the Thorn Tree Lodge, a wonderful lodge in Pietermaritzburg. We actually arrived on the Saturday before the conference started after catching a bus down from Joburg (6 hour ride) so we were able to relax a little and enjoy the beautiful grounds. Pietermaritzburg is a beautiful city – it is actually where Ghandi was kicked out of his first class train apartment because of his race in 1893 which had a huge effect on him as he began to study non violent resistance. It is surprising for some to learn that Ghandi spent 20 years in SA where he developed his philosophy that guided him the rest of his life.

Next post...After a great week in PMB, we begin our travels again.

Duncan