Week 6 - “Wildlife” and the Harmonious Ideal of Ubuntu

By Michelle Andersen

This cheetah and her sister are tame and used to humans,
when they should have grown up in the wild

The week started out with a trip for Environmental Connections to N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary. It was established in 2006 by Dr. Rudie and Marlice van Vuuren to conserve wildlife, preserve landscape, and support local communities, specifically the indigenous San people. Their mission is to promote “conservation through innovation.” The animals there have been orphaned, injured, or otherwise had their safety threatened by humans. In class, we are learning about human-wildlife conflict, which was evident during our visit. The various animals have been saved from humans who shot them, touched them as cubs, or have had their habitats and lives threatened by humans in another manner. While it was incredible to see one of my favorite animals, the cheetah, up close, it was heart-breaking to see them interact with the guide. The cheetah would come right up to the fence and let the guide pet her. You could hear her and her sister purring loudly the whole time. Unfortunately, these animals are here because their mother was killed by a farmer and they could not survive on their own. They have been raised by humans, which makes it dangerous to return them to the wild for themselves and for the humans, whom they no longer fear. They are sentenced to a life imprisonment, due to the actions of humans. While the sanctuary is doing good work in order to save these animals, they are merely trying to compensate for decisions other people have made. Since these animals can no longer be released into the wild, they will never be able to live out their lives as intended.

A night out at a local restaurant

Later in the week, in our religion and social change class we had a speaker named Reverend Godriam join us to discuss the subject of Ubuntu. Ubuntu is defined in the dictionary as “a quality that includes the essential human virtues; compassion and humanity.” In a paper by Faustin Ntamushobora, we read about the role ubuntu has played in African history. The concept was popularized by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and through him, Nelson Mandela, especially when it came to reconciliation. According to the article, reconciliation can be defined as “respect for a person’s dignity, irrespective of what that person has done.” Without ubuntu, one could refuse to forgive their enemies. Using the compassionate care of ubuntu instead, one would be able to create harmonious relationships. In a discussion I had with our professor, Lamont, we discuss how the concept of ubuntu is something to apply in our lives. If everyone cares for one another, then the world would be a happier, safer, more unified place. However, we had doubts about how this could be applied on a larger, macro scale. It is clear that one could apply the concept on a micro level with their inner circle. Yet, beyond that, it is hard to achieve this unity when people are asked to apply it to the whole world. It is impossible for every person to be open and available to other people all the time. However, if people can begin with their close friends to have harmonious and compassionate relationships, then perhaps this can be extended out to everyone they met, who will then also act with ubuntu. However, until that point is reached, it seems like a worthy ideal to strive for so that the world is still a nicer place, even if true ubuntu is never reached.

 

Based on this week’s experiences, I have deeper concepts to ponder and apply to my own life. It can be easy to get swept up into the excitement of an event, such as seeing wild animals at a sanctuary. However, it is important to take a step back and ask questions about how they got there, how they are being treated, and the purpose of the organization. Without this critical thinking, we may miss a chance to not only learn about but to improve a situation. Along with this, we must consider ideals that are above ourselves. Striving for harmonious, compassionate relationships through ubuntu can create a better world for those involved. If we do not try to promote these actions, then we are failing our world and each other. While it may seem impossible, it is not pointless to fight for these ideals, which can raise us to a higher standard.

Even in captivity, one can see the power the lion possesses

Week 2: Exploring Identity by Carly

By Carly Dillis

A view of Cape Town from historic Wale St, a community that
has historically been predominantly Muslim.

Over the past week, our group has been exploring Cape Town and different parts of the Eastern Cape. Throughout this time, we have been learning the story of South Africa through the people in these places. Our learning in this program is designed to be through experience, including that of others. Thus, we rely greatly on shared personal narratives to humanize and contextualize the more traditional learning that we have been engaging with in museums and historical sites. Simultaneously, we are also navigating our own identities in a new country and learning who we are and how we relate to the world.

Portraits of Steve Biko in front of the museum.

For our first day in the Eastern Cape, we drove from Port Elizabeth to King Williams town to visit the Steve Biko museum. The museum was about the anti-Apartheid struggle, but more so it was about Steve Biko as a person. The museum helped bring a human energy to the history of Apartheid. As Apartheid is such a violent system, it begins to feel the opposite of human. Therefore, reminding ourselves of the humans involved is a much-needed facet of a complete education in the subject. We have also found this human element at the Red Location Lodge, a women’s co-op that we have been staying in for our time in Port Elizabeth. The co-op is a women’s empowerment and support group with about a dozen members. They have been sharing their stories with us as well and showing us a more everyday type of resistance in their solidarity.

As we move onto Cape Town, we again get a new perspective on the history of South Africa and Apartheid. We took the ferry to Robben Island, the site of the prison in which Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, and Robert Sobukwe were held during the anti- Apartheid struggle. Our tour guide was a former prisoner at Robben Island and was able tell the story of prison life from his authentic experience there. He gave us a sense of what it felt like to be a prisoner under Apartheid and to be taken away from society. The story of Apartheid is one that is still being written. As the first democratic elections took place in 1994, the official era of Apartheid is over, but it is still very fresh in the minds and lives of the people of South Africa.

A collection of the original signs of District Six
before the Apartheid government tore down all
houses. Behind the signs, there are also handmade
quilts that depict everyday life in District Six. 

 We were also able to tour the District Six Museum. Our tour guide’s name was Noor and he was born in District Six. He was the third generation to raise his family in his home and was forcibly evicted when the area was declared “for whites only.” He watched his house be torn down and had to begin a new life away from the community which had become a part of his identity. He told his story with enthusiasm and passion, which gave us a sense of his greater self and identity and made his story exceptionally human. District Six and Noor’s story are a microcosm of Apartheid and help us understand how the events and policies enacted by the government affected everyday people such as Noor.

Learning through a personal lens helps one to internalize the curriculum and understand its importance. It also helps to decolonize our education by diversifying our knowledge source and helping us to be critical of institutions of knowledge. It has also helped us to understand our own places in the struggle, as we are connected to this history, and all histories, by our existence in a globalized world. 

Week 2: Exploring Identity by Evan

By Evan Carr

Cape Town skyline with a cloudy Table Mountain in the background

Our week in Cape Town has presented us with numerous opportunities to engage with the community as South Africa grapples with its identity. We have met with individuals from across the political spectrum and from various racial backgrounds, including those involved in sex workers’ rights, presenting alternative historical narratives, and Parliament. A critical element of this week, especially for me, has been the time we’ve spent reflecting upon our experiences and exploring our own identity.

Robben Island Prison - Several anti-apartheid activists,
 including Nelson Mandela and Robert Sobukwe,
were imprisoned here. 

The week began with a boat ride out to Robben Island to visit where Nelson Mandela and many other heroes of the Liberation Struggle served political imprisonment sentences under the Apartheid government. By attending a performance by a Coloured stand-up comic in the evening we were able to hear not only a lighter take on race relations in South Africa, but also an in-depth account of the experience of people who straddle the divide between black and white and had a unique experience under Apartheid as Coloured (or mixed race) people.

We also did a walking tour of the city with Lucy Campbell and learned about the history and impact of slavery in the region as she presented us with a history that one can only decipher by reading between the lines. It was imperative that we understood this alternative history given that so much power in South Africa is concentrated in the hands of the wealthy and government, rather than with the people. One of the starkest examples of this power discrepancy was through monument memorialization. We observed the contrast between the looming, grandiose monuments of white South African generals compared to the essentially invisible monuments commemorating the plight of slaves. Despite the change in government in 1994, the historical narrative of Apartheid still lives on in South African spaces.

Cape Town buildings

This week has also afforded us the opportunity to better understand issues of health and sexuality, particularly surrounding HIV/AIDS. We heard from a transgender and HIV/AIDS rights activist who told her story and advocated for more work to be done in eliminating stigma surrounding these issues. A photographic and sculptural exhibit also allowed us to immerse ourselves in the experiences and lives of people living with HIV/AIDS. This valuable experience was coupled with a visit to the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Team, or SWEAT. Activists there outlined their work in pushing for the decriminalization of sex work in South Africa and again for the need to eliminate stigma.

South Africa's Parliament Chamber

A visit to Parliament, culminating with a discussion with Andricus van der Westhuizen of the Democratic Alliance (DA) party rounded out our experience in Cape Town. He presented us with an insightful overview of his party’s stances and of the South African political climate more generally. He also stressed that unemployment was the biggest threat to the nation. Especially interesting were van der Westhuizen’s comments on current race relations and the legacy of Apartheid. When asked about the possibility for an increase in right-wing, racialized politics and populism, Mr. van der Westhuizen explained that “in South Africa we have a free association of people where you go where you feel comfortable.” I found this to be quite a privileged comment and wondered whether people living in the ghettoized townships would say they felt comfortable. The blatant contrasts of South African identity extended to the perspectives we heard this week as Pastor Allan Storey presented us with his personal take on how to own one’s privileges, love and respect others, and move forward with a more equitable South Africa and world.