Relaxing at the Game Preserve

Wednesday October 15th: Like an Empty House

You know that feeling when you’ve had company for a few hours or a couple days and when they leave your house feels empty? Like things just aren’t the same? Well, that’s how our hearts feel today on this last day of the indaba.

The sessions were brilliant as usual, but today’s focus was really on the students and their connections with one another. As Rebecca put it, “Meeting these people has shown me what real friendship is.” The students reflected on how they have forged stronger relationships in 2 days than they have in their entire high school careers. The power of genuine connections is unparalleled and these students are shining examples of that.

As the sessions closed, there was an open mic ceremony. Reading this on the agenda, one could easily assume that it would be a relatively normal, yet nonetheless beautiful, closing to the conference. Little did we know that these 15 minutes would serve to validate all of those long nights and fundraising stresses. As a few of our girls walked up onto the stage and completely blew away the audience with their talent and humility, it became clear just how powerful this experience has been; it has truly altered the trajectory of their lives. Rebecca performed a slam poem she wrote when she was in 7^th grade. Aiti not only stood on stage, but grabbed the mic from the stand and paced the stage confidently as she spoke about how this conference has given her the self-assurance to speak in front of and with others despite her accent. She thanked Mr. Ives and I for filling the role of ‘the parents’ from the beginning to the end of this journey. Diana spoke about how she believes this experience has shown her, perhaps for the first time, what happiness truly feels like.

(Diana Speaking)

(Rebecca Speaking) 

(Silly family photo)

We had a couple hours after the open mic that we gladly spent at the market that runs parallel to the hotel. The girls learned how to negotiate prices. At first they were extremely shy and uncomfortable, but by the end of the second hour they were bragging about who negotiated the best deal. We ended up befriending one of the businessmen and he gave us free music-makers as a token of appreciation for our “toughness” in our negotiating!

After our shopping spree, it was time for the closing dinner. The tables and chairs were adorned with white linen, the room itself looked like a wedding or a gala event. The dinner opened with a Native Feasting Song from a member of the Wabanaki Tribe of Main as well as a serenade by a professional violinist (who were both youth members of the summit). It was truly special.

The food was delicious, but dinner didn’t last long as our new friend from Kenya hooked up her phone to the stereo system. It took all of 30 seconds for every student to flood the dance floor. Picture over 80 students from over 16 countries dancing to the same music, mimicking one another’s styles, and laughing that laughter that only comes from the soul.

As the night closed out, they had to say goodbye to their friends. The students that they had become so close to have to return to school tomorrow and therefore, had to call it an early night. Their faces were drained, they were sad, but they were resolute in their belief that this was, without a doubt, the most incredible experience of their lives (so far).

As we walked as a family back to our rooms, the students assured us that their motivation and passion would not end with the boarding of the plane on Saturday. This feeling with stay with them and they want to take the necessary actions to ensure that they will continue to develop even when we are back home.

(Luis, Satomi, and I)

(Multinational Dance Party)

Tuesday, October 14th: #WeAreHere

As we gathered in the lobby of the hotel, David Ives commented on how he felt like he was back in the ‘60’s. Students were flowing into the large foyer carrying homemade posters and chatting about the protest that was about to happen. The excitement and energy yielded an electricity that launched this conference to an entirely new level. As we marched down the street people, of course, began to stare or ask questions and cars passing by began to beep. We set up the protest at a busy intersection. The group split up to occupy 3 of the 4 corners of the intersection.

We are here; Where are you?, We are Here, and We Matter, The Youth Cannot be Silenced, and Visas for Peace were only a few of the many phrases drawn on posters. The main purpose of this was to protest the Chinese and South African governments. Students were raising awareness about the control the Chinese government has over South Africa and South Africa’s lack of moral compass regarding the Dalai Llama’s visa denial.

Even though the protest was focused on this particular issue, some students used this opportunity to protest other issues such as Palestinian Rights. We are lucky to have Palestinians with us at this conference; they bring a much-needed perspective to these conversations. As some of the readers may know, this past summer was quite a difficult one to say the least for Palestinians and they often cannot safely protest under the protection of freedom of speech. Seeing them raise the Palestinian flag and chanting “Free Palestine” safely on a busy street was truly incredible. Perhaps even more incredible was when 2 of our students, Aiti and Nadia, grabbed the flag and held it up with them. There they stood, a Nepali, a Somali, and 2 Palestinians protesting for the rights and freedoms of one another. This is why we do this work; this moment is representative of the power of Ubuntu. It makes me wonder just how much happier people would be if we took the time to empathize with and stand alongside others in their struggle- even if it is not our own struggle. Recognizing that the injustices faced by others are actually a threat, not only to our justice, but rather to all of humanity, fuels a much different human experience. It allows us to connect much more deeply with the people and the worlds around us- it actually gives us the power to change the world.

The students have been wonderfully reflective of how to bring these ideas to our community. How will we not only invest our community in the idea of Ubuntu, but also, work together to develop clear action steps to truly achieve it? What they have realized is that the negativity in our community is unacceptable. If South Africa could achieve democracy and rebuild a broken society, what is our excuse? We cannot simply remain complacent with mediocrity as a standard. We are working hard to figure out our next steps and look forward to reaching out to community partners and individuals who would like to be apart of this process. (This is the part where you send me an email - gleesongiana@gmail.com - if you or someone you know wants to be a part of this)

After the protest, students gathered together to discuss their thoughts and reflections. How do we define an effective protest? Was our protest effective by these standards? What would we change? How do we organize effective protests in the future?

Throughout the course of the day, we attended 3 different sessions. The first was centered on Rights and Responsibilities. The main questions was if we  relinquish our responsibility by claiming our rights. The second was When are you too young to claim your rights as a child? The third was an outstanding discussion on Women’s Rights. What does this term even mean? We hear it so frequently, but rarely understand the true breadth and depth of what rights really are? The conversation ended with the understanding that women’s rights are, in fact, a human rights issue and, if we phrase it this way and talk about it this way, we may actually come closer to achieving these rights.

Before the last session, we snuck away for a delicious dinner. Nestled in the tight streets of downtown is a wonderful Ethiopian Restaurant called Addis. The smell of incense filled the air as we climbed the stairs onto the loft-like dining area. The chairs are low to the ground and there isn’t a large table, but rather two small round tables in the center of our circle. Eating Ethiopian doesn’t just mean eating new food; it’s an entirely different dining experience in and of itself. Even though each person ordered her own meal, they bring it out on one large tray. The bottom of the tray is lined with Injera, which is a thin sourdough-dough flatbread with a spongy texture. The food is served all on the same sourdough plate. There are no utensils- yes, that’s right, none. Aside from the sourdough underneath the food, we were given our own roll of sourdough so we can rip a piece off and use it as a utensil for the food. We tried a variety of new foods and sauces. What an experience sitting around a table, sharing new food, reflecting on this amazing experience.

Making the Paper 6,000 Miles from Home

Protest in Cape Town

Aiti and Nadia protest the Chinese Government on the busy streets of Cape Town

Monday October 13th: Ubuntu, a Quest for More Humanity

In Afrikaans they say Ubuntu; I am nothing without you and you are nothing without us. Ubuntu embodies the meaning of our trip to Cape Town and the lifelong work towards peace and justice that will be the result of this indaba.  We can only gain humanity through the humanity of others. As Patricia de Lille, the Executive Mayor of Cape Town, said as she addressed us this morning, “Your actions are your legacy” and therefore, you must “remain consistently vigilant in order to protect our world.” It is our hope that, together, we are able to hold true to the deeper meaning of Ubuntu as we continue to develop more effective solutions to improve our world.

We arrived early to stake our claim to the best possible seats in the room. Second row from the front behind only esteemed guests and dignitaries. We really thought this was it- our day was made because we got the perfect seats. There we sat ready with our notebooks opened to a crisp new page, our pens nearly alive with excitement. All of a sudden, Mr. Ives’ father, David Ives called to us and said in a soft yet urgent tone, “quickly, bring your students out here.” We didn't ask questions and moved quickly and quietly out of the large room. As we passed through the doorway we realized- we were about to meet formed President of South Africa FW de Klerk. At first his back was to us as he spoke with David and as he turned around to greet the students he smiled that way a proud grandfather smiles and immediately reached out his hand to introduce himself (as if that was necessary!).

David told him that these students were the only high school students from the United States at the summit. He also added that the students fundraised to make this trip happen. Impressed, he kindly welcomed the students to his country and to Cape Town. As he walked away to speak at the opening ceremony our girls were in shock. Meeting a former president is perhaps usually quite shocking, but meeting a former president that freed Nelson Mandela and then worked alongside him to end Apartheid is just beyond incredible.

(students with FW de Klerk)

(Aiti shaking de Klerk's hand as the others look on with smiles)

The morning followed with the opening ceremony, which included speeches from the Mayor of Cape Town, David Ives, Chaeli Mikroft, and FW de Klerk. All of the speakers during the ceremony were vibrant and impressive. Chaeli, who won the Youth Peace Prize in 2013 for her work with differently-abled children, spoke about Ubuntu as well stating, “If we can achieve Ubuntu, we can achieve peace.”

De Klerk spoke about leadership. What makes a good leader? What are the core requirements for effective leadership? Where does morality fit in the equation of leadership? His message was clear; A vision “gives direction and purpose to actions.” You must have a clear vision, invest people in this vision, and have a way to measure your actions as you work towards your goal. He touched specifically on certain areas starting with being a team player and having the ability to persuade others all the way to great communication skills and the ability to empower, not just inspire.

The second session focused on boycotts and featured 5 professors and organizational leaders from around the globe. A major aspect of this conversation was that often, when we boycott or protest something we are doing so in a way that isolates ourselves from whatever it is that we are fighting against. Is this right? Or, is it, in fact, an unintended consequence of action. Would the result of a boycott be different if we interacted with others, including our enemies, instead of isolating away from them? Although most agreed that boycotts are a commonly used non-violent tool, there was healthy discussion about the process of a successful boycott. In essence, we learned that boycotts are merely a means to a political end, but not the end itself. Thus we must conduct a boycott strategically in order to reap the benefit of radical social change.

Session number three was terrible and intriguing all at the very same time. Dr. Ira Helfand led the room through the horrific account of the very real consequences of a (minor) nuclear attack. Even a small scale nuclear war would result in the death of nearly 30 million people within the first week and nearly 2 billion more within a couple months due to the environmental effects of nuclear war and the fallout on society. Ira said that he believes “nuclear weapons are the overwhelming issue of our era.” He put it like this-

We can care about social, political, and economic issues like women’s rights and free trade, but at the end of the day, if we don’t attend to the issue of nuclear weapons, there will be no one left to address the others issues in society.

Although the session was actually painful to listen to and extremely depressing, Ira continued to assure the audience that learning about this is necessary to begin a real change process in our world in terms of nuclear capabilities. In speaking with Ira after the talk, I asked him if he would be willing to come and speak at Hartford Public. As a Springfield resident, he happily obliged. I cannot wait to bring this back to the rest of the students. You can check out more by visiting ICANW.org

To close out the day we watched a documentary about Nelson Mandela and the long “bloody” journey to freedom here in South Africa. Mandela’s three rules were:

1)   Free Yourself

2)   Free Others

3)   Serve everyday

(Aiti and Chantal get interviewed by a local news reporter)

We took a short break to grab some dinner. The students begged to return to Marco’s Place for some more traditional South African food and, of course, that’s what we did. My good friend Satomi joined us. I met Satomi nearly 4 years ago in Hiroshima, Japan and we have been great friends and colleagues ever since. In fact, she and I worked together on a Youth Declaration for the Nobel Laureates at the summit in 2010. Needless to say it was incredible to catch up with her, but even more wonderful to see her interacting with the students. We talked about our education systems, cultures, and even learned how to French braid our hair (weird, but yes, this happened.) Oh yea, and we tried Ox Tongue!

(Aiti, the vegetarian, offered her photography skills as we try Ox Tongue for the first time)

The night closed out with a session to plan a protest for tomorrow morning. Students were split up into groups and assigned different role. Some are in charge of social media while others are working on poster creation. The students are really excited to be apart of something so meaningful. I just continue to be astonished and humbled by these girls. Not only are they wonderful people, but their wit and intelligence far surpasses that of their peers making this experience all the more special.

Please follow us on instagram @hphssouthafrica and also follow the indaba hastags: #wearehere #gypi

(Group photo)

Meeting a President before 9:00am? Yes, please.

Students met FW de Klerk, the former President of South Africa! They were the only group to be personally introduced!

Sunday October 12th: Islands and Alligators

As the boat pulled slowly away from the dock, one of the museum workers shouted “See you in 27 years.” Even though he said it with a smile and meant this playfully, these 5 words hit me hard. Twenty-seven years, nearly ten thousand days, on an island as a consequence for having the willingness to demand basic human rights. The weather was a perfect match to the melancholy. The fog hung heavy, kissing the surface of the ocean as we tugged along to Robben Island.

The maximum-security prison on the island that held hundreds of political prisoners throughout Apartheid was our first stop. The tours were given by actual former political prisoners who have since dedicated their lives to telling the story of Robben Island and adding to the context of Apartheid. Our guide was imprisoned while still a student. He spent 5 years on Robben Island. Perhaps one of the most beautiful parts about visiting such a tragic place was to learn that the prisoners themselves really established a vibrant community where they worked together to survive the conditions. Of course, this didn’t happen immediately, but overtime prisoners of all different levels had developed a tight-knit community. Prisoners took care of one another; they went on strikes with one another, and were willing to protect one another. There was a vividness to this dank place that existed only because of the relentless spirits of the prisoners who never stopped fighting for justice.

As we walked through a courtyard we entered the block where Nelson Mandela was held for 27 years.  His cell lies empty and small today, but in his time one would find it filled with bookshelves and books that he had earned over his years. The man that would become the President of South Africa spent nearly three decades in a cell smaller than most bathrooms. It was a powerful experience to say the least and our girls were incredibly respectful and reflective throughout. In fact, I overheard a professor say how “well prepared” our students were and how “maturely” they handled the heaviness of the day’s experiences. Together we questioned the power of forgiveness, the strength of human resilience, and the injustice of perceived justice.

Before leaving the island we were taken to the remains of the Leper Colony that once existed on the island as the exile location. Needless to say, our tour of the island kept our minds churning and our hearts thumping as we sifted tirelessly through thoughts and feelings ignited by these formidable experiences.

As the boat pulled back into port on the shore of Cape Town I thought about Mandela and all the other men and women that waited so long to have the freedom to do this. Despite this, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride and motivation to continue doing this work.

To balance out a morning of heavy hearts, we took the students to the waterfront. Shops lining the city streets, bands playing, people laughing-this, they said, makes them never want to go home. From our hotel room, we can see a giant Ferris wheel; the girls once jokingly asked if they could go on it. Well, today we found the Ferris wheel and, of course, the girls jumped at the opportunity. This Ferris wheel isn’t like the regular old State Fair kind of ride, but rather an air conditioned (yes, you read that correctly) pod that gracefully floats delicately around in a circle for 14 minutes. From the top, riders get a full 360-degree view of the city.

After they got off of the ride we walked for a bit and truly just absorbed our surroundings. We stopped for a moment to watch a street band play. As people gathered and began dancing strangers embraced strangers while others cheered for their skills. The students talked extensively about ways we make our community happier. Trying to answer the simple questions of “why isn’t life like this back home” is deceivingly difficult.

Around 6:00 the girls attended the official conference registration. After registration they participated in a debrief conversation about the day’s events. Aiti stood up in front of everyone and shared her reflection. Aiti has only been in the U.S. for three years and still struggles with the English language, but not to my surprise, she did an excellent job and was so very genuine in her response.

After this packed day, we were starving. On a whim we decided to go to Marco’s Place, a traditional South African style restaurant. They had a live band and delicious food. Needless to say we were quite satisfied. A few days ago I challenged the girls to do at least 1 uncomfortable thing every day. Well, tonight, they all set a new standard by trying some new food like champions. We tried alligator, Springbok, and Ostrich. Some girls had never eaten calamari before and tried that as well. The food was excellent, the music was divine,  and we could truly not have been happier. The energy was electric. It was one of those memories you want bottled up to savor it organically for the rest of time.

Tomorrow, the conference begins! Our students have been selected to write a reflection on former President F.W. De Klerk’s speech first thing tomorrow morning!