The world is a crazy diverse place!
The issues faced by the world are complex!
Solutions don't have to be complicated although they need to be wise, carefully thought out and most of all creative!
It would surely take a much longer time than that allotted to writing one single blog to get a good idea of all of the 'development' ideas (to use a very umbrella term) that have been implemented around the world .. None the less I think it is safe to say that there have been A LOT of them. Also it is my understanding that a lot of the projects and endeavors that have a significant amount of money backing them are government funded projects. Like many government run initiatives the processes are slow and restricted by tight red tape. Whats 'safe', whats 'right' whats 'efficient' ect. These things need to be strictly adhered to in their way of operations.
Strict definitions of what is RIGHT and what is WRONG allows little room for development and growth.
I think creative spice has been missing from the development recipe for a long time and needs to be reintroduced. One such spicy man by the name of Michael Reynolds has opened his mind and in doing so created a NEW normal. He did so after the realization that houses hardly suited humans. He believes houses have become merely mass produced, bare minimum, poor quality housing units. In his mind mind there was much to be improved so that houses could begin to support humans again.
How is Michael Reynolds making a difference?
Michael is the designer of the species of houses called Earth Ships which are continually growing in popularity after after designs were halted after running into much red tape back in 2006. Earth Ships are self sustainable houses designed to live in eco-harmony. They incorporate their own solar heating (not solar panel... just straight up sunny rays), cooling, water, electricity and on site sewage systems. All of the sudden with Michael's Earth Ship your house is actually providing for you and you no longer have to work your ass off merely to live. All of the sudden you can live off the earths resources.. like good old times! go figure! Another interesting part about the design of these houses is that they use waste products which are in surplus as the main building material for the walls. Inside the walls are beer cans, car tires and water bottles! Although it does seem to take a fair bit of time to assemble an earth ship I believe it is time well spent as it takes a huge weight off the shoulders of our planet and the human. These houses strengthen the human - earth connection which has becoming increasingly distant in recent years. No longer will copious amounts of timber being used to build houses and will a power supply needed to support them. No longer will houses be dependent on the 'system' which is out of their control. I believe these houses give the power back to the people and our respect back to the environment.
Hopefully you see some promise in this unconventional thinking! :)
Hopefully you see the benefits that come from living in such a way! :)
... of course you may want to check things out a little before you agree with any of these points ... and thats fine too :) I encourage you to give it a look over for yourself. When you do so, please strip away your conventional thinking, what you consider to be your 'normal' and start asking yourself why that is your normal and is there something better out there? I agree that the Earth Ship name has a pretty 'hippie' peace and love ring to it and because of that many people may feel uncomfortable with the idea and bring pre-constructed prejudice to the table. But I think these are houses to be proud of and houses deserving of even 'professional' habitants.
Unfortunately bureaucrats were not able to open their eyes and see the Earth Ship idea without seeing all the red tape. It took numerous years of Michael to get them to see the great promise of what he was doing! years! Their issue was mainly that the buildings were not 'up to code' and thus not safe. If it were not for one lady in the bureaucracy who was able to see the power of this type of housing it would have surely taken years if not longer to have his Earth Ships allowed under building code. In Michaels long battle to have the building of Earth Ships allowed he began to gain a great deal of publicity. Interestingly enough while long debates were going on in the US about earth ships people in developing areas hit by natural disasters were quick to act - make the call - and start the building of earth ships on their land. The Earth Ship design allowed people to become self sufficient and amazingly - turn rubble into beautiful housing. Haiti is one of the areas that has received the gift of the Earth Ship design and I encourage you to learn about the success of this project by following this link : http://earthship.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=736 which will bring you to a great short video documentary.
One man was brave enough to open his mind and embrace unconventional thinking. Some were brave enough to open up to his unconventional thinking. For those who have, have felt the power of these gifts and seen good emerge from them.
Our worlds changing - in some ways for the good and in some ways for the bad.
We have to continue to change and reinvent ourselves and our practice
We have to re-evaluate our norm
I believe this must be done with Creative Unconventional Thinking
If you wish to learn more about Michael or his earth ships I suggest purchasing or downloading the video documentary "Garbage Warrior" or checking out his website http://www.earthship.org/
Thank you for your open minds.
Please share with me some unconventional ideas you have come across or some of your own! Or even spill the beans and let me know what you think about unconventional thinking!
A Breath Of Fresh Air
during a previous trek in Vietnam
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Failure Report
Failure Report
It is not often that you will have the opportunity to hold in your hands a ‘Failure Report’ for a failure report is not something that is often broadcasts. These reports are synonymous with the dark past that people may carry with us but hide, as we believe the outside word perceives these ‘failures’ as being bad and unfavorable and thus something that should be hid. Surprisingly I have recently been handed a failure report which does just as the title suggests, reports on the failures. This particular report is that of the well-known and acclaimed group, Engineers Without Borders, from 2010. Immediately I was impressed with this brave stance to publicly acknowledge the mistakes that they have made. I believe there is much that can be learnt by looking back at our mistakes as life is often a process of trial and error where very little goes quite as planned.
William H.Gates Sr., Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation states in the forward of the report “…Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Canada continues its bold leadership on this practice, by highlighting several mistakes and failures made throughout the year and analyzing how they have learned and improved”
Of course as noted it is not merely enough to acknowledge the mistakes that have been made. For progress to occur these acknowledgements must be followed up by an analysis of what has been learned and how things can be improved. I think it would be beneficial for more organizations to publicly share similar experience as there is much to be improved upon in the world of development.
---------------------------------------------
I do applaud Engineers Without Borders for taking action and wish to share some insight which I gained from this report as told by individuals in various areas of the organization.
Luisa Celis, African Programs Staff Governance and Rural Infrastructure (Ghana), was involved in a program to enhance district data systems to facilitate evidence based planning and decision making processes in the Summer of 2010.
A project which I believe is of great value as it could provide good direction for many changes and programs to come in the future. Statistics also tend to be very lacking in areas of development because of the difficulty of collecting, thus I believe there is also a great amount of room left for improvements.
Luis learned ‘it’s not about the tools it’s about the process’ and that you must remember that the goal is not to give yourself a pat on the back for having the most successful idea, rather to enable the community as much as possible. Luis noted that in many cases there are already many ideas and reforms which have been implemented into communities (developing communities primarily) and that they begin competing against each other, which in the end is only detrimental. She suggested approaching the situation by offering something that they may choose to use and which may further strengthen what they currently have in place. The common approach seems to more usually be “we have the tool that works” and this need to be adjusted.
I believe the realization that your solution may only be one piece of the puzzle, and that there are currently other pieces at work is vital to the success of any new idea. Not only respecting the development progress of other organizations but even more importantly understanding the cultural processes which have always been in existence.
Mark Hemsworth, African Programs Staff, Agriculture Value Chains – Rent to Own (Zambia) provides some insight into mistakes made in the sector of customer service. Mark was the lead on the Rent to Own pilot project, a micro-leasing business, situated in rural Zambia and built on the acknowledgment of the inability for farmers to attain the machinery which they desired to increase productivity of their farming.
Mark found that the lack of education which people had on the topics of machinery usage and maintenance resulted in many costly problems for the project. He attributed this problem to his lack in investments in capacity and now sees that it is important to look at the whole picture and the individual stepping stones that will be needed along the way.
While I believe it is hard to act methodically, and thus slowly, when it seems like the issues which you are addressing call for immediate action and each minute you waste could mean the loss of another life. But while I believe organizations have the ability to have a very positive impact, I also believe that not taking time to consider all the details can leave an area in more devastation than when you/the organization arrived.
James Haga, Director of Advocacy Canadian Programs shared a valuable lessons on advocacy after the results of the ACT (Accountable, Creative and Transparent) campaign, during the G8 and G20 summit, did not result in as much action has he had hoped. His lesson was that simply having people support a set of principles does not result in action or change. He also suggested that for your message to be powerful you must have a plan of action to follow up on this support.
The Indian Independence movement would have not been successful if Gandhi had not brought his people to action, rather had just preached about injustice. The action taken in this movement was also initiated by the movement leader Gandhi himself which sent an even stronger message to the people who had already agreed they supported the principles which his actions were based upon. I can find parallels in my life, as I imagine may others could as well to Jame's story. A great example of this would be facebooks online 'pettion' sites. While these sights do bring about great awareness about certain issues, the information concerning the issues are to easily accessible, simplistic and dumbed down. This means that people do not have to invest themselves in the cause and make an effort to understand the issue at hand or assess other points of view on the matter. It is too far to easy to 'support' a cause - with litterally one click of your mouse and give yourself a pat on the back - think you have made a difference and forget about it - never making any action.
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For everyone in the Engineers Without Borders organization that has shared their failures with myself and so many others...
The Indian Independence movement would have not been successful if Gandhi had not brought his people to action, rather had just preached about injustice. The action taken in this movement was also initiated by the movement leader Gandhi himself which sent an even stronger message to the people who had already agreed they supported the principles which his actions were based upon. I can find parallels in my life, as I imagine may others could as well to Jame's story. A great example of this would be facebooks online 'pettion' sites. While these sights do bring about great awareness about certain issues, the information concerning the issues are to easily accessible, simplistic and dumbed down. This means that people do not have to invest themselves in the cause and make an effort to understand the issue at hand or assess other points of view on the matter. It is too far to easy to 'support' a cause - with litterally one click of your mouse and give yourself a pat on the back - think you have made a difference and forget about it - never making any action.
---------------------------------------------------------------
For everyone in the Engineers Without Borders organization that has shared their failures with myself and so many others...
THANK YOU
Similar to the events reflected on above, I am currently going through my own failure report of my own as I evaluate and look at my personal history and where I cracked under pressure. While I believe I have done an amazing amount of developing this year that has been very positive I also have seen highlighted many areas for improvement. Like the Engineers without Borders failure report my self evaluation is not just about acknowledging the areas of failure but looking at what could have been improved or been changed so that this same 'failure' does not repeat itself. I acknowledge there are emotional situations in which I find my coping abilities greatly depleted and thus my abilities to carry out the task on hand. I acknowledge that this reaction is usually due to the fact that I become overly connected with the emotionally driven environment I am in and natural choose to think and act with emotion rather than logic. I acknowledge that I often underestimate the ability of my voice and message. I acknowledge that do not always practice what I preach. I acknowledge that I have the tendency to spread myself to thin as I try to invest myself in too many areas. I too acknowledge that there are a lot of people who respect and admire the work I do (not tooting my own horn - just acknowledging the truth of the matter has it has been presented to me by many people) and that I need to continue to strive to help them take action themselves and also to share what I learn with these people.
In acknowledging these things I have been able to think about what other roots I could take to reach more desirable outcomes and hope to strengthen some of these 'failures' while abroad in Kenya
I hope you accept me for my failures but will help me find a new path which will lead me to greener pastures.
Life is full of learning .. you just have to be open to the experience.
Similar to the events reflected on above, I am currently going through my own failure report of my own as I evaluate and look at my personal history and where I cracked under pressure. While I believe I have done an amazing amount of developing this year that has been very positive I also have seen highlighted many areas for improvement. Like the Engineers without Borders failure report my self evaluation is not just about acknowledging the areas of failure but looking at what could have been improved or been changed so that this same 'failure' does not repeat itself. I acknowledge there are emotional situations in which I find my coping abilities greatly depleted and thus my abilities to carry out the task on hand. I acknowledge that this reaction is usually due to the fact that I become overly connected with the emotionally driven environment I am in and natural choose to think and act with emotion rather than logic. I acknowledge that I often underestimate the ability of my voice and message. I acknowledge that do not always practice what I preach. I acknowledge that I have the tendency to spread myself to thin as I try to invest myself in too many areas. I too acknowledge that there are a lot of people who respect and admire the work I do (not tooting my own horn - just acknowledging the truth of the matter has it has been presented to me by many people) and that I need to continue to strive to help them take action themselves and also to share what I learn with these people.
In acknowledging these things I have been able to think about what other roots I could take to reach more desirable outcomes and hope to strengthen some of these 'failures' while abroad in Kenya
I hope you accept me for my failures but will help me find a new path which will lead me to greener pastures.
Life is full of learning .. you just have to be open to the experience.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Fundraising is Painful and Scary
Fundraising is painful and scary even at the best of times - but oh so much more when you are fundraising for your own personal experience. While in my time abroad I will spend my time assisting others it is myself who will be assisting others, learning about the world around me and working towards my personal self discovery. While I understand many people may be happy for the opportunity to live through my experiences, and many wonderful donors have spoken to this thought, I cannot help but feel bad for asking for money from them ... to the point where I thought of fronting some of my 'fundraising' money from my own personal savings.
I am now very close to reaching my goal and so extremely thankful for the people who believed in me and the cause which I will be pursuing, enough to help me fund my volunteer placement. I believe I owe all of those who have helped fund my placement my full commitment to my placement through thick and thin. Their belief in me will be a driving force behind the energy and good vibes I hope to bring with me each day I am at my placement (on that note - do not fault me when I am unable *because I do not doubt that some days I will be unable* but know that I will carry on). I will also not allow this international placement to be the ending point rather I intend it to be an EPIC beginning from which much more will spread, and the knowledge and insight I gain in Kenya will be used to enlighten and inform people in my community in Canada.
I have always thought that I wanted to work internationally in developing nations, and I believe a lot of the reason for this ambition was driven by the belief that the people in the developing world desperately need saving, and my saving in particular. Meanwhile the world is full of problems and it is the ones which are most broadcast that our thoughts regularly drift to. One of those countries whose issues are greatly publicized is Africa.
Suffering is hard to define for I believe it is an individuals experience and often is subjective to the lifestyle and history of the individual, and thus it is hard to decide who's suffering needs the most relief and who may need the most assistance in finding this relief. Canada is hardly without its set of problems and individuals who are greatly suffering within this great nation (overall , yes I believe this is an amazing nation although I may be picking out some of its flaws). Although many people may not think of Canada as a place of suffering overall most people would to some level agree that there is some suffering in Canada. After all human's are human no matter where in the world you are - and with human tendencies come both the good and the bad. Canada sees its fair share of substance abuse, domestic violence, discrimination (sexism, ageism, raceism ect), unemployment, homelessness and the list goes on. Although it may be safe to say that there are less people suffering in Canada than in most African, or developing, countries the numbers suffering are still staggering. While as I mentioned suffering is difficult to quantify or even qualify, as defining suffering is near impossible, and often hidden under the surface, I feel as though the number of homeless people may be a good indicator of suffering. I believe that homelessness is a good indicator of suffering because it is usual from substancial suffering that people are driven to live on the streets and it may be this continual suffering, or perhaps another form of suffering which keeps them on the streets. Many of the situations associated with suffering which I listed above such as substance abuse, unemployment, domestic violence ect. may have been experienced by people who are homeless at some level, or for a significant period of time in their life. You might find some fault with this level of measurement and comparison, for there are without doubt some errors in this marker of suffering and I acknowledge these but feel like it is a visible, thus countable marker that is associated with variety of sources of suffering.
Canada's National Secretariat on Homelessness estimated that homelessness "affects approximately 150,000 in Canada, although other reports identify as many as 300,000 homeless in Canada" (IntrapSpec.ca, 2011).
(http://intraspec.ca/homelessCanada)
Stats on homeless rates in Africa are not nearly as reliably collected as there are many barriers to doing so however I was able to find a couple quick useful stats:
- In Cameroon more than 7000 people, most of who were low-income earners were left homeless in 2008 when the government carried out mass forced evictions and demolitions against the inhabitants of the City of Yaoundé (ofcourse because this is forced homelessness the conditions are not necessarily similar to the normal of homeless people in Canada and other areas)
- capital of Kenya – Nairobi has approx. 4 million inhabitants. More that 70% of these people live in slum areas. Although this does not mean these people are homeless it does mean that these people are living in less than desirable accommodation.
(http://fairkenya.wordpress.com)
Looking at these figures alone it would be safe to say in quantity there are more individuals who are suffering in Africa than in Canada. Although this does sway me to dedicate my time and energy to helping these people I feel as though being Canadian born I owe it to people of my country to use this time and energy to help them. The jury is still not entirely out on this one but I think I may be coming closer to reaching a decision.
When speaking of suffering I believe it is also important for us to recognize and examine what we see as the 'poster child' for human suffering. Societal discourse has lead us to recognize certain things as suffering and through media especially we associate certain feelings with certain 'types' of suffering and in doing so create feelings of compassion towards some types of suffering and stigma towards others. Like many other scenarios, such as mental health, the things that are the least visible are often the most misunderstood and least cared for. I am sure most of my readers would be able to associate a visual image to a World Vision commercial and it would most likely look something like; a young child taking care of his/her siblings, their undernourished body sitting on the ground, while flies fly around. Because of constant media attention this scenario is the one with which we most readily associate with suffering and thus draws the most compassion. Youth who have be subjected to a very unfavorable lifestyle who have no to little control over their circumstances draws a lot more open arms than a elderly person suffering from dementia. If I really want to help others I need to keep my mind open to the different forms in which suffering can come.
To to sum things up fundraising sucks!
BUT I believe great things will come out of this experience for which those who have supported me in this endeavor will be very proud of :) I will make sure of it!
As for how I plan to live out my life and in which ways I hope to help others...
(although time will tell) I think I want to do BOTH international work and local work! Easy solution eh?! I think the key things which I wish to bring attention in the context of this decision is that I believe both developing countries AND Canada could use some help here and there, by working in both areas I can also have the opportunity to exchange information, knowledge and inspiration between areas in different countries which I believe may have more of an exponential affect than anything else I can do.
and as a new favorite quote of the group would say: "with great power comes great responsibility"
I am now very close to reaching my goal and so extremely thankful for the people who believed in me and the cause which I will be pursuing, enough to help me fund my volunteer placement. I believe I owe all of those who have helped fund my placement my full commitment to my placement through thick and thin. Their belief in me will be a driving force behind the energy and good vibes I hope to bring with me each day I am at my placement (on that note - do not fault me when I am unable *because I do not doubt that some days I will be unable* but know that I will carry on). I will also not allow this international placement to be the ending point rather I intend it to be an EPIC beginning from which much more will spread, and the knowledge and insight I gain in Kenya will be used to enlighten and inform people in my community in Canada.
I have always thought that I wanted to work internationally in developing nations, and I believe a lot of the reason for this ambition was driven by the belief that the people in the developing world desperately need saving, and my saving in particular. Meanwhile the world is full of problems and it is the ones which are most broadcast that our thoughts regularly drift to. One of those countries whose issues are greatly publicized is Africa.
Suffering is hard to define for I believe it is an individuals experience and often is subjective to the lifestyle and history of the individual, and thus it is hard to decide who's suffering needs the most relief and who may need the most assistance in finding this relief. Canada is hardly without its set of problems and individuals who are greatly suffering within this great nation (overall , yes I believe this is an amazing nation although I may be picking out some of its flaws). Although many people may not think of Canada as a place of suffering overall most people would to some level agree that there is some suffering in Canada. After all human's are human no matter where in the world you are - and with human tendencies come both the good and the bad. Canada sees its fair share of substance abuse, domestic violence, discrimination (sexism, ageism, raceism ect), unemployment, homelessness and the list goes on. Although it may be safe to say that there are less people suffering in Canada than in most African, or developing, countries the numbers suffering are still staggering. While as I mentioned suffering is difficult to quantify or even qualify, as defining suffering is near impossible, and often hidden under the surface, I feel as though the number of homeless people may be a good indicator of suffering. I believe that homelessness is a good indicator of suffering because it is usual from substancial suffering that people are driven to live on the streets and it may be this continual suffering, or perhaps another form of suffering which keeps them on the streets. Many of the situations associated with suffering which I listed above such as substance abuse, unemployment, domestic violence ect. may have been experienced by people who are homeless at some level, or for a significant period of time in their life. You might find some fault with this level of measurement and comparison, for there are without doubt some errors in this marker of suffering and I acknowledge these but feel like it is a visible, thus countable marker that is associated with variety of sources of suffering.
Canada's National Secretariat on Homelessness estimated that homelessness "affects approximately 150,000 in Canada, although other reports identify as many as 300,000 homeless in Canada" (IntrapSpec.ca, 2011).
(http://intraspec.ca/homelessCanada)
Stats on homeless rates in Africa are not nearly as reliably collected as there are many barriers to doing so however I was able to find a couple quick useful stats:
- In Cameroon more than 7000 people, most of who were low-income earners were left homeless in 2008 when the government carried out mass forced evictions and demolitions against the inhabitants of the City of Yaoundé (ofcourse because this is forced homelessness the conditions are not necessarily similar to the normal of homeless people in Canada and other areas)
- capital of Kenya – Nairobi has approx. 4 million inhabitants. More that 70% of these people live in slum areas. Although this does not mean these people are homeless it does mean that these people are living in less than desirable accommodation.
(http://fairkenya.wordpress.com)
Looking at these figures alone it would be safe to say in quantity there are more individuals who are suffering in Africa than in Canada. Although this does sway me to dedicate my time and energy to helping these people I feel as though being Canadian born I owe it to people of my country to use this time and energy to help them. The jury is still not entirely out on this one but I think I may be coming closer to reaching a decision.
When speaking of suffering I believe it is also important for us to recognize and examine what we see as the 'poster child' for human suffering. Societal discourse has lead us to recognize certain things as suffering and through media especially we associate certain feelings with certain 'types' of suffering and in doing so create feelings of compassion towards some types of suffering and stigma towards others. Like many other scenarios, such as mental health, the things that are the least visible are often the most misunderstood and least cared for. I am sure most of my readers would be able to associate a visual image to a World Vision commercial and it would most likely look something like; a young child taking care of his/her siblings, their undernourished body sitting on the ground, while flies fly around. Because of constant media attention this scenario is the one with which we most readily associate with suffering and thus draws the most compassion. Youth who have be subjected to a very unfavorable lifestyle who have no to little control over their circumstances draws a lot more open arms than a elderly person suffering from dementia. If I really want to help others I need to keep my mind open to the different forms in which suffering can come.
To to sum things up fundraising sucks!
BUT I believe great things will come out of this experience for which those who have supported me in this endeavor will be very proud of :) I will make sure of it!
As for how I plan to live out my life and in which ways I hope to help others...
(although time will tell) I think I want to do BOTH international work and local work! Easy solution eh?! I think the key things which I wish to bring attention in the context of this decision is that I believe both developing countries AND Canada could use some help here and there, by working in both areas I can also have the opportunity to exchange information, knowledge and inspiration between areas in different countries which I believe may have more of an exponential affect than anything else I can do.
and as a new favorite quote of the group would say: "with great power comes great responsibility"
Sunday, March 13, 2011
whats wrong with you
....somethings wrong with you. Let me fix it
who really needs fixing?
and what is the real goal of 'fixing' and making improvements also know as development?
In the end I believe it is a high quality of life that everyone hopes for themselves and others. But again, what does quality of life really mean? Understanding this question will further the success of any development people set out to create in an area were we see much that needs to be fixed. I believe quality of life means having a glowing prospering inner self (soul, spirit, mind or what ever you prefer to cal it) and protecting this inner self. There are many ways to strengthen ones inner self such as love, support, hope, educational or spiritual enlightenment. There too are many ways to protect this inner self such as education, good food and water and health care. This is the idea that your body is a temple, all religious connotations aside.
I would say that a prosperous and vibrant inner self and the means to protect it is the most important thing we can give people and this should be the primary focus of any 'development' pursuit. When your time comes to leave the world what will you remember most and be most thankful for?
Interestingly, while I believe the greatest measure of quality of life being having a glowing, prospering inner self and be able to protect ones inner self it is obvious to me that many people of our 'developed' society struggle to have a good quality of life under this definition. Western society is depressed, desensitized, unfulfilled and stressed with anxiety and worry. While we may have the means to protect our temples (good health care, education and access to clean drinking water and food ect.) the temples which we work so hard to protect are battered, bruised and exhausted.
In many of our previous Beyond Border classes while discussing development and the idea of assisting others in developing countries an interesting and valid train of thought emerged. How can we be the ones to say what is right and what needs to be done when we are not even doing these things or doing these things successfully on our own soil? We are undervaluing ourselves as natural beings and under valuing our needs as natural beings throwing quick fixes at each other like gifts, distracting our aching spirits with constant stimulation and telling ourselves that we are not alone and everyone feels like this rather than providing our spirits with real nourishment.
Here's an interesting quote from Adbusters, Capitalism's Terminal Crisis Issue that talks to this train of thought
"During a dinner with friends the talk turns, as it often does these days, to the problem of anxiety: how it is consuming everyone; how the very technologies that we have developed to o save time and thereby lesson anxiety have only degraded the quality of the former and exacerbated the latter; how we all need to "give ourselves a break" before we implode. Everyone has some means of relief - tennis, yoga, a massage every Thursday- but the very way in which those activities are framed as separated fromregular life suggests the extent to which that relief is temporary (if even that: a couple of us admit that our"recreational" activities partake of the same simmering, near obsessive panic as the rest of our lives). There is something circular and static to our conversation, which doesn't end so much as frazzle inderminately out." - Christian Wimon
I am so glad I came across these quotes (I was pointed in their direction after having a discussion about such things with a volunteer at the Queen Street Commons Cafe) as they take the words right out of my mouth but they lay these thoughts out in such an appealing and intriguing way.
While I believe there are many areas which assistance may benefit people in developing areas in protecting their 'temples', such as assisting with school supplies and educational foundations, providing clean drinking water sources ect. people in these 'developing' countries need the power of their spirits and souls recognized and respected. Its interesting, while I hear so much about the negative issues surrounding developing areas such as Kenya everyone that I have spoken to that has gone to this country is much quicker to speak about the amazing spirit of the people of Kenya far before they care to mention the negatives of the area and its 'development'. Their spirit flourishes without fancy cars, 3 story houses, air conditioning, hydro, hot water and for some even much more.
This brings me to another remarkable quote which I believe expresses with great clarity my thoughts wealth being incongruent to wellbeing.
"Imagine the problem is not physical. Imagine the problem has never been physical, that it is not biodiversity, it is not the ozone layer, it is not the greenhouse effect, the whales, the old-growth forests, the loss of jobs, the crack in the ghetto, the abortions, the tongue in the mouth, the diseases stalking everywhere as love goes on unconcerned. Imagine the problem is not some syndrome of our society that can be solved by commissions or laws or a redistribution of what we call wealth. Imagine that it goes deeper, right to the core of what we call our civilization and that no one outside of ourselves can effect real change, that our civilization, our government are sick and that we are mentally ill and spiritually dead - that all our issues and crises are symptoms of this deeper sickness." - Charles Bowden, Adbusters
what do you really want out of life?
------------------------------
What happened to dreams?
We just live out of habit.
I can never sleep...
I only stare at the dream catcher
hanging from my ceiling
- Denise Mush
who really needs fixing?
and what is the real goal of 'fixing' and making improvements also know as development?
In the end I believe it is a high quality of life that everyone hopes for themselves and others. But again, what does quality of life really mean? Understanding this question will further the success of any development people set out to create in an area were we see much that needs to be fixed. I believe quality of life means having a glowing prospering inner self (soul, spirit, mind or what ever you prefer to cal it) and protecting this inner self. There are many ways to strengthen ones inner self such as love, support, hope, educational or spiritual enlightenment. There too are many ways to protect this inner self such as education, good food and water and health care. This is the idea that your body is a temple, all religious connotations aside.
I would say that a prosperous and vibrant inner self and the means to protect it is the most important thing we can give people and this should be the primary focus of any 'development' pursuit. When your time comes to leave the world what will you remember most and be most thankful for?
Interestingly, while I believe the greatest measure of quality of life being having a glowing, prospering inner self and be able to protect ones inner self it is obvious to me that many people of our 'developed' society struggle to have a good quality of life under this definition. Western society is depressed, desensitized, unfulfilled and stressed with anxiety and worry. While we may have the means to protect our temples (good health care, education and access to clean drinking water and food ect.) the temples which we work so hard to protect are battered, bruised and exhausted.
In many of our previous Beyond Border classes while discussing development and the idea of assisting others in developing countries an interesting and valid train of thought emerged. How can we be the ones to say what is right and what needs to be done when we are not even doing these things or doing these things successfully on our own soil? We are undervaluing ourselves as natural beings and under valuing our needs as natural beings throwing quick fixes at each other like gifts, distracting our aching spirits with constant stimulation and telling ourselves that we are not alone and everyone feels like this rather than providing our spirits with real nourishment.
Here's an interesting quote from Adbusters, Capitalism's Terminal Crisis Issue that talks to this train of thought
"During a dinner with friends the talk turns, as it often does these days, to the problem of anxiety: how it is consuming everyone; how the very technologies that we have developed to o save time and thereby lesson anxiety have only degraded the quality of the former and exacerbated the latter; how we all need to "give ourselves a break" before we implode. Everyone has some means of relief - tennis, yoga, a massage every Thursday- but the very way in which those activities are framed as separated fromregular life suggests the extent to which that relief is temporary (if even that: a couple of us admit that our"recreational" activities partake of the same simmering, near obsessive panic as the rest of our lives). There is something circular and static to our conversation, which doesn't end so much as frazzle inderminately out." - Christian Wimon
I am so glad I came across these quotes (I was pointed in their direction after having a discussion about such things with a volunteer at the Queen Street Commons Cafe) as they take the words right out of my mouth but they lay these thoughts out in such an appealing and intriguing way.
While I believe there are many areas which assistance may benefit people in developing areas in protecting their 'temples', such as assisting with school supplies and educational foundations, providing clean drinking water sources ect. people in these 'developing' countries need the power of their spirits and souls recognized and respected. Its interesting, while I hear so much about the negative issues surrounding developing areas such as Kenya everyone that I have spoken to that has gone to this country is much quicker to speak about the amazing spirit of the people of Kenya far before they care to mention the negatives of the area and its 'development'. Their spirit flourishes without fancy cars, 3 story houses, air conditioning, hydro, hot water and for some even much more.
This brings me to another remarkable quote which I believe expresses with great clarity my thoughts wealth being incongruent to wellbeing.
"Imagine the problem is not physical. Imagine the problem has never been physical, that it is not biodiversity, it is not the ozone layer, it is not the greenhouse effect, the whales, the old-growth forests, the loss of jobs, the crack in the ghetto, the abortions, the tongue in the mouth, the diseases stalking everywhere as love goes on unconcerned. Imagine the problem is not some syndrome of our society that can be solved by commissions or laws or a redistribution of what we call wealth. Imagine that it goes deeper, right to the core of what we call our civilization and that no one outside of ourselves can effect real change, that our civilization, our government are sick and that we are mentally ill and spiritually dead - that all our issues and crises are symptoms of this deeper sickness." - Charles Bowden, Adbusters
what do you really want out of life?
------------------------------
What happened to dreams?
We just live out of habit.
I can never sleep...
I only stare at the dream catcher
hanging from my ceiling
- Denise Mush
My Friends
Last week I posted about an article that I had read about the extreme mistreatment of persons with disabilities in Kenya, and thinking back to this article and topic makes me absolutely sick! Because I did not really elaborate on what was documented in the CNN news release I will give you a quick update here: The article was highlighting the disregard for human rights which was witnessed with people with disabilities in Kenya. They highlighted both the unjust treatment of people with disabilities in household and institutions. The later of these two was the most disturbing as they showed video evidence of the extreme mistreatment of people with primarily mental disabilities in an institution. Heavy sedated these people who called themselves 'prisoners' struggled to perform the most basic of task were receiving no assistance to improve their quality of life of wellbeing and disgustingly enough CNN broadcasters came across a person of the facility sleeping in his 'room' on the floor right next to a person who had died the day before. While for persons with physical or mental disabilities who were under the care of their family did benefit from what I would imagine to be more support and interaction their treatment was still not suited for a human being, in fact in Canada we often treat our pet animals better than the treatment documented. Two people with disabilities living with their family were shown tied to beds and trees, given very little stimulation and removed from the rest of society.
These people with disabilities shown in the news release are surely not much unlike the athletes who I coach and the athletes I call my friends. I would do anything in my power to help these people, because these people have beautiful hearts and beautiful bodies often in my books even surpassing that of any able-bodies person, but they often face challenges much greater than many others in communities which put great value on appearance and monetary success.
When I'm blue I often think of these athletes as a source of inspiration. There's always someone out there who as it harder than yourself and I find the idea of putting yourself in their shoes is a good exercise. This is not in any way to pity these people but to recognize the success of their spirit in overcoming and/or adapting to any physical or mental exceptionalities.
What are you afraid of?
- loosing your job?
- the idea of death?
- not being smart enough?
While these are serious and understandable fears the the athletes I coach may have these fears and more
- who will keep them safe once their parents die, because they may not be capable of doing this themselves
- the upcoming surgery they have to have
- having a stroke on the street on their way to work
- being taunted, ridiculed or singled out
Most of these athletes were born carrying a considerable burden on their shoulders, whether they recognize it as such or not (not to say this burden should be theirs... I believe it is societies build environment and 'norms' which burden people) and are often not on an even playing field as their able bodied friends when you consider the ability to carry out the tasks of every day living, and they need the support and assistance of others.
However assistance does not need to be a hand out, rather a hand up and onwards
When adjustments are made to equipment and teaching style we can give empowerment to youth with disabilities and see them succeed. Although there are beneficial medical treatment/surgeries such things can only change a person so much and once this level of improvement is reached it is no longer the individual who can change - it is time for the society around them to do so. Too, it is important to understand that the conventional order of treating the person first as the source of disease and problem is in not always the best approach, lots of success can come if the environment and society around them changes too.
This past weekend I took my coaching to the next level! I traveled with the Special Olympics snowshoeing team to Huntsville for the 1st open to all race/last race of the year (not nearly as many snowshoeing meets are available as there are track and field races in the summer) and I got to spend two 4 hour drives + a night over + a day of racing with the group of athletes in attendance. Merely looking at the level of commitment these athletes show to their cold, uncomfortable and definitely not easy winter sport deserve a lot of respect. On a humorous note it ended up being my abilities that were put up to the test and ... unfortunately seemed to lack luster at this track meet. One athlete in particular has shown himself to be extremely dedicated and hard working over the course of the season, and from it has come great success as we have seen his distances increasing as his times decreased. Unfortunately this athlete has an additional challenge, on top of merely running in unstable cold conditions in snowshoes, he also has to maintain a perfect balance between pushing hard and challenging his boundaries and staying on two feet, as he is very prone to passing out. To help I jumped in, with the hope that my presence would keep him calm and avoid fainting. Luck for me this was the weekend that this athlete decided to again challenge himself entering into the 1600 (furthest previous race done was the 800m) as the only participant. From the moment myself and this athlete lined up on the starting line I knew he was going to be pulling me through the race, and my predictions were true. On a few occasions I considered slowing down and even giving up (I was embarrassingly tired :S.. but hid it well :S) and it was without a doubt the athletes strength, determination and passion that pulled me through the race.
Like the strength and determination shown by this depicted athlete, it is my belief that great abilities and strength lies inside of all of us and they just need the to be given the opportunity to come out. Look at our Paralympians for an example, their feats of strength, agility and determination are nothing to be pitied, in fact many able bodied people may feel dwarfed by the greatness of their accomplishments.
But when it comes to the treatment of people with disabilities in Kenya do I deserve to feel sick? Is it their fault? Are my expectations fair? Enabling people with mental and physical disabilities is not always a simple task. It can not be denied that they on most occasions need more assistance than people who are able bodied, at least during their development, as they learn to understand their body and mind and how it operates in relation to the environment around them. Of course too it cannot be denied that many more aggressive and expensive forms of assistance such as corrective surgeries and medications often used in Canada are unattainable for people in developing areas. But I believe there is so much that can be done and is assistance that can be given that is within reach of even the people living in the slums.
The goal when giving assistance, whether through invasive medical techniques or simple interactive means, is to eventually become obsolete, where the skills of the teacher are out done by the student. However to reach this stage I believe two primary things are needed, and these things fall into two basic categories: Materials and Societal understanding and acceptance. Often people with physical and/or mental disabilities will benefit from assistive devices. These devices are not crutches, they are not for people with problems, they are just for people who's needs are not like that of 'normal' society and their complexity can range from more complex computer aided speech devices to simplistic easy to grasp tools such as extra wide pencils. Unfortunately implementing these tools does not appear to be common practice in Kenya and due to a lack of support and awareness most of these persons are institutionalized (especially those with mental disabilities) or separated from others. Although the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) was set up in Kenya in 2004 following the Persons with Disabilities ACT in 2003 (a comprehensive law covering rights, rehabilitation and equal opportunities for people with disabilities) there are countless accounts of people who have received a lack of support from the government.
I would believe there would be benefits to keeping children with their families, primarily for emotional reasons, as I have seen both the amazing growth in children with supportive families and the emotional baggage carried by those who are not. However I am not sure if it is fair to say that parents should be taking care of their own children who have disabilities as there is a significant burden to come with this responsibility. Its becomes more than just an issue of a lack of government support and develops into issues of social injustice. Families are often outcast and unwelcome, forced to keep their children hidden away and even in some cases chased out of neighborhoods. It is clear that the burden faced by families with children with disabilities and the people themselves are greater than that faced by people in Canada. These issues speaks to the issue of societally created stigmas against people with physical and mental disabilities. Although things may be getting better as we see the voices of people with disabilities represented in public policies and government agendas. Societal stigmas must be removed for people with disabilities to have the opportunity to showcase their skills and abilities. Unfortunately it seems like vicious circle that is hard to break. How will society ever see them as able citizens if they are not given the support and materials they need to develop and use their skills and how will they ever receive this if society never changes their view and stigmas towards people with disabilities.
While I will not lower my standards of treatment and respect for persons with disabilities I will have to understand the circumstances in which treatment is being provided to these people in Kenya. In class discussions we have touched on the issue of coming into action in moments of (in our view) injustice such as child neglect and spousal abuse and when it is appropriate and when it is safe. While the risks of such action are apparent in most situations (primarily I would imagine this threat to be that of retaliation), there are no clear lines regarding when to act and when turn your gaze. The cultural belief concerning the appropriateness of said westerly unfavorable behavior in the context of the Kenyan society should be considered. However no matter how common place things like spousal abuse and abuse to persons with disabilities may be in any area it is clear to me that the value for human life is not being upheld, and this is not justifiable.
This is perhaps the area which I am most interested in learning more about when it comes to life in the slums and in Kenya in general. While I do understand that my role is not to place my beliefs and cultural norms on the people of Kenya, and that a major focus of this placement will be about learning from the people, the empowerment of persons with disabilities is one are which I hope to make a little impact, hopefully empower those who do not match societies view of an 'able bodied' person.
These people with disabilities shown in the news release are surely not much unlike the athletes who I coach and the athletes I call my friends. I would do anything in my power to help these people, because these people have beautiful hearts and beautiful bodies often in my books even surpassing that of any able-bodies person, but they often face challenges much greater than many others in communities which put great value on appearance and monetary success.
When I'm blue I often think of these athletes as a source of inspiration. There's always someone out there who as it harder than yourself and I find the idea of putting yourself in their shoes is a good exercise. This is not in any way to pity these people but to recognize the success of their spirit in overcoming and/or adapting to any physical or mental exceptionalities.
What are you afraid of?
- loosing your job?
- the idea of death?
- not being smart enough?
While these are serious and understandable fears the the athletes I coach may have these fears and more
- who will keep them safe once their parents die, because they may not be capable of doing this themselves
- the upcoming surgery they have to have
- having a stroke on the street on their way to work
- being taunted, ridiculed or singled out
Most of these athletes were born carrying a considerable burden on their shoulders, whether they recognize it as such or not (not to say this burden should be theirs... I believe it is societies build environment and 'norms' which burden people) and are often not on an even playing field as their able bodied friends when you consider the ability to carry out the tasks of every day living, and they need the support and assistance of others.
However assistance does not need to be a hand out, rather a hand up and onwards
When adjustments are made to equipment and teaching style we can give empowerment to youth with disabilities and see them succeed. Although there are beneficial medical treatment/surgeries such things can only change a person so much and once this level of improvement is reached it is no longer the individual who can change - it is time for the society around them to do so. Too, it is important to understand that the conventional order of treating the person first as the source of disease and problem is in not always the best approach, lots of success can come if the environment and society around them changes too.
This past weekend I took my coaching to the next level! I traveled with the Special Olympics snowshoeing team to Huntsville for the 1st open to all race/last race of the year (not nearly as many snowshoeing meets are available as there are track and field races in the summer) and I got to spend two 4 hour drives + a night over + a day of racing with the group of athletes in attendance. Merely looking at the level of commitment these athletes show to their cold, uncomfortable and definitely not easy winter sport deserve a lot of respect. On a humorous note it ended up being my abilities that were put up to the test and ... unfortunately seemed to lack luster at this track meet. One athlete in particular has shown himself to be extremely dedicated and hard working over the course of the season, and from it has come great success as we have seen his distances increasing as his times decreased. Unfortunately this athlete has an additional challenge, on top of merely running in unstable cold conditions in snowshoes, he also has to maintain a perfect balance between pushing hard and challenging his boundaries and staying on two feet, as he is very prone to passing out. To help I jumped in, with the hope that my presence would keep him calm and avoid fainting. Luck for me this was the weekend that this athlete decided to again challenge himself entering into the 1600 (furthest previous race done was the 800m) as the only participant. From the moment myself and this athlete lined up on the starting line I knew he was going to be pulling me through the race, and my predictions were true. On a few occasions I considered slowing down and even giving up (I was embarrassingly tired :S.. but hid it well :S) and it was without a doubt the athletes strength, determination and passion that pulled me through the race.
Like the strength and determination shown by this depicted athlete, it is my belief that great abilities and strength lies inside of all of us and they just need the to be given the opportunity to come out. Look at our Paralympians for an example, their feats of strength, agility and determination are nothing to be pitied, in fact many able bodied people may feel dwarfed by the greatness of their accomplishments.
But when it comes to the treatment of people with disabilities in Kenya do I deserve to feel sick? Is it their fault? Are my expectations fair? Enabling people with mental and physical disabilities is not always a simple task. It can not be denied that they on most occasions need more assistance than people who are able bodied, at least during their development, as they learn to understand their body and mind and how it operates in relation to the environment around them. Of course too it cannot be denied that many more aggressive and expensive forms of assistance such as corrective surgeries and medications often used in Canada are unattainable for people in developing areas. But I believe there is so much that can be done and is assistance that can be given that is within reach of even the people living in the slums.
The goal when giving assistance, whether through invasive medical techniques or simple interactive means, is to eventually become obsolete, where the skills of the teacher are out done by the student. However to reach this stage I believe two primary things are needed, and these things fall into two basic categories: Materials and Societal understanding and acceptance. Often people with physical and/or mental disabilities will benefit from assistive devices. These devices are not crutches, they are not for people with problems, they are just for people who's needs are not like that of 'normal' society and their complexity can range from more complex computer aided speech devices to simplistic easy to grasp tools such as extra wide pencils. Unfortunately implementing these tools does not appear to be common practice in Kenya and due to a lack of support and awareness most of these persons are institutionalized (especially those with mental disabilities) or separated from others. Although the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) was set up in Kenya in 2004 following the Persons with Disabilities ACT in 2003 (a comprehensive law covering rights, rehabilitation and equal opportunities for people with disabilities) there are countless accounts of people who have received a lack of support from the government.
I would believe there would be benefits to keeping children with their families, primarily for emotional reasons, as I have seen both the amazing growth in children with supportive families and the emotional baggage carried by those who are not. However I am not sure if it is fair to say that parents should be taking care of their own children who have disabilities as there is a significant burden to come with this responsibility. Its becomes more than just an issue of a lack of government support and develops into issues of social injustice. Families are often outcast and unwelcome, forced to keep their children hidden away and even in some cases chased out of neighborhoods. It is clear that the burden faced by families with children with disabilities and the people themselves are greater than that faced by people in Canada. These issues speaks to the issue of societally created stigmas against people with physical and mental disabilities. Although things may be getting better as we see the voices of people with disabilities represented in public policies and government agendas. Societal stigmas must be removed for people with disabilities to have the opportunity to showcase their skills and abilities. Unfortunately it seems like vicious circle that is hard to break. How will society ever see them as able citizens if they are not given the support and materials they need to develop and use their skills and how will they ever receive this if society never changes their view and stigmas towards people with disabilities.
While I will not lower my standards of treatment and respect for persons with disabilities I will have to understand the circumstances in which treatment is being provided to these people in Kenya. In class discussions we have touched on the issue of coming into action in moments of (in our view) injustice such as child neglect and spousal abuse and when it is appropriate and when it is safe. While the risks of such action are apparent in most situations (primarily I would imagine this threat to be that of retaliation), there are no clear lines regarding when to act and when turn your gaze. The cultural belief concerning the appropriateness of said westerly unfavorable behavior in the context of the Kenyan society should be considered. However no matter how common place things like spousal abuse and abuse to persons with disabilities may be in any area it is clear to me that the value for human life is not being upheld, and this is not justifiable.
Although I cannot say for certain which level of ability or disability the people I will work with in Kenya will have I am under the impression that a significant percentage will be facing challenges due to either congenital or attained physical and/or mental disabilities (my roommate, born in Zambia believes I may see many injuries and deformities attained due to violence which erupted around 2007 around political elections). Too I cannot for say for certain how I will confront mistreatment of these people if I witness it, but I know I will do what is in my power to provide them with the materials, support and assistance I have available to enable them to live a successful and meaningful life.
This is perhaps the area which I am most interested in learning more about when it comes to life in the slums and in Kenya in general. While I do understand that my role is not to place my beliefs and cultural norms on the people of Kenya, and that a major focus of this placement will be about learning from the people, the empowerment of persons with disabilities is one are which I hope to make a little impact, hopefully empower those who do not match societies view of an 'able bodied' person.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
News: A man on a Kenyan Mission
A great story that touches close to home for myself and other students traveling to the Kariobangi Kenya:
Retired Ottawa teacher sets out on a BIG mission to empower youth through education. Teacher, David Hall seeks to help orphans and children of single parents in Kibera (perhaps one of the largest slums in Africa which too lies just outside of Nariobi (similar to Kariobangi)) as he plans to build/expand a local school in the area.
This project is scheduled for development for 2012!! Coming up soon!
Its great to see that we have a strong and invested Canadian connection to helping people in this deserving area of Africa.
of course there is a great deal of unknown important entities which will effect the success of this project and the applause which I am able to give David, such as how he chooses to run the school and how true he stays to the culture of the area... But assuming all things are done fair and just I am happy to see the dedication of ones energy, time and resources to such a cause :)
Check out the article from Ottawa's citizen at http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Building+classrooms+hope+Kenya/4388838/story.html
Inspiration to Move Forward
I like to think that the world remains in constant transition around a happy medium where all the bad in the world will find balance with all the good. And where we find the moments of stress and anxiety many, too are days of complete relaxation and accomplishment. Like the Chinese philosophy of Ying and Yang. Whenever one quality reaches its peak, it will naturally begin to transform into the opposite quality: for example, grain that reaches its full height in summer (fully yang) will produce seeds and die back in winter (fully yin) in an endless cycle (Wikipedia).
While I do not believe myself to be a religious person, I do embrace spiritual thoughts, and this is one of those which drives my life and which has the power to uplift my soul in times of when darkness seems to prevail within myself and/or around myself. This connects to my belief that the world is a flowing body of ever changing and interconnected energy fources, a body that few individuals are able to tap into completely. (On a interesting note – I came across a video recently in which a lady by the name of Jill Bolte Taylor gives proof of the relatity of this concept in her TED talk, A Stoke of Insight… very worth checking out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU)
But this world can be dismal… and the paths to greener pastures can seem clouded and uncertain at even the best of time. This past week and sum I have found myself on a rocky coaster traveling up and down and around and around as I experienced exhaustion, inspiration, motivating, heart break, defeat, exhaustion, depression and hope.
I’m going to step back in memory lane as I look back at all has happened in the last little while.
Many weeks ago it was announced to myself that I had been named to KWs top 40 under 40 (!...?) The announcement was quickly followed by feelings of excitement and pride… and then shortly after I became very hesitant in accepting the award, felt undeserving and uncomfortable. I knew exactly why I felt this way. I am surrounded by deserving people who deserved the acknowledgement just as much or perhaps even more than myself. I mentioned the award to almost no one as I hated the idea of tooting my own horn, for I do not do the work I do for attention nor to I ever want to put myself above others. While for a long time the award caused me more stress than happiness, I have recently jumped the fence to the other side… or am at least straddling the fence now J and much of this change is attributed to the support which I received from others. People were quick to congratulate me and found me deserving of this award, and even people I didn’t know were congratulating me around campus. Now I see the award as a force to continue to move me forward, keep me inspired and let others know that KW is full of people who strive to make this a better place to live and that these actions deserve celebration.
While in this case both Ying and Yang have done their thing and all is well in one particular news release this week I found an even greater struggle between Ying and Yang… and every time my mind goes back to this story I find it hard to believe that a balance will be found, although the attention now brought to this issue does bring hope. The article I am mentioning is ‘Rights groups accuse Kenya of patient abuse’ by David McKenzie on CNN. The chilling stories supported by real life footage of the abuse of persons with disabilities (physical and mental) in Kenya make me absolutely sick, disgusted and frustrated. People with disabilities are the lights of my life, in fact as I write this I am waiting to depart for a weekend of competition and fun with the special Olympics snowshoeing team that I coach and cherish, as we head up north. I am thankful that these youth and adults have supportive families and communities which allow them to live their lives out to their fullest and appreciate their talents and abilities. I have witness these people have great physical successes, proudly represent their sport around the community, and work and enjoy of life of some independence. People with disabilities may not do things the way we do them, but they have the power to succeed if given the opportunity. In Kenya persons with similar disabilities to the people I coach are segregated from ‘normal’ people, locked in rooms, feared, unloved and un human. In the ‘mental health institute’ featured in this article reporters found persons confined there overly medicated, uncared for and even found one ‘inmate’ sleeping beside someone who had died the night before. Abelism seems to have Kenya in a death grip drawing a big black line to separate able bodied from disabled. Ying and Yang don’t seem to be in balance… yet. I am hoping the new attention brought to this issue will bring change, and if given the opportunity I will work towards the cause of fair treatment in any way possible during my stay in Kenya. Perhaps Ying will find Yang soon for the people who have disabilities in Kenya. I suggest you take some time to read this article at http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/02/kenya.health/
I think if I was to call this a spot on my weeklong rollercoaster ride I would call this the peak – where I have reached a comfortable plateau and for a split second feel comfortable but am becoming increasingly worried as to what leads ahead on the trip!
Then I realized my rollercoaster was headed down, down, down… slowly as if I was traveling through water. Welcome to the world of depression… population 1…or so I felt. A good percentage of the world suffers from depression perhaps chronic or only temporary, and although all the facts tell you you’re not alone it’s hard to believe. Two days of missed school, avoidance of friends and lying in bed life felt uninspiring, uninteresting and dismal. But why, while so much good is going on in my life, could I not connect to any happy feelings. I still don’t know why exactly, although signs are pointing to having too many things on my plate and a distaste with school, and very dreary Ontario weather, but with the help of people I love and the realization that life is in my hands today … is finally a happy day! J and ying and yang are doing their thing!
I look back on this week + and wonder how this rollercoaster will compare to the rollercoaster awaiting me in Kenya. The realities of out of balanced yings and yang will surely be more apparent as instead of reading about them I will be immersed in them. I think I will have to adjust my expectations of ‘good’ and look deeper than the surface to uncover them and remain hopeful. To cope… well I am going to be leaning on my ability to find the good in the people around me and the work I will be doing, my ability to breath, and vent, whether in be through exercise, to a paper and pen or to my hopefully willing roomies J.
Maybe when I am feeling blue I can just look down… and remember that life will always be changing and with the changing world I will continually have to reinvent myself, but in doing so I must remember to always DO WHAT I LOVE J and friends and family… I suggest you do the same.
I
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