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| Vara during "Human Rights Squares" exercise |
After
a great weekend away at Goedgedacht
farm in Malmesbury, I came home feeling relaxed and informed. The group spent 2
nights and days on the farm exploring our rights and the rights outlined by the
South African Constitution. We learned about Refugees and Asylum Seekers, but
most importantly we learned about each other’s cultures, ideals, and
perspectives. Our group was paired with a group from Africa Unite consisting of
teachers, students and even parents from all over South Africa. The whole bunch
of us worked through exercises that built a strong human rights network. We
spoke about the human rights learning community wheel which really put into
perspective how intertwined each aspect is. The segments of the wheel included
words such as: inspire, know, value, connect, heal, act, reflect, and
celebrate. As co-educators on this trip we were accomplishing all segments and
really embracing the connect aspect. Some of the South Africans on the trip
opened up and shared some great examples of how they witnessed, perpetuated,
felt, and healed from human rights violations through one of our exercises. The
strength they all had was one to be marveled. Both days were packed with
experiences like this and by the end of the trip there was a new air of unity
about us as one large group. Not only was the food delicious (scalloped
potatoes and chicken, mixed veggies, fresh salads, baked goods, the list goes
on and on…) but the atmosphere of the whole trip was revitalizing. Our villas
were comforting after a long day of workshops and projects and going out at
night to watch the stars got us all thinking. I also had some great late night
conversations and learned a lot about my co-educators. The trip was inspiring
and reviving. We all were equals and regardless of what had oppressed people in
the past or even in daily life, we were all able to come together and view each
other as members of a human rights community and celebrate!
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| Vara, Serano, & Faith connecting and celebrating. |
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