Visual Ethnography Synthesis Project: Cape Town
Brian Yost
For Dr. Jason Clark
DMin 717
George Fox Evangelical Seminary
Doctor of Ministry
Leadership and Global Perspective
December 8, 2014
Introduction
Two days of travel with cramped airline seats and long layovers brought me to Cape Town excited, but exhausted. I was ready for a good meal, a long hot shower, and a comfortable bed. While waiting in line at immigration, I struck up a conversation with a young, adventurous looking couple. They were traveling around Africa experiencing nature. Their plans in Cape Town involved wine tours, diving with the great white sharks, and climbing Table Mountain. I was thoroughly enjoying the conversation until they asked what I was doing in South Africa. I’m sure my response would have been a little keener if I was not feeling so travel weary, but I found myself at a lack for words to explain my reason for being there. Yes, I was in a doctor of ministry program and I knew we would be visiting Robben Island, but being my first Advance, I was a bit clueless as to what would really happen in Cape Town. They asked me if I was going up Table Mountain, I said, “I think so. We are doing a lot of different things, so I am pretty sure we will visit Table Mountain.” What I did not say was that I did not know what Table Mountain was or even where in was. I knew I was in South Africa, but I lacked the information and experience to fully understand the significance.
As I began to immerse myself in the wonder of my Cape Town experience, I soon realized that that upon returning home I would have as much difficulty conveying my experience to family and friends as I had explaining my purpose in South Africa to the adventurous couple at the airport. How could I put into words an experience that incorporated so much learning, so much culture, so many tragic stories, so much beauty, and so many surprises? When many words do not begin to tell the story, perhaps one word is better. I decided that when someone asks me how South Africa was, I would simply say, “Penguins”. Before arriving in Cape Town, I was completely unaware that there were colonies of penguins native to Africa. The more I pondered this revelation, I began to reflect on how many times we think we know something but are actually ignorant. Cape Town was full of surprises in which I thought I knew the story, but only knew a small piece of the truth. I am not a big souvenir guy, but I bought several stone penguins to give to family and friends. They were all surprised and not one of them knew that there were Africa penguins (let alone that they were call “Jack Ass Penguins”). My reason for given them a penguin, was to remind them that God always has surprises for us in places that we would never expect.
While words always fall short of describing experiences, I hope that the combination of words and photographs will convey at least a glimpse of what the Cape Town experience meant to me.
New Friends
Meeting cohort five and the GFU faculty was priceless. I feel so blessed to be connected with these incredible people. Proverbs 27:17 say, “As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another” (NIV). I feel that these men and women with whom I will be interacting for the next two years will help sharpen shape me in ways that will last a lifetime. I already sensed this happening as we began to process our Cape Town experiences. It was so refreshing to be with people who were not satisfied to merely observe,but sought to understand. The conversations helped me view the experience from a different,more critical perspective, and to get a fuller view of reality.
Meeting face-to-face gave greater insight into the perspective each person brings to the learning environment. I have found that I read their weekly blogs in a different way now that I know their context and personalities.
Robben Island
Of all the places we visited, Robben Island was perhaps the most surreal. The emotional contradictions were profound. Here I stood on a beautiful island overlooking Cape Town with Table Mountain looming behind. I was torn between the sense of awe and majesty, and the realization that such a beautiful landscape was the sight of so much pain and injustice. Cape Town, dwarfed by Table Mountain and barely visible from the shores of the island seemed insignificant. It was easy to forget the struggle that had lasted generations. Places like Distict Six could not be seen. Is this what is was like for the privileged during Apartheid? Were they able to see South Africa for it’s beauty and placidly look past the pain and suffering? Did the “rules” of Apartheid really make it possible to live in the midst of injustice and not feel the pain? “Understanding a formula… enables an agent to carry on in social life in a routine manner... The same is true of bureaucratic rules, traffic rules, rules of football, rules of grammar, rules of social etiquette: to know a rule… mean[s] that one can use the rule 'to go on' in social life.”[1] Social “rules” allow us to live in a way that is expected, but that is different than living how we should.
As I turned from the ocean view of Cape Town, I was confronted with the reality of Robben Island. The eerie silence of the wind-torn island shouted a story. From the empty prison halls and cells to the solitary table and benches in the yard, felt myself drawn into this story. I remember the watching the news when Nelson Mandela was released, but being where he had spent so many years brought a new reality. How was it that a man so abused by the system could live in hope for so many years? How was it that the spirit of this great man was able to move others to action while remaining behind bars?
The image that stays in my mind is the open prison gate. This is a lasting symbol that things can change. The prison is empty and the prisoners are gone. The gate that once held them is now on open door. True leadership leads to change. Great leaders see the world the way it could and should be. Leadership does not wait for perfect circumstances; leadership lives in the present context while looking toward a better future.[2]
District Six
District Six was another eye-opener; I had no idea that an entire neighborhood had been evacuated and destroyed to make room white people of European descent. Standing on the street map and looking at the preserved street signs of the way things used to be was shocking. Apartheid officially ended twenty years ago, but the scars still remain. As people share what it was like to be displaced, the hurt and anger is still present in their voices. Today, there is a whole generation that did not live through apartheid and is unable to relate to what their parents suffered.
As we walked down the street, we passed vacant land. This property was once filled with streets, homes, and families. This land stands as a witness to the cruelty. We live in a sinful world in which humankind, created in the image of God, treats fellow human beings with distain. Praise God that this is not the end of the story. As we rounded a corner, we saw new buildings. Although this new construction can never atone for the evil that was done, it does however, speak of hope. We had the privilege of visiting the home of a woman who had finally returned home. No, she is not in the house she lived in before the relocation, but she is back in District Six. She praised God for his provision and expressed a long-awaited joy.
At the museum, I sat on a bench that had previously been only for white people. This brought back shameful memories of my own national history. Like South Africa and District Six, we in the United States still have a long way to go toward reconciliation and equity. Laws may change, but hearts can remain stained with the sin of racism. I praise God for the changes that have taken place, but I am challenged with the fact that the work is not yet complete.
Leon OosthuizenXolaSkosana
The meeting with Leon and Xola was inspirational. These men demonstrated that people can change. As they dialogued, both in person and in the pages of their book Roads to Bridges, they gave us a glimpse into their hearts. Too often we are afraid to share how we really feel or to ask questions of which we may not like the answers. Leon and Xola showed us how to walk through the painful process of really learning to listen to others. At times, I felt uncomfortable with their words of truth to each other; I can only imagine what it must have felt like for them. They modeled an integrity that says “you are more important than my personal comfort”. They provide a great example for us as Christian leaders.
Mary Burton-Truth and Reconciliation Commission
I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around the trust and Reconciliation Commission. When we have been wronged, we want the truth to come out. Once the truth is out, we want justice—usually meaning revenge. The idea of exposing the truth of horrible acts toward humanity and offering pardon rather than punishment is not a normal human reaction. What I love about this is that it reflects the nature of God. We all have sin in our lives, but as we confess our sin to God, the truth sets us free.
Hearing Mary’s story was inspiring. As a white woman, she was a person of privilege. She was not expected to feel for those living under the injustice of Apartheid. It would have been easy for her to live a quite life, enjoy her privileged status, and not make waves. She strikes me as a model of quite strength, a person who could never be content if her comfort was the cause of another’s suffering.
Learn to Earn
I cannot say enough about how impressed I was with the Learn to Earn center. The quality of this program really spoke to me. So often we see a need and try to fix it from the outside. Learn to Earn addresses the needs up-close and personal. They come alongside individuals and give them practical tools to better their own situation. This is not a social program that perpetuates dependency; it is an education and skill-based program requiring commitment and hard work. I loved seeing the joy on the men’s’ faces as they showed us their woodworking projects. I can also say that I will never talk with a call-center rep again without remembering the call center training provided at Earn to Learn.
This is a model that is easily reproducible, not just in South Africa, but in Latin America where I work. I would love to get some of our Mexican leaders exposed to the methodology employed at Earn to Learn. This is a practical way to begin making a monumental difference; first in the lives of individuals and eventually in the life of the whole community.
Cape of Good Hope
Seeing the Cape of Good Hope was amazing! I stood in awe as I pondered what I was looking at. This was the place where ships rounded Africa; they could now turn east, away from the treacherous sees further south. This is also the place where two oceans meet. This is not an arbitrary line. The two oceans have district currents, temperatures, and marine life. While this line may look invisible to the untrained eye, it is there and it is definitive.
This reminds me of the social issues in South Africa and elsewhere; We may not always see and understand the underlying currents, but they exist. Those who live in these currents feel them in every aspect of their lives. As Christian leaders, we must learn to see what lies beneath the surface of society. The good news is that there is hope. We see the divide, but God calls us to see the good hope.
Mercy Ship
Before leaving Cape Town, I took one last walk down by the waterfront. I noticed that the Mercy Ship was docked and decided to check it out. I was not able to go aboard (tours were starting the next day), but I was able to interview one of the volunteer workers. This young lady was the epitome of a person living her theology. She shared with me some of the ways that Mercy Ship is making a difference. Not only do they provide medical care, they also provide medical training. As they enter a community, they work with the local medical personel to help them become more effective in their service to their local communities. This young lady has raised money and given up several months of her life to serve others in the love of Christ.
Conclusion
The Cape Town experience is hard to put into words, but the impact is easy to feel. The South Africans are an amazing people who have challenged me greatly. They continue to forge a new future for a nation with a troubled past. They have not forgot their past, as is demonstrated by a statue of a gun I saw by the waterfront. The gun tells the story of hurt and violence, but the twisting of the barrel shows that it will no longer define them and cause hurt.
Forging a new future can look like a bridge we frequently passed in Cape Town, a bridge that goes nowhere. This is a bridge that was begun, yet never completed.Apartheid officially ended twenty years ago and still there remains many unresolved issues. It would be easy to give up, but I see a different heart in the South African. They remember their past but press on toward a brighter future. I see their spirit of hope in a picture I took from a rugby field. If you look through the goalposts, into the distance, you will see the Africa Mercy Ship. This ship is a symbol of hope and healing. With the eyes on the goal, no matter how distant it may look, healing is within reach.
Bibliography
Elliott, Anthony Contemporary Social Theory: An Introduction. London: Routledge, 2009.
Grenz, Stanley J., and Roger E. Olson.Who Needs Theology? An Invitation to the Study of God. Downers Grove, Ill., USA: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
Oosthuizen, Leon and Skosana, Xola.Roads 2 Bridges: Uninterrupted Conversations: Stories of friendship and partnering across the racial divide. South Africa, Emmaus Media, 2013.
Pink, Sarah.Doing Sensory Ethnography. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2009.
Pink, Sarah.Doing Visual Ethnography. 3rd ed. Los Angeles, California: SAGE, 2013.
Nohria, Nitin, and RakeshKhurana, eds. Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice: An Hbs Centennial Colloquium On Advancing Leadership. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Press, 2010.
1
[1]Anthony Elliott, Contemporary Social Theory: An Introduction (London: Routledge, 2009), 128.
[2]NitinNohria and RakeshKhurana, eds.,Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice: An Hbs Centennial Colloquium On Advancing Leadership (Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Press, 2010), 306.