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August 8, 2008
Gitega, Burundi (Friday evening)
A great
day after feeling a bit down over the lowered number of mediation
training participants from 20 down to 8. They did catch on to some of
the things they were struggling with on Thursday, and we learned that
Pastor Ely had been able to schedule two mediations for today. We chose
or they self selected the mediators, two for each case, and the other
four were observers along with myself and Pastor Ely.
We left at 8:30, Pastor Ely driving and hammering a minivan into the
countryside for about ten miles. When you talk of countryside in
Africa, you assume bad road in most places and this was no day for
understatement. We passed through a lot of coffee shambas and also saw
brick kilns everwhere. Fuel is eucalyptus wood which fortunately grows
fast or the country would be denuded. After 45 minutes of driving and
asking directions, did someone say road signs? African men are way
ahead of American men in being able to ask directions. We got to a
primary school that actually had a playground. This was a first for me.
It had a swing set, no swings however. and a hand over hand horizontal
ladder and another game I can describe but it will make no sense to
anyone except French Canadians. It has a horizontal bar about 4 feet
off the ground to which is attached a speed bag aka small punching bag
that can spin foward or backward. A kid stands on each side and tries
to knock it forward or backward with a double fist and then do little
tricks while the bag turns around the bar. They were also lacking the
bag.
Anyway about 10 minutes after we showed up, people started arriving and
shook our hands but it was clear that many were not shaking hands with
each other. Some lines had apparently been drawn long before we got
there. Both cases though different, involved individual families and
conflict within each family. I watched one for an hour and ahalf and
then went over to watch the other. It looked like they might be
unsolvable, which is ok in transformative mediation as long as
communication, empowerment and recognition take place. But I think the
locals might not be so impressed if the first experiences didn't show
some serious results. I'll explain more about the nature of the cases
later.
I'm a little pressed for time right now, but I want to express my
elation with the day. Both cases went down to wire. We had to leave by
12:45 to catch a bus back to Bujumbura and to have lunch. They both
settled in the last fifteen minutes available. In one case the extended
family had been allowed by the parties to sit and watch the process. It
looked more like a trial than a mediation from outward appearances, and
I wasn't sure what the effect of spectators would have on mediation.
When they settled, everybody stood up and cheered. It was like Mr.
Deeds Goes to Washington or some other Hollywood film.
The director of the local Peace Committee, made an impassioned speech
afterward and told the children who were also in the mediation that
they should never forget this day. The nation has had such a bloody
history of civil war for over forty years that I think everyone was
astonished. They asked to pray together and all made the sign of the
cross. The White Father's effect rolls on. They sang one of the most
moving songs I've ever heard and didn't understand a word. The Peace
Committe director asked that a photo of the family be taken and that it
be hung in that school classroom as a reminder to the community. On the
way home the mediators were overjoyed and laughing and singing, and I
felt like I was on a coaching trip where the athletes had trained well
and performed well and experienced the joy of doing what they had been
practicing so hard to do. I can describe it in no other way.
Friday night. Amen.
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