Welcome to our class BLOG. I invite parents, family, and friends to comment and read along while we are away in Cape Town, South Africa. This BLOG is our collective story to share with our loved ones back home - a glimpse into our journey, our new learning, and transformations. This seminar is a journey...really...to change ourselves! We'll do this by "tracing the footsteps of social change" in South Africa since the time of Apartheid.
Tracing the footsteps of social change in South Africa is not an easy task. The aim is not merely to "follow" the footsteps of South Africans but seek the wisdom they gained during their long-walk in overcoming Apartheid. One way to do this is by first looking at their history and hearing their stories, followed by a close examination of how South Africans view community, their lessons on living together, forgiving one-another, and moving forward.
Cape Town, South Africa is a medley of sheer natural splendor, beautiful weather, and astounding bio-diversity. From "Table Mountain" dwarfing the city center and the sunny blue beaches of "False Bay" to Great White Sharks, Baboons, and a plethora of treasures produced by nature; visitors certainly have reason to dig deep within and connect to a larger world. Though the magnificence of the Cape is vast, it is often said that visitors "ignore the view" by overlooking the juxtaposition between poverty-stricken (though vibrant) shantytowns and immensely affluent gated neighborhoods. Mindful visitors will often put into question the "free market" and recognize that Apartheid's history of racism and classism still exists in all fabrics of life. However, Cape Town has a wealth of human diversity that enriches all aspects of the "Rainbow Nation." The people of South Africa, through struggle and wisdom, have helped many to live from the inside out - to achieve a deep sense of happiness and a zeal for life. Their story of overcoming Apartheid is unfinished yet their spirit to endure is essential to our understanding of human possibility.
This seminar will focus on the stories of both the people and the places of South Africa. Through lectures, site visits, and Service-Learning, students - via a direct exchange with South Africans - will start to transform their understanding of "community" and the essence of what it means to be human. There are no doubt communities here in the Twin Cities who have been pushed into marginalization and face injustice daily; and, there are incredible resources here at home to combat these realities. By visiting South Africa, we are not washing our hands of this responsibility at home. Yet, I have come to learn that visiting South Africa provides meaningful new insight into how we can be change-agents at home and live more fully. By traveling to Cape Town and learning from South Africans, we become citizens of the world and strengthen our capacity to make change at home.
Tracing the footsteps of social change in South Africa is not an easy task. The aim is not merely to "follow" the footsteps of South Africans but seek the wisdom they gained during their long-walk in overcoming Apartheid. One way to do this is by first looking at their history and hearing their stories, followed by a close examination of how South Africans view community, their lessons on living together, forgiving one-another, and moving forward.
Cape Town, South Africa is a medley of sheer natural splendor, beautiful weather, and astounding bio-diversity. From "Table Mountain" dwarfing the city center and the sunny blue beaches of "False Bay" to Great White Sharks, Baboons, and a plethora of treasures produced by nature; visitors certainly have reason to dig deep within and connect to a larger world. Though the magnificence of the Cape is vast, it is often said that visitors "ignore the view" by overlooking the juxtaposition between poverty-stricken (though vibrant) shantytowns and immensely affluent gated neighborhoods. Mindful visitors will often put into question the "free market" and recognize that Apartheid's history of racism and classism still exists in all fabrics of life. However, Cape Town has a wealth of human diversity that enriches all aspects of the "Rainbow Nation." The people of South Africa, through struggle and wisdom, have helped many to live from the inside out - to achieve a deep sense of happiness and a zeal for life. Their story of overcoming Apartheid is unfinished yet their spirit to endure is essential to our understanding of human possibility.
This seminar will focus on the stories of both the people and the places of South Africa. Through lectures, site visits, and Service-Learning, students - via a direct exchange with South Africans - will start to transform their understanding of "community" and the essence of what it means to be human. There are no doubt communities here in the Twin Cities who have been pushed into marginalization and face injustice daily; and, there are incredible resources here at home to combat these realities. By visiting South Africa, we are not washing our hands of this responsibility at home. Yet, I have come to learn that visiting South Africa provides meaningful new insight into how we can be change-agents at home and live more fully. By traveling to Cape Town and learning from South Africans, we become citizens of the world and strengthen our capacity to make change at home.
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