Recently in Nathan Whittaker (Instructor) Category

Hello friends and family. As I'm sure you've read, the chains of head and heart have been disrupted for all the students. Oie....my plan is working!

It's been a challenging week for all. South Africa, if you were to ask me, is a mirror image of our comfortable United States; however, the mirror is convex...or concave...however you see it. In Cape Town we get to see the bent edges, which show us the extreme conditions of both happiness and sadness. Race, class, poverty, healing, beauty, charm, hunger, economics, wildlife, diversity, and so much more, explode in front of the students so that they are forced to bare witness to everything that is both observable and things that are...well...internal. As you've read, we all think it through in our own way. But...it is healing. It's scraping away at the layers of circumstances and people who have wronged us and taking it all back...to reclaim our lives.

We began our service-learning last week in Delft with the NGO Afrika Tikkun. Afrika Tikkun works toward the transformation of South African communities by caring for volnerable children and orphans in townships. They foster empowerment by providing holistic services focused on children from one year to 19 years of age, and their families/guardians. Delft is a township on the outskirts of Cape Town, known for its substandard schools, lack of jobs, and high rates of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis. The population is near 1,000,000 (loose estimate) and is 73% Coloured (South African term for "mixed"), 25% Black, almost no whites and 1% Indian. Most of Delft consists of government housing projects and informal settlements (shacks).

Anthea Jansen and the rest of the staff at Afrika Tikkun has once again provided my students with an incredible opportunity to bare witness to everything the township is - how it lives and breathes - as well as up-close and personal experiences with Delft community members, and leaders. The experience itself is likely somewhat Schizophrenic for the students. Townships are both beautiful and vibrant, and at the same time, horrific. Since in our normal lives we are "fish in water" and don't recognize what we have and don't have, this opportunity allows us to see what's in the water.

Students started class recitations by looking at "community" and how globally, community involves "people;" and, community is not easily defined and involves aspects hidden to us - such as space and time. We learned that community is messy; it is "individuality" which is inclusive; it is humility and witness; it exams itself; it is motivated by belonging; and has a spirit. It is imperfect. It "just is" as some students have mentioned.

We then dived into the world of "lived-experience" which is essential to social justice work (working towards a more just world). Lived-experience is awareness of the mundane and taken-for-granted experiences in a person's life. It's not "a person with HIV/AIDS" but a person with HIV/AIDS who has to get up in the morning, struggle with a painful body and mind most of the day, take medications, feel ill, walk to a clinic, waiting to be seen, wondering, fearing, hoping, realizing that 12 minutes feels like forever, and...well...that they didn't eat breakfast so they're hungry. It's "everyday-ness." Something we all take for granted but are truly the building blocks of who we are. By paying attention, we can see more "pixels" of a human being; and, like a computer screen with many pixels, the image or "resolution and clarity" of that person's life become more clear. It's a powerful concept.

We are now working on the South Africa philosophy of Ubuntu (I am who I am because of you) and Reconciliation. There is no "truth" to these questions but they have certainly given the students an alternative reality to the one we are accustom to in the United States. There will be more on this for the students in the near future.

I have really enjoyed all the students. They are a resilient bunch and their tolerance of ambiguity has been very helpful to me as I conduct this train. They have really began to focus on simultaneously changing both themselves and the communities they serve. They are all working towards improving their lives. They've been reflective and willing to take risks. There has been some external drama out of our control but they have all met those challenges with great patience and understanding. Pretty awesome!

As we enter our final week, I thank everyone who has followed this blog and entered comments that the students love to receive; it's like a letter from home. Onwards!

Nate Whittaker (Instructor)

What an amazing opportunity for us all to arrive in the Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Mountains to see the sunset and leave the same peaceful space with a sunrise! I am thrilled that Mark Gamble (Educo Africa Director and amazing friend) and I took the time to make this a reality for this year's class. The Educo staff provided us an experience not many can say they've had - to sleep and live in the "bush" of South Africa for three days, reflect on our relationship to each other, the earth, and our entry into this amazing nation. I am proud of the students for giving this retreat a go and for their willingness to "accept the process." I could not think of a better way to start the program. As the instructor for this course, I struggled with how to help the students "enter" South Africa; to, as Kevin Winge wrote, "come in right." I know the retreat provided us a space to start the process.

We engaged in activities that challenged the idea of community, power, relationships, race, class, and our spiritual connection to something greater than ourselves. We swam in water holes hundreds of Kilometers away from the hustle of the city. We walked through skinny paths of stone and rock through some of the most beautiful - and ancient - lands the world has to offer. We laughed...and cried. The goal was to begin healing....which in my mind....is the ONLY way to begin "tracing the footsteps of Social Change" in South Africa.

We're now back in the city preparing for Phase Two of the journey: recitations, excursions, and service in the Delft township. It started with a wild New Year's Eve. Many of the students went downtown to experience Long Street - a celebration like no other. Though I was not with them, I have been on Long Street for New Year's before and it is incredible. To think that the same streets mixed with a rainbow of human diversity celebrating a new year is very new to South Africa, is exciting. It was just over a decade ago when the diversity of Long Street was not allowed. South Africa's president Jacob Zuma was on TV last night wishing his fellow South Africans the best in 2012. Though not everyone cares for Zuma, I appreciated his message of moving forward, but most importantly, his very intentional recognition of this country's horrific past. To "never forget" as the wonderful people of this nation move forward.

Last night, someone stole my car battery of out my rental car. A reminder of where we are and that a lot of work needs to be done in terms of the "haves and have nots" in South Africa but I didn't mind too much. I have been witness to this nation's changes over the past 12 years and although it's sometimes difficult to see, as an outsider, it is quite clear South Africa has come a tremendous way. How exciting for a country that has a lot to teach the world.

Happy 2012 to all the friends and family of my students. They miss you all dearly but are having a wonderful time!

- Nate Whittaker (Instructor)

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.