A Peaceful Perspective... August 30, 2010

In this edition...

• Opinion: Where is our humanity now? Shameful behaviour on both sides of the picket line
• MCC appoints new Regional Peace Advisor for Southern Africa
• Column: Listening for the Word
• Bishop Rubin Phillip awarded Diakonia Award
• Pastor preaches about Jesus being HIV positive
• Opinion: The violence within us
• Church must Interrogate its reading of the Bible – Dr. Anderson
• Peace project helps PE schools overcome violence

Opinion: Where is our humanity now? Shameful behaviour on both sides of the picket line

Not many people know of Public Service and Administration Minister Richard Baloyi. He has, however, earned himself a place in ignominy for reacting angrily to charges by trade unions that ministers spend money without a care for the poor when they buy huge luxury cars and stay in expensive hotels. Baloyi's response was: "Do they want ministers to ride on scooters when they do their work - or drive 1400 bakkies? It's unfortunate to link these two, as if we're seeing ministers riding in these vehicles for the first time. Even during apartheid ministers were using vehicles such as Mercs ... it is a tool of our trade." Baloyi's response is thoughtless and insensitive. It ranks up there with former ANC leader Smuts Ngonyama's utterance when confronted about the looting that was the Telkom deal: "I didn't struggle to be poor." Baloyi's comment will, of course, lead to a hardening of attitudes against the government's refusal to give public servants an 8.6% increase (plus a R1000 housing subsidy). Many will point out that, with attitudes such as the minister's, it is no wonder that public servants have vowed not to return to work until their demands are met. It's not so simple. What has happened during this strike chills the blood and makes me wonder what has happened to us, to our humanity? more >>
Source: ANiSA News

MCC appoints new Regional Peace Advisor for Southern Africa

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) has announced the appointment of Mulanda Jimmy Juma, who comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as the new MCC Regional Peace Advisor for southern Africa…. The MCC Regional Peace Advisor (RPA) will function as a regional ‘peace convener’ by facilitating the connection of ideas, people, organizations and resources for peace-building in Southern Africa. It is expected that Jimmy will maintain linkages among principal peace role-players in the region (both individual and organizational), and engage with peace builders from various sectors of society who are committed to transforming conflicts in the region. The MCC Regional Peace Advisor will collaborate with MCC country programmes and local peace partners from across the region around peace capacity-building, peace education and training, conflict intervention, advocacy, networking, and information sharing and raising public awareness. more >>
Source: ANiSA News

Bishop Rubin Phillip awarded Diakonia Award

Right Reverend Rubin Phillip, Anglican Bishop of Natal, has been conferred with the Diakonia Award for devoted service to human rights, justice and democracy. Bishop Phillip was honoured at the annual Diakonia Lecture and presentation of the Diakonia Award ceremony at the Durban City Hall on 12 August. In justifying Bishop Phillip's choice for the Award, the Diakonia Council - the supreme decision making body of the organisation - noted his involvement with the anti apartheid movement as far back as the 1960s, through his advocacy and involvement in the Zimbabwe crisis to his solidarity with the shack dwellers movement, Abahlali baseMjondolo. more >>
Source: ANiSA News

Opinion: The violence within us

'They lied to us, they lied to us, they lied to us!" The bearded white man shook with emotion as he repeated these words after the talk I had just delivered at a Men's Convention in the poor white community of Elsburg in the south of Johannesburg. This was the second men's convention that I was privileged to address on successive weekends. One thing is crystal clear: there is a deep and unremitting pain among middle-aged men about the past, about their participation in it, and especially about that unspoken war in which white men were conscripted into military service to do things that few dare speak about. Do not be deceived by the poorly-written books by former soldiers with bravado and self-justification lacing the pages; it is an attempt to retain sanity as these men come to terms with official lies. more >>
Source: ANiSA News

Peace project helps PE schools overcome violence

Discipline has become the order of the day at a number of schools in Nelson Mandela Bay, thanks to a project run by the GM South Africa Foundation that promotes peace at schools despite violence and gangsterism. The Seeds of Peace Programme, started in 2006 with the aim of helping teachers become peace builders in their schools, has been a resounding success especially where there is gangsterism. The GMSA Foundation has been working with the Port Elizabeth education district to ensure that schools embrace love, peace and respect as core values for teachers, pupils and parents. more >>
Source: ANiSA News

Column: Listening for the Word

On our recent trip to England Isobel and I visited Southwell Minster in Nottinghamshire. It is one of the smallest but oldest cathedrals in the country. We spent several hours there, discovered that it was twinned with the cathedral in Pietermaritzburg where Steve’s funeral service was held, and lit a candle in his memory. So that was very special. Just before we left we noted a second hand book table in the north transept. I recognized many books lying there that were popular when I was a student. They were probably the remains of some priest’s library of the same vintage. Looking at the books I had a sense of sadness and nostalgia. Many were good books, but few people read them today. We have often talked at Volmoed about the small library of books in our resource centre. I am not sure how many of them are read, but I guess relatively few would be a safe guess. Some of them are classics deserving to be read; others are books of passing interest and will probably become pulp sooner or later. That’s the way with books. So what distinguishes a classic from other books? What makes a book or film or painting or poem something that lasts the test of time; something to which people return again and again? more >>
Source: ANiSA News

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Pastor preaches about Jesus being HIV positive

A Khayelitsha pastor, who preached about Jesus being HIV positive, took a public HIV test in full view of his congregation on Sunday morning. Pastor Xola Skosana, who was concluding a three-part sermon titled Jesus Is HIV Positive, said he was motivated to tackle the issue from the pulpit after witnessing his sister being "ravaged by Aids related diseases". "My sister, like many, suffered in pain and I asked myself questions about this disease and the answer was in Jesus," Skosana said. He said the church could no longer keep quiet about HIV matters. more >>
Source: ANiSA News

Church must Interrogate its reading of the Bible – Dr. Anderson

Dr. Cheryl Anderson, Professor at Garret-Evangelical Theological Seminary, in Illinois, USA has urged the Church to interrogate its traditional reading of the bible and develop new ways of reading it in the context of HIV and AIDS. She was speaking at a seminar organised by the United States Consulate General in partnership with the Diakonia Council of Churches, on 18 August. Dr Anderson said the Church must abandon its traditional interpretation and come up with another perspective and alternative theological framework on the bible and HIV and AIDS. more >>
Source: ANiSA News