This will the the last blog from Rwanda.
Yesterday Denise and I sat in on a therapy group of traumatized women, suffering from the aftermath of rape and the murder of their families. They were also all HIV positive. It was part of AVEGA east's counseling program.
The experience was very powerful and very difficult. All that we had read about became real, all too real. They told us that when the genocide ended they felt "lower than dogs," until AVEGA found them or they found AVEGA. AVEGA has become "a father to the orphans" and "a husband to the widows." It is a totally remarkable organization and we will try to partner with it and be helpful however we can.
In a few hours we will be on the plane, and in a few days we will be back in the states.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday July 31 2009
Today is our last full day in Rwanda. Leaving will be very sad, bittersweet; I will be very glad to be home in the surroundings that I am used to, or was used to, but I will miss Rwanda and Rwandan culture, and the people that have become part of our Rwandan network.
Yesterday we had a very productive meeting at AVEGA, the association of female survivors. They have a model of treatment based on family and community, with individual therapy as we know it being only an adjunct to group therapy and community work. The West can learn from that. Today in the afternoon we are going back to attend a group therapy session for women who were victims of violence. Since the group will be conducted in kinyarwanda we will probably sit in the back and listen, and try to follow it with the help of our translator.
We have been amazingly privileged in terms of what we are allowed to be part of. I think it is because we were conscious of making personal connections first, so that we became part of their friendship network. It also helped that Denise and I came there as a team, because they are used to people working in teams. So, in addition to Denise's amazing strengths, I don't think I could have done it without her presence.
After AVEGA we went to a local cafe, right around the corner from the hotel. Two Rwandan "bluesmen" played guitar and sang songs from the mississipi delta: how long will this train be gone, leadbelly, lightning hopkins, and also chicago blues. The place seemed to be a hangout for young people from the NGO's, the embassies, and maybe some trust fund expats. I think that they are part of a new global community just being formed.
Yesterday we had a very productive meeting at AVEGA, the association of female survivors. They have a model of treatment based on family and community, with individual therapy as we know it being only an adjunct to group therapy and community work. The West can learn from that. Today in the afternoon we are going back to attend a group therapy session for women who were victims of violence. Since the group will be conducted in kinyarwanda we will probably sit in the back and listen, and try to follow it with the help of our translator.
We have been amazingly privileged in terms of what we are allowed to be part of. I think it is because we were conscious of making personal connections first, so that we became part of their friendship network. It also helped that Denise and I came there as a team, because they are used to people working in teams. So, in addition to Denise's amazing strengths, I don't think I could have done it without her presence.
After AVEGA we went to a local cafe, right around the corner from the hotel. Two Rwandan "bluesmen" played guitar and sang songs from the mississipi delta: how long will this train be gone, leadbelly, lightning hopkins, and also chicago blues. The place seemed to be a hangout for young people from the NGO's, the embassies, and maybe some trust fund expats. I think that they are part of a new global community just being formed.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Wednesay July 29 2009
We are just back from gorilla treking at volcano national park in the northern province, just at the intersection of Rwanda, Uganda and congo. We got up at 3:30 to leave at 4:30, travelling 2 1/2 hours to reach the national park. It was a long day which only ended when we returned to kigali at around 6PM. Denise and I were alternately exhausted, and elated.
How to describe the gorillas and the gorilla trek? To begin with, they are mountain gorillas. I didn't realize what that meant, namely that the live high on the mountains and you have to trek up the mountain to get to them. There are several bands of trackers, each of whom follows one or antother of the seven or eight bands of gorillas, and get to know them. Our particular band consisted of two silverback males, 2 females, 2 subadults, and 3 young babies. (I may not have it exactly right, but that is the flavor of it.) One of the silverbacks is dominant, the other subordinate. In this case the subordinate male lost his left arm up to the elbow in a trap. He is OK now, and seems very happy, chewing on his celery leaves and leaving family management to the boss.
We took pictures but no picture can really capture it; at best it can serve as a reminder. I thought that people took too many pictures, to the point that it interfered with the actual experience.
Of the many pictures in my memory two are representative: the nondominant male sitting under celery branches stuffing his mouth with grass and celery, totally absorbed in the act of eating; two of the young babies climbing up a small tree and swinging from the branches. The branch broke under their weight and they tumbled to the ground, not hurt but perhaps a bit astonished. They had a small play wresting match after the fall, and then went over to clamber on the belly of the dominant male.
Watching them I saw them as like us, and not like us at all. Humanity is not alone, nor is humanity unique. We are one of many groups of primates, and the primates are one of many forms of life. The gorillas foster a radical decentering from human consciousness to life consciousness. That is the best I can do for now.
How to describe the gorillas and the gorilla trek? To begin with, they are mountain gorillas. I didn't realize what that meant, namely that the live high on the mountains and you have to trek up the mountain to get to them. There are several bands of trackers, each of whom follows one or antother of the seven or eight bands of gorillas, and get to know them. Our particular band consisted of two silverback males, 2 females, 2 subadults, and 3 young babies. (I may not have it exactly right, but that is the flavor of it.) One of the silverbacks is dominant, the other subordinate. In this case the subordinate male lost his left arm up to the elbow in a trap. He is OK now, and seems very happy, chewing on his celery leaves and leaving family management to the boss.
We took pictures but no picture can really capture it; at best it can serve as a reminder. I thought that people took too many pictures, to the point that it interfered with the actual experience.
Of the many pictures in my memory two are representative: the nondominant male sitting under celery branches stuffing his mouth with grass and celery, totally absorbed in the act of eating; two of the young babies climbing up a small tree and swinging from the branches. The branch broke under their weight and they tumbled to the ground, not hurt but perhaps a bit astonished. They had a small play wresting match after the fall, and then went over to clamber on the belly of the dominant male.
Watching them I saw them as like us, and not like us at all. Humanity is not alone, nor is humanity unique. We are one of many groups of primates, and the primates are one of many forms of life. The gorillas foster a radical decentering from human consciousness to life consciousness. That is the best I can do for now.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Monday July 27 2009
I'm resuming blogging after Denise's and my long trip to Butare, about 2 1/2 hours south of kigali. We are certainly experiencing a great deal of Rwanda.
Denise's and my first meeting was with the chair of the psychology department at the National University. They were very enthusiastic about my proposed sabbatical and expressed a need for collaborative research and also training. The chairman told me that although he was enthusiastic he would have to present the proposal to his dean and who would then present the request his rector.This is all proforma because if they approve the officials will approve too, but the rules have to be followed. We immediately bonded over common difficulties with deans and administrators.
I think we came to the country at the right time. Perhaps enough time has passed so that the country is ready to acknowledge the trauma and begin to cope with the massive project of dealing with the suffering that had to be put on the back burner to move on.
We also met with the organization of Rwandan psychology students, who want to connect with other psychology student organizations. It is an undergraduate organization; there are as yet no graduate programs. I told them I would connect them up with both the undergraduate organizations at Stern and YC, and also at Ferkauf.
The next day we visited the ethnographic museum and then the royal palace. They explained the arrangement of the typical Rwandan hut, and then the royal hut, which we walked through. Everything is gendered, and highly structured, and organized around agriculture, particularly cows and vegetables. We went through the milk hut, managed by a woman in the royal family, and the beer hut, managed by a royal male. Each had their own poison taster, for obvious reasons. I'm told than Rwandans love their cows; Jean Baptiste certainly loves his. When I asked him how many cows he had he told me "just a few," which is what everyone says no matter how many cows they have. If they exhibit too much pride of possession then expect the spirits to punish them.
Of all the many stories I could tell you, and probably will when I get back, I am particularly struck by one. A young Rwandan woman, Chantal, who grew very attached to me and Denise, told me in coversation that I was old, and asked if my wife was old, too. I was quite affronted at first, wanting to protest that I'm still young, but then I realized that for her it was a high compliment. In Rwanda, the old are revered, not pushed aside to make way for people who can do things faster or in a more modern way. Probably, related, is that she lost both her parents in the genocide or its aftermath. There are very few old people left in Rwanda. I expect that when I land at JFK and a 20 something man pushes by me, I will experience culture shock.
For Denise's mom and family, Denise is being absolutely amazing. I couldn't have done this without her.
Denise's and my first meeting was with the chair of the psychology department at the National University. They were very enthusiastic about my proposed sabbatical and expressed a need for collaborative research and also training. The chairman told me that although he was enthusiastic he would have to present the proposal to his dean and who would then present the request his rector.This is all proforma because if they approve the officials will approve too, but the rules have to be followed. We immediately bonded over common difficulties with deans and administrators.
I think we came to the country at the right time. Perhaps enough time has passed so that the country is ready to acknowledge the trauma and begin to cope with the massive project of dealing with the suffering that had to be put on the back burner to move on.
We also met with the organization of Rwandan psychology students, who want to connect with other psychology student organizations. It is an undergraduate organization; there are as yet no graduate programs. I told them I would connect them up with both the undergraduate organizations at Stern and YC, and also at Ferkauf.
The next day we visited the ethnographic museum and then the royal palace. They explained the arrangement of the typical Rwandan hut, and then the royal hut, which we walked through. Everything is gendered, and highly structured, and organized around agriculture, particularly cows and vegetables. We went through the milk hut, managed by a woman in the royal family, and the beer hut, managed by a royal male. Each had their own poison taster, for obvious reasons. I'm told than Rwandans love their cows; Jean Baptiste certainly loves his. When I asked him how many cows he had he told me "just a few," which is what everyone says no matter how many cows they have. If they exhibit too much pride of possession then expect the spirits to punish them.
Of all the many stories I could tell you, and probably will when I get back, I am particularly struck by one. A young Rwandan woman, Chantal, who grew very attached to me and Denise, told me in coversation that I was old, and asked if my wife was old, too. I was quite affronted at first, wanting to protest that I'm still young, but then I realized that for her it was a high compliment. In Rwanda, the old are revered, not pushed aside to make way for people who can do things faster or in a more modern way. Probably, related, is that she lost both her parents in the genocide or its aftermath. There are very few old people left in Rwanda. I expect that when I land at JFK and a 20 something man pushes by me, I will experience culture shock.
For Denise's mom and family, Denise is being absolutely amazing. I couldn't have done this without her.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Thursday July 23 2009
This morning we met with AVEGA the association of widows of the genocide. They began as a small organization of about 50 women survivors of the genocide, who met together to mourn their losses, having had no time until then to do anything but survive, and no one who understood them but each other. They grew into a country wide organization supported by the government with 25,000 members, if memory serves me. They offer social support, medical support, psychological counseling if needed, and financial help. Althogether a remarkable grass roots organization that evolved to meet social needs.
In my view, the exemplify a new trauma paradigm. In the West trauma is conceptualized as something that happens to individuals, and so individual therapy is the treatment of choice. In Rwanda the primary "treatment" is group meetings where the women can share experiences, learn that they are not alone, and provide mutual aid. Individual therapy is an adjunct to group meetings, rather than the other way around. They asked for my suggestions and I suggested several things
1. Psychoeducation, so that people learn what is happening to them, and that they are not weak or mad or bad. Psychoeducation provides normalization.
2. Group meetings for the children, as well as the mothers.
3. Group meetings for mothers and children together, to facilitate them talking about things that they all know about but find it hard to speak of. For example, who their father is, or if the child is the product of a multiple rape, that this is the case. (I imagine the blog readers horrified at this, and truly there is much that is horrible about their situation.)
4. Some communal education and meeting, again to speak about what is happening and gossipped about.
After our meeting we had lunch at a small buffet restaurant and Eric (our driver), Cecile (our interpeter), Denise and I talked about life. The conversation gave me a feel for the communal culture of Rwanda and how it is changing. For example, children used to feel free to live in their parents household without contributing anything. Now a financial contribution is expected if at all possible. Another example, at the level of private life. Hutus and Tutsi's can now date, and often do, or even agree to live together. But should they want to get married they have to consult their families, who will often object and may be able to veto the marriage. The reason for objection is the past history of violence.
I don't know what the world will look like to me when I return, but I'm sure that it won't be the same.
In my view, the exemplify a new trauma paradigm. In the West trauma is conceptualized as something that happens to individuals, and so individual therapy is the treatment of choice. In Rwanda the primary "treatment" is group meetings where the women can share experiences, learn that they are not alone, and provide mutual aid. Individual therapy is an adjunct to group meetings, rather than the other way around. They asked for my suggestions and I suggested several things
1. Psychoeducation, so that people learn what is happening to them, and that they are not weak or mad or bad. Psychoeducation provides normalization.
2. Group meetings for the children, as well as the mothers.
3. Group meetings for mothers and children together, to facilitate them talking about things that they all know about but find it hard to speak of. For example, who their father is, or if the child is the product of a multiple rape, that this is the case. (I imagine the blog readers horrified at this, and truly there is much that is horrible about their situation.)
4. Some communal education and meeting, again to speak about what is happening and gossipped about.
After our meeting we had lunch at a small buffet restaurant and Eric (our driver), Cecile (our interpeter), Denise and I talked about life. The conversation gave me a feel for the communal culture of Rwanda and how it is changing. For example, children used to feel free to live in their parents household without contributing anything. Now a financial contribution is expected if at all possible. Another example, at the level of private life. Hutus and Tutsi's can now date, and often do, or even agree to live together. But should they want to get married they have to consult their families, who will often object and may be able to veto the marriage. The reason for objection is the past history of violence.
I don't know what the world will look like to me when I return, but I'm sure that it won't be the same.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Wednesday July 22 2009
Tuesday began with going to an academic conference on the genocide. There were some Americans there, but also a Belgian or two, three Israeli's, and a whole group of faculty from the netherlands. Just like an American conference, egotism and narcissism ran rampant. Some people were there to promote their books, or their ideas, others to give their opinions to Rwanda at large. That said, there was a good talk on the gacaca process. Even though justice was necessary for the restoration of Rwanda, there are so many guilty or potentially guilty people in Rwanda that they overwhelmed the criminal justice system. Gacaca is an adaptation of the Rwandan communal village justice process to post genocidal justice.
Tuesday evening we went to a church service at John Baptiste's evangelical church, the church of Zion. There was singing, dancing, a good deal or prayer and preaching, casting the devil out of Rwanda and waiting for God. Although foreign to my Western sensibility, I think it is very healing for them. Later I met with the pastor who welcomed me graciously, mainly because of my association with Yeshiva University and the Jews. He knew a few messianic jews if Jerusalem, and so had heard of Yeshiva University.
This morning we visited a primary school in Kigali. We got to it because a man we asked directions of on the street was a teacher there. The children were very curious and very welcoming, once they got over their initial astonishment and shyness. They sang for us, not traditional songs as you might expect, but Rwandan rap. One of them danced for us, showing us a Rwandan version of Michael Jackson's moonwalk. The rest of the class clapped and chanted along. After a while Denise joined them with her hip hop moves. The class also told us how much they like Obama, who the called the first African president. As we walked on the road to the school,and as we left, the local kids who were not in school (it was vacation, so most classes weren't in session)shouted out something in Kinyarwandan. I don't remember the words exactly, but the translation was "White people passing."
We just got back from another visit to the Kigali genocide memorial. It was even more overwhelming for me seeing it a second time. It was Denise's first visit, and she seemed overwhelmed to me having seen it all. It takes about 3 hours to walk through the museum, and all of it is painful. Besides the Rwandan genocide, there are displays of other genocides: the Armenian, the Cambodian, other massacres of African peoples, and ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.
It is all painful, but the most painful for me was the final section, titled wasted lives. This shows photographs of children who were killed in the genocide, along with little descriptions of what they were like. For example Alain's favorite food was milk from their cow, his best friend was his mum, his ambition was to be a doctor, and his last words were "mum, where can I run." He was hacked to death by a machete.
Everything in the museum is unthinkable, unimaginable, and yet it all happened.
Tuesday evening we went to a church service at John Baptiste's evangelical church, the church of Zion. There was singing, dancing, a good deal or prayer and preaching, casting the devil out of Rwanda and waiting for God. Although foreign to my Western sensibility, I think it is very healing for them. Later I met with the pastor who welcomed me graciously, mainly because of my association with Yeshiva University and the Jews. He knew a few messianic jews if Jerusalem, and so had heard of Yeshiva University.
This morning we visited a primary school in Kigali. We got to it because a man we asked directions of on the street was a teacher there. The children were very curious and very welcoming, once they got over their initial astonishment and shyness. They sang for us, not traditional songs as you might expect, but Rwandan rap. One of them danced for us, showing us a Rwandan version of Michael Jackson's moonwalk. The rest of the class clapped and chanted along. After a while Denise joined them with her hip hop moves. The class also told us how much they like Obama, who the called the first African president. As we walked on the road to the school,and as we left, the local kids who were not in school (it was vacation, so most classes weren't in session)shouted out something in Kinyarwandan. I don't remember the words exactly, but the translation was "White people passing."
We just got back from another visit to the Kigali genocide memorial. It was even more overwhelming for me seeing it a second time. It was Denise's first visit, and she seemed overwhelmed to me having seen it all. It takes about 3 hours to walk through the museum, and all of it is painful. Besides the Rwandan genocide, there are displays of other genocides: the Armenian, the Cambodian, other massacres of African peoples, and ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.
It is all painful, but the most painful for me was the final section, titled wasted lives. This shows photographs of children who were killed in the genocide, along with little descriptions of what they were like. For example Alain's favorite food was milk from their cow, his best friend was his mum, his ambition was to be a doctor, and his last words were "mum, where can I run." He was hacked to death by a machete.
Everything in the museum is unthinkable, unimaginable, and yet it all happened.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Monday July 20 2009
Denise and I had an amazing evening last night. We met with John Baptiste and a group of his staff. Each of the five regions of kigali was present, and all of them had lost family in the genocide. They were kind and brave enough to tell us their stories, each one a tragedy well beyond what we are used to or even can imagine. They also told us how they struggled to forgive the killers, and to a greater or lesser extent were able to.
Why did they forgive? They did it not because they were Christians, or because it was the right thing to do, or the political requirement that it be done. they did it for themselves, to free themselves of the hatred and the fear and the despair that was consuming them, so that they could rejoin humanity. They used a metaphor that i found helpful. After the genocide their hearts will filled with negativity; hate, fear, distrust, despair, so filled that nothing positive could enter. They walled themselves off to anything but animal survival. The forgiveness process opened up their hearts.
They do not require forgiveness. Indeed they say that forgiveness is not a possibility for everyone, at least not right away. But they do make real a human possibility, going beyond forgiveness per se to freedom from the negative emotions.
I imagine this is hard to believe without seeing the people.
In any event, more to follow.
Why did they forgive? They did it not because they were Christians, or because it was the right thing to do, or the political requirement that it be done. they did it for themselves, to free themselves of the hatred and the fear and the despair that was consuming them, so that they could rejoin humanity. They used a metaphor that i found helpful. After the genocide their hearts will filled with negativity; hate, fear, distrust, despair, so filled that nothing positive could enter. They walled themselves off to anything but animal survival. The forgiveness process opened up their hearts.
They do not require forgiveness. Indeed they say that forgiveness is not a possibility for everyone, at least not right away. But they do make real a human possibility, going beyond forgiveness per se to freedom from the negative emotions.
I imagine this is hard to believe without seeing the people.
In any event, more to follow.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sunday July 19 2009
I have been out of contact for a while. The internet access at the hotel went down for a few days, and I was too busy to go to another place. It is Sunday, now, Denise arrived, and we are catching up. I'm at a cyber cafe in the Union Trade Center, which is kind of a mall.
So much has happened since I got here, too much to convey in a few minutes of blogging. Probably too much to convey in a week or a month, at least in terms of my psychological life. But here are some of the highlights.
I travelled to the country and spoke to two trauma survivors, a highly traumatized woman and two highly traumatized sisters. (I don't remember if I wrote this before, I don't think so.) Their stories are too disturbing to write down here, not so much to me, who saw them and saw that they had survived, but disturbing to just hear the words and the events. I'll tell anybody who wants to hear more in person.
I went to the kigali genocide memorial. A very complex very difficult experience. Not so much the photographs of graves, or the skulls and bones on display, or even the story of how the genocide happened, and how organizations that could have stopped it looked away till it was too late. No, what was most disturbing is the aftermath: the people walking around dead in side, are tortured with memories, or angry and ready to take revenge, or able to find peace only in drugs or alchohol or sex. An alcholic or a drug addict will say: I survived the genocide, how can this kill me. A woman who was raped will say: My body is ruined, and my reputation and honor; why shouldn't I take what pleasure or relief that I can.
As Jean Baptiste said, the bones are just minerals; our task is to help the survivors regain their sense of humanity.
I'll end with how I started. Denise arrived, and is in fact, typing in the next cyberstall. Its good to have her here.
So much has happened since I got here, too much to convey in a few minutes of blogging. Probably too much to convey in a week or a month, at least in terms of my psychological life. But here are some of the highlights.
I travelled to the country and spoke to two trauma survivors, a highly traumatized woman and two highly traumatized sisters. (I don't remember if I wrote this before, I don't think so.) Their stories are too disturbing to write down here, not so much to me, who saw them and saw that they had survived, but disturbing to just hear the words and the events. I'll tell anybody who wants to hear more in person.
I went to the kigali genocide memorial. A very complex very difficult experience. Not so much the photographs of graves, or the skulls and bones on display, or even the story of how the genocide happened, and how organizations that could have stopped it looked away till it was too late. No, what was most disturbing is the aftermath: the people walking around dead in side, are tortured with memories, or angry and ready to take revenge, or able to find peace only in drugs or alchohol or sex. An alcholic or a drug addict will say: I survived the genocide, how can this kill me. A woman who was raped will say: My body is ruined, and my reputation and honor; why shouldn't I take what pleasure or relief that I can.
As Jean Baptiste said, the bones are just minerals; our task is to help the survivors regain their sense of humanity.
I'll end with how I started. Denise arrived, and is in fact, typing in the next cyberstall. Its good to have her here.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Thursday july 16
I’m learning more about Rwandan society and Rwandan culture. Here are a few observations
1. The leadership is incredibly busy, probably too busy. No one rests of takes a vacation. They feel they have to restore Rwanda with very little time to do it in
2. Rwandans are very strong, very resilient. They bear troubles without talking about them. In fact, they keep all of their inner life to themselves. This cultural train will need some modification to do any trauma healing.
3. Everyone is trying to maintain an sense of normalcy and moving ahead. The emotional impact of the trauma, and almost everyone has been traumatized, is walled off. When it cannot be contained it manifests itself in drug and alchohol use, compulsive unsafe sexual behavior, family conflict.
4. Everyone I speak to says that Rwandans need hope and trust.
Also, a very productive meeting with Jean de Dieu Mucyo, executive secretary of the National Commision to fight against genocide. They are enthusiastic about collaboration with Yeshiva, and also my sabbatical where I would teach and train re trauma.
1. The leadership is incredibly busy, probably too busy. No one rests of takes a vacation. They feel they have to restore Rwanda with very little time to do it in
2. Rwandans are very strong, very resilient. They bear troubles without talking about them. In fact, they keep all of their inner life to themselves. This cultural train will need some modification to do any trauma healing.
3. Everyone is trying to maintain an sense of normalcy and moving ahead. The emotional impact of the trauma, and almost everyone has been traumatized, is walled off. When it cannot be contained it manifests itself in drug and alchohol use, compulsive unsafe sexual behavior, family conflict.
4. Everyone I speak to says that Rwandans need hope and trust.
Also, a very productive meeting with Jean de Dieu Mucyo, executive secretary of the National Commision to fight against genocide. They are enthusiastic about collaboration with Yeshiva, and also my sabbatical where I would teach and train re trauma.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Tuesday July 14 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
A very busy day. I had two important meetings:
I met with Jean Baptiste and one of his aides - Jacqueline Budyedusenge., who is a genocide survivor from a small village in Kibuye. We arranged a trip for Denise and me to travel to her village and see rural Rwanda.
I met with Dr. Naasson Munyandamutsa, who is Rwanda's only psychiatrist, and the head of a psychiatric clinic in Kigali. He was very receptive to a collaboration between yeshiva university and the national university of Rwanda and his clinic. He was also encouraging about my sabbatical. All in all, this is everything I wanted.
I've many observations about Rwandan culture, too many to put down at this hour, so I'll just give one. After the genocide Rwanda needed a philosopher king to restore civil society. Paul Kagame fits the description. He is promoting the rule of law, fighting corruption, while guarding against the excesses of democracy.
A very busy day. I had two important meetings:
I met with Jean Baptiste and one of his aides - Jacqueline Budyedusenge., who is a genocide survivor from a small village in Kibuye. We arranged a trip for Denise and me to travel to her village and see rural Rwanda.
I met with Dr. Naasson Munyandamutsa, who is Rwanda's only psychiatrist, and the head of a psychiatric clinic in Kigali. He was very receptive to a collaboration between yeshiva university and the national university of Rwanda and his clinic. He was also encouraging about my sabbatical. All in all, this is everything I wanted.
I've many observations about Rwandan culture, too many to put down at this hour, so I'll just give one. After the genocide Rwanda needed a philosopher king to restore civil society. Paul Kagame fits the description. He is promoting the rule of law, fighting corruption, while guarding against the excesses of democracy.
Settling in
Tuesday morning, Day 2 in Kigali
Slowly but a little bit surely I'm settling in. What has proved to be most difficult so far hasn't been difficult situations or unfriendly or hostile people. In fact, everyone has been very friendly and helpful. The most unsettling thing for me is little hassles and struggles with the unfamiliar. It took a while before I learned where in the hotel the antenna broadcasts enough power so that I have internet access. It is in the cafe downstairs in the hotel, not in my room. So much for my hopes of privacy. I was expecting to pay with credit cards, but most places take cash only. fortunately I brought enough cash to be able to take the hotel room.
So many little things I have to learn how to do. How much of a tip to leave, and to whom? Which is the hot and which is the cold water? I almost scalded myself till I got it. How to fasten mosquito net to the bed. You get the idea.
In my multiculti class I talk about culture as "the way people do things," or better "the taken for granted way that people do things." In that sense, I'm having culture shock. All the ways that I had learned to do things, all my habits that define me, are no longer operative. And I feel it.
I'm accomplishing things, despite the hassles, though.
I had a very good talk with jean baptiste about forgiveness. I heard his story first hand, and it is a totally amazing story. He seems to have been freed from negativity and hatred. Some people who hear the story think it is denial or repression, but it doesn't feel like that. It feels like a spiritual transformation. I'm going to tape it, so those of you who want to can listen to it.
We also planned a collaboration between him and his people and me and my yeshiva resources, working on collecting and analyzing forgiveness stories.
I had two other meetings yesterday, both of them promising.
I met with Dr. Chantal Murakatete who works in a Rwandan clinic who put me in touch with a local rwandan psychiatrist, the rwandan psychiatrist, whom I will meet and discuss things with.
I also met a Dr. Paul Rusiyame (sp not exactly right) who is head of CCM at the national university, who was very welcoming about my sabbatical, and gave me some leads about setting up a connection between yeshiva and the national university.
Again, more to follow.
Slowly but a little bit surely I'm settling in. What has proved to be most difficult so far hasn't been difficult situations or unfriendly or hostile people. In fact, everyone has been very friendly and helpful. The most unsettling thing for me is little hassles and struggles with the unfamiliar. It took a while before I learned where in the hotel the antenna broadcasts enough power so that I have internet access. It is in the cafe downstairs in the hotel, not in my room. So much for my hopes of privacy. I was expecting to pay with credit cards, but most places take cash only. fortunately I brought enough cash to be able to take the hotel room.
So many little things I have to learn how to do. How much of a tip to leave, and to whom? Which is the hot and which is the cold water? I almost scalded myself till I got it. How to fasten mosquito net to the bed. You get the idea.
In my multiculti class I talk about culture as "the way people do things," or better "the taken for granted way that people do things." In that sense, I'm having culture shock. All the ways that I had learned to do things, all my habits that define me, are no longer operative. And I feel it.
I'm accomplishing things, despite the hassles, though.
I had a very good talk with jean baptiste about forgiveness. I heard his story first hand, and it is a totally amazing story. He seems to have been freed from negativity and hatred. Some people who hear the story think it is denial or repression, but it doesn't feel like that. It feels like a spiritual transformation. I'm going to tape it, so those of you who want to can listen to it.
We also planned a collaboration between him and his people and me and my yeshiva resources, working on collecting and analyzing forgiveness stories.
I had two other meetings yesterday, both of them promising.
I met with Dr. Chantal Murakatete who works in a Rwandan clinic who put me in touch with a local rwandan psychiatrist, the rwandan psychiatrist, whom I will meet and discuss things with.
I also met a Dr. Paul Rusiyame (sp not exactly right) who is head of CCM at the national university, who was very welcoming about my sabbatical, and gave me some leads about setting up a connection between yeshiva and the national university.
Again, more to follow.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Arrived In Rwanda
I'm here in Rwanda at the hotel okapi, centrally located in Rwanda. The hotel I was due to stay at, Hotel Stipp, didn't stick to their agreement with jean bapiste, and wanted to charge more. So I'm here.
Jean baptiste met me at the airport and has been a wonderful host. I don't think I could have navigated Kigali without him, certainly not so easily. I'm about to meet him for lunch and a tour of Rwanda.
More to follow.
Jean baptiste met me at the airport and has been a wonderful host. I don't think I could have navigated Kigali without him, certainly not so easily. I'm about to meet him for lunch and a tour of Rwanda.
More to follow.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Last Minute Preparation
It is Thursday night, and I leave tomorrow. My past few days have consisted of last minute preparations, taking care of all the little details that have to be in place for the trip to happen. It has been one small frustration after another: I wanted to buy 30 days worth of clariton for my allergies. The druggist didn't have the 30 day box, so she suggested I buy two boxes of fifteen, which seemed perfectly logical. However, because Clariton is a controlled substance I could only make one purchase per day, leaving me 15 days short. The problem was solved by asking Sheila to buy the Clariton.
I could go on with similar stories, but I won't. I do wonder why this is happening all at once, and have several hypotheses. Perhaps the universe is picking up my worries, and my emotional worry attracts events to worry about, according to some cosmic law. Or perhaps I'm asking people to perform tasks outside their comfort zone. The druggist probably never sold Clariton to someone who was leaving for Africa the next day.
My respect for Napoleon has gone up considerably. Having seen how difficult it is to get one person to Africa, I can't believe that he transported armies across several continents.
Enough of that. I'm leaving for Rwanda tomorrow.
I could go on with similar stories, but I won't. I do wonder why this is happening all at once, and have several hypotheses. Perhaps the universe is picking up my worries, and my emotional worry attracts events to worry about, according to some cosmic law. Or perhaps I'm asking people to perform tasks outside their comfort zone. The druggist probably never sold Clariton to someone who was leaving for Africa the next day.
My respect for Napoleon has gone up considerably. Having seen how difficult it is to get one person to Africa, I can't believe that he transported armies across several continents.
Enough of that. I'm leaving for Rwanda tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Getting ready to leave
It is just a few days now till I leave for Rwanda. I'm nervous and excited, alternating between anticipating catastrophes and imagining fascinating Rwandan adventures. More to follow as the day approaches. I leave on Friday evening. I'll land in Brussels, stay over for a day, and then fly to Rwanda.
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