Sunday reflections

Hello,

This post is just a bit of everything that came to my mind today!

Lately I have been thinking about coherence and consistency in our lives. About the choices we make, the actions we take, the intentions we put into our behaviors, our attitudes when facing a particular situation and the struggle to strive for what we believe.

I have been thinking about the importance of balancing one's life and keeping a safe distance to material things, while keeping one's feet on the ground. Today I have been thinking how easy it is to hurt others because of our selfish behaviors and how difficult it is to detach ourselves of people who hurt us, when we love them.

Sometimes our own beliefs, convictions and ideas are lived in such a way that they are even threatening to others, and can even unintentionally hurt those who are close to us. In a multicultural world, sometimes our words are misinterpreted, our actions are disapproved and our intentions are misunderstood. How do we then deal with intercultural learning when we are defensive to others' cultures and beliefs? Do we need to be more aware of the "other" out there and of our own boundaries?

Today I have been thinking that what makes one's life journey worth living are the challenges found in each stage and the willingness to deal with the contradictions that the path itself brings about.

Today I feel that I need more patience, more wisdom, more understanding, more humility, and time for myself to reflect about those small things that change my world day by day.

Love,

Malu

The Invitation!

Hello,

Last weekend during in one the courses at WPA we discussed about integrity (which I will post my reflections later this week), the teacher read a wonderful poem called The Invitation by Oriah. I found it very touching and powerful and I think you might also like it.

Peace,

Malu

The Invitation by Oriah

It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon...
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.

It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.

By Oriah © Mountain Dreaming,
from the book The Invitation
published by HarperONE, San Francisco,
1999 All rights reserved

Cinque Terre, Italy

Hello,

Last Saturday Paul and I went to Cinque Terre, a very nice place in the Liguria region in southern Italy. Cinque Terre, which means Five Lands in English, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that form a protected national park. The towns of Cinque Terre are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, all connected by walking trails overlooking the sea.


We arrived to Monterosso on Saturday after lunch, spent the day there spoiled with very nice weather (21 degrees), a pleasant breeze and great drinks and food. Monterosso is ,perhaps ,the most touristic town in Cinque Terre, equipped with very good hotels and restaurants. The beach is big compared to the other towns and at this time of the year, not very crowded, which makes it a perfect destination. We stayed at a hotel called Cinque Terre, which was very comfortable and its staff was extremely helpful and hospitable. Really recommended, if you are planning to stay in Monterosso.


On Sunday we took the train to Riomaggiore, the first town of the Cinque Terre traveling from the north. From there we hiked back to Monterosso al Mare. You can basically follow a simple hiking trail that takes around five hours, however, we decided to take some steeper trails to make it more challenging and therefore we hiked almost for eight hours, which was very exciting and rewarding (except for the pain in my legs). The view was amazing, the paths were very narrow and at times rough but the weather was just perfect and there were not many tourists, so we enjoyed a lot walking alone through the steep hills, passing by the vineyards, visiting pretty churches in the small towns and re-energizing the soul and the spirit.





When we arrived to Monterosso we had a delicious Caipiroska and walked back to our hotel. In the evening we discovered a great restaurant-bar called La Cantina, with jazz and blues music. We stayed there for a while and then headed back to the hotel.

On Monday we went shopping in the old town in Monterosso and then we drove to Pisa, one and a half hours far from Cinque Terre. We had lunch in Pisa, enjoyed the beauty of the Leaning Tower, took some photos, walked around and went back to Geneva.

This was a very nice weekend. Paul and I really needed some quality time together. We enjoyed a lot and are already looking forward to other short trips to amazing
places.


Enjoy the photos!

Hugs,

Malu

Reconciliation

Hello,

Last week we had a course at WPA on Conflict in family and school by the founders of Sabona, which is a Norwegian project run mainly in schools using the principles of conflict transformation proposed by the Transcend approach.

On Friday we discussed something called the ACC Principle which stands for Acknowledgment, Concrete and Change to bring about reconciliation. It is a principle that shows the steps to conciliate differences with others. It includes acknowledgment of the wrongdoing in front of the other person, getting into a conversation to discuss what concretely happened and changing the attitude or deciding not to do the wrongdoing again.

I found the principle useful but a bit empty and mechanical. We discussed how sentences like "I am sorry you felt this way" or "I didn't mean to do it" do not help in the process of reconciliation, because those are sometimes sentences without a genuine meaning. Some people said that saying I am sorry you felt this way, passes the responsibility to the victim but doesn't really allow an acknowledgment of the wrongdoing.


I agree with it but I also believe that we should not stop using the words "I am sorry" or even to acknowledge that deeply in my heart "I didn't mean to harm you". We should instead nurture in children and youth the seeds of forgiveness and of a reconciling attitude that come from their hearts and that is accompanied by honest words that entail a deep acknowledgment of their intention.

Words are powerful, they can destroy but they can also transform relationships, if they come from the bottom of our hearts and if they show our pure intentions. I don't think that because some people use words in a meaningless way, those words shouldn't be used then. I believe we should relearn their meaning and nurture our capacity to speak with honesty and appreciation of the other. This is part of being empathic.

I, therefore, think that the ACC Principle is important but can become very mechanical, leaving aside the spiritual meaning of reconciliation. This process should allow space for acknowledging not only that I did something wrong but also to look deep inside my intentions to do it. Are they meant to harm the other? Were those intentions selfish? Did I think about the other? I do believe this helps in the process of approaching the other with a reconciling attitude and help in our own spiritual growth.

I believe in the power of an honest word because it shows what is in your heart. I also believe that change should be accompanied by a genuine intention and it shouldn't only be a step to follow to restore a relationship.

Peace,

Malu

Peace Education

Hello,

A few weeks ago we had a course at WPA called The Contribution of Research to Social Change. It was a very dynamic course where we learned different research methodologies and were tasked to prepare a proposal for our thesis research. We reflected about the importance of social change in peace studies and discussed the need to propose concrete actions for transformation through our research projects.

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I am thinking of focusing my thesis on Peace Education in conflict-affected countries or emergencies. I am passionate about peace education, about the need to create powerful curricula that allow children and young people not only to acquire knowledge but to develop skills and nurture values and attitudes. Knowledge and skills that are adapted to their environment, needs and interests and that encourage them to dream and understand their reality, and move them to be part of the needed transformation. Attitudes and values that empower them to respect others, to approach problems in peaceful ways and that help them to develop themselves. Just think for a moment, how much is this needed in conflict-affected countries or in emergencies and how often education is neglected, postponed or denied in these situations?

Me at a workshop in San Lorenzo, Ecuador with Ecuadorian and Colombian children. Colombian participants where children whose families have been displaced due to the conflict

Many efforts have been made to promote education in emergencies but what about peace education? Are there guidelines, structured programs, methodologies, ideas, clear best practices on how to promote peace education in these countries? Are there innovative ideas on how to cope with the challenges that these situations pose to implement peace education programmes? Is peace education something that can be implemented in emergencies? If not, why not? If yes, can guidelines be created to help countries to do it? What about multi-sectoral partnerships? How can those be effectively organised? What is the role of community in supporting peace education programmes? These are some of the questions I would like to research, understand and guide my quest for transforming the peace education field.

In this process of learning more about peace education, I have also been thinking about the importance of role modeling and how significant is the role of teachers in nurturing peaceful attitudes and in enhancing children's identities, dreams and willingness to learn and transform situations. A teacher who makes fun of children in front of the other students, who doesn't respect their opinion, who doesn't listen to them, who inculcates radical ideas and ideologies without promoting space for critical thinking and who doesn't accept criticism or questioning, is a perpetrator of structural violence. Are teachers really aware of the power that lies on their teaching and their profession? Are teachers aware of their capacity to empower children but at the same time to dis-empower them?

I am perhaps a romantic when it comes to teaching. I believe in the importance of being coherent between your professional and personal life , in what you preach and what you do, in what you believe and how those beliefs are reflected in daily actions. I also believe it is not an easy task, and especially when you are teacher, but this is exactly why teachers should be aware of it and strive everyday to be more coherent and empower children not only with words but with example and inspiration.

This is why for me education is so interesting, exciting, needed and challenging, and this is also one of the reasons why I am interested to work in this field.

Peace,

Malu

Si se calla el Cantor!

Hello,

Today I am thinking about the world and the injustices, inequalities, poverty and violations of human rights that are so real in many countries. I am thinking about the need to speak on behalf of those who are voiceless, to raise awareness about those issues that affect the world and do something to transform those situations. This reminded me of a beautiful song sung by Mercedes Sosa and composed by Horacio Guarany, called Si se Calla el Cantor, in English If the Singer is Silenced.

It is an amazing song that reminds us to stand up for those who are oppressed, those who are suffering, for those who are victims of crime. If we are silenced, the song says, hope, life, happiness and light, die. Unfortunately, I don't have the translation in English.

For those Colombians who are reading this, I hope that during the next elections we will be able to choose a President that will help fighting inequality, injustices and poverty and will help to transform the structural violence in our country.

Peace,

Malu

Si se calla el cantor calla la vida
porque la vida, la vida misma es todo un canto
si se calla el cantor, muere de espanto
la esperanza, la luz y la alegría.

Si se calla el cantor se quedan solos
los humildes gorriones de los diarios,
los obreros del puerto se persignan
quién habrá de luchar por su salario.

HABLADO
'Que ha de ser de la vida si el que canta
no levanta su voz en las tribunas
por el que sufre,´por el que no hay
ninguna razón que lo condene a andar sin manta'

Si se calla el cantor muere la rosa
de que sirve la rosa sin el canto
debe el canto ser luz sobre los campos
iluminando siempre a los de abajo.

Que no calle el cantor porque el silencio
cobarde apaña la maldad que oprime,
no saben los cantores de agachadas
no callarán jamás de frente al crimén.

HABLADO
'Que se levanten todas las banderas
cuando el cantor se plante con su grito
que mil guitarras desangren en la noche
una inmortal canción al infinito'.

Si se calla el cantor . . . calla la vida.

See the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm9sIAW39o0