Setswana and Other Musings
One of my favorite parts of being in Botswana has been exposure to Setswana, the second official language (other than English) of the country. As I walk among the campus and along the streets of Gaborone, I realize more and more how accustomed I have become to the little nuances of this language. The mutterings of "akere?" (sort of like "right?" in English), "shapo" ("see you later" or "good"), "ehe!" ("yes"), "wa reng?" ("what's up?") have become endearing little familiarities to my ears over the past weeks. I've also had the chance to take a Setswana class during the semester, which, though time-consuming, has been helpful in being able to speak a little bit with the locals I encounter and have befriended. Even though most everyone speaks English as much if not more than they do Setswana, when a visitor from a foreign country like the U.S. at least attempts to speak the basics, one can see a big smile on the face of a Mostwana hearing the attempt. I remember after crossing the border back into Botswana from Zambia during my midsemester vacation, I was so refreshed to be able to say "Dumela" again that I began exclaiming it to literally everyone who crossed my path that day. I'm pretty sure the first thing I will say when boarding the plane home from Jo'Burg or London will be "Dumela, le kai?" to which I'm sure I will get any number of frowns or puzzled faces.
Being immersed in a new language is but one of the many little things I have loved about being in a new country, especially an African country.
For two evenings this past week I attended a human rights film festival put on by Ditshwanelo, a local NGO here in Gaborone. I really enjoyed it. The first night I went the film was a documentary about the Gacaca laws in Rwanda, which were instituted as a means to bring reconciliation between the ethnic groups affected by the genocide by allowing the community to be a part of bringing justice to those responsible for the deaths of their families. The second film I watched, Wednesday night, was called "The Yes Men Save the World," about two activists who pose as the CEO's of giant corporations in order to expose injustices that those corporations should be held responsible for, such as Union Carbide's role in the Bhopal disaster. Both films were very interesting and thought-provoking (I was particularly empowered by the second), and were followed by some good discussion. It's so encouraging to be able to sit in a room halfway across the world from where I live and find people who also share a passion for social justice and the general care of all people. Even though distance, cultural, political and social customs physically separate the people of the world, it is issues like those raised in these films that (pardon the cliche) bring us together. It re-affirmed for me the importance of all of us to inform ourselves about what is going on around the world; to pay attention when things happen in places like Libya, even when we ourselves are far removed from the situation. Attending this festival also raised the critical notion that we as individuals; as parts of communities; as representatives of our governments and societies; as people of faith or not; as students, professionals, heads and parts of families; as men, women and children, have the power and ability to make changes to those things that marginalize and oppress others. We can't simply sit and complain about "the government" without realizing that we make up the government, and for those who have no voice in their governments or societies, it is our God-given responsibility to do what we can to care for them and give a voice them.
Okay, I'll get off my soap box now. Just a bit of the old "radical" coming out.
Being immersed in a new language is but one of the many little things I have loved about being in a new country, especially an African country.
For two evenings this past week I attended a human rights film festival put on by Ditshwanelo, a local NGO here in Gaborone. I really enjoyed it. The first night I went the film was a documentary about the Gacaca laws in Rwanda, which were instituted as a means to bring reconciliation between the ethnic groups affected by the genocide by allowing the community to be a part of bringing justice to those responsible for the deaths of their families. The second film I watched, Wednesday night, was called "The Yes Men Save the World," about two activists who pose as the CEO's of giant corporations in order to expose injustices that those corporations should be held responsible for, such as Union Carbide's role in the Bhopal disaster. Both films were very interesting and thought-provoking (I was particularly empowered by the second), and were followed by some good discussion. It's so encouraging to be able to sit in a room halfway across the world from where I live and find people who also share a passion for social justice and the general care of all people. Even though distance, cultural, political and social customs physically separate the people of the world, it is issues like those raised in these films that (pardon the cliche) bring us together. It re-affirmed for me the importance of all of us to inform ourselves about what is going on around the world; to pay attention when things happen in places like Libya, even when we ourselves are far removed from the situation. Attending this festival also raised the critical notion that we as individuals; as parts of communities; as representatives of our governments and societies; as people of faith or not; as students, professionals, heads and parts of families; as men, women and children, have the power and ability to make changes to those things that marginalize and oppress others. We can't simply sit and complain about "the government" without realizing that we make up the government, and for those who have no voice in their governments or societies, it is our God-given responsibility to do what we can to care for them and give a voice them.
Okay, I'll get off my soap box now. Just a bit of the old "radical" coming out.
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