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The Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Information |
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| 09.07.2003 |
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| FEATURE: "Speak Out and Build Solidarity Networks," Namibian Women Take the First Step in a Healing Process |
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Parliamentarian Urges Lutheran Women to Use their Faith to Challenge Violence and Injustice
OKAHANDJA, Namibia/GENEVA, 9 July 2003 (LWI) - Some came from the south, others from the west, having traveled from the Atlantic Ocean through the Namib Desert for more than six or seven hours. Others started off from the savannas of northern Namibia, from the Kavango and Ovamboland, more than 700 km away. Yet more women arrived from towns and villages, and from rural settlements right "in the bush." They were old and young, rich and poor, academics, housewives and farmers and they were speaking at least six different languages. But they all had the same destination - the 2003 biannual conference of women from the country's three Lutheran churches, taking place in a village in central Namibia
Namibia is a huge country with a small, but very diverse population of 1.8 million people. About two thirds of all Christians are members of one of the Lutheran churches. After decades of apartheid and division, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN), German-speaking Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (DELK) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) are well on their way to unite into one church in the near future. The women had already formed a loose union in 1980, ten years before independence. Since then they have met regularly at national level and have become a driving force in the development of a unified church. The ELCRN, DELK and ELCIN have a combined membership of 887,000 people, and they joined the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in the early 1960s.
To create a spirit of inclusion, papers at the conference were translated into three or four languages and discussion points were laboriously interpreted by multilingual volunteers for all those who could not understand English. This procedure required patience from all 80 participants. "This is how our country is," said guest speaker Rosa Namises, when some of the participants got impatient about the time-consuming translations and interpretations. "We have to accept it and live with it."
The spirit of tolerance and acceptance soon developed into a basis for tackling the difficult theme of the conference: "For the Healing of Our Communities" - following that of the July 2003 LWF Tenth Assembly, "For the Healing of the World." Women from all congregations, from rural and urban areas alike, told their stories of rape and child abuse, of domestic violence and crime, of violence through witchcraft and conniving. The increasing brutalization of society in the face of changing structures and values, and especially in the face of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, was an experience shared by many of the participants. "Our communities are not safe any more, even in our families we and our children do not feel protected," one participant said. "Men who discover that they are infected, remain silent about their status and deliberately infect numerous women. They do not want to die alone," another woman lamented. "And witch doctors still tell HIV-infected men that they will be cured if they have sex with a virgin – this leads to the unspeakable crime of child rape," she noted.
Namises, a member of the Namibian parliament since 2000 and a social worker of long-standing experience, was one of the guest speakers at the gathering. She shared her personal and professional experiences of violence and healing with the women and cautioned them against using their Christian faith to accept oppression and violence as God-given forms of suffering which have to be endured. "God has not planned suffering and violence as part of the relationship between man and woman. God has planned that there is love between husband and wife and parents and children," the legislator reminded fellow women.
Namises urged participants to rather use the revolutionary power of the Christian message of love and justice to stand up against oppression and violence in our communities. She especially encouraged them to form solidarity networks in all congregations so that women are supported in times of need. "You cannot fight alone," she said, "for the healing of our communities, we need support structures such as safe places for battered women, counseling services and a supportive circle of true friends."
The second presentation during the conference was by Bience Gawanas, Namibia’s ombudswoman since 1997. Gawanas was a victim of political and physical violence herself and had also experienced extreme personal injustice during the time of apartheid in Namibia. She told the audience her personal stories of healing and forgiveness. "To heal your family or community you first have to heal yourself," she said. "And to heal yourself, the first step is to talk about your feelings."
Gawanas encouraged the women to speak out, even if this might be unfamiliar to those living in traditional communities. "African societies are still very much community-orientated, and you are not encouraged to express your individual feelings," she said. "But in modern society, it is important that we learn to talk about ourselves, state our needs and fears and become more assertive and independent. I-statements are in a way contradictory to the African philosophy of ubuntu which says 'I am because of you.' But we must find a balance between the expression of our own individual feelings on the one hand and our strong African orientation toward the community on the other."
In smaller groups a number of women found the courage to speak of their fears and personal anger. "We are handicapped by fear because of tradition," many women said referring to the male-dominated family and church structures in their communities and congregations. It was noted that even pastors, deans and bishops were not always supportive of women in need when a male colleague or friend was involved. "Women too often side with men when issues of violence and abuse are exposed in a family," some women reported. Gawanas therefore urged women to overcome jealousy and competitiveness and to be more supportive of each other. "Let your guiding principle be: 'Do unto others what you want others to do to you,'" she said, "and in this way we will create a healing and caring society."
The May 29 to June 1 conference concluded with a worship service reflecting a new, more female and participatory approach. Sitting in a wide circle, opening the service with a meditative dance, offering bread and wine to each other during communion and blessing one another at the end of the service created an atmosphere of spiritual unity and sharing. "I feel so good about this conference," one woman said as she packed her suitcase for the long journey back home. "It was already the beginning of a healing process. I feel a new strength in me to tackle my problems at home."
(By Windhoek-based LWI correspondent, Erika von Wietersheim.)
*This feature article is the eleventh in an ongoing LWI series focusing on the LWF Tenth Assembly theme, "For the Healing of the World." The aim is to highlight the theme in the different contexts of the worldwide Lutheran communion.
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