World Social Forum – Nairobi 2007 – Another World is Possible!  A GROUNDSWELL OF GOODWILL. I was invited to represent the Loreto Schools in South Africa at the World Social Forum in Nairobi from 20 – 25 January 2007. This was to be followed by a two day meeting of all the Loreto associates and IBVM sisters to plan a way forward for their Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation movement. So the context in which I attended was that of Mary Ward Spirituality; the IBVM commitment to the Millennium Development Goals and the Earth Charter; Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation(JPIC); Education and the IBVM’s representation as the UN.

The IBVM is called to sharpen its engagement with the Church and the world; to be educated about global urgencies (what better place?) and to acquire skills of dialogue, advocacy and lobbying so that we are able to speak and act for justice, peace and integrity of creation.

What is the World Social Forum?

It is an open meeting place for people from all over the world to join hands to:

·       Share and debate their different views and experiences

·       Come up with ideas to promote a fair and just World

·       Team up for action to create a fair and just World

  Who attends?  

• Adults, youth and the elderly

• Indigenous peoples, rural and urban

•   Workers and the unemployed
• Homeless
• Students,
  
• migrants and professionals
• Peoples of every creed, colour and sexual orientation

• Diversity and unity
•  Social justice
• Human rights
• Peaceful and equal relations

And are opposed to:

• Concentration of wealth among few            
• The use of violence
• Marginalization and exclusion
• Destruction of the Earth

Where does it come from?

Peoples’ Struggles, Peoples’ Alternatives

A resistance to the idea of world domination by capital took form. The WSF can be seen as the globalization of the struggle for justice, with its slogan: “A new world is possible.”

The first WSF was held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, once in Mumbai, India and in 2006 a polycentric version of the Forum was held in Bamako, Caracas and Karachi.

The Forum’s strength lies in its autonomy from political parties and governments.

The event in Kenya has proved that the Forum can be held anywhere, even in countries with less financial resources!

My Impressions and experiences:

Arriving at Nairobi airport to hear the gentle inflection of the greeting “Karibuni – welcome to Kenya”. A sea of faces and the joy of recognition – a large IBVM sign below Sr Clemenciah Nyakambi’s smiling face. I felt like part of a family!

  The first two days were spent at Loreto Msongari where I was happily welcomed into the community .Loreto sisters are certainly highly skilled in the grace and art of hospitality. I was struck by the living presence of the Catholic Church in Nairobi:

• The number of Church schools; Loreto alone has no less than five schools, but there seemed to be schools run by many different religious orders. Education is obviously highly valued in Kenya and is said to be “free” at Primary School level, but becomes unaffordable for many at Secondary level

• A visit to the Basilica at 12.30 which must have had at least 800 people waiting for the lunch time Mass

• The Sunday Liturgy at St Theresa’s in East Leigh (a slum area) was phenomenal! About 2 000 people were coming out from the 8.30 Mass when we arrived; our 10 o’clock Mass was packed and when we came out there were the same number of people waiting to go in to the next Mass! I have never seen anything like it. The liturgy, traditional vestments, including the altar servers and readers colourful robes, the singing, the dancing were very stirring. No “Cry Rooms” here, just a sea of wonderful children’s faces.

•  The two school Masses at Loreto Msongari, one Primary, one Secondary school were rich in dance, dramatization, singing and beautifully proclaimed readings. I sat up in the gallery with the little Pre Schoolers who were amazing – they solemnly imitated the movements and gestures of the priest and hummed along or improvised their own words with the singing. One little girl felt the need to make close contact with me and gave my arm a few good sniffs – then smiled endearingly and climbed on to my lap!

•  Shopping and business transactions in Kenya are greatly facilitated by being accompanied by the sisters! One vendor at the Masai Market was roundly scolded, “Shame on you, it is her first visit to Kenya and you want to cheat her.” (The price came down immediately! It seems that in Kenya there are two prices: that of the vendor – what you can afford – and the final mutually agreed on price. You definitely need a lot of energy when you shop there.

On the March!

The Forum opened on the Saturday with a march from the region’s largest slum in Kibera (about 5km) to UhuruPark to proclaim that “Another World Is Possible.”

Loreto marched under the banner “Say NO to Plastics”

The experience of standing in our place in the long human train in the slum area with its insecure shacks, huts, with the stench of streams from open sewage, in the hot sun, waiting for action and not being able to see, was quite something. The group behind us from Palestine, were very vocal and kept up rhythmic chants,”Viva, Viva, Palestina” and “George Bush Terroris” punctuated by cheers, and musical instruments. In front of us was a group from West Sahara, wanting their independence from Morocco – equally vocal. Our own Loreto group was not to be outdone and the energy and organizational skills of the young Kenyan sisters is very impressive! I learnt a whole new hymnal and ideas for liturgical dance!

We wound our way down to Uhuru Park, watched and encouraged by many onlookers along the way. On arrival, I got a better perspective. A sea of participants filled Uhuru Park – wearing colourful T shirts emblazoned with slogans, waving fiery flags and banners. Speakers from different countries accused the rich states of the world of pushing through policies that had increased the poverty of Third World countries. Kenneth Kaunda stressed the issue of HIV/AIDS. This was interspersed with a programme of music and song. A young South African singer/poet wrapped it up for me when she declared that “Race must break into a kaleidoscope of colour” which was certainly what we had in Nairobi that day – it felt like the whole world was there – for the common good.

Some of the issues (and worlds) that I met at the Forum:

•  Faith and religion. Religious power seemed to be in full force! Caritas International with its ecumenical platform and over1 000 activists representing some 300 Christian and social programmes following Proverbs 31:9 “Speak out, judge fairly and defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

• Gender violence – Female Genital Mutilation     

• Debt – Africa, Philippines

•  Water – Africa, India

• HIV/AIDS – our world

• Democracy – Nigeria, Zimbabwe

• Global climate change

• Trafficking of women

• Migration - Sudan

• Poverty – India, Africa

• Trade

• Globalization

•  Education

• Green Peace and environment

•  Natural resources -

• Human rights – Somalia,

• Land issues Palestine, West Sahara

•  Dalits (India)

•  Farming

My Impressions:

• The family of humankind – small groups talking of their realities: of pain; of grief and loss; of suffering; of degradation; of hope and aspirations. It felt good to be a member of the human family.

• People recognizing the truth of “What I think is what I feel and what I feel is how I act.”
• That democracy must be lived at all levels, from the family upwards. When we have achieved that, we can be very creative in our differences!
• People who are ground down by poverty cannot think about the environment
• That greed is the greatest danger facing humankind
• Gratitude that the organizers of the Forum were authentic, for example they did not allow multi-national companies(like Coca Cola) to sell their products inside the stadium – only a local company, Softa and local producers
• The wisdom of the organizers in allowing free entry to homeless and slum dwellers after negotiation. An entry in the local paper read: “A new young activist star emerged during the short sharp slum uprising: her name is Wangui Mbatia, from the People’s Parliament, and she was coherent, calm and convincing. “We have been congregating and waiting on the roadside for two days explaining to the officials that we cannot afford the entrance fees of Ksh 500. It is apparent that unless we use force, we will never participate in the Forum. They went to Kibera, and saw the worst part of our poverty. Now we want to come here for the Forum to see the best part of us.” And in they went!
• Bishop Zac Niringiye of Kampala who spoke on today’s crisis of leadership and the need for a new Moses to arise to lead the people to a new world that is possible. His alteration of the slogan “Make Poverty History” to “Make GREED history was extremely powerful.
• I attended an extremely powerful art workshop whose slogan was, “The door to change opens from the inside.” There was I, in a group with a Professor of Art from Dublin University, a local man of 40 who had only managed to attend Primary School, a homeless boy of 14 – and we were having a real eyeball to eyeball conversation! It was a real privilege.
• I felt constantly moved, impressed, saddened and incredibly enriched by the experience. It was a real privilege to be part of the Forum and part of the activities of the Loreto family.
• In the midst of the hubbub was a quiet corner where a pole had been erected and pegged out with many strings in the ground. People were invited to tie a red ribbon on to the string and pause in prayer, “Remembering our millions of sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers and children who have died of AIDS. Surely another world must be possible?”
• The tree planting ceremony with the Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai
• The fact that for every story of abuse, disrespectful treatment of people or the environment there was a story of hope, of courage, of firm intention for the Common Good, of interventions carried and planned

I read a statement written by Pope Benedict XVI in August 2006 that makes a great deal of sense:

“If we only teach know-how, if we only teach how to build and use machines, and how to use contraceptives, then we shouldn’t be surprised when we find ourselves facing wars and AIDS epidemics. Because we need two dimensions: simultaneously we need the formation of the heart.” The heart dimension was very evident in Nairobi.

 I also found a statement on a Jesuit calendar about building a Civilization of Love:

“Love must permeate every social relationship and must embrace the entire human race. Charity is the greatest social commandment. It respects others and their rights. It requires the practice of justice and it alone makes us capable of it. In the end, it is in relation to God that it finds its full effectiveness.”

By Tessa Eales

Sr Marie Josee  Koo-Seen-Lin and SrJustina Nthambi

 Michael Denny and some of our students

Sr Doryne  Kirby