Celebration of National Women's Day in South Africa

August 9th was a national holiday in South Africa. It was National Women's Day in honor of the fight for a free South Africa that it's women undertook in many ways during the Apartheid era and since. Their famous 1956 protest march to the Union Building in Pretoria wherein they burned their racially designated passport books and demanded equal and human rights for all was one highlight of their leadership.

We visited a classroom of middleschool students in which students read poems that they created to honor their mothers and women in South Africa. The boys were very enthusiastic in sharing thier poems. South African President Thabo Mbeki wrote an article in the Johannesburg daily newspaper (The Star 8/10/07) saluting women and acknowledging their struggle and "fight for freedom and justice" and their role in shaping democracy in South Africa. He also said that, "It is important for the South African male population to join the fight against gender oppression;" and that "the struggle to emancipate, empower and liberate our women cannot be completed without the meaningful participation of our men." I think we can learn many things from South Africa.

Our SUA group also joined comrades in South Africa in an HIV AIDS community outreach project on National Women's Day. We contributed and helped distribute towels, soap, blankets, and clothes to families of AIDS and cancer patients who were homebound and who lived in the Soweto Township. In one instance, the patient died the night before. Health issues, and especially HIV are very serious and visible issues here. However, there are lots of policies and education around the latter.

Despite all the struggles and the multiple challenges and issues involved in the transition to and buildinng of a "New South Africa," the spirits and hope of the people that we continue to meet in general appear high and hopeful. They continue to say that Mr. Nelson Mandela has been and remains the source of their inspiration. I'm impressed with how one person can have such an impact. I'm also impressed with the number of languages and dialects that are spoken among the South African people. Being able to communicate with people in their language is indeed an important asset and increasingly so in our expanding global village.

If you can, visit South Africa and explore the continent and the world apart from your own local village. As I've said before, it's one of the best forms of education. But also, I think it's important to explore corners and places in our own countries that takes us out of the familiar and our comfort zones. We don't have to travel to South Africa to learn about poverty and AIDs. Also, there are many similarities that we share with South Africa apart from being a member of the same human family.

I've a lot of ongoing and more serious self-reflecting to do. It is often the case when I step outside of my culture to experience another.

More later perhaps or maybe not as we have limited time left on our journey and still much to do and learn.