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Visual Ethnography Synthesis Project: Cape Town
Brian Yost
For Dr. Jason Clark
DMin 717
George Fox Evangelical SeminaryDoctor of Ministry
Leadership and Global Perspective
December 8, 2014
Introduction
Two days of travel with cramped airline seats and
long layovers brought me to Cape Town excited, but
exhausted. I was ready for a good meal, a long hot shower,
and a comfortable bed. While waiting in line at immigration,
I struck up a conversation with a young, adventurous
looking couple. They were traveling around Africa
experiencing nature. Their plans in Cape Town involved
wine tours, diving with the great white sharks, and climbing Table Mountain. I was thoroughly
enjoying the conversation until they asked what I was doing in South Africa. I’m sure my
response would have been a little keener if I was not feeling so travel weary, but I found myself
at a lack for words to explain my reason for being there. Yes, I was in a doctor of ministry
program and I knew we would be visiting Robben Island, but being my first Advance, I was a bit
clueless as to what would really happen in Cape Town. They asked me if I was going up Table
Mountain, I said, “I think so. We are doing a lot of different things, so I am pretty sure we will
visit Table Mountain.” What I did not say was that I did not know what Table Mountain was or
even where in was. I knew I was in South Africa, but I lacked the information and experience to
fully understand the significance.
Table What?
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As I began to immerse myself in the wonder of my Cape Town experience, I soon
realized that that upon returning home I would have as much difficulty conveying my experience
to family and friends as I had explaining my purpose in South Africa to the adventurous couple
at the airport. How could I put into words an experience that
incorporated so much learning, so much culture, so many tragic
stories, so much beauty, and so many surprises? When many
words do not begin to tell the story, perhaps one word is better.
I decided that when someone asks me how South Africa was, I
would simply say, “Penguins”. Before arriving in Cape Town, I
was completely unaware that there were colonies of penguins
native to Africa. The more I pondered this revelation, I began to reflect on how many times we
think we know something but are actually ignorant. Cape Town was full of surprises in which I
thought I knew the story, but only knew a small piece of the truth. I am not a big souvenir guy,
but I bought several stone penguins to give to family and friends. They were all surprised and not
one of them knew that there were Africa penguins (let alone that they were call “Jack Ass
Penguins”). My reason for given them a penguin, was to remind them that God always has
surprises for us in places that we would never expect.
While words always fall short of describing experiences, I hope that the combination of
words and photographs will convey at least a glimpse of what the Cape Town experience meant
to me.
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New Friends
Meeting cohort five and the GFU faculty was priceless. I feel so blessed to be connected
with these incredible people. Proverbs 27:17 say, “ As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another” (NIV). I feel that these
men and women with whom I will be interacting for the
next two years will help sharpen shape me in ways that will
last a lifetime. I already sensed this happening as we began
to process our Cape Town experiences. It was so refreshing
to be with people who were not satisfied to merely observe, but
sought to understand. The conversations helped me view the
experience from a different, more critical perspective, and to get
a fuller view of reality.
Meeting face-to-face gave greater insight into the perspective each person brings to the
learning environment. I have found that I read their weekly blogs in a different way now that I
know their context and personalities.
Robben Island
Of all the places we visited, Robben Island was
perhaps the most surreal. The emotional
contradictions were profound. Here I stood on a
beautiful island overlooking Cape Town with
Table Mountain looming behind. I was torn
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between the sense of awe and majesty, and the realization that such a beautiful landscape was the
sight of so much pain and injustice. Cape Town, dwarfed by Table Mountain and barely visible
from the shores of the island seemed insignificant. It was easy to forget the struggle that had
lasted generations. Places like Distict Six could not be seen. Is this what is was like for the
privileged during Apartheid? Were they able to see South Africa for it’s beauty and placidly look
past the pain and suffering? Did the “rules” of Apartheid really make it possible to live in the
midst of injustice and not feel the pain? “Understanding a formula… enables an agent to carry
on in social life in a routine manner... The same is true of bureaucratic rules, traffic rules, rules of
football, rules of grammar, rules of social etiquette: to know a rule… mean[s] that one can use
the rule 'to go on' in social life.”1 Social “rules” allow us to live in a way that is expected, but that
is different than living how we should.
As I turned from the ocean view of Cape Town, I was confronted
with the reality of Robben Island. The eerie silence of the wind-torn
island shouted a story. From the empty prison halls and cells to the
solitary table and benches in the yard, felt myself drawn into this story.
I remember the watching the news when Nelson Mandela was released,
but being where he had spent so many years brought a new reality. How
was it that a man so abused by the system
could live in hope for so many
years? How was it that the
spirit of this great man was
able to move others to action
while remaining behind bars?
1 Anthony Elliott, Contemporary Social Theory: An Introduction (London: Routledge, 2009), 128.
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The image that stays in my mind is the open prison gate. This is a lasting symbol that
things can change. The prison is empty and the prisoners are gone. The gate that once held them
is now on open door. True leadership leads to change.
Great leaders see the world the way it could and
should be. Leadership does not wait for perfect
circumstances; leadership lives in the present context
while looking toward a better future. 2
District Six
District Six was another eye-opener; I had no idea that an entire neighborhood had been
evacuated and destroyed to make room white people of European
descent. Standing on the street map and looking at the preserved street
signs of the way things used to be was shocking. Apartheid officially
ended twenty years ago, but the scars still remain. As people share what
it was like to be displaced, the hurt and anger is still present in their
voices. Today, there is a whole generation that did not live through apartheid and is unable to
relate to what their parents suffered.
2 Nitin Nohria and Rakesh Khurana, eds., Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice: An Hbs Centennial Colloquium On Advancing Leadership (Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Press, 2010), 306.
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As we walked down the street, we passed vacant land. This
property was once filled with streets, homes, and families. This land
stands as a witness to the cruelty. We live in a sinful world in which
humankind, created in the image of God, treats fellow human beings
with distain. Praise God that this is not the end of the story. As we
rounded a corner, we saw new buildings. Although this new
construction can never atone for the evil that was done, it does
however, speak of hope. We had the privilege of visiting the home of a
woman who had finally returned home. No, she is not in the house she
lived in before the relocation, but she is back in District Six. She
praised God for his provision and expressed a long-awaited joy.
At the museum, I sat on a bench that had previously been only for white people. This
brought back shameful memories of
my own national history. Like South
Africa and District Six, we in the
United States still have a long way to
go toward reconciliation and equity. Laws may change, but hearts can remain stained with the
sin of racism. I praise God for the changes that have taken place, but I am challenged with the
fact that the work is not yet complete.
Leon Oosthuizen & Xola Skosana
The meeting with Leon and Xola was inspirational.
These men demonstrated that people can change. As they
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dialogued, both in person and in the pages of their book Roads to Bridges, they gave us a
glimpse into their hearts. Too often we are afraid to share how we really feel or to ask questions
of which we may not like the answers. Leon and Xola showed us how to walk through the
painful process of really learning to listen to others. At times, I felt uncomfortable with their
words of truth to each other; I can only imagine what it must have felt like for them. They
modeled an integrity that says “you are more important than my personal comfort”. They provide
a great example for us as Christian leaders.
Mary Burton-Truth and Reconciliation Commission
I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around the trust and Reconciliation
Commission. When we have been wronged, we want the truth to come out. Once the truth is out,
we want justice—usually meaning revenge. The idea of exposing the
truth of horrible acts toward humanity and offering pardon rather than
punishment is not a normal human reaction. What I love about this is
that it reflects the nature of God. We all have sin in our lives, but as we
confess our sin to God, the truth sets us free.
Hearing Mary’s story was inspiring. As a white woman, she was a person of privilege.
She was not expected to feel for those living under the injustice of Apartheid. It would have been
easy for her to live a quite life, enjoy her privileged status, and not make waves. She strikes me
as a model of quite strength, a person who could never be content if her comfort was the cause of
another’s suffering.
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Learn to Earn
I cannot say enough about how impressed I was
with the Learn to Earn center. The quality of this
program really
spoke to me.
So often we see a need and try to fix it from the
outside. Learn to Earn addresses the needs up-close
and personal. They come alongside individuals and
give them practical tools to better their own
situation. This is not a social program that perpetuates
dependency; it is an education and skill-based program requiring commitment and hard work. I
loved seeing the joy on the men’s’ faces as they showed us their woodworking projects. I can
also say that I will never talk with a call-center rep again without remembering the call center
training provided at Earn to Learn.
This is a model that is easily reproducible, not just in South Africa, but in Latin America
where I work. I would love to get some of our Mexican leaders exposed to the methodology
employed at Earn to Learn. This is a practical way to begin making a monumental difference;
first in the lives of individuals and eventually in the life of the whole community.
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Cape of Good Hope
Seeing the Cape of Good Hope was amazing! I
stood in awe as I pondered what I was looking at. This
was the place where ships rounded Africa; they could
now turn east, away from the treacherous sees further
south. This is also the place where two oceans meet.
This is not an arbitrary line. The two oceans have district
currents, temperatures, and marine life. While this line may
look invisible to the untrained eye, it is there and it is definitive.
This reminds me of the social issues in South Africa and elsewhere; We may not always
see and understand the underlying currents, but they exist. Those who live in these currents feel
them in every aspect of their lives. As Christian leaders, we must learn to see what lies beneath
the surface of society. The good news is that there is hope. We see the divide, but God calls us to
see the good hope.
Mercy Ship
Before leaving Cape Town, I took one last walk down by the waterfront. I noticed that
the Mercy Ship was docked and decided to check it out. I was not able to go
aboard (tours were starting the next day), but I was able to interview
one of the volunteer workers. This young lady was the epitome of
a person living her theology. She shared with me some of the
ways that Mercy Ship is making a difference. Not only do they
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provide medical care, they also provide medical training. As they enter a community, they work
with the local medical personel to help them become more effective in their service to their local
communities. This young lady has raised money and given up several months of her life to serve
others in the love of Christ.
Conclusion
The Cape Town experience is hard to put into
words, but the impact is easy to feel. The South Africans
are an amazing people who have challenged me greatly.
They continue to forge a new future for a nation with a
troubled past. They have not forgot their past, as is
demonstrated by a statue of a gun I saw by the waterfront. The gun tells the story of hurt and
violence, but the twisting of the barrel shows that it will no longer define them and cause hurt.
Forging a new future can look like a bridge we frequently
passed in Cape Town, a bridge that goes nowhere. This is a
bridge that was begun, yet never
completed. Apartheid
officially ended twenty
years ago and still there remains many unresolved issues. It
would be easy to give up, but I see a different heart in the
South African. They remember their past but press on toward a
brighter future. I see their spirit of hope in a picture I took from a rugby field. If you look
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through the goalposts, into the distance, you will see the Africa Mercy Ship. This ship is a
symbol of hope and healing. With the eyes on the goal, no matter how distant it may look,
healing is within reach.
BibliographyElliott, Anthony Contemporary Social Theory: An Introduction. London: Routledge, 2009.
Grenz, Stanley J., and Roger E. Olson. Who Needs Theology? An Invitation to the Study of God. Downers Grove, Ill., USA: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
Oosthuizen, Leon and Skosana, Xola. Roads 2 Bridges: Uninterrupted Conversations: Stories of friendship and partnering across the racial divide. South Africa, Emmaus Media, 2013.
Pink, Sarah. Doing Sensory Ethnography. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2009.
Pink, Sarah. Doing Visual Ethnography. 3rd ed. Los Angeles, California: SAGE, 2013.
Nohria, Nitin, and Rakesh Khurana, eds. Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice: An Hbs Centennial Colloquium On Advancing Leadership. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Press, 2010.
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