Our class focus seems to have shifted from discussing the history of South Africa to now establishing what will happen in its future- now that we have the information, what will be done, or even can be done, to attempt to right the wrongs inflicted on a country by political practices that were far from equal.
A concept that I've been struggling with has been that of separating forgiveness from justice. I find it frustrating that I can't seem to get past my sense of retributive justice, as least in the terms of discussing events that aren't Apartheid. I understand that in terms of events like Apartheid, an eye for an eye will quite literally make the entire country blind, and it's physically, financially, or emotionally feasible for government and people either. I am having difficulties remaining separate and outside of the crimes that we are discussing, and have, to some extent, began to discuss them as if they were personally effecting me. This realization is one that I'm going to need to keep an eye on closely while we discuss reconciliation- what works and what doesn't- because my more American mindset is not the way that the issue is being approached in South Africa. I keep blogging about how people aren't getting their hands dirty in the reconciliation process, but before I continue to point fingers I need to figure out why the solutions that I'm seeing and ideas that I'm suggesting are organized towards a communal goal that involves forgiving past wrongs for a common brighter future, while I seem to be unable to process this type of thinking when discussing the issues of forgiveness and justice abstractly.
Moving forward in South Africa is most evident in the fervor surrounding the FIFA World Cup. I'm feeling somewhat nervous for South Africa- in a sport like soccer, Europeans from highly developed societies are going to be swarming into a country that simply will not be able to rival their abilities to host huge events like this, financially and also because of a still-developing infrastructure. South Africa has been presented with a magnificent opportunity to show the world how far they have come since Apartheid, and indeed seeing the World Cup stadiums and walking through Johannesburg's facilities were awe-inspiring experiences. As our in class discussions become intense and critical, we often revert to one solid fact amidst all of our concepts- South Africa, as a nation, is only 16 years old. A mere infant in the developed world, South Africa can't be expected to provide the same kind of experience for the World Cup as a European nation would, like Germany did in 2006. But I hope that as people arrive for the matches and are greeted by people like the ones we have met on this trip, their judgement will soften, and their hearts will open to a nation that has so much to offer, but is still figuring out its identity. Meeting people here and talking about the nation's problems have most certainly changed how I've been thinking about (or judging, if you wish) South Africa and its ability to reconcile. I encounter many moments of doubt, but I remember how much has been done by the citzens of this country and have a renewed hope for their ability to move past the horrors of Apartheid. In this way, my thinking about Africa has a continent has even changed- these people are still working through some extremely detrimental political, economic, and social situations- but are willing to put in the work to change it for the better.
As I went to title this post, I found it challenging to find a way to sum up what I've seen while here. There's no good way to summarize South Africa- as a country, as a people, as a culture- I've seen more here than I ever could have expected in terms of sheer diversity amongst everything in the country. Even geographically- we've gone from vast grasslands to green and mountainous coastal communities. I feel like I'm narrating Planet Earth right now (although I definitely can't compete with David Attenborough in terms of epic narrating voices!) but that's truly what South Africa is- a plethora of cultures, people, and, despite its challenges, a fledgling democracy that I feel will emerge victorious in its struggle for reconciliation.
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