tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39699072065762906422024-03-13T09:25:06.009-07:00Kolkata ReflectionsEarl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-4716595814700190272010-07-22T12:00:00.001-07:002013-05-10T07:28:44.077-07:00India or Bust!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PXC68GtGoYPnDqWUznc2WR2J68NT_mR58Z064J38vARbt72-yyJTpgLm19giH0cQJOtI440XGgVGakHZohRaXycI3Zu33sjvk-XRqlL668McDntd73I00vuuz3cMRLplN_O9GYtgo7ID/s1600/P1000536.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PXC68GtGoYPnDqWUznc2WR2J68NT_mR58Z064J38vARbt72-yyJTpgLm19giH0cQJOtI440XGgVGakHZohRaXycI3Zu33sjvk-XRqlL668McDntd73I00vuuz3cMRLplN_O9GYtgo7ID/s400/P1000536.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496807976236001730" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5IM58JBnd7bL8zd1kooYy4aPBNd4i9nVDBuJ1uEZZxCyu52HL4IoXsY4OeSrOm3k5sr4WW8G9pUUCEIRZ8gWFmYlwrDKLasMbwpgBbTTqSaCodJ5_QWlxNZhWeK_vG5yvuKtycopJyeS/s1600/P1000580.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5IM58JBnd7bL8zd1kooYy4aPBNd4i9nVDBuJ1uEZZxCyu52HL4IoXsY4OeSrOm3k5sr4WW8G9pUUCEIRZ8gWFmYlwrDKLasMbwpgBbTTqSaCodJ5_QWlxNZhWeK_vG5yvuKtycopJyeS/s400/P1000580.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496807749351973682" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The top photo is of the farm house where I lived as a child. The other is of Ruth and our daughter Sara playing Scrabble with Ruth's mother and her caretaker. Ruth's mother died shortly after we returned to the US to renew our visas.</span><br /><br /><br />Ruth and I left for India with lots of anticipation three years ago. We still have the photo of ourselves at the airport as we were leaving. Our children are there with us holding a sign they made, “We love you Mom and Dad.” We are holding another sign that bravely announces, “India or Bust!” Ah the memories! What did we know about the things we would experience? The kinds of things we have been writing about in this blog. <br /><br />It's been quite a journey, and it's rapidly coming to an end. I recently accepted an interim pastoral position in Madison, Wisconsin. The contrasts between Kolkata and Madison feel huge. Goodbye steamy tropical weather. Hello snow and winter. And that’s only the beginning of contrasts I can draw.<br /><br />Ruth and I have been working from the MCC office in Akron, Pennsylvania since February, when we returned to the US to renew our resident visas for India. A process that we thought would take weeks has stretched into months. In May, we made the final decision that we would resign our MCC positions. The couple taking our regional positions will live in Nepal.<br /><br />I recently called the outsourcing company that handles visa applications for India. The man on the phone tried to be helpful. He told me it will take more time but the embassy will contact me. I reminded him that we have been waiting for many months and still have not heard. He said we could reapply after six months but I detected a doubtful tone in his voice. I may need to resign myself to the possibility that we will not get our new visas anytime soon. We really hope to be able to return to say a proper goodbye to the MCC India staff and our friends.<br /><br />Our life and work in India, Nepal, and Afghanistan has been stretching and incredibly educational. There are parts that we will treasure forever. It has also included some tough things—not everything turned out as we had hoped. These things include some painful work relationships and disappointment with certain aspects of MCC as an organization. We are now a little older and—hopefully—a little wiser.<br /><br />What were we thinking when we gave up our secure world in Virginia for this adventure? We certainly had not anticipated returning to the US so soon or trying to find new jobs in the worst economic recession in our lifetime. Yet, we both believe that living life fully involves the willingness to take risks. We value the added perspective we have gained from our years of living cross-culturally, outside our native American social and political arena.<br /> <br />Living and working in Pennsylvania for the past six months—20 miles from where Ruth and I grew up—has been an unexpected gift. We keep running into people we have not seen for more than thirty years. We are gaining a new appreciation for the people and the culture in this place. We love riding our bicycles on rural roads past immaculate Mennonite and Amish farms. <br /><br />This has been, perhaps, the most difficult time we have lived through and I sometimes feel very angry. Our MCC assignment wasn’t supposed to include such difficult relationships and transitions. I find myself repeating the Lord’s Prayer, “Do not lead me into a time of trial [greater than I can endure] but keep me from evil.” In other words, I pray that these trials will make me more compassionate and courageous rather than bitter and fearful. I seek to grow in the practice of "being peace" as modeled by peace activists like Thich Nhat Hanh and Gandhi. <br /><br />I’m gaining new appreciation for Jesus’ teaching, “Do not worry about tomorrow. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” I seek to be present to each day. Enjoy the coolness of the morning as I go for a walk. Smell the corn fields and listen to the cooing of the doves. Be conscious of my own breath as I inhale and exhale. Feel my feet treading on the path. I’m part of this wonderful creation.<br /><br />Madison, here we come!Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-88636707566509947472010-02-23T12:55:00.001-08:002010-02-23T17:20:50.035-08:00Visa Woes, Rhinos, and Snow<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNQ-78j6PWz3Lmv4ncMN8trG0YrsYLbiumpi9IUAijF1sx0QGFP3Ft0w94z0j2KDgWi97EiLMk9XRUJ92OFGWiE3l5TfgwtizjyuzO59sfiTFmuODyVD7-ov4wD3kncxXEhi5ivRSSltG/s1600-h/P1020128.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNQ-78j6PWz3Lmv4ncMN8trG0YrsYLbiumpi9IUAijF1sx0QGFP3Ft0w94z0j2KDgWi97EiLMk9XRUJ92OFGWiE3l5TfgwtizjyuzO59sfiTFmuODyVD7-ov4wD3kncxXEhi5ivRSSltG/s400/P1020128.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441546416421146258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEC8sH7h42Ar0NzFdUBgqLLlMBSTZFO6HER-cjQMa4e_An0irpge1CnQNewxbJcLdFbgYBUIoiXzrhS73H3ks6kOv2zXuAKOVhdNGl0h9gMInwKNkbJS1D0rg1jqdcmnaNgh31IcINcv8Y/s1600-h/P1020175.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; 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display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavu3m1szQALhAjXNwdmZV0s3_DJTm0DiKfXSoBZD7TNcGXDU0UprMbOITt0DURfpRbvWP5MajZ9bs7jN0e15fmUrSryglHo9H2CKf_MHD3fRzzyoNQT7O-wc_xVIHcPs30ByYTMrqt1AL/s400/P1020342.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441545820207430786" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77TIjLKOZ4nX6K7M_ZClR2Uu4hqJ3y3lN_QiFpZVgPCHh7j_fEqRoucpdxZHbD_4qc8KLvyzURfG8d-ehUZX1cqo9FL2r4hSxohsZ3PKpyTug1BXtgMe9e7qWGbIdM9fHfI2TtUTko6Zy/s1600-h/P1020385.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77TIjLKOZ4nX6K7M_ZClR2Uu4hqJ3y3lN_QiFpZVgPCHh7j_fEqRoucpdxZHbD_4qc8KLvyzURfG8d-ehUZX1cqo9FL2r4hSxohsZ3PKpyTug1BXtgMe9e7qWGbIdM9fHfI2TtUTko6Zy/s400/P1020385.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441545684567444802" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7cBlaPgUxyceGx0z2q5QhZz8ZtRHLlxTLo0GL7FEl48yiGJObMyK8qPWl46lVszHUilm_8Cf_9inwXpBTJGUb1Kk1i5CBth4OVneBdUO2jgYBXMP3tcmJ_odRQpZkpPG8ErRcIk1ETyE/s1600-h/P1020285.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7cBlaPgUxyceGx0z2q5QhZz8ZtRHLlxTLo0GL7FEl48yiGJObMyK8qPWl46lVszHUilm_8Cf_9inwXpBTJGUb1Kk1i5CBth4OVneBdUO2jgYBXMP3tcmJ_odRQpZkpPG8ErRcIk1ETyE/s400/P1020285.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441545535623947362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">These photos begin with a view of the snow-capped Himalayas as seen from Kathmandu. This is followed by a Buddhist shrine, two monkeys were picking up grains of rice offered at the shrine. The next are of rhinos and other animals in the Chitwan Park. Others are snow photos taken in the eastern US. The final one is our grandchildren Ivan and Annie with their mother Stacy.</span><br /><br /><br />The visa woes began about 15 months after our arrival in India in 2007 when we discovered that the Foreign Relations Office in Delhi would not renew our employment visas. We had to make a trip home to get new ones from the Indian embassy in the US. Things gradually went downhill from there.<br /><br />It would be hard to calculate the hours that Ruth and I (as well as the MCC Asia Department) spent on the visa problems in the past two years as we attempted to traverse this bureaucratic maze. The local Foreign Relations Office in Kolkata tried to be helpful but had one version of what was needed. The Indian embassy in Washington, DC had another version. And the main Foreign Relations Office in New Delhi felt like a black hole. <br /><br />Things got even more complicated during home leave last summer when our application to switch to five-year business visas was denied. We returned to India knowing that we’d have to figure out something else when our present visas expired early in 2010. Then someone at MCC came up with the bright idea of having us courier our documents and passports to the MCC office in the US and have them work on it for us while we stayed in Asia. Apparently this had worked before present global security concerns.<br /><br />One little hitch was that I needed to leave India and surrender my foreign registration booklet. We decided that I’d go to Nepal in December to follow up on some of our peace projects there while I sent my stuff to the US and waited on a new visa. I left Kolkata on December 14, handed in my booklet to Indian immigration, flew into Kathmandu, got a taxi, and headed straight to the nearest DHL office. <br /><br />The man behind the desk looked at me a rather strangely when I told him I wanted to send my passport to the US. He called his supervisor who told me that it was illegal to courier a US passport across an international border and that it would be seized by US customs. Okay, we’re not doing that! But now I was in Nepal with no way to get back into India. The ground kept shifting beneath my feet.<br /><br />Some hasty emails and phone calls set our next plan of action. Filipinos have a wonderful expression for times like this—bahala na! (happen what may). It includes a sense of resignation with a determination to make the best of it. That’s when Ruth and I decided to go see the rhinos. I could meet with our Nepal peace partners in the next week, Ruth would join me in Nepal, we’d hang out with friends on Christmas day, and then we’d head to the Royal National Chitwan Park for a week to see the wild animals. As you can see from the photos, we had a wonderful time.<br /><br />Ruth went back to Kolkata after the New Year to work at the annual budget. I followed up on some other Nepal related matters and also worked long-distance at India project planning. Near the end of January, we both flew to the US to submit our applications for new visas. After the hassle of getting all the new documentation that is now required, we submitted everything several days later. (We panicked a bit when we were told that they now need copies of our birth certificates and we couldn’t remember where we had stored them more than two years ago).<br /><br />Then it started snowing—we absolutely loved it! It seemed so fitting on top of everything else. First, we got snowed in at our daughter Krista’s house outside Washington DC. We got two feet of snow, turning the park behind her house into a winter wonderland. The next week we got snowed in again with another foot of snow in Lancaster, PA. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!<br /><br />Now we’re in a holding pattern until our visas arrive. Two weeks of waiting have slipped into four weeks, and still no word. We stay busy in an office space MCC has set up for us in the headquarters in Akron, PA. A definite benefit has been spending time with our families, including our grandchildren Annie and Ivan, and Ruth’s mother who now needs a constant caregiver. <br /><br />We try not to get too frustrated by this major interruption in our lives. We practice living in the present and not getting too stressed about the future. It's an adventure, right? We are also in somewhat tentative discussions with MCC administrators about the implications of this for our work and the MCC program in South Asia. Please keep us in your prayers.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-70669752556075233722010-01-09T23:12:00.000-08:002010-01-09T23:28:06.221-08:00Global Warming in the Sunderbans<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_CBRZf2jJH_c2ze7VQn4JGHqxivwbjXVB0K8ekmgHXD9uplvbDOw-FpMiKlHBLJGCMr4HvNLZavngH6u2VSpeE9gTg8YDmNa5heeOhgrnru3g7T5Xu7t-67AE32tTEF63C1wXcDfzmqc/s1600-h/P1010695.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_CBRZf2jJH_c2ze7VQn4JGHqxivwbjXVB0K8ekmgHXD9uplvbDOw-FpMiKlHBLJGCMr4HvNLZavngH6u2VSpeE9gTg8YDmNa5heeOhgrnru3g7T5Xu7t-67AE32tTEF63C1wXcDfzmqc/s400/P1010695.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425007366377522738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4obgaWNl4rzRJ6Sa33K6EhvNHtCKOlDEPebVyhMppf0NU-mPIWgRHRMeifJGh01NglzV8IIdmcKoKunmvshjpjlTQAZYn-EdovB-adjHyuSWSPkc0_B5ACKiE6qulcvPMp21VjBgavcvC/s1600-h/P1010690.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4obgaWNl4rzRJ6Sa33K6EhvNHtCKOlDEPebVyhMppf0NU-mPIWgRHRMeifJGh01NglzV8IIdmcKoKunmvshjpjlTQAZYn-EdovB-adjHyuSWSPkc0_B5ACKiE6qulcvPMp21VjBgavcvC/s400/P1010690.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425007166557248482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAE_a1JBBjc4LYRH126m8R6CIuptoM6IbZTq5yHzYLtKtnj48zTPQlDrWduTpLNDgVfvuYP1NKI7z7EDuTGilzVoVqWTEx1O0MaNetHD66YPyWVOnb6nLCaiFA_lCUTd63Lv0Lmu1GbxV/s1600-h/P1010672.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAE_a1JBBjc4LYRH126m8R6CIuptoM6IbZTq5yHzYLtKtnj48zTPQlDrWduTpLNDgVfvuYP1NKI7z7EDuTGilzVoVqWTEx1O0MaNetHD66YPyWVOnb6nLCaiFA_lCUTd63Lv0Lmu1GbxV/s400/P1010672.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425006864468230802" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNs7Zpw4jdKfjcBLc5gEGc7VB7LiwviYfjfdpIMKKKnj4oAtW_IRGU8Xuk3dij_RYSn2b-ENJsggYXAY0T60GN0dcXiNE7hu6LgudDXFb3UzGUFyx_WvEqNdI_GmM_QaLojOQO5ug0Hlf/s1600-h/P1010662.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNs7Zpw4jdKfjcBLc5gEGc7VB7LiwviYfjfdpIMKKKnj4oAtW_IRGU8Xuk3dij_RYSn2b-ENJsggYXAY0T60GN0dcXiNE7hu6LgudDXFb3UzGUFyx_WvEqNdI_GmM_QaLojOQO5ug0Hlf/s400/P1010662.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425006650918239330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBdWsJPk4ExKiWo0UlTYbk6Vu0fcXQ7duLlx0gL65VRkZSZ3CrJrTFgMDQfS3nL7AhA9kAkX-al7L3ptvyB2uh1xXuYYNbONEJBfnA1rIuM0f8CnMjPo7fVDSW0NfgNTKjiEeoia_DaPT/s1600-h/P1010644.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBdWsJPk4ExKiWo0UlTYbk6Vu0fcXQ7duLlx0gL65VRkZSZ3CrJrTFgMDQfS3nL7AhA9kAkX-al7L3ptvyB2uh1xXuYYNbONEJBfnA1rIuM0f8CnMjPo7fVDSW0NfgNTKjiEeoia_DaPT/s400/P1010644.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425006366253072754" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The coastal region of West Bengal, known as the Sunderbans, is a very fertile but fragile ecosystem. Tidal rivers have embankments to keep water from the Bay of Bengal from penetrating the villages and fields during high tide. The specter of global warming puts the whole region at risk as rising ocean levels make the river embankments increasingly vulnerable. Rising ocean temperatures also make severe cyclones more common.<br /><br />Cyclone Aila, fed by warm waters in the Bay of Bengal, battered this region last May. Most of the damage happened when rising saline water from the bay breached the river embankments and flooded low lying villages and fields. The worst affected areas were in the South and North 24 Parganas Districts, near the border with Bangladesh. <br /><br />MCC India has a rural development project in North 24 Parganas near the town of Hasnabad in partnership with the Resource Development Foundation (RDF), a local development agency. Many of the villages and farmers’ fields, including the RDF agricultural demonstration center were flooded. MCC India, along with the West Bengal government and many other relief agencies, provided immediate food relief and shelter.<br /><br />The flood was very discouraging to village self-help groups organized by RDF because many of their livelihood projects such as fish ponds and animal husbandry were destroyed. In addition, they worried that the saline flood water would negatively affect future crop yields for years to come. People said they had not experienced such a flood in recent memory.<br /><br />Several weeks before Christmas, I took a three hour train ride to Hasnabad to see the situation. Achinta Das, our MCC India project officer working with this project, and several RDF members accompanied me. Some of the progress made since the flood was encouraging. Farmers were busy harvesting rice on fields that had not experienced severe flooding. They reported that abundant rainfall after the flood had helped wash the salinity out of the soil. The saline water had been pumped out of ponds and new fish were introduced.<br /><br />Even so, this was a serious setback for the RDF projects and farmers in the region. The most low-lying fields had not been planted this year. The self-help groups had also lost their initial investments in fish and poultry projects. They were hesitant to go further into debt in order to start over. Some women were planting a field of vegetables that will be irrigated by a pond that had been pumped out and refilled with fresh water. They worried that the remaining salinity would, nevertheless, stunt the growth of the plants. <br /><br />The most alarming thing I saw on this trip was the temporary repair the West Bengal government had made to the river embankment near Hasnabad. The steep mud embankment is reinforced with flimsy bamboo piles that keep the whole thing from sliding into the river. I saw it during low tide but the high tide water mark was clearing visible not more than a foot or two from the top of the embankment. It would not take much for the river to again breach the embankment and re-flood the whole area.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-11557645999798819902009-11-14T00:41:00.000-08:002009-11-14T01:57:33.693-08:00Adivasi Farmers in West Bengal<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDZJrYnE-5HWP5Dnqpx8ft5wI-UPT8ZWCYV-HL0qnITYyRt_4QTYtCknLbt2BRsfrG_4cBDISyPJxiv-w1qGxCz57CpVWU78-HJt3wANohKkuPInPCnsDxA6qg6v1gW9IprndgmH0K2tx/s1600-h/2006_1005Ruth0149.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDZJrYnE-5HWP5Dnqpx8ft5wI-UPT8ZWCYV-HL0qnITYyRt_4QTYtCknLbt2BRsfrG_4cBDISyPJxiv-w1qGxCz57CpVWU78-HJt3wANohKkuPInPCnsDxA6qg6v1gW9IprndgmH0K2tx/s400/2006_1005Ruth0149.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403885524311872386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKE48cFYVrV7TD4of79WJNUMs1bDSQuZtNpODYoEH1vym8G7k6Z2uVBauTNwgyH7ONQPPTlchuSpZSRFdIWsgr68Os36AyXY7fKJPWEvGvaMOFDMyASfhNxfICuAkfb8D5j3yLyTHAvOsh/s1600-h/2006_1005Ruth0137.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKE48cFYVrV7TD4of79WJNUMs1bDSQuZtNpODYoEH1vym8G7k6Z2uVBauTNwgyH7ONQPPTlchuSpZSRFdIWsgr68Os36AyXY7fKJPWEvGvaMOFDMyASfhNxfICuAkfb8D5j3yLyTHAvOsh/s400/2006_1005Ruth0137.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403885446399150082" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNGScgW5KFU6BnvLf6N9JNT7w4NjE6lK9ipIqilNib9_WzKn8FAM_Mzm_29OwxSUH0WQ0BVcdk8F-Eoq6Kq-jZwQXsWNLqb4GIrlsvSASoVY7tZM0p44BXPw5KgdVi54ZHXzjAW7P3Sz1/s1600-h/2006_1005Ruth0113.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNGScgW5KFU6BnvLf6N9JNT7w4NjE6lK9ipIqilNib9_WzKn8FAM_Mzm_29OwxSUH0WQ0BVcdk8F-Eoq6Kq-jZwQXsWNLqb4GIrlsvSASoVY7tZM0p44BXPw5KgdVi54ZHXzjAW7P3Sz1/s400/2006_1005Ruth0113.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403885280326102754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpisP8Yt71wTZ8PiTNyJjsqrg2ribL-QDI_kxTr1m6nkZQB3AEVN4NX6YG7gp8QR6roFkttnKPpjjKbPXiaN9TgSAUNn5FUAw8svgqqpWfcPgO88Cygxv81uiobBgty1668HG-8b0gWKvn/s1600-h/2006_1005Ruth0094.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpisP8Yt71wTZ8PiTNyJjsqrg2ribL-QDI_kxTr1m6nkZQB3AEVN4NX6YG7gp8QR6roFkttnKPpjjKbPXiaN9TgSAUNn5FUAw8svgqqpWfcPgO88Cygxv81uiobBgty1668HG-8b0gWKvn/s400/2006_1005Ruth0094.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403883335234726530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfpU9kmqXnHPeAOlzhrN09J78oaeM5He4DCv5lwjwqc1DUZatQg6FkU8FazLIkkJl6e6t5CMm_UFvvo571167p7AOhWReLdEttIEorNJfuk6Sq8FJv9dl3Ov_l9e_peiP2QCxaJ7wzfa1/s1600-h/2006_1005Ruth0108.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfpU9kmqXnHPeAOlzhrN09J78oaeM5He4DCv5lwjwqc1DUZatQg6FkU8FazLIkkJl6e6t5CMm_UFvvo571167p7AOhWReLdEttIEorNJfuk6Sq8FJv9dl3Ov_l9e_peiP2QCxaJ7wzfa1/s400/2006_1005Ruth0108.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403885652564284754" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">by Ruth Zimmerman</span></span><br /></div><br />“Do you have Adivasis where you come from?” the Adivasi farmer in rural West Bengal asked when I was introduced as a former farm girl from the United States. Adivasis are the tribal or original inhabitants of India. I was visiting their community as the director of the MCC India program to see the results of our four year project for food security and livelihood promotion.<br /><br />Adivasis have suffered much in India like tribal people have in many other parts of the world. As newcomers arrived, they were pushed to more marginal, highland areas where life has been extremely difficult. I responded to the man’s question, “Yes we also have tribal people. They have lost many of their lands to foreign settlers and have suffered much.” He nodded his head in sympathy. He knew what that was like.<br /><br />I visited the fields of these marginal farmers and could see flourishing fields of tomatoes, eggplants, lentils, cauliflower and giant green beans that benefited from the new water sources, such as a recently built check-dam, provided by MCC. Community members shared how the vermiculture and composting methods they learned loosened the formally hard packed soil. They proudly showed us the compost with lively worms that enriched the soil and was the reason for the healthy vegetation. Commercial fertilizers or pesticides are not needed.<br /><br />Staff, from MCC partner agency ISARA, told of the many changes brought about by their work over these years. At one time the daily diet consisted mostly of rice with very limited amounts of corn and lentils. There was only one growing season during the monsoon rains. After the monsoon they often had to survive on one meal of rice or corn a day. Many would be at the edge of starvation. Drought years, when the monsoon rains failed, were doubly difficult and drove them into egregious debt to high priced money lenders.<br /><br />Simple water harvesting technology has made it possible to introduce vegetables as a second crop after the monsoon season and (if water is sufficient) even a third crop. They not only have nutritious vegetables to add to the daily rice and lentils but they are able to raise enough to sell to others in the local markets. In addition they can sell worms from their vermiculture project.<br /><br />The villagers smiled brightly while telling us how they no longer have to borrow from the money lenders and their children are now going to school. Migration to other areas of India for work during the dry season has also been much reduced.<br /><br />ISARA helps form farmers groups and women’s self-help groups. The groups are now able to confidently access government banks for loans at much reduced rates and also take advantage of other government programs that have recently been introduced. In addition ISARA staff noted that to the incidence of deadly malaria seems much reduced in the villages that introduced vegetables into their diets.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-21822875162535548582009-11-12T02:08:00.000-08:002009-11-12T03:26:15.828-08:00Flood Relief in Andhra Pradesh<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cs-Uexy1I1wFhrHoyoc-mIeGB5mzlvWtyyixtcjqq749ilrYm3sbwbT3G8N7_7mRWMGgll9XmNIItGHHZB01MW4ZSxyc2g4OrPuxWjVOfLS6rj1oy4AlZUWUdbwRmLt-BY2GYQzzWSKQ/s1600-h/2009_1110Advisory-Flood0072.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cs-Uexy1I1wFhrHoyoc-mIeGB5mzlvWtyyixtcjqq749ilrYm3sbwbT3G8N7_7mRWMGgll9XmNIItGHHZB01MW4ZSxyc2g4OrPuxWjVOfLS6rj1oy4AlZUWUdbwRmLt-BY2GYQzzWSKQ/s400/2009_1110Advisory-Flood0072.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403160951095236834" border="0" /></a><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaxASNTKPuPH7kRVU5UOJzBR_x4-uamcABytAVDNHJk8fv0JnxynZYw0B8K3E3wY4H9r9AYmoNklYB630Z3OBA4mTytyQUDGCfjWnsfFM1lFsNYillgiJqrM_bWT4BoBcx2e28sOEdBzY/s1600-h/2009_1110Advisory-Flood0069.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaxASNTKPuPH7kRVU5UOJzBR_x4-uamcABytAVDNHJk8fv0JnxynZYw0B8K3E3wY4H9r9AYmoNklYB630Z3OBA4mTytyQUDGCfjWnsfFM1lFsNYillgiJqrM_bWT4BoBcx2e28sOEdBzY/s400/2009_1110Advisory-Flood0069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403160735615642418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRbBie3ffwCBuJwFcKRY1m2MgKLls7uftKTi57L5bop_9eF2hdEXIGV1FrdA3fIatuckC14-1jXRmgyrw6LCDtNJ6SoxdRHVZyklQJi_4NFX0yoXTc9flQNWQWNotsg_9fgbE2TURilK0/s1600-h/2009_1110Advisory-Flood0053.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRbBie3ffwCBuJwFcKRY1m2MgKLls7uftKTi57L5bop_9eF2hdEXIGV1FrdA3fIatuckC14-1jXRmgyrw6LCDtNJ6SoxdRHVZyklQJi_4NFX0yoXTc9flQNWQWNotsg_9fgbE2TURilK0/s400/2009_1110Advisory-Flood0053.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403160556309147394" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrCkIDOntTsxV23orUUChUTGMuLiIKcV3f73ZljsYqSAOTPwOEAwih1-W-JZBHZcPPDUXJLGr_F2jxGmSpCviQ8oBrRAEBFl3ZKPglwEM26Ml8W-Upvr94cImT399a-CF64l8GbxVLolS/s1600-h/2009_1110Advisory-Flood0036.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrCkIDOntTsxV23orUUChUTGMuLiIKcV3f73ZljsYqSAOTPwOEAwih1-W-JZBHZcPPDUXJLGr_F2jxGmSpCviQ8oBrRAEBFl3ZKPglwEM26Ml8W-Upvr94cImT399a-CF64l8GbxVLolS/s400/2009_1110Advisory-Flood0036.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403160361688578146" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVnrDX2c37SkDMiYMURKg5tL_1Qw4MWYt3RKkeI3T95tzeyUisv7YcAE3EzONHpTUDK9krwqe6TTuSQuvfOWoJgIMAhrbTX-O3T6TOxSYGP2lkIPaFF_HW_PhC-MFKksM2_CRtws79Qr-/s1600-h/2009_1110Advisory-Flood0029.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVnrDX2c37SkDMiYMURKg5tL_1Qw4MWYt3RKkeI3T95tzeyUisv7YcAE3EzONHpTUDK9krwqe6TTuSQuvfOWoJgIMAhrbTX-O3T6TOxSYGP2lkIPaFF_HW_PhC-MFKksM2_CRtws79Qr-/s400/2009_1110Advisory-Flood0029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403160127282749410" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Disasters bring out the best and the worst in us.</span><br /></div><br />MCC India was discussing how we might do drought relief work in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The Indian government was calling it the worst drought in 40 years. Then unprecedented torrential rains lashed the region for more than a week, causing massive flooding. Within living memory, such heavy rain had never been experienced before in this commonly drought affected part of India.<br /><br />The Indian government was able to give an early warning to low-lying towns and villages, else there would have been many more than the reported 226 deaths in the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Millions were forced to evacuate and hundreds of thousands of homes were destroyed. Many of these families are still living in refugee camps.<br /><br />The floods struck immediately before Ruth and I went to Indonesia for our semi-annual Asia Leadership Team meetings. From there we were in touch with both MCC disaster response people in North America and our MCC India staff in Kolkata. An earthquake had hit Sumatra, Indonesia at the same time and a cyclone had struck the Philippines and Vietnam a little earlier. MCC put out an appeal for these Asia disasters and we spent time, outside of our regular meetings in Indonesia, helping to coordinate this effort.<br /><br />MCC India was able to secure $475,000 for flood relief from the Canadian Food Grains Bank. This is being managed through the Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action, the relief and development arm of 24 Protestant and Orthodox churches in India. We were able to secure another $40,000 through the Asia disaster relief appeal to be distributed in the Mahabubnagar District of Andhra Pradesh through the Mennonite Christian Service Fellowship of India (MSCFI).<br /><br />Several Mennonite Brethren congregations are located in the flooded towns and villages in Mahabubnagar. MCSFI targeted this area for its relief effort in coordination with three small Mennonite Brethren related relief and development organizations. MCC India staff was also directly involved in managing the effort. We distributed 10 kilos of rice, 1 kilo of lentils, and one blanket to a total of 4,115 families.<br /><br />Disaster situations bring out the best and the worst in people. Many want to help but coordinated effort is difficult. Volunteers such as the students at the Mennonite Brethren Bible College brought what little they had and helped clean mud out of houses. People from the nearby city of Hyderabad donated clothes. On the negative side, many of these used clothes were unfit to wear and most villagers refused to accept them. The clothes were lying there in huge piles that a few desperate people were picking through.<br /><br />When a disaster happens, our MCC India office is flooded with appeals from local agencies that want to deliver relief aid. One of the most difficult tasks is determining which agencies are reputable and have the capacity to deliver the aid. Delivering relief is a business and many want in on the action. Getting aid to the neediest people is not an easy task. Surveys need to be taken and lists of beneficiaries must be drawn up.<br /><br />The distribution itself must be well organized to make sure the relief goes to the people it’s intended for. Fights easily break out as others try to get some of the supplies. Sometimes whole truck loads of relief supplies are broken into. At one aid distribution point this week things almost got out of control because of the number of desperate people and a lack of careful planning by the people in charge of the distribution center.<br /><br />I have mixed feelings about relief aid. I’d rather give a hand-up than a handout. Yet relief can make a huge difference after a disaster. The Indian military provided much needed early rescue and relief efforts that nobody else could provide. Other NGOs provided additionally needed initial food and shelter.<br /><br />MCC India is not a “first responder.” We need several weeks to choose local partners, purchase supplies, conduct surveys to develop a list of beneficiaries, and finally deliver the aid. This, however, fills an important role after initial relief efforts have ended. People have lost everything and their crops have often been wiped out for the entire growing season.<br /><br />What we are able to provide is so little compared to the need after a disaster like the flood in Andhra Pradesh. Yet it is something that is much appreciated. I saw one little boy, no more than ten years old, leave the distribution center with his family’s relief supplies, cheeks wet with tears. His load was almost more than he could carry. Helping that little boy is what good disaster relief is all about.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-37571697535407384602009-09-28T01:32:00.000-07:002009-09-28T01:50:01.903-07:00Peacebuilding in Orissa<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPg-7kb-ar-q5vYrdtOBVDlMHf4emyZEz_jV68Fg6pVAyr-g6afqugde8vXXmK4l_DJLZGN8Wo6knGrglafZnDwGsp8Iq01Lh6cr-dWsMGh69nrDGUNnFDZV82Jf3nPdNIR2tpkXiDKkn/s1600-h/DSC_0190.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPg-7kb-ar-q5vYrdtOBVDlMHf4emyZEz_jV68Fg6pVAyr-g6afqugde8vXXmK4l_DJLZGN8Wo6knGrglafZnDwGsp8Iq01Lh6cr-dWsMGh69nrDGUNnFDZV82Jf3nPdNIR2tpkXiDKkn/s400/DSC_0190.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386434350311346978" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy__e2zy25_uicNlDQrQF5RigkQbSCLdlWm74DRlR_GVtnh2z32yDEfJXa06sz0D2ahwMmFwSKQluiN0_zf1852eoir5B_NmZPFVE4zaVfZpkuFDW5UXMB_HqiBdin-Kuvxdr6y421wDWB/s1600-h/DSC_0198.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy__e2zy25_uicNlDQrQF5RigkQbSCLdlWm74DRlR_GVtnh2z32yDEfJXa06sz0D2ahwMmFwSKQluiN0_zf1852eoir5B_NmZPFVE4zaVfZpkuFDW5UXMB_HqiBdin-Kuvxdr6y421wDWB/s400/DSC_0198.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386434177297473794" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGEIyYmxp7vGEL3Wzv863o8SMWFrzmmZhMZpV0r0xy7rrpcfUn3y1APzJHF4VHLm0gJt_ahrzolfvfWA5TV2GmYzJvKj977UydjtsMWCTIBssm8mGCF5UgJ5Y4sq0k7nY9iD3kn8-C-d0/s1600-h/DSC_0239.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGEIyYmxp7vGEL3Wzv863o8SMWFrzmmZhMZpV0r0xy7rrpcfUn3y1APzJHF4VHLm0gJt_ahrzolfvfWA5TV2GmYzJvKj977UydjtsMWCTIBssm8mGCF5UgJ5Y4sq0k7nY9iD3kn8-C-d0/s400/DSC_0239.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386434025171613538" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtzHImwGtLHmNch-BOedDoVk2wK49-K2TWOeXCRz-BkmY6wOP3YODG9n9u48w50uiTVKDhGmWzeeYbdqxErPBxsOVarARp5L42Rt8Rx2tTqCnsHdbHdvXYJ9OaxYFObe7gcLd2XSLdoEB/s1600-h/DSC_0243.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtzHImwGtLHmNch-BOedDoVk2wK49-K2TWOeXCRz-BkmY6wOP3YODG9n9u48w50uiTVKDhGmWzeeYbdqxErPBxsOVarARp5L42Rt8Rx2tTqCnsHdbHdvXYJ9OaxYFObe7gcLd2XSLdoEB/s400/DSC_0243.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386433828711402354" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The first photo is of me and the Orissa Minister of School and Mass Education flagging off the peace march. The second is of the march being led by a police officer, the third is of street children from the SNEH shelter-home performing a peacebuilding drama. The last is of a university student performing a traditional dance.<br /></span><br /><br />The Society for Nature, Education, and Health (SNEH), an MCC partner organization, inaugurated their Centre for Peace and Non-violence on World Peace Day, August 21, 2009. Thomas Harris, an MCC India project officer, and I took the overnight train to Bhubaneswar, Orissa to represent MCC at this significant milestone in our peacebuilding programming in Orissa. <br /><br />Along with their other rural development and health programs, SNEH has been providing peacebuilding and conflict mediation skills to students in several high schools in Bhubaneswar. They also have a shelter-home and study center for street children in Saliasahi, a huge slum in Bhubaneswar. The newly inaugurated Centre for Peace and Non-violence is their response to the recent interfaith violence between Christians and Hindus in Orissa.<br /><br />The World Peace Day inaugural program began with a three-kilometer peace march, guided by Gandhians, which included more than 300 students from various universities in the city. The peace march was followed by the inauguration ceremony at the newly constructed SNEH office building that will also house the Centre for Peace and Nonviolence. <br /><br />Various local politicians and academic leaders spoke at the event which was covered by local television and newspapers. I gave a brief address on behalf of MCC India. The children from the SNEH shelter-home performed a drama on interfaith conflict that was resolved through dialogue and organizing a community peace committee. This was followed by a cultural dance and a linguistic drama, representing diversity and unity in India, performed by university students.<br /><br />The Centre for Peace and Non-violence will be a place for study and research as well as peacebuilding activities and non-violent community action. A network of civil society organizations working for communal harmony is being formed. Upcoming activities in Kandhamal District, where interfaith violence erupted last year, include two conflict mediation trainings, a peace rally, and a peacebuilding competition for students.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-76304231028672821512009-09-13T05:30:00.000-07:002009-09-13T06:06:38.819-07:00Country Evaluations<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqnMnbDGfXlbUo8VfnxDELcqMzrCperhMDSNucUifrlxFWD3eSFl35mIzZTI2Q_Vv6feeo9-ssBI9__j9v62gZ6oyjAbzIr3ZS7pu3NxSTjZlTX3Nf8I33L4EEoOvm83xA-B2ujVyEzGT/s1600-h/2009_0902NepalKolkata0065.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqnMnbDGfXlbUo8VfnxDELcqMzrCperhMDSNucUifrlxFWD3eSFl35mIzZTI2Q_Vv6feeo9-ssBI9__j9v62gZ6oyjAbzIr3ZS7pu3NxSTjZlTX3Nf8I33L4EEoOvm83xA-B2ujVyEzGT/s320/2009_0902NepalKolkata0065.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380929672097637538" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5yH0W6PVV6IeJ2lIser0VIw_DldJxy6JtBZgyzXkSdO8rchHVILyPA7e4V3vIjCKLgpY1miwWJki8x4PnLTIE7EgpRGKgUxLn0qTlI9HP8tknxbRZTjzVT9YeL9Wk8ov3EadDy8rQoq7/s1600-h/2009_0902NepalKolkata0047.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5yH0W6PVV6IeJ2lIser0VIw_DldJxy6JtBZgyzXkSdO8rchHVILyPA7e4V3vIjCKLgpY1miwWJki8x4PnLTIE7EgpRGKgUxLn0qTlI9HP8tknxbRZTjzVT9YeL9Wk8ov3EadDy8rQoq7/s320/2009_0902NepalKolkata0047.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380929405522382034" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DIyq1Wbl5xb4eLBUlxavoJ5O3Xd-YoFfN8rWENJe386WswpofwTLKldgjqDAGdDGCrLmwp9tDfDxvV5cOLTqbLLDYLNfsfRfYsnpiEtTtb6b3siFfx2noyj12m9hnzpMI4NoCEotaGK9/s1600-h/2009_0902NepalKolkata0036.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DIyq1Wbl5xb4eLBUlxavoJ5O3Xd-YoFfN8rWENJe386WswpofwTLKldgjqDAGdDGCrLmwp9tDfDxvV5cOLTqbLLDYLNfsfRfYsnpiEtTtb6b3siFfx2noyj12m9hnzpMI4NoCEotaGK9/s320/2009_0902NepalKolkata0036.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380929195951516018" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRVJiJWDUGQ1cxcu1NhoGSmQt53OMaZIs4OlN6OzX7NX-k5dKyfPKHYCyS-g7ck6qyita5o6Z1ELzB44nc3m83e9RuCSMWNT4y-QKbb5vFD9TxIVan-68KdYAzH5ZEtmbHIjQqXzHrw1_/s1600-h/2009_0902NepalKolkata0017.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRVJiJWDUGQ1cxcu1NhoGSmQt53OMaZIs4OlN6OzX7NX-k5dKyfPKHYCyS-g7ck6qyita5o6Z1ELzB44nc3m83e9RuCSMWNT4y-QKbb5vFD9TxIVan-68KdYAzH5ZEtmbHIjQqXzHrw1_/s320/2009_0902NepalKolkata0017.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380929013672458178" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The first photo is of students at the School of Shanti in Nepal, the second is of a tailor in Kathmandu, the third is of Charlotte and Micah in Itahari,and the fourth is of evaluators talking with vocational education alumni in Kolkata.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />During much of the past month, Ruth and I have been busy with country evaluations in India and Nepal. The actual evaluation began when the team of four evaluators arrived at our MCC India office. The preliminary work had begun several months earlier as we and our staff assembled relevant documents, chose people to be interviewed, made travel arrangements, and developed key questions about the region and the work of MCC.<br /><br />The goals were to both access our efforts during the past five years and to help set our strategic direction. I traveled in India with two members of the evaluation team that visited Mennonite Brethren churches and programs as well as the Henry Martyn Institute (HMI), a long-standing peacebuilding partner in South India. Dan Shetler, an MCC service worker at HMI, joined us in these conversations. The other two evaluation team members visited community development and education partners.<br /><br />There was lots of affirmation for the work of MCC in India through the years. The evaluation team encouraged us to stay creative and proactive in out work. Such observations were framed as the challenge of moving from “good” to “better.” There is a sense that change is in the air as MCC repositions itself as a relief, development, and peacebuilding ministry of the global Anabaptist family of churches. We seek to envision what such change may include in our region as well as the new opportunities it may offer.<br /><br />There were many encouraging conversations. One was when the HMI staff encouraged MCC to embrace our Mennonite heritage because this is our unique contribution to the field of peacebuilding. Another was a conversation with about twenty young adult alumni of our Global Family vocational education scholarship program in Kolkata. Each had a personal story of struggle to finance their education and eventually being able to help support their families as they completed their schooling and got jobs. I was especially impressed by the way our Global Family staff had built warm, nurturing relationships with these students.<br /><br />We then traveled to Nepal with two members of the evaluation team to engage in a similar but smaller scale process there. Ruth and I also took this opportunity to visit various project partners and service workers in Nepal. We traveled to Itahari, a hot little town near the Indian border, to visit Charlotte and Micah Shristi who have recently begun their assignments there with United Mission to Nepal (UMN). <br /><br />Charlotte is a peacebuilding advisor and Micah is an appropriate technology advisor for their UMN project cluster. We were impressed by how quickly they had made Itahari their home and were already involved in some exciting projects including cross-border violence and building a solar drier.<br /><br />MCC is in the process of being registered as an international relief and development agency in Nepal. Amos and Heidi Stoltzfus, MCC service workers in Kathmandu, Nepal briefed us on these developments and other matters related to our work there. <br /><br />We slipped in a quick visit to the School of Shanti, an innovative peace-training program, on the morning before we returned to Kolkata. Sixteen staff members of various grass-roots organizations from all over Nepal were gathered for a two-week training before beginning a two-month practicum with their organization. This training-practicum cycle is repeated three times throughout the one-year course. The interactive energy in the room as they engaged the topic of identity and violence was very encouraging.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-52799325840833030272009-08-22T09:13:00.000-07:002009-08-22T09:36:20.924-07:00Crossing Divided Bengal<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0B0hVSGfDABfKo4v37N_rbjczvwja7s5K_uQUHEyQTIId1qgLC99obCvmvW8GUcXW-_29gYu5zAWo3lv-roCYLPb1HpFqpU_MQVgddsuTm-pHkVvFdzghKbBZ4tdHv1mriG_VA76yzXF/s1600-h/2006_0616StaffPicnic0086.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0B0hVSGfDABfKo4v37N_rbjczvwja7s5K_uQUHEyQTIId1qgLC99obCvmvW8GUcXW-_29gYu5zAWo3lv-roCYLPb1HpFqpU_MQVgddsuTm-pHkVvFdzghKbBZ4tdHv1mriG_VA76yzXF/s200/2006_0616StaffPicnic0086.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372827863796476082" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1CvQbUCcEA6v5dSisbFFcuQ7evMhwLEFM9jIjlN6noD6ZQN_XwYYy1kBEQX0POCQI-8Wk0fUiV-ZmcLtiUqkYMa1BxwFBahyphenhyphenon3h_CRzU9Q6wdMlNSBO-yIcfr6TY1EkDYeMmxpaMwvY/s1600-h/2006_0616StaffPicnic0083.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1CvQbUCcEA6v5dSisbFFcuQ7evMhwLEFM9jIjlN6noD6ZQN_XwYYy1kBEQX0POCQI-8Wk0fUiV-ZmcLtiUqkYMa1BxwFBahyphenhyphenon3h_CRzU9Q6wdMlNSBO-yIcfr6TY1EkDYeMmxpaMwvY/s200/2006_0616StaffPicnic0083.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372826751590585970" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXxhJa56M8L_8k9WFQr2_kyVDOHXImWR409BpTDr5knahyphenhyphenue45tF53BNgChTLChj2f-UxH3YtdL6eoGK_kJfX7AwyPl959A8QNHscHTLc20qCN6J6iXNpknQdGxm-5SDCrCgVaAmLapBq/s1600-h/2006_0616StaffPicnic0050.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXxhJa56M8L_8k9WFQr2_kyVDOHXImWR409BpTDr5knahyphenhyphenue45tF53BNgChTLChj2f-UxH3YtdL6eoGK_kJfX7AwyPl959A8QNHscHTLc20qCN6J6iXNpknQdGxm-5SDCrCgVaAmLapBq/s200/2006_0616StaffPicnic0050.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372825776189741458" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Scenes from the Bengal countryside</span><br /><br /><br />Ruth and I recently traveled to Bangladesh with a group of eighteen MCC India staff and project partners to participate in a workshop on development planning, monitoring, and evaluation. We traveled to the border by bus and were picked up on the other side by MCC Bangladesh staff. Our route took us through much of what had been Bengal before it was partitioned when colonial India achieved its independence from Britain.<br /><br />I was especially eager to make this overland trip because of my interest in the beginning of MCC service in India in 1942. MCC first arrived in response to the Bengal famine that killed as many as 3 million people between 1943 and 1944. At one point MCC was supporting 8,000 starving people through disaster relief.<br /><br />The famine was followed be the partition of Bengal along religions lines at the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Predominantly Hindu West Bengal became part of India. Predominantly Muslim East Bengal became East Pakistan, and then Bangladesh after the war for independence from Pakistan in 1971.<br /><br />After the partition, thousands of Hindu refugees from East Bengal were camped out several blocks away from the MCC office in Kolkata. They had nowhere to go but the city eventually absorbed them. More arrived during the Bangladesh war for independence in 1971. Still more continue to come from poor villages in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, and Bangladesh. MCC has been helping these immigrants in various ways for many years—especially through educational scholarships for their children.<br /><br />Crossing the guarded border between India and Bangladesh was a two hour ordeal of checking and rechecking documents in oppressive heat. We were soon drenched in sweat as we waited in front of immigration counters. The Indians in our group were worried that immigration officers would find some minor mistake in their papers and use it as an excuse to demand a “facilitation fee.” There were no major hitches and we were eventually on our way.<br /><br />Both sides of the border are part of the vast fertile delta created be the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. People on both sides are ethnically Bengali and speak the same language. They share literary and culinary traditions. Both revere Tagore as their world renowned Bengali poet. Both absolutely love hilsa fish.<br /><br />So why does an ugly, guarded border run through the middle of their homeland? One reason is religious. In the twelfth century, Muslim traders and missionaries spread Islam throughout the Bengal region that has more ancient Hindu and Buddhist roots. These religious identities became tied to the imperial ambitions of the Muslim Mughal Empire in India and then the British Empire. That sordid story cannot be told here but a toxic mix of religion and nationalism eventually led to the partition in 1947. <br /><br />Culturally and economically, the border makes absolutely no sense. And it makes little religious sense because many Muslims and Hindus still live on both sides. So why do people just accept this ugly border as an unquestioned part of their world? Why do our nationalist and religious imaginations create such divides? Why is it so easy to distrust and fear those who live on the other side of the borders we have created?<br /><br />What will it take for us to imagine differently? What religious and political traditions can inspire efforts to gradually dismantle our walls? Our decision to drive to the border and walk across, rather than fly across, was one little effort in creating a different world. Our workshop in Bangladesh involved Indians, Bangladeshis, Nepalese, Americans, and Canadians working together to enhance our community development practices. Another little piece of our national divides dissolved during our time together.<br /><br />When enough of us start doing such things we will eventually realize how dysfunctional the border dividing Bengal—indeed all national borders—really are. Such growing awareness is one indication of the coming reign of God.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-11329404939350139092009-04-29T08:28:00.000-07:002009-04-30T03:57:32.399-07:00Our Global Family Visit to Darjeeling<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPAidzRLdmLqA2UdKdebF9-MC2eC_PclpNoKlRoNRvqbb91XJeO7xfZG40N0-zz6pNSXDnlZfFuey0XKAtSAHXl218aZ3tIEx-9XClKOXaQEvhMEqRlPdn9JKxS7oDp1CPT5PFO_x6Rs4/s1600-h/2006_0320Darjeeling090168.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPAidzRLdmLqA2UdKdebF9-MC2eC_PclpNoKlRoNRvqbb91XJeO7xfZG40N0-zz6pNSXDnlZfFuey0XKAtSAHXl218aZ3tIEx-9XClKOXaQEvhMEqRlPdn9JKxS7oDp1CPT5PFO_x6Rs4/s200/2006_0320Darjeeling090168.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330140967740950834" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8EU0VEK6KLZ8kT6Wt598XLWnv97VrAxy4LQs-0C9KZzGqDIYgyBGk3FBS2O_ZA68gcrEr0fI18bf7PkxEE0s5pGtASkV_lb7n2gi9yPjRzOaTQxmGfyOq7CIhRBnMw_-UAVPdiGbdYEZ/s1600-h/2006_0320Darjeeling090082.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8EU0VEK6KLZ8kT6Wt598XLWnv97VrAxy4LQs-0C9KZzGqDIYgyBGk3FBS2O_ZA68gcrEr0fI18bf7PkxEE0s5pGtASkV_lb7n2gi9yPjRzOaTQxmGfyOq7CIhRBnMw_-UAVPdiGbdYEZ/s200/2006_0320Darjeeling090082.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330140765851694258" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The first two photos are of a woman carrying a load of produce to sell and of the home of one of the students that MCC helps to support. The student's grandfather is standing by the door.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2a32zJSzekYzkmSUgqqAUifp7dr9vg6azTE55Xz2wYRaHJIalYsVnsPg-GzzzpJtE2iFBffxHD1alVvFvVYlNhOIbB86js6sOQuXju-E8BY88borceS3XOFJWvBXoOQW2-JnU0RUXYaD/s1600-h/2006_0320Darjeeling090077.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2a32zJSzekYzkmSUgqqAUifp7dr9vg6azTE55Xz2wYRaHJIalYsVnsPg-GzzzpJtE2iFBffxHD1alVvFvVYlNhOIbB86js6sOQuXju-E8BY88borceS3XOFJWvBXoOQW2-JnU0RUXYaD/s200/2006_0320Darjeeling090077.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330139718096129714" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5PQQyccX1AIcTcVythDJyrtGQuY9oZzPDLfCbZP9tpSx8ka9e6gzZu0cPzlrhOplfhbWc_NRVzsOaQpetGvmXKVWdj7D5WMXLSrjVNPnUd02kL9n35Yn491nGGlQT4AAJIaQBB74ue7V/s1600-h/2006_0320Darjeeling090118.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5PQQyccX1AIcTcVythDJyrtGQuY9oZzPDLfCbZP9tpSx8ka9e6gzZu0cPzlrhOplfhbWc_NRVzsOaQpetGvmXKVWdj7D5WMXLSrjVNPnUd02kL9n35Yn491nGGlQT4AAJIaQBB74ue7V/s200/2006_0320Darjeeling090118.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330138997511717138" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQL8KNboU1YHA2umurVevxUTQ82KwYWh0pD7hxR2p-ZDZVtv3R7NJth0RSMgVQkbRttgYe3gHl4OaEaqhj9aVljBpYMvIgOMM_QoHVo-gFKpSRKmeqoSTbxxNheNl2ZzWeyttttnd0zOo/s1600-h/2006_0320Darjeeling090106.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQL8KNboU1YHA2umurVevxUTQ82KwYWh0pD7hxR2p-ZDZVtv3R7NJth0RSMgVQkbRttgYe3gHl4OaEaqhj9aVljBpYMvIgOMM_QoHVo-gFKpSRKmeqoSTbxxNheNl2ZzWeyttttnd0zOo/s200/2006_0320Darjeeling090106.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330138806748487986" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">These four photos are of students at the Nepali Girls' Social Service Centre schools and daycare centers. Ruth and Ayesha are walking with the students in one photo. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvtl95SEAAiriIYFKgkuH1DyUhyphenhyphenGlp5iXAsOYwHaHNw_ItL7CK6kC1_13zPouaAyU5q5D_sLo1yjvxl2FtBt78jCrMHG52lF89wcDIvlQD83Y3cK6chj8b5y7S5teh53FsJDbVossTJX6/s1600-h/2006_0320Darjeeling090098.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvtl95SEAAiriIYFKgkuH1DyUhyphenhyphenGlp5iXAsOYwHaHNw_ItL7CK6kC1_13zPouaAyU5q5D_sLo1yjvxl2FtBt78jCrMHG52lF89wcDIvlQD83Y3cK6chj8b5y7S5teh53FsJDbVossTJX6/s200/2006_0320Darjeeling090098.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330138668254993794" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFC-x71Cu1Jq534CJyjSUfheh_PoOqoepFOxzNvow-OS2RaVP-eDRHLZbIB97D_PPEQ-6euJNzhdtN_6osoT12upGlXTMvxgdB3wp-9QDgIOOQJwKaDw3ZYwnKJJxacMFj03uQHfuPpjPH/s1600-h/2006_0320Darjeeling090059.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFC-x71Cu1Jq534CJyjSUfheh_PoOqoepFOxzNvow-OS2RaVP-eDRHLZbIB97D_PPEQ-6euJNzhdtN_6osoT12upGlXTMvxgdB3wp-9QDgIOOQJwKaDw3ZYwnKJJxacMFj03uQHfuPpjPH/s200/2006_0320Darjeeling090059.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330138411789769250" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYut9O77Od1hTM27T6YmNW5GdRdWoIs-40WWuMaluby4rxcFopyaFWi05D4MyMNdQERBm0YFSuG677WiYqjtbKjCF15S34I-WoxQZF55o7bm4ElCQqCrZzru5GDjROWY8Hm3D3N-O_0ob5/s1600-h/2006_0320Darjeeling090114.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYut9O77Od1hTM27T6YmNW5GdRdWoIs-40WWuMaluby4rxcFopyaFWi05D4MyMNdQERBm0YFSuG677WiYqjtbKjCF15S34I-WoxQZF55o7bm4ElCQqCrZzru5GDjROWY8Hm3D3N-O_0ob5/s200/2006_0320Darjeeling090114.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330136736493627218" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETbEJgyfBS07zkbWX0gVMIa_XAiTqhagMk8sml61yNxk3dAszpdCvbLI9Gg6_o8_i05ynKqYH14Bn2jHcHcpm4C8tKvGMnK7KREgi3B7IlRLmUt_MqKAaarocugSUzPvDFX9_v0B31fFa/s1600-h/2006_0320Darjeeling090121.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETbEJgyfBS07zkbWX0gVMIa_XAiTqhagMk8sml61yNxk3dAszpdCvbLI9Gg6_o8_i05ynKqYH14Bn2jHcHcpm4C8tKvGMnK7KREgi3B7IlRLmUt_MqKAaarocugSUzPvDFX9_v0B31fFa/s200/2006_0320Darjeeling090121.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330136312848127826" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRIWAcQIantyfj7k9QaKSwZeagFMqYxIvBx2rrM81jkMrFo6f2AiWlgecTZalcf-FsU1xzD2wpxYtJHjRkBqA6G5hoVI9wz9sxu-h93TBy3VbOijxtJoUC2_9dl_u5x8PGjf5bfi6tcnS/s1600-h/2006_0320Darjeeling090027.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRIWAcQIantyfj7k9QaKSwZeagFMqYxIvBx2rrM81jkMrFo6f2AiWlgecTZalcf-FsU1xzD2wpxYtJHjRkBqA6G5hoVI9wz9sxu-h93TBy3VbOijxtJoUC2_9dl_u5x8PGjf5bfi6tcnS/s200/2006_0320Darjeeling090027.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330136163793566818" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XKVCCU3Ik0K4HWpzLm0mp0-yvRn_QxY15AKgB14PX449S-xvhO5I5GVqRK38-T0XlfIx3Smie75BlfqOlq8QYZu33iC4mSwkQvhYlaGumSIAQx-18UJZsv0u6M7cWRD8kZ1cfqzJGwyU/s1600-h/2006_0320Darjeeling090162.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XKVCCU3Ik0K4HWpzLm0mp0-yvRn_QxY15AKgB14PX449S-xvhO5I5GVqRK38-T0XlfIx3Smie75BlfqOlq8QYZu33iC4mSwkQvhYlaGumSIAQx-18UJZsv0u6M7cWRD8kZ1cfqzJGwyU/s200/2006_0320Darjeeling090162.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330140138145325778" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-style:italic;">The above photos show the tea gardens, Ruth enjoying a cup of tea, the famous toy train, and a common flower arrangement. People in Darjeeling love their flowers. </span></span><br /><br /><br />Darjeeling is a town in the clouds surrounded by beautiful natural scenery. This former British hill station is 6,500 feet above sea level. Early this morning, I sat on the roof terrace of our simple hotel and watched the mist waft up the mountainsides covered with tea plantations. I got a glimpse of the Himalayan snow caps through a brief break in the clouds. I then walked back down to the dining room and ordered a set of delicious, world famous Darjeeling tea. But not all is idyllic in this hill station. <br /><br />Ruth and I are here on an MCC Global Family program visit. Ayesha Kadar, the coordinator of the Global Family Program in India, has thoughtfully planned our visit during this time of year to give us a brief respite from the severe heat of Kolkata and the plains of India. Our visit quickly orients us to the raw social needs that lie immediately beneath the veneer of cool weather and beautiful scenery in Darjeeling.<br /><br />The Nepali Girls’ Social Service Centre, supported by MCC, provides educational assistance to students from poor families, it has an open education program that helps high school dropouts complete their degrees, and it has three preschool daycare centers. They also provide basic healthcare education and small livelihood projects in communities where they have educational programs.<br /><br />Our first day of visits focused on the daycare centers and families of students in nearby villages. They are tea plantation or rural agricultural laborers who earn about two dollars a day when they have work. Many have migrated here from regions of Nepal affected by the recent civil war in their county. The culture of Darjeeling is actually much closer to that of Nepal and Bhutan than the plains of India. <br /><br />Students in the village of Aloobari performed a traditional Nepalese dance for us. Akriti Thami, one of the dancers, and her two siblings are the first in their family to go to school. A village woman with a tenth grade education helps at an after school study center, which was started by the Nepali Girls’ Social Service Centre. It is a resource for students whose illiterate parents are not able to help them do their homework.<br /><br />On the second day we visited the homes of students in the town of Darjeeling. We climbed steep, narrow alleys and foot paths that cross open sewers and skirt piles of garbage thrown over the sides of embankments. Sapna Chhetri, a high school student, lives with her mother and brother. They support themselves by selling vegetables along the side of the road and doing domestic labor. Sapna dreams of going to college after completing high school. Ayesha Kadar, our Global Family coordinator, gives encouragement and practical advice as we sit in their tiny one-room space that is little more than a place to sleep and to stay dry when it rains.<br /><br />Many girls drop out of school in their early teens to get married. Various children at the daycare centers are from such marriages. The fathers have abandoned their families. The young mothers take turns volunteering at the center by preparing a simple lunch for the children and doing other chores. A goal of the daycare center is to give the children a head start so they can do well when they enter the local primary school. <br /><br />MCC helps support seventy students and their families through the Nepali Girl’s Social Service Centre. I’m grateful to not be an ordinary tourist as I walk the streets of Darjeeling where I’m constantly accosted by shopkeepers eager to make a sale or beggars asking for a handout. I am part of something more substantial that makes a significant difference in the lives of needy people in a way that gives them dignity and hope.<br /><br />It’s a privilege to be part of a faith community whose social conscience and generosity supports this ministry. I try to weave this social service into the fabric of our Mennonite tradition of peace with justice. The proprietor of the hotel were we are staying is an older Tibetan woman, a follower of the Dalai Lama, who fled her homeland in the 1950s and started a new life in Darjeeling. She welcomes our presence because she appreciates what we’re doing for the community.<br /><br />Ruth and I were talking with our Tibetan hostess on the terrace of the hotel early one morning. Part of the skyline is dominated by a huge building recently erected by a powerful local politician with an apparent edifice complex. (The purpose of the building, constructed on a former children’s playground, remains unclear.) A huge statue of a Gorkha soldier, gun in one hand and knife in the other, is astride a globe on the roof of the building. <br /><br />Gorkhas from Nepal were recruited as soldiers by the British during the heyday of the British Empire and had reputations as fierce fighters. Other Gorkhas were recruited as tea pickers and laborers by the British East India Company after the king of Sikkim ceded Darjeeling to the Company in 1817. The Company began to plant tea on these slopes in its effort to wrest the tea trade away from China.<br /><br />Our Tibetan hostess is clearly offended by the statue of a Gorkha soldier astride the world. She asks, “What presumption allows us to imagine such a thing?” I feel the pain of history in this region of the world. I also feel a kindred spirit with this Tibetan woman who had to flee her homeland as a young girl. My Anabaptist faith tradition, born in a sixteenth century history of religious suffering, gives me similar social sensitivities.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-11819810773892000182009-03-27T23:12:00.000-07:002009-03-28T09:00:11.444-07:00Flowers and Cemeteries<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5Ax4zgXhFK3Z76KPl4H5WsfzqEkpYQRxHKBIev0FWdl508R8Ph-p14G0fZGSm5HesYXHJzJtMgvpwNfnFlGsCJyBzizzVh7vRU5IK-yHboN2110M6mdhNR1HAcXbXRGdi3Cm20uocozq/s1600-h/2009_0125Assorted090007.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5Ax4zgXhFK3Z76KPl4H5WsfzqEkpYQRxHKBIev0FWdl508R8Ph-p14G0fZGSm5HesYXHJzJtMgvpwNfnFlGsCJyBzizzVh7vRU5IK-yHboN2110M6mdhNR1HAcXbXRGdi3Cm20uocozq/s200/2009_0125Assorted090007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318118568795920818" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVQct9CJDpUQIuNYvd07ZOYxBWvoZCpRAfNnKHod8QTylJCxkZ-44iKSkTfofEVLu_VAhAtZZCs5wKXcnLv6f6QxnhQX1I6ctncTf1m1XcHheSINc5QtTTlp32HQ75w8Bm1hdBHGwTsoM/s1600-h/2009_0125Assorted090026.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVQct9CJDpUQIuNYvd07ZOYxBWvoZCpRAfNnKHod8QTylJCxkZ-44iKSkTfofEVLu_VAhAtZZCs5wKXcnLv6f6QxnhQX1I6ctncTf1m1XcHheSINc5QtTTlp32HQ75w8Bm1hdBHGwTsoM/s200/2009_0125Assorted090026.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318118461795632002" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHm2v1HWU-aYrAUCwayoG_8xhnxIM5wGBgdB1R9Bg58o5MNci-6bdLQOiYHATQQgrgkXvmXRx3tTkq4PsYpY-tyLeduautnM0fxU0wK0BN1ElkWZcTFUDjvbQNQyjGdChOvsIpA6dpFzRJ/s1600-h/2009_0125Assorted090020.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHm2v1HWU-aYrAUCwayoG_8xhnxIM5wGBgdB1R9Bg58o5MNci-6bdLQOiYHATQQgrgkXvmXRx3tTkq4PsYpY-tyLeduautnM0fxU0wK0BN1ElkWZcTFUDjvbQNQyjGdChOvsIpA6dpFzRJ/s200/2009_0125Assorted090020.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318118351440067538" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever </span> (Isaiah 40:8).<br /><br />The past several months have been very stressful. MCC has not been immune from the global economic crisis. Last fall we were told that we should plan for a flat budget in 2009 but it soon became clear that we actually needed to make significant cuts. In the end we cut to our core budget in India by 15% and we also had to make substantial budget cuts in Nepal and Afghanistan.<br /><br />On top of that, Ruth ran into a bureaucratic snafu during a routine visa renewal and had to make a quick trip back to the United States to get a new visa. It threw her work schedule completely out of whack during a very busy time. We all pitched in to help and she returned two weeks later with a new visa. One silver lining in the fiasco was that she was able to attend the one year birthday party for our grand-twins when she was home.<br /><br />The fact that I didn’t write a blog post during the past several months is an indicator of how crazy our lives have been. I didn’t feel inspired to write even when I did have a little extra time. I hope the somewhat morbid topic of this post isn’t an indicator of lingering trauma. It actually draws on a thoroughly delightful Sunday spent with or friends Carolyn and Richard Heggen when they were in Kolkata following a Tsunami relief workshop.<br /><br />Our day began at a flower show at the horticultural garden in Kolkata. It was an oasis of beauty and tranquility that refreshed our spirits in this overgrown and polluted city. There’s something about the ephemeral nature of flowers that adds to their beauty. They have such a fragile existence. I want to reflect more deeply on the way the prophet Isaiah related the fleeting life of grass and flowers to the eternal word of God. <br /><br />After spending the morning at the flower show we grabbed a late lunch and decided to walk back to our apartment. That’s when we poked our heads into the old British Cemetery on South Park Street. The cemetery was opened in 1767 and the last tombs were erected around 1830. The first thing that impressed us was the huge size of most of the tombs. The next was how young most of the people were who are buried here. It’s as though the tombs they built were a way to reassure themselves that they had indeed lived.<br /><br />Many had some connection with the British East India Company. Quite a few died in their twenties and thirties in tragic circumstances involving sickness, war, and mishaps on the sea. I couldn’t help wondering about the push and pull factors that had drawn them so far away from their native land. <br /><br />One tomb that especially stood out was that of Elizabeth Jane Barwell who died in 1776 (the year of American independence) when she was only twenty-three years old. Her husband was a council member of the East India Company. I wonder about her social background in England. Was coming to India a way to escape poverty and find a new social position? Was she an adventurer who wanted to see the world? Was she able to adapt to her new home or was she terribly lonely and homesick during her brief time here? <br /> <br />Another striking reality is that this once grand cemetery had recently been completely run down and overgrown with vegetation. It served as a shelter for homeless people and a hideout for robbers who lived in the tombs for several decades after Indian independence in 1947. No one, not even the British, had much interest in maintaining it. It has since been cleaned up and partially restored but still needs lots of work. It feels like a dilapidated relic of a bygone era and perhaps that’s how it should be.<br /><br />Visiting the British cemetery could lead one to despair over the futility of life and all our efforts. Like the writer of Ecclesiastes, one could conclude that all is vanity. But it doesn’t affect me in that way. I actually find hope in the realization that life is short. It gives me less interest in the turf battles we’re continually fighting. It gives me added perspective on our notions that the things we’re engaged in right now are absolutely crucial. And it gives me a desire to be more deeply rooted in the eternal wisdom of God. My prayer is that such rootedness will give me greater ability to free myself from the petty obsessions that often rule our efforts and relationships. I find serenity in thinking of my life as a fragile flower connected to the eternal word of God.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-31226298293413967082009-01-01T05:08:00.000-08:002009-01-01T07:29:53.381-08:00The Magic of KolkataYou need to look for the magic of Kolkata because it's easy to be overwhelmed with first impressions of poor people, crumbling buildings, beat up yellow taxis, smoke spewing buses, and the haze of pollution. This Christmas we decided to stay in Kolkata and explore our adopted city. We planned various walking tours in addition to attending various Christmas celebrations including our MCC Christmas party, eating Christmas dinner at the Oberoi Grand Hotel, celebrating New Year's evening at an event featuring Filipino singers, and visiting a famous temple.<br /><br />Our collage of photos actually begins with some taken during the Diwali celebrations. Even the stature of Gandhi was given a huge garland for the festivities. I included a photo of Ruth with Vernon Jantzi at the Victoria Memorial taken when Vernon was here to lead a workshop on development and peacebuilding.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_ZDu3F42GafEUaW61rfi5mP7eqB0KaeCGmP44n78s7lckRvOTNMAFOlzd3QC2wxtLzJeQIVFTg9mbiA6WH-bTn2_UBh4JgRIXWTL3soa7AKGvx3Geu8T-bQc9U4V9BiijA4WYjX8maZD/s1600-h/2008_1220Oct-Dec080025.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_ZDu3F42GafEUaW61rfi5mP7eqB0KaeCGmP44n78s7lckRvOTNMAFOlzd3QC2wxtLzJeQIVFTg9mbiA6WH-bTn2_UBh4JgRIXWTL3soa7AKGvx3Geu8T-bQc9U4V9BiijA4WYjX8maZD/s200/2008_1220Oct-Dec080025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286316345244577746" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbTTDr6N_Mfa7q0Fogngpvb_Pbxjeu8UKQDIjOy-HoX94Ish_z56yhxDFQPD45BgtHSghv3E-fD0rKK2sIhT73oRz_WGxj-zfOIN2NtUPpt7-EI51Q51P3ZkcCxfXGE3tpCMPpZYLhBGo/s1600-h/2008_0815kolkatadays0021.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbTTDr6N_Mfa7q0Fogngpvb_Pbxjeu8UKQDIjOy-HoX94Ish_z56yhxDFQPD45BgtHSghv3E-fD0rKK2sIhT73oRz_WGxj-zfOIN2NtUPpt7-EI51Q51P3ZkcCxfXGE3tpCMPpZYLhBGo/s200/2008_0815kolkatadays0021.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286315030681218034" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUqYxn7YiLbbCT3zoWlmj5wMz7SFOxgaV3sPYyEbewoX1E-ld6DOqCB1LFxYueEukSlljfjk_4rW5a238ottXBtroicXwovQFZ8FrLrD5JsgJCJ2utMPJPpTudKvb-LA4x3vxqiF6Inva/s1600-h/2008_1003AImeetings0048.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUqYxn7YiLbbCT3zoWlmj5wMz7SFOxgaV3sPYyEbewoX1E-ld6DOqCB1LFxYueEukSlljfjk_4rW5a238ottXBtroicXwovQFZ8FrLrD5JsgJCJ2utMPJPpTudKvb-LA4x3vxqiF6Inva/s200/2008_1003AImeetings0048.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286314864039185954" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-sFaZHzfEL5v3mbKxWUGwWPCHbpGZbz4stM2efzr-4f-zS9mtBOIi2ZGDMlmVDFzwsZLwfwYtP4dfKRbajkKQsWT5HsvByIjdETlOHuyKUung5esdNkCsOqWmEW4YWnOHX4XH_M1QgBC/s1600-h/2008_1003AImeetings0043.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-sFaZHzfEL5v3mbKxWUGwWPCHbpGZbz4stM2efzr-4f-zS9mtBOIi2ZGDMlmVDFzwsZLwfwYtP4dfKRbajkKQsWT5HsvByIjdETlOHuyKUung5esdNkCsOqWmEW4YWnOHX4XH_M1QgBC/s200/2008_1003AImeetings0043.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286314636720506210" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The first photo in the following set is of a landmark Kolkata tram in front of the government building known as "Writer's Building." I couldn't resist adding one of me getting a haircut from a barber on the street in front of our MCC office. Yes we actually found some beautiful roses on one of our excursions. We were prepared to be disappointed because we thought roses couldn't possibly thrive in the hot,humid Kolkata climate. We were obviously wrong and so delighted to find these beauties.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOY6-gRilJLEh01giFFfhqE2J7ydWcq_8tXjVE5hlQJrhJWYASbUyYjG83MhKDmfcweZ_5Fs6x4K-rkxQYNRBv3pixly92SOKzQneaQl7-r0-yu7bdcbcxn6XFt2wNKPi3DiWyXAY3VMs/s1600-h/2009_0101Dakshineswar090005.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOY6-gRilJLEh01giFFfhqE2J7ydWcq_8tXjVE5hlQJrhJWYASbUyYjG83MhKDmfcweZ_5Fs6x4K-rkxQYNRBv3pixly92SOKzQneaQl7-r0-yu7bdcbcxn6XFt2wNKPi3DiWyXAY3VMs/s200/2009_0101Dakshineswar090005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286324152972027778" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2V_f2KaTL2TKXkq2_o71Mmjqe6jBfv57Xsb_sl_QGK3nQIqSoARgd0LIPaXFORH7vKyEdK7HrQvE7MZnzFQHaVhSlrdCUI3a4Jtf_ngpgp8-r2C7CD6FIdt0lTLOOqyuLw1RYWvpcFN6x/s1600-h/2008_0719Landour0003.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2V_f2KaTL2TKXkq2_o71Mmjqe6jBfv57Xsb_sl_QGK3nQIqSoARgd0LIPaXFORH7vKyEdK7HrQvE7MZnzFQHaVhSlrdCUI3a4Jtf_ngpgp8-r2C7CD6FIdt0lTLOOqyuLw1RYWvpcFN6x/s200/2008_0719Landour0003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286323954609195394" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxiIzfSPOOgyG9TJTYrwVHA4NXJzdqx3HM3csrmqE9Zce0PFLfIbrSfrF8oltu2T4AEVjpTjkQhKvIaOk1FgxdH9mmP-zFm9_5iYSoPYH5VaoeCztdVxJEs8Crl8WUlVtU3P4GixsgFku5/s1600-h/2008_1229RosesWedding080022.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxiIzfSPOOgyG9TJTYrwVHA4NXJzdqx3HM3csrmqE9Zce0PFLfIbrSfrF8oltu2T4AEVjpTjkQhKvIaOk1FgxdH9mmP-zFm9_5iYSoPYH5VaoeCztdVxJEs8Crl8WUlVtU3P4GixsgFku5/s200/2008_1229RosesWedding080022.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286323715310335282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKt45StFZLEkzRxa-WQF-tx7ZiDgAEke_fFG0rwk-fMf9usczqPhglFIai0KHAPEyWB-uJc4ZH8USAWMFR8dduLw_7BWTDa5Q9zrDGkCu87Ky5Usmhrfflh8gfDpA1GV7GoE5IhDZihscD/s1600-h/2008_1229RosesWedding080008.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKt45StFZLEkzRxa-WQF-tx7ZiDgAEke_fFG0rwk-fMf9usczqPhglFIai0KHAPEyWB-uJc4ZH8USAWMFR8dduLw_7BWTDa5Q9zrDGkCu87Ky5Usmhrfflh8gfDpA1GV7GoE5IhDZihscD/s200/2008_1229RosesWedding080008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286323493728199410" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It is followed by some taken at various Christmas parties. It includes photos of the crowd under the canopy on the roof of the MCC building during our office party. Others are of Ruth and Indian friends taken at the various celebrations. People in this town know how to have great parties.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTj1k4Bks_b6b_OQQ6JxNNuqo7OrfSbG-JFeDyzvv3mdJip2H2ki2I_uCGq3H26m7ThPO3a0iU-j-8jOzrPTyDKucVnGVsV-JWHdBFhboiMf1fr6BFhPrlq31ItDA-9KSrxQ6XUk7rdkJ/s1600-h/2008_1229RosesWedding080007.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTj1k4Bks_b6b_OQQ6JxNNuqo7OrfSbG-JFeDyzvv3mdJip2H2ki2I_uCGq3H26m7ThPO3a0iU-j-8jOzrPTyDKucVnGVsV-JWHdBFhboiMf1fr6BFhPrlq31ItDA-9KSrxQ6XUk7rdkJ/s200/2008_1229RosesWedding080007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286318387426768994" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZP31mSdUPBrv5gwk-4cBA-F9bRfZ657lEkqXf-Qub-swrKp4k12PPs974Evwh1opP3pp-0m-ViEQF_iQQnpYgrc-GsnGrCoFBXvn52f1JuZpm-4Bs0F_L4fkg6_60z7qK3G3aOdO817Sj/s1600-h/2008_1220Oct-Dec080100.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZP31mSdUPBrv5gwk-4cBA-F9bRfZ657lEkqXf-Qub-swrKp4k12PPs974Evwh1opP3pp-0m-ViEQF_iQQnpYgrc-GsnGrCoFBXvn52f1JuZpm-4Bs0F_L4fkg6_60z7qK3G3aOdO817Sj/s200/2008_1220Oct-Dec080100.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286318192177612018" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0mZguvVCVNTWPHI6-_jL7WFfUPRXEqRV-gjCGY4V-f45phPDWaj6saJ3qNtVyTmyOHlcxbYwj1RSQbTiTfZFFHXpv9yRTWBizLxkJcUffdIYx4gKz-hCZBS3fVLKkQB6SF82OaTiRoWw/s1600-h/2008_1220Oct-Dec080092.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0mZguvVCVNTWPHI6-_jL7WFfUPRXEqRV-gjCGY4V-f45phPDWaj6saJ3qNtVyTmyOHlcxbYwj1RSQbTiTfZFFHXpv9yRTWBizLxkJcUffdIYx4gKz-hCZBS3fVLKkQB6SF82OaTiRoWw/s200/2008_1220Oct-Dec080092.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286318011410744162" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdLXBKGZISLVhCBRBeHt4UUxFvQfIMSqnRdknpBm5wI5DCUFLn3sTERr90YQ0cdeimAvNhqjO_Fr_HPbF5nGGFtDweT1zpJ_vK-HegVeq9QaAnaNxA3H5zbNzMDxkTm-E5ycAfzTRh5VJ/s1600-h/2008_1220Oct-Dec080098.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdLXBKGZISLVhCBRBeHt4UUxFvQfIMSqnRdknpBm5wI5DCUFLn3sTERr90YQ0cdeimAvNhqjO_Fr_HPbF5nGGFtDweT1zpJ_vK-HegVeq9QaAnaNxA3H5zbNzMDxkTm-E5ycAfzTRh5VJ/s200/2008_1220Oct-Dec080098.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286317700738566706" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Another set of photos starts with Ruth in our apartment holding the beautiful Indian wall hanging that our children gave us for Christmas. Sara bought it when she was here. The other photos are of Ruth and I at the New Year celebration, of me in the lobby of the Oberoi Grand Hotel, and one of our daughter Sara at one of our favorite restaurants when she was here last fall. Kolkata has some wonderful restaurants that serve delicious Indian food. It's one of the luxuries that we indulged in this Christmas instead of spending our vacation allowance to travel somewhere else. It was a great decision. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEET_v0eNVESnO7q1UQUjlX3DBEudyH-cXG79GeReOMnGkEy0GWzZHlCYQCp4_HVPvQIf1VUKBatCimo5CYTWs1zR36D0l7lba0PT6Hm_JSgXuqGGpluX6w1OLVIkXw_Vx37mzi3kQ70R/s1600-h/2008_1225Oct-Dec080001.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEET_v0eNVESnO7q1UQUjlX3DBEudyH-cXG79GeReOMnGkEy0GWzZHlCYQCp4_HVPvQIf1VUKBatCimo5CYTWs1zR36D0l7lba0PT6Hm_JSgXuqGGpluX6w1OLVIkXw_Vx37mzi3kQ70R/s200/2008_1225Oct-Dec080001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286329761353112514" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJYoN43MQZzXufDJJiNxY-isNNnV-XA7Kk05mNAGNE6t0LEbPidKPIvwdKH-4Zcyv1Y7OsdSgUYQm-KTCP5lX4gq9tcusOsViClWVWG9pfdLtUMMArvsTYEtO7l25LYKv6K6WOAiwLdrC/s1600-h/2009_0101Dakshineswar090006.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJYoN43MQZzXufDJJiNxY-isNNnV-XA7Kk05mNAGNE6t0LEbPidKPIvwdKH-4Zcyv1Y7OsdSgUYQm-KTCP5lX4gq9tcusOsViClWVWG9pfdLtUMMArvsTYEtO7l25LYKv6K6WOAiwLdrC/s200/2009_0101Dakshineswar090006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286329622499367074" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTa9P80VfOQPizj3bzuPHtgrm5KqX4rWqoR0M_HW7jByVJGTsxwDoR1XUnKKzyrp0Aooqk6HiP7af8-BFmOfcfaA2vHSgM1QoOyJR3cwt4PV6xvoTqr9qwJLKUyYBJjWd6WTiOUDxwOpc/s1600-h/2008_0815kolkatadays0059.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTa9P80VfOQPizj3bzuPHtgrm5KqX4rWqoR0M_HW7jByVJGTsxwDoR1XUnKKzyrp0Aooqk6HiP7af8-BFmOfcfaA2vHSgM1QoOyJR3cwt4PV6xvoTqr9qwJLKUyYBJjWd6WTiOUDxwOpc/s200/2008_0815kolkatadays0059.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286329371305093874" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqi5JHXJnl2fbfS33EJ6B45G9xoOOugUUTGBtmnhHxhZzmfHqmRiMxPw3T21s0rOPdEi4DocpmEygV5Cd6bz4YGdTvllX6h3Y9zRpa-Hr0Yis4392slJLi4Q6wFOXYL-MmspmGi_cctHo/s1600-h/2008_1225Oct-Dec080003.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqi5JHXJnl2fbfS33EJ6B45G9xoOOugUUTGBtmnhHxhZzmfHqmRiMxPw3T21s0rOPdEi4DocpmEygV5Cd6bz4YGdTvllX6h3Y9zRpa-Hr0Yis4392slJLi4Q6wFOXYL-MmspmGi_cctHo/s200/2008_1225Oct-Dec080003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286329224408571058" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The final set of photos is of the famous Dakshineshwar Temple north of Kolkata that we visited on New Year's day. We went there with Beth Payne, a friend who works at the American consulate. We were not aware that this was the most important day in the calendar of the temple. We were told that 100,000 people were there. We had a wonderful time taking it all in. The photos include pilgrims coming by boat on the Hooghly River and of stalls were people were buying flowers and sweets for offerings. One is of Ruth and Beth checking out the stalls selling souvenirs. <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcBdeg9DNGMsgrkwnk5giHhSCAjjPwaLK6xaTEqDDxgJa1krrQRG_z-oMkoiPngVOLRJSDqsBSlWvkvQxDJq36mrFhQ_KPp3MnQrEbwNeQ0_GbxptBwy3y5dFjywa0H88APyBFSjTKlmK/s1600-h/2009_0101Dakshineswar090034.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcBdeg9DNGMsgrkwnk5giHhSCAjjPwaLK6xaTEqDDxgJa1krrQRG_z-oMkoiPngVOLRJSDqsBSlWvkvQxDJq36mrFhQ_KPp3MnQrEbwNeQ0_GbxptBwy3y5dFjywa0H88APyBFSjTKlmK/s200/2009_0101Dakshineswar090034.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286332327809982770" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86CuzQDO-ar6bO4nw3MdXQJW_ytqbYz6BQ4vz3VhsBgSgoT9-DJZW2B1veRuuadT7NDDvtcBeuZKG9dCEguM7fGNpaEvseR51rxnRjSOpsiJzISB6uN1pwdu8uo_N5-XPChBUDP_Uodhi/s1600-h/2009_0101Dakshineswar090044.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86CuzQDO-ar6bO4nw3MdXQJW_ytqbYz6BQ4vz3VhsBgSgoT9-DJZW2B1veRuuadT7NDDvtcBeuZKG9dCEguM7fGNpaEvseR51rxnRjSOpsiJzISB6uN1pwdu8uo_N5-XPChBUDP_Uodhi/s200/2009_0101Dakshineswar090044.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286332182606466082" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZr46aEtv6XwFrMwGFM_sphdYal5M04yIJ4faMJSY4CVZs9vd9V6BIAFEIWk_i2jK1JYEEjzM4lS49DgEUwa72AqeyDichGiC_ha1a9TPHu_QUSRmychAYKOVWZ96V6cTe13UXxBHPuZa/s1600-h/2009_0101Dakshineswar090014.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZr46aEtv6XwFrMwGFM_sphdYal5M04yIJ4faMJSY4CVZs9vd9V6BIAFEIWk_i2jK1JYEEjzM4lS49DgEUwa72AqeyDichGiC_ha1a9TPHu_QUSRmychAYKOVWZ96V6cTe13UXxBHPuZa/s200/2009_0101Dakshineswar090014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286331840165002818" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAsm0dOVojj-KESFUWL62MoWXY4pxH1Tm0vtPEEufM4PVSvsYJa20p2HzRHYFgGQozzpGe6jYpqWvfnjyiJeAj1QsgZT8I3gKoFbFj590bmDKU8L4ZAJgnZF0TzIbYbM5F5p4e8Ct0orJ/s1600-h/2009_0101Dakshineswar090053.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAsm0dOVojj-KESFUWL62MoWXY4pxH1Tm0vtPEEufM4PVSvsYJa20p2HzRHYFgGQozzpGe6jYpqWvfnjyiJeAj1QsgZT8I3gKoFbFj590bmDKU8L4ZAJgnZF0TzIbYbM5F5p4e8Ct0orJ/s200/2009_0101Dakshineswar090053.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286344152282367106" /></a>Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-62865021108637106512008-12-30T23:14:00.000-08:002008-12-30T23:57:57.817-08:00Crisis and Opportunity: Education in India<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkz9pTevjo7J3Xf_RivXMwmoa3pkDYeigqXrsFSRS0VOKcvRQRl85JsiYt8a_xzw7jnuSHMB8aLdA1E7NdG1Yc3vgXd6nZey1umE_16YWx_5w9eFx9BZA_ftfwPGCfJ2ZQwpadXVViLo7Q/s1600-h/2008_1220Oct-Dec080002.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkz9pTevjo7J3Xf_RivXMwmoa3pkDYeigqXrsFSRS0VOKcvRQRl85JsiYt8a_xzw7jnuSHMB8aLdA1E7NdG1Yc3vgXd6nZey1umE_16YWx_5w9eFx9BZA_ftfwPGCfJ2ZQwpadXVViLo7Q/s200/2008_1220Oct-Dec080002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285850839149929186" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX68CMSXf1sZgR7OS5vLDSwbkvpFtNpTGQ6hXzSP9-pqtUaxEdjPBr1WGnS3X7nSTlnX_ouQm8R0QxFg_mbgFerrY_SibAwrj1bbavm2Z6aL73sPSHGgPmmu1z2p0SgG4iRotnsdZZcYHi/s1600-h/2008_1220Oct-Dec080001.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX68CMSXf1sZgR7OS5vLDSwbkvpFtNpTGQ6hXzSP9-pqtUaxEdjPBr1WGnS3X7nSTlnX_ouQm8R0QxFg_mbgFerrY_SibAwrj1bbavm2Z6aL73sPSHGgPmmu1z2p0SgG4iRotnsdZZcYHi/s200/2008_1220Oct-Dec080001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285850652360785970" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWxb864_h9BQn11s0mXILQvSjZYs6l4_HrUYwY01ryOldOBaYO8SxF79-MTZGMFqE5TVLAbcHrIjgoejxBe3bQ_jVm4rs28hPDOav5203wt4JFqrQkkeUzB1btur-rxHJEwEXVoYb5x3q/s1600-h/2008_1220Oct-Dec080019.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWxb864_h9BQn11s0mXILQvSjZYs6l4_HrUYwY01ryOldOBaYO8SxF79-MTZGMFqE5TVLAbcHrIjgoejxBe3bQ_jVm4rs28hPDOav5203wt4JFqrQkkeUzB1btur-rxHJEwEXVoYb5x3q/s200/2008_1220Oct-Dec080019.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285850468856721250" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VR56YA2g_IMtkhu-a23dasPx4Zo3IUJWWsVzbvdgnPnPGif3Vu31x2LAHVq9QryVKGLc3e9LcTrXx-GqEmMSIZQKGe8Kwergm_IyqaGb8e7FmI44pwBQMmE2e8KhLkFEEp3lCyOm2f0t/s1600-h/2008_1220Oct-Dec080079.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VR56YA2g_IMtkhu-a23dasPx4Zo3IUJWWsVzbvdgnPnPGif3Vu31x2LAHVq9QryVKGLc3e9LcTrXx-GqEmMSIZQKGe8Kwergm_IyqaGb8e7FmI44pwBQMmE2e8KhLkFEEp3lCyOm2f0t/s200/2008_1220Oct-Dec080079.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285850257082983410" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The first photo is of Christina and her friend Mallory in front of their school. The second is of children at St. Stephen's Model School. The third is of two women preparing a lunch. The last is of children in a school courtyard. <br /></span><br /><br />MCC recently placed Christina Warner, a young American college graduate, as an assistant teacher at the St. Stephen’s Model School in Jagdeeshpur. She is a one-year volunteer serving with our Serving and Learning Together (SALT) program. St Stephen’s opened its doors this year in this rural town in the state of Chhattisgarh. The private English medium school is part of the pent-up energy to provide a quality primary education for rural children. India’s very young population makes it a Herculean task. <br /><br />Many villages still do not have schools and the government schools that do exist are notoriously ineffective. Teachers regularly don’t even bother to show up for classes. Parents often don’t see the value of education compared to the small contribution that children can make to family income in their daily struggle to survive. As a consequence the dropout rate is astronomical. The average child completes less than five years of school in many parts of the country. <br /><br />Literacy rates in India remain stubbornly low, especially in poor northern states. They cling at around 65% and only 54% of women are literate. Such dismal figures need a broader context lest we throw up our hands in despair. When India became an independent nation in 1947 it was still a largely agrarian society in which illiterate villagers worked for feudal landlords and literacy stood a 12%. When we start with this baseline, it becomes obvious that significant progress has been made since that time.<br /><br />The British colonial government put little energy into primary education for common people. The schools that existed were largely designed to train administrators and civil servants to work in the colonial government and in businesses. Those involved in the Indian independence struggle had been trained in these schools and had serious misgivings about their Western, elitist orientation. <br /><br />Gandhi, who was a product of the system and received his law degree in England, adamantly called the British school system ‘satanic.’ He even questioned the value of teaching literacy to villagers. In its place he promoted teaching ‘basic education’ that emphasized village handicrafts for boys and domestic skills for girls. His education program never got traction and proved to be one of his most miserable failures.<br /><br />Independence leaders like Nehru paid lip service to the need to provide basic education but the new government never implemented a system of universal primary education. In the press of other concerns, education was relegated to the states. Funding was sparse and lost out to other priorities like military spending. The old elite system of education left behind by the British remained basically as it had been.<br /><br />All this is now beginning to change as more and more families begin to realize that educating a child can be an opportunity to break out of the grinding cycle of poverty. The flourishing Information Technology industries and other forms of globalization have greatly increased the demand for English education. Middle class and even poor families who dream of a better life insist on an English education for their children. <br /><br />Such families are abandoning poorly performing public schools in favor of private schools that are sprouting all over the place—even in simple roadside kiosks. English has ironically become the educational language of choice in multilingual India because it provides a vital link to the information highway and to economic opportunities beyond the confines of local communities. Few speak English as their first language but it has become a significant second language for 300 million Indians, perhaps the largest pool of English speaking people in the world.<br /><br />I have seen some of the education challenges firsthand in rural India. Beside the St. Stephen’s Model School in Jagdeeshpur, I visited various former Mennonite mission primary and secondary schools. Some are more successful than others but all struggle, with very limited resources, to provide a quality education. Teaching materials are few and many children sit on the floor because desks and chairs are not available.<br /><br />The state government provides salaries for a few teachers. Their pay of about $200 a month is good in a rural context. The government is, however, increasingly reluctant to provide such salaries and the church education boards that run the schools are only able to pay other volunteer teachers a very basic $32 a month. The government also provides a free lunch to students. This scheme allows poor families to send their children to school; it has dramatically increased attendance and decreased dropout rates in rural India.<br /><br />We are at an educational intersection that is both a crisis and an opportunity. Nandan Nilekani insists that providing quality education to the next generation is our biggest challenge. According to him, “Our response will make all the difference between the world’s largest lumpen community of illiterates in an uncertain nation, and a country with a large pool of talented human capital that can fire up the economy to new levels of growth” (208).<br /><br />Our MCC program in India is committed to the enormous challenge of providing a basic education for children from poor families. Through our Global Family program, we provide about 1,800 primary and vocational education scholarships each year for children from families that earn less than $120 a month. We monitor schools to ensure that students get a quality education. We are also scheming about how we can help make a more direct impact on the quality of education that students receive. Our educational work is one of our most socially transformative initiatives.<br /><br />I am indebted to Nandan Nilekani, <span style="font-style:italic;">Imagining India: Ideas for the New Century</span>, for some of my information in this blog posting.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-54256811035601811442008-11-29T00:08:00.000-08:002008-11-29T01:03:29.791-08:00Violence in India<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DvCi2VeDQNugCCE919wEmB6zUnwFRI6RushH3Ec4xDxeluZ1R1Ozt2YGrWy3jhfy9aK5QqMK2zc-Cp0mMN_fHLpFnyH4wogCZC9Q9oQ5oCAThuJPTXLDxRpImwr_FkxX0AnMnfW_I8TR/s1600-h/DSCN2001.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DvCi2VeDQNugCCE919wEmB6zUnwFRI6RushH3Ec4xDxeluZ1R1Ozt2YGrWy3jhfy9aK5QqMK2zc-Cp0mMN_fHLpFnyH4wogCZC9Q9oQ5oCAThuJPTXLDxRpImwr_FkxX0AnMnfW_I8TR/s200/DSCN2001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273989500376143842" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHFtEm7_c6YALCoh8x4aRN3Y2GjZ84xdMM_2GCFcp3YcRmmkxCjEMdOO2G0XhZY9ud2zmp6OPx9WX3-xWcJCtALC-pR0QBN1aQK5zF_XC7l9dknMAzvQtzrIT7MkWDsopkSUEaII_U8WA/s1600-h/Bihar+Flood+Aug.2008+653.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHFtEm7_c6YALCoh8x4aRN3Y2GjZ84xdMM_2GCFcp3YcRmmkxCjEMdOO2G0XhZY9ud2zmp6OPx9WX3-xWcJCtALC-pR0QBN1aQK5zF_XC7l9dknMAzvQtzrIT7MkWDsopkSUEaII_U8WA/s200/Bihar+Flood+Aug.2008+653.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273989308560163602" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">I am posting photos of the MCC relief response to the flood in Bihar and Ruth's visit to a village water project instead of photos of the recent violence in India.</span><br /><br /><br /><br />Several days ago we woke to the news of a terrorist assault on a railway station, two five-star hotels, and a Jewish center in Mumbai. The terrorists appeared to be especially signalling out American and British citizens but most of the more than 100 people killed were ordinary Indians. The Mumbai assault was a sophisticated operation involving powerful weapons and explosives. It this respect it was very different from the rash of bombings with crude pipe bombs in various Indian cities last summer.<br /><br />The identity of the assailants in Mumbai and their motive remains unclear. The scope of the operation and the apparent evidence that they entered Mumbai in speedboats points to an outside connection. This was more than a homegrown Indian organization. Their search for Americans and British passport holders, as well as their assault on the Jewish center, point to connections with the conflict in the Middle East.<br /><br />Life has continued much the same in Kolkata where we live. People in our city are, nevertheless, concerned. Kolkata is a huge city with a mixed population; we could also be targeted. Conversations often turn to what happened in Mumbai and fears that we could be next. Still our neighborhood feels safe and people are friendly as Ruth and I take regular walks in our neighborhood. Last evening we walked the whole way to Park Street, several kilometers away, to do a little shopping.<br /><br />Another event that recently received lots of media attention was the interfaith violence in the state of Orissa. Hindu extremists had attacked churches and Christian villagers after a local Hindu leader known for his anti-Christian activities was killed. Thousands of people were driven from their homes and as many as 60 people were killed. In the following weeks there were copycat incidents of hooligans destroying church property in neighboring states.<br /><br />We are frequently asked about how MCC is responding to this violence. Such questions are understandable given the way these incidents have dominated the news. We consider what we should do. After the violence in Orissa, we decided to move forward with a long-term peacebuilding strategy. It will involve grassroots initiatives with local churches and development partners in the region. As much as possible, we want to collaborate with other organizations that have similar goals.<br /><br />We, however, do not want such violent incidents to make us take our eye off the ball and forget the even greater humanitarian needs in our region. As I write this, Ruth is speaking at the annual meeting of the West Bengal Voluntary Health Association. WBVHA is a long time MCC partner working in community health. The theme of the meeting this year is “Environment, Water and Sanitation."<br /><br />That theme sounds mundane compared to the “Whirr of War” headline in our Kolkata newspaper this morning. The reality, however, is that 21% of communicable diseases in India are related to unsafe drinking water. India’s population of over a billion suffers from 1,600 deaths daily (the same as if eight 200 jumbo jets crashed to the ground each day) due to diarrhea alone. We need to keep such realities before us as we think about the multi-faceted challenge of human security in our world. <br /><br />We were struggling to respond to a massive flood in Bihar during the same time that interfaith violence was erupting in Orissa. The scope of the human tragedy in Bihar was many times greater than in Orissa. Millions of desperate and hungry people were displaced by the flood and living in crowded refugee centers. One respected relief organization estimated that it was a worse natural calamity in India than the tsunami had been. Yet it hardly made the news because it didn’t involve the same degree of drama. And that directly affected the amount of resources we could get for our response.<br /><br />The people and organizations who respond to such humanitarian needs are generally unsung heroes in our world. They don’t make the news and we usually don’t hear much about their work. Yet they have a sense of how important their efforts are because they have a first-hand knowledge of the dire consequences of inaction. And they get so much satisfaction out of seeing the real difference they can make in the lives of needy people.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-81611533965164605202008-09-18T21:35:00.000-07:002008-09-18T22:03:06.656-07:00The Yogi Drank Tea<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UJjmUlT-Lh10Y08anNNfiIijsaQtzuvAX4mk21wpOchDmvuTtdGI3ocJHo4AxrcniPKQGbsrnI2ICmEzJulOrQam9ygjQ6aKCUBf19CFpwYEllp_S329U5_5XeC7_w90xPHyV0HqoFSh/s1600-h/2006_0804IndiaNepal0168.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UJjmUlT-Lh10Y08anNNfiIijsaQtzuvAX4mk21wpOchDmvuTtdGI3ocJHo4AxrcniPKQGbsrnI2ICmEzJulOrQam9ygjQ6aKCUBf19CFpwYEllp_S329U5_5XeC7_w90xPHyV0HqoFSh/s200/2006_0804IndiaNepal0168.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247587757396844258" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3tjVb3eUx9-t_zq0uC_rbU39kMFMnOjlh4yx_uZsEW2uu55J2dJhsI8XGlY2lc8nEj7PWetAUZJAzjMUpOp2sx2oDOU46BVPUf1ID288ZWoiYx8Z6KMc_CVpGOZvKsI6WGKVvO9N6ctm/s1600-h/2008_0912Pokhara0037.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3tjVb3eUx9-t_zq0uC_rbU39kMFMnOjlh4yx_uZsEW2uu55J2dJhsI8XGlY2lc8nEj7PWetAUZJAzjMUpOp2sx2oDOU46BVPUf1ID288ZWoiYx8Z6KMc_CVpGOZvKsI6WGKVvO9N6ctm/s200/2008_0912Pokhara0037.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247587578689326754" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">I, unfortunately, didn't have my camera along when I was at the interfaith meeting I am writing about. These pictures of people worshiping at a Hindu temple in Kathmandu and of the Buddhist World Peace Pagoda in Pokhara will need to suffice.<br /></span><br />I recently participated in the most fascinating interfaith meeting I have ever been part of. Members of the Nepal Inter-Religious Council gathered in a hotel in Kathmandu to meet us as representatives of MCC. It was an eclectic group of people representing the different religions in Nepal, including Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Bahai, and the Bon, an indigenous religion.<br /><br />Various Hindu representatives were in attendance, including some very colourful characters such as the chairman of the Nepal chapter of the World Hindu Federation. Another was a Yogi who, we were informed in reverent tones, lived in a cave. The Yogi appeared to be thoroughly enjoying himself as he blessed our gathering with a beatific smile. At times he seemed to be deep in meditation.<br /><br />The group has been gathering monthly for the last four years with the goal of building interfaith cooperation and guiding the national political process onto the path of dialogue and reconciliation. Our meeting was opened by Dr. K. B. Rokaya, the Christian representative on the council, who is one of the movers and shakers in the group. He briefed us on their history, objectives, and achievements.<br /><br />The focus of the group was not on interreligious dialogue but on interfaith cooperation toward building peace, reconciliation, and flourishing communities in Nepal. During the civil war the council had been instrumental in opening up contact and conversation between the Maoists and other parties to the conflict as well as various foreign governments. At a crucial juncture in the conflict, they had issued a press release stating that the conflict could be resolved only through “mutual understanding and dialogue” and not through violence.<br /><br />I was asked to say a few words before they opened the floor for a general discussion. After briefly explaining the work and objectives of MCC, I emphasized the importance of interfaith understanding and cooperation in creating just and peaceful communities. I said that the basis for such efforts should be our deep commitment to the inherent dignity and interconnectedness of all people as created in the image of God. I also spoke of our Mennonite religious values of nonviolence and religious freedom.<br /><br />There was a lively response. A Hindu participant picked up on my comments on human dignity. He quoted from the book of Genesis in the Bible and from Hindu scriptures to underscore that we are all created by God or Allah. Various participants expressed their commitment to religious freedom. Others expressed frustration about how their interfaith efforts were sometimes met with mistrust by some in their own religious communities. A few religious leaders even opposed them.<br /><br />It became increasingly evident that they were all concerned about freedom of religion in Nepal and that this was part of their reason for working together. They worried about an anti-religious secularism creeping into the new constitution being written for post-conflict Nepal. Everyone, including the Hindus, said that the government should respect religion but remain neutral in religious matters. One of their goals is to positively influence the process of drafting a new constitution to express religious values of freedom, reconciliation, and peace with justice.<br /><br />My MCC colleague Amy Erickson encouraged them to build bridges between their national level efforts with their grassroots religious communities. They listened carefully to her comments on how to build an effective movement that includes all sectors in a society. One participant appreciatively commented, “These are very serious words.”<br /><br />We then adjourned the meeting to have dinner together. Several had to excuse themselves because of prior commitments. The Muslim representative needed to participate in an event breaking the Ramadan fast. The Buddhists were headed to a peace rally. The rest of us ate our food and talked while the yogi sipped his tea.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-7847434041148033992008-09-16T23:55:00.001-07:002008-09-24T20:23:30.514-07:00Mennonites in India<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgcb2ufE4Jb6a5ECW6hDiUD1ziamqMzuPsGBbWLHwChxgJxzLfkY7GdBD6paa5Y_KOqJHazNxaiP7kg1lzylKdgd2A96iPXIOKu7UvZ_7gAPJUr1JfT4yakgchXkseDzh14yvA9T-oMlw/s1600-h/2006_0804IndiaNepal0084%5B1%5D.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgcb2ufE4Jb6a5ECW6hDiUD1ziamqMzuPsGBbWLHwChxgJxzLfkY7GdBD6paa5Y_KOqJHazNxaiP7kg1lzylKdgd2A96iPXIOKu7UvZ_7gAPJUr1JfT4yakgchXkseDzh14yvA9T-oMlw/s200/2006_0804IndiaNepal0084%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246881118819930274" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKf_uJtPT-pBqmahKKF6qhEHqTyQYUzxpiIrC9_EM6ik1xL1VZgFwWBA2RTBkyL-hrBA1e3W-1N-cQtLFWIJICdwec7wPqWtxO_e85NPshVk18Nccby-C1WuXbsQkL_OIJ8GR8OSyuSs4k/s1600-h/2006_0804IndiaNepal0062%5B1%5D.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKf_uJtPT-pBqmahKKF6qhEHqTyQYUzxpiIrC9_EM6ik1xL1VZgFwWBA2RTBkyL-hrBA1e3W-1N-cQtLFWIJICdwec7wPqWtxO_e85NPshVk18Nccby-C1WuXbsQkL_OIJ8GR8OSyuSs4k/s200/2006_0804IndiaNepal0062%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246880954027424258" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4h4vzg8XDSPjBL4cUnCsRI_BWSKXq6W3m5KUstIn4pxRluAWy_S-iuZ2Ofhtg8sCqa1Dv4GBe4jvnmYgiEa-e5jlFxgoj4cERtVu5vEr1RAbF6I3ofB1U1o5W0hRptyk5bHuFzHkpegFD/s1600-h/2006_0804IndiaNepal0089%5B1%5D.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4h4vzg8XDSPjBL4cUnCsRI_BWSKXq6W3m5KUstIn4pxRluAWy_S-iuZ2Ofhtg8sCqa1Dv4GBe4jvnmYgiEa-e5jlFxgoj4cERtVu5vEr1RAbF6I3ofB1U1o5W0hRptyk5bHuFzHkpegFD/s200/2006_0804IndiaNepal0089%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246880698705812738" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The photos are of David and Paul Wiebie sitting by the mission station their grandparents had built, some women in a church service,and a typical rural Indian Mennonite church.<br /></span><br /><br />Mennonites arrived late in India. Hinduism, said to be the oldest living religion, has been here in various forms at least since the beginning of recorded history. Buddhism was born here during the fifth millennium BCE. Christians in South India claim that the Apostle Thomas founded their churches in the first century CE. Sufis and Muslim traders brought Islam to India early in the seventh century CE.<br /><br />Mennonite missionaries from the Ukraine and North America first arrived at the end of the nineteenth century as part of the Protestant mission movement. Most of India had already been divided into mission fields allotted to various denominations under an ecumenical comity agreement. Three different Mennonite denominations began working in fields that were given to them in central India.<br /><br />The Mennonite Brethren, the first to arrive, were given a field in what is now the state of Andhra Pradesh. The Mennonite Church was given a field surrounding the town of Dhamptari in the present state of Chhattisgarh. The General Conference Mennonite Church was given a field a little further north in an area around the town of Champa, also in the state of Chhattisgarh. <br /><br />All were responding to the missionary call to spread the Christian faith. They were also responding to the hunger and human suffering in colonial India caused by drought and governmental indifference. They were pioneers who overcame huge obstacles to establish mission posts in remote, rural communities far removed from their homes. And they came expecting to spend their lives in India.<br /><br />One brief story must suffice. John and Susie Kroeker came from the Ukraine in 1899. After studying at Bethel College in Kansas, they responded to the call to serve in India. They traveled by bullock cart to reach the town of Janjgir where they began working among a group of poor Dalit people. After eight years they became people without a country because of the political turmoil in the Ukraine. They decided to return to the Ukraine where John was arrested and vanished in a gulag in Siberia, never to be heard from again. The mission station they built now houses an elementary school.<br /><br />As I visit these places, I try to imagine the world of such missionaries and the local people who became Mennonites through their efforts. They were part of a mission era that no longer exists. India was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. Mennonite missionaries were not directly related to the British colonial administration but could hardly have functioned in central India without it's support. Early pictures of Mennonite missionaries, pith helmets in hand, fits them into that colonial world.<br /><br />They came to evangelize and plant churches but were soon also involved in starting rural hospitals and schools. The mission compounds and churches they built looked like they would be more at home in rural America or the Ukraine than in central India. They must have seemed very strange to the local people who first saw them. Yet it’s hard to be too critical of the missionaries’ religious and humanitarian zeal. It’s much easier to see their blind spots from our historical vantage point than it was for them as they poured their lives into those efforts. <br /><br />The first converts were from lower caste Dalit communities. They responded to the compassion and love of the foreigners who were serving them. The churches began to slowly grow. Converting to Christianity meant being ostracised from the majority Hindu religious and social world. As a consequence, the Indian Mennonite communities were economically and socially dependent on the foreign funded mission hospitals, schools, and churches. <br /><br />After several decades such dependence on foreign resources became an increasingly perplexing problem with no easy solution. The colonial era ended rather abruptly at the end of World War II. Britain was finally persuaded to “quit India” through Gandhi’s campaign of nonviolent resistance and India became an independent country in 1947. Nobody was prepared for the new post-colonial era that followed.<br /><br />It became increasingly clear than foreign missionaries serving in the colonial mission model were no longer welcome in independent India. The enthusiasm for such mission efforts was also drying up in North American churches. By the 1970s almost all the foreign missionaries had gone home and the mission institutions were turned over to the control of the local churches. The transition was traumatic.<br /><br />In spite of often heroic efforts, it proved impossible to maintain these institutions on their former level. Some hospitals and schools have been able to find ways to survive (not flourish) on the local economy but their existence remains precarious. Former mission stations slowly falling into disrepair are a common sight in all the Indian Mennonite communities. Another chapter of the transition is the church conflicts that erupted over matters of leadership and property ownership. This often involved drawn out litigation in local courts.<br /><br />In spite of all those challenges, the Indian churches remain and continue to grow in some locations. The Mennonite Central Committee works with them through several modest projects in rural development, education assistance, peace training, and HIV/AIDS training. The North American mission agencies that founded these churches now give only token support. Mission administrators occasionally visit.<br /><br />The colonial mission era is gone. The difficult post-mission era is also coming to an end but we’re still too close to clearly see what will emerge. I try to discern “the signs of the times”—how God’s Spirit is working in our midst today. A promising new generation of Indian church leadership is emerging. We’re experimenting with some new models of global church partnerships even though historic patterns of unequal and unjust international relations persist and often thwart our efforts. What will it mean to faithfully and courageously follow the ‘man from Galilee” in this emerging world? A vigorous discussion on such matters is long overdue.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-30432695969477208322008-07-25T22:32:00.000-07:002008-11-15T00:04:15.683-08:00Studying Hindi in Landour<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUZ9hjcHt_R8CdTr8IW3CI1LaWk9bSAT7tX1SvoL2NO9pq-0enn3KSk5ahAqjl5WJTwxana4i6bjIYWJeA_V8f57wHzWmgELephFTPohfZsyR_go2zBTqEulZvUXA8FNXiKNVFTvjs_hi/s1600-h/2008_0719Landour0065.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUZ9hjcHt_R8CdTr8IW3CI1LaWk9bSAT7tX1SvoL2NO9pq-0enn3KSk5ahAqjl5WJTwxana4i6bjIYWJeA_V8f57wHzWmgELephFTPohfZsyR_go2zBTqEulZvUXA8FNXiKNVFTvjs_hi/s200/2008_0719Landour0065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227193316807496258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PXK_hzzPo05pq70WiuWF1Uwy3FWYj1geLaysrTy79FMQLAKhLsI7gDTPR_7niiV1DovzE35nKGTnwGw5bMbe2Izwl3h504pfo5BuuUD_uF9rU84utGYOH6SqbD8L51ZOIP7luWNAW9bz/s1600-h/2008_0719Landour0167.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PXK_hzzPo05pq70WiuWF1Uwy3FWYj1geLaysrTy79FMQLAKhLsI7gDTPR_7niiV1DovzE35nKGTnwGw5bMbe2Izwl3h504pfo5BuuUD_uF9rU84utGYOH6SqbD8L51ZOIP7luWNAW9bz/s200/2008_0719Landour0167.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227192948096518162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrx3XDMBidm9qUoXam2wYEAW5AHUU1Fksz_PUqAAFxKQIO2K9wwniAunQ7FvM2YSC3kIDHrmYt_nfudjHUiKIygAjMl9qC69kvWUoieSjvOka3AKcfeZP-1d1cO-QFCTYSCEBv9ywP4o2o/s1600-h/2008_0719Landour0112.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrx3XDMBidm9qUoXam2wYEAW5AHUU1Fksz_PUqAAFxKQIO2K9wwniAunQ7FvM2YSC3kIDHrmYt_nfudjHUiKIygAjMl9qC69kvWUoieSjvOka3AKcfeZP-1d1cO-QFCTYSCEBv9ywP4o2o/s200/2008_0719Landour0112.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227192741287566834" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTRIythnFtp83xeFxD-JkfOVB_jC5Hn54eTdeadXAF58KDCXhA6Rt7VdchwcIbS4dmw-faweo0KS8FGGyb-m-Ix8_Fu_rIxTLS-YqRALPlzEicpsQ_gHV6uwp9qxBVhdjP1vFSa0c1hev/s1600-h/2008_0719Landour0133.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTRIythnFtp83xeFxD-JkfOVB_jC5Hn54eTdeadXAF58KDCXhA6Rt7VdchwcIbS4dmw-faweo0KS8FGGyb-m-Ix8_Fu_rIxTLS-YqRALPlzEicpsQ_gHV6uwp9qxBVhdjP1vFSa0c1hev/s200/2008_0719Landour0133.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227192416542915922" border="0" /></a><br />These pictures give some impressions of our lofty perch above the clouds where the moss and ferns make the most of the cool, damp climate. On weekends we trek down to Mussoorie where the mall has a carnival atmosphere. I included one photo to prove that we have actually been studying Hindi.<br /><br />Ruth and I spent the past six weeks in Mussoorie, a Himalayan hill town. The Landour Language School, where we have been studying, is located just a little further up the steep mountainside from the Woodstock International School established by American missionaries during the colonial era. Mennonite missionaries once owned two boarding houses at the school. How the houses got the good Welsh names of Ellangowan and Chennyowyth remains a mystery.<br /><br />Mothers would come here to be with their children and to escape the fierce summer heat on the Indian plains. Fathers would join them a little later. It was a time for socializing with other missionaries from the various denominations that supported the school. How I wish the trails that wend their way through the sprawling campus could speak. Who were these children and their parents? What were their doubts and struggles—their hopes and prayers? The mission endeavor they were part of has now receded into the pages of history. What can we learn from them and their era?<br /><br />Like them, Ruth and I came here as a respite from the heat and congestion of our home in Kolkata. The hills are a verdant green during the monsoon season. Moss and ferns cover the trunks and branches of the trees. Clouds swirl around the mountains, dropping their heavy loads of rain, making everything damp and cool. Monkeys and black-faced langurs scamper through the trees scavenging for food. After heavy rains wash the atmosphere, we can see the distant snow-capped peaks of Tibet.<br /><br />As we walk the narrow roads, we pass simple village folk from the surrounding hills. They carry heavy loads on their backs and sometimes have produce to sell. Their small packhorses are even more heavily laden. They’re a gentle people who often greet me with a courteous namste. They remind me of the Amish neighbors I knew as a child in rural Pennsylvania.<br /><br />In the evening or early morning, we love listening to the call to prayer wafting up the mountain from the mosque far below. Our days are spent in classes where we learn the Hindi script and grammar. Teachers drill us on putting phrases and simple sentences together. Our mouths and tongues struggle to make the strange sounds. The rest of the day is usually spent in our small cottage pouring over lists of words and listening to recorded dialogues on our computer. <br /><br />We sometimes wonder if our fifty-year-old brains are capable of learning another language. We tease each other that such mental gymnastics should at least help prevent the early onset of senility. As maddeningly frustrating as language study can be, it’s a window into another culture and society. The rhythms and syntaxes of Hindi open a strange new world to us. It may be too strong to say that languages create worlds but they certainly help shape the worlds they’re part of.<br /><br />English sentences begin with the subject and the ever present “I.” Hindi sentences prefer passive structure or even completely hide the doer. “I want” becomes, “To me is needed.” Hindi is also more relational and familial. I’ll probably never learn the exact title for each family member. For instance, paternal grandparents have different titles than maternal grandparents. Because Ruth and I are paternal grandparents, we are Dada and Dadi to our two new grandchildren. So it goes.<br /><br />The Hindi language has a whole set of causative verbs indicating whether the action is done directly or through someone else. If it’s through someone else, it indicates both a first person causative and a second person causative. If I have my clothes washed, the verb used indicates whether a dhobi “washerman” will do the work and if I will have it done through someone else (i.e. Ruth). <br /><br />My language teacher told me that the causative structure of Hindi verbs is related to the ancient caste structure of Indian society. This is best understood in relation to society before the advent of money. Remember that Indian society is thousands of years old. I still don’t have an innate feel for the caste system in India but this helps. <br /><br />Indian society is broken into four distinct castes: (1) The Brahmins are traditionally the spiritual teachers, (2) the Rajpoots are traditionally the rulers and warriors, (3) the Vaishyas are traditionally the merchants, and (4) the predominant Dalit castes are traditionally the menial laborers such as washers, sweepers, and leather workers. There are clear social markers delineating each caste. In such a society, verbs indicating exactly how the work is caused to be done become very important.<br /><br />Much oppression and social conflict in India is tied to the caste system. It’s a religious-cultural phenomenon that’s extremely difficult for an outsider like me to understand. I sometimes hear remarks about caste as an explanation for certain social problems or relational difficulties. The connection is assumed to be obvious but to me it’s still rather fuzzy. Relating caste oppression and prejudice to racism in our American society can be helpful but it’s not exactly the same thing. It may be closer to the way we disparage “redneck” or poor white culture, but with the added weight of exclusionary social customs that are thousands of years old. Before I understand better, I will be slow to make judgments.<br /><br />The process of learning a language is not unlike gaining other kinds of knowledge or skills. Listening comes first, then understanding, and finally speaking. Unless I can hear and make sense of the jumbled sounds striking my eardrums, I cannot speak. It can be terribly frustrating and, therefore, takes lots of patience and perseverance. Please don’t tell me stories about people who have become fluent in a foreign language within a year. It takes a lifetime to learn a language well.<br /><br />I need to swallow my pride and be willing to make a fool of myself as I try to speak. That doesn’t come easy for someone my age and in my position, but it certainly cultivates humility and a perspective on the frailty of life. One cannot lean a language without first butchering it. Thankfully, Indians are generally very gracious as I stumble around in their language. <br /><br />Even more importantly, one cannot learn a language without falling in love with it. Like other kinds of falling in love, it’s beyond explanation. For me it goes back to my childhood in a traditional Mennonite community. I can still hear the cadences of the German dialect being spoken and sung in church services. There was an uneasy dissidence between it and the English spoken in school. Those two languages embodied different worlds. And I knew there were yet other languages and other worlds to explore. Perhaps that’s why I’m here in Landour studying Hindi today.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-77462699604825246122008-06-04T08:20:00.000-07:002008-11-15T00:04:16.311-08:00Stuck in Bihar<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_D7mTk5y_lHCijrjaCpwVEpfO5lB3dw8sLBDRuVpRjFxEdEwaTuowUxJwruANehnfYnUJhSgYcNI-dOm180wbrJfBm3KpyJpXbM7qhm5Z4hos32_S0KbcPENrj-iDfEHAKrrtnZnxF5lZ/s1600-h/2006_0616StaffPicnic0003.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_D7mTk5y_lHCijrjaCpwVEpfO5lB3dw8sLBDRuVpRjFxEdEwaTuowUxJwruANehnfYnUJhSgYcNI-dOm180wbrJfBm3KpyJpXbM7qhm5Z4hos32_S0KbcPENrj-iDfEHAKrrtnZnxF5lZ/s200/2006_0616StaffPicnic0003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208047300290222162" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEYKBPsWhawOqe7XYpcmH1iaiKs2AKLpoBVi0pSKGU97wvV3EhR2HnqViqvoN-8CrzjkgevmoEWcM2ri6E45fkiQy8jrmuJ7nuZNT64j4mRC5_rNj5JROkvbkJaegPCfmGYjgMdiI_lTs/s1600-h/2006_0616StaffPicnic0069.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEYKBPsWhawOqe7XYpcmH1iaiKs2AKLpoBVi0pSKGU97wvV3EhR2HnqViqvoN-8CrzjkgevmoEWcM2ri6E45fkiQy8jrmuJ7nuZNT64j4mRC5_rNj5JROkvbkJaegPCfmGYjgMdiI_lTs/s200/2006_0616StaffPicnic0069.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208047308162331346" /></a><br /><br />(Unfortunately these train station photos don't begin to compare with the station in Kalihar.)<br /><br />It was a sweltering hot summer day in Purnia, Bihar. The monsoons still had not arrived but a thunderstorm the day before shot the humidity index way up. The combined heat and humidity index registered at around 150 degrees Fahrenheit. We were conducting a peacebuilding workshop for forty-five participants from Brethren in Christ churches in Bihar and Nepal. Purnia is about a two hour drive from the Nepal border.<br /><br />The room we were in had fans that made the heat more bearable. The organizers had the foresight to rent an old generator to use when there was power blackouts. I watched the other resource person’s shirt became drenched as he taught. Even so, I was impressed by the interest and the participation of the church folk that afternoon in Bihar. We were on a roll.<br /><br />Toward evening I left to catch my train back to Kolkata. We drove through fertile farmland watered by the Ganges River. One of the difficulties is that many low lying areas are flooded for as long as three months during the monsoons. During those months, poor farm laborers borrow money from loan sharks to by food. It’s a vicious form of debt slavery that creates cycles of poverty stretching from one generation to the next.<br /><br />When we got to the station in the town of Kalihar we were told that my 7:15 pm train would be late. The station was in chaos partly because of renovations taking place and partly because that’s how it is in Bihar. The state is notorious for its corrupt government and lawlessness. Kidnappings for ransom are common. I’m told that the police and the kidnappers are often the same people. Many Bihar lawmakers themselves have criminal backgrounds resulting in court cases that drag on forever.<br /><br />We eventually found the inquiry desk at the other end of the station; the electronic boards announcing the arrival and departure of trains were not working. There was a huge crowd in front of the desk trying to find out about their train. The man sitting there was of little help. My train was listed on a white board with the word “abnormal” written in the arrival column. We eventually found out that it definitely wouldn’t arrive before 10:00 pm. <br /><br />We, therefore, decided to find an air-conditioned restaurant. That proved to be more difficult than we thought. We drove over broken narrow streets through areas of the town suffering from revolving power blackouts. Perhaps it was the heat and the frustration of a late train but it felt like the most derelict place I had ever been in. We eventually found a restaurant but didn’t have much appetite. Just sitting in a cool place and sipping a fresh lime soda felt like a little bit of heaven.<br /><br />Now we had a tough decision to make. My companions needed to go back to Purnia before it got too late. We found a waiting room in the train station that felt relatively safe for a foreigner like me. I told them to head on back and I’d be fine. I’d occasionally check at the inquiry desk and wait for the train. Ten o’clock came and went; then it was midnight and still no change on that white board. The arrival time was still “abnormal.” A bright, inquisitive young Indian lad kept me company as his parents slept. We had a wonderful conversation about Gandhi and nonviolence and more mundane things like the Indian invention of the concept of zero.<br /><br />Other stranded passengers were sleeping on the seats or spread out on the floor. I noticed that the station was gradually filling up with more and more people. They were pulling out blankets to sleep in rows in the station hallways or out on the train platforms. Most of them didn’t appear to be waiting for a train. People were just spending the night and the place began to look like a refugee center. <br /><br />After a while some strange characters entered the waiting room where I was sitting. They had piles of boxes carried by coolies. It appeared as though they may have had a little too much to drink. Soon they were all stretched out on the floor fast asleep except for one shifty looking fellow who appeared to be keeping watch. I was starting to get a little freaked out and went to check with the fellow at the inquiry desk at 1:30 am. Finally a scrap of news, the train would arrive on a certain platform.<br /><br />As I walked there through sleeping bodies, a freight train was slowly rolling by. A policeman with a bamboo cane was futilely trying to keep a large group of young men from jumping on the passing train. They were able to run circles around him. When I got to my platform, I checked with some other people sitting there. Good, we were all waiting for the same train. Soon a train arrived but it wasn’t ours. We waited some more.<br /><br />At 3:00 o’clock we were told that the train was arriving on another platform. We picked up our bags and rushed to get there. Because of the construction, we had to circle around the end of the platform and cross the tracks on the far side. I managed to be standing on the right platform when my train pulled up at 3:15 am. I was never so glad to find my seat on a train.<br /><br />I now have a much better understanding of why people from Bihar keep arriving to live on the streets of Kolkata. It also helps me understand the huge development issues in this region. Political and economic refugees have been streaming into Kolkata ever since MCC arrived in response to the Bengal famine in 1942. The huge challenge is knowing what good development practice or peace and justice work should be in this context. It feels a tad overwhelming.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-72522769045856494812008-05-03T01:38:00.000-07:002008-11-15T00:04:17.490-08:00Food Security, HIV/AIDS, and Peacebuilding<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjako_zYhzG5aicCklodsaiZltvY1QaNyuOT0PNEBX6tdTAPuftnpz6qvfdewDIFdfxVeLBHyvpy2u4AjEfX4Wgwt_1XwDjHkh4VKLz__Vro_EbQI3obLp4c3ObVJu3PyZ4J3tdVX5Q_XBp/s1600-h/2006_0826KolkataRanchi0101.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjako_zYhzG5aicCklodsaiZltvY1QaNyuOT0PNEBX6tdTAPuftnpz6qvfdewDIFdfxVeLBHyvpy2u4AjEfX4Wgwt_1XwDjHkh4VKLz__Vro_EbQI3obLp4c3ObVJu3PyZ4J3tdVX5Q_XBp/s200/2006_0826KolkataRanchi0101.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196517464224801714" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFcfbW5ELB_qNfL84yHV93ZAQDT6RxLXP77jVaL7C-GNPlRjzqrWSiSIKvuO1Un2Nbm0Fz9jDxw3F8P7SlDp8POPoam6bN7LHUm2UICCZtA2oGfEc-Hvmz1FiaHRY3rQyqlQp_ax3cCfK/s1600-h/2006_0826KolkataRanchi0109.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFcfbW5ELB_qNfL84yHV93ZAQDT6RxLXP77jVaL7C-GNPlRjzqrWSiSIKvuO1Un2Nbm0Fz9jDxw3F8P7SlDp8POPoam6bN7LHUm2UICCZtA2oGfEc-Hvmz1FiaHRY3rQyqlQp_ax3cCfK/s200/2006_0826KolkataRanchi0109.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196069082524001154" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4iCp8Hzm3bl-bgmc9yLKoVhWfj4j5OJIpHVkQLNFAGP3-e9xl5-DtdvYKggyU3Mx7Fi6txaidPaLqbMvlqkYweUbChkAIYvOg3iIfZe4ZH8nqlCIkDa9e4St5WbmtLr4DPAQrwseb4ne/s1600-h/2006_0826KolkataRanchi0104.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4iCp8Hzm3bl-bgmc9yLKoVhWfj4j5OJIpHVkQLNFAGP3-e9xl5-DtdvYKggyU3Mx7Fi6txaidPaLqbMvlqkYweUbChkAIYvOg3iIfZe4ZH8nqlCIkDa9e4St5WbmtLr4DPAQrwseb4ne/s200/2006_0826KolkataRanchi0104.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196068966559884146" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The recent sharp rise in the cost of food grains has reached alarming levels on the global market. Rising food costs in India, while still manageable are worrisome, forcing the government to take various remedial steps such as severely curtailing rice exports and reducing import tariffs on food items. MCC programs in rural development have become increasingly important in this new global environment.<br /><br />The surge in the cost of food is partly driven by rapid economic development in countries like India and China. A more controversial reason is the spike in the cost of oil and the diversion of food grains to manufacture biofuel in wealthy countries. The scary part is the thin margin on which millions of poor people survive in the global South. We're already witnessing food riots in some countries. It wouldn’t take much to tip the balance toward massive hunger and even starvation. <br /><br />I recently spent several days in the state of Jharkhand helping to launch the peace-training program of the Mennonite Service Fellowship of India (MCSFI). Our three-day seminar included sessions on HIV/AIDS education. I also visited four nearby villages where MCSFI is digging wells as a source of water for drinking and growing vegetables during the dry season. Mennonite missionaries had begun serving in this area in the 1940s; in various ways we're building on their efforts.<br /><br />Food security, HIV/AIDS, and peacebuilding are linked in this part of rural India. There’s a long history of government neglect in providing basic infrastructure. Villagers are forced to migrate to find work as laborers during the dry season, greatly increasing their chances of becoming infected with HIV/AIDS. The confluence of such ruptures in traditional village life gives rise to sometimes violent conflict, including an ongoing Maoist insurgency.<br /><br />Basic healthcare and primary education are still almost nonexistent in many villages. Children walk several kilometers to attend a school where one teacher teaches two hundred students. This is further complicated by widespread corruption in government services that do exist. Contractors abandon half-completed projects when funds are diverted elsewhere. One sign of progress is a work program in which the government pays villagers to help build roads connecting their communities. <br /><br />A goal of our MCC peace training is to give local churches skills in conflict transformation that can be used in their families, their local churches, and their communities. Those who receive the training will form teams that work at transforming conflicts and training others. Our first session included more than sixty enthusiastic participants working in groups discussing biblical principles of agreeing and disagreeing in love and basic conflict transformation strategies. <br /><br />Our HIV/AIDS training is largely preventative. The incidence of HIV infection is still low in Jharkhand compared to many other places in India. Yet the lack of basic health facilities in the Latehar district in which we are working makes the threat of infections particularly worrisome. HIV/AIDS training is just one thread in the primary healthcare needs of the area.<br /><br />As energetic young members of our team led sessions and skits related to HIV/AIDS, several of us went to visit the villages where the wells are being dug. In collaboration with the villagers, it was decided to construct hand-dug wells because the villages still don’t have electricity and it’s easier to manually draw water from open wells than from tube wells. A second benefit is that it gives the villagers employment digging the wells. <br /><br />Digging wells by hand is brutal work in the searing heat of the dry season. Men work down below with picks and shovels. When they hit rock, thy split it with wedges and sledgehammers. Wooden ramps are constructed on which women take the dirt to the surface in baskets carried on their heads. The wells are dug to a depth of about 45 feet and then lined with stone.<br /><br />The villagers are glad to do this work for less than two dollars a day because it gives them much needed cash income. Their community spirit is impressive. A young girl is keeping the records in one village because she was the only person with the necessary reading and writing skills. Another village was having a conflict over hiring a pump to lift out the water as they worked. But the project manager used the conflict as an opportunity for the village to meet and resolve the issue.<br /><br />Digging wells is not enough because the loss of forests and climate change has made the seasonal dry period more severe in Jharkhand. The ground water needs to be recharged. One simple technology is to dig a pond in one corner of a paddy field. The pond fills with water during the monsoon season and then slowly seeps out, both replenishing the ground water and extending the growing season.<br /><br />Rising food prices give a new urgency to meeting the needs of poor people around the world. Rural and urban realities are linked in India. I recently wrote about the lives of rickshaw pullers in Kolkata. These men come from villages like the ones in Jharkhand where we’re digging wells. And these people’s lives are also linked to the energy and consumption patterns of those of us who live in wealthy countries. It will take all of us working together to create a more just and sustainable world.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-60358487436049024652008-04-12T03:53:00.000-07:002008-11-15T00:04:17.819-08:00Rickshaw Pullers on the Streets of Kolkata<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsViiEmoEPtSG3KlCv6cvrkD7YHf3OK0ZeLzgpaWBVW4ln7Ac7pJMWidBcQTt2JTYHc2Gs4khdSBZHeHN1ebroTs1Yw6DkzJMmQ0bmDhNn98jfk740K6zW9QYTN0cDled2cnf9QylV2s8U/s1600-h/2006_0804IndiaNepal0012.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsViiEmoEPtSG3KlCv6cvrkD7YHf3OK0ZeLzgpaWBVW4ln7Ac7pJMWidBcQTt2JTYHc2Gs4khdSBZHeHN1ebroTs1Yw6DkzJMmQ0bmDhNn98jfk740K6zW9QYTN0cDled2cnf9QylV2s8U/s200/2006_0804IndiaNepal0012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188311253367862626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLl_4eggfuwVv_L6kmq1wf6IjBJC4EN_nX2JNTVTV9ROIeFtF3SgERZ2I-MrHdVGUz6Bm3f_xmsmCvFmg2bGIDN5b7nzLfK_XA9AmCzNz5qnMRb5XqOFU2JX5cAlGRWvsqOhmUhHu38bN/s1600-h/2006_0804IndiaNepal0015.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLl_4eggfuwVv_L6kmq1wf6IjBJC4EN_nX2JNTVTV9ROIeFtF3SgERZ2I-MrHdVGUz6Bm3f_xmsmCvFmg2bGIDN5b7nzLfK_XA9AmCzNz5qnMRb5XqOFU2JX5cAlGRWvsqOhmUhHu38bN/s200/2006_0804IndiaNepal0015.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188310759446623570" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Returning to Kolkata after our MCC Asia Representatives meeting in Bangkok was like stepping back in time. That morning in Bangkok, Ruth and I had taken a walk in a large immaculate park near the guesthouse where we stayed. We did some last minute shopping in a modern mall before taking a taxi to the stylish airport that would be the pride of any world-class city. It’s very different from Bangkok as I knew it twenty years ago.<br /><br />Kolkata, on the other hand, feels like little has changed in the past fifty years. Its streets are full of dilapidated smoke-belching buses and sturdy old Ambassador taxis. Rickshaws ply the street outside my office window. Goats, tied to a tree on the sidewalk, wait to be butchered at the nearby market. Crumbling architecture gives much of the city an aura of past glory slowly fading away. <br /><br />Such appearances can be deceiving. Kolkata is actually the hub of life for this part of Asia. In the last edition of the Atlantic Monthly, Robert Kaplan writes, “Arriving in Calcutta by bus from Dhaka, the capital of next-door Bangladesh, is like arriving in West Berlin from East Berlin during the Cold War.” Yet he finds the uniform poverty in Dhaka somehow preferable to the obscene mix of wealth and poverty in Kolkata. <br /><br />Kaplan especially protests against Kolkata's rickshaws as a signature of human exploitation—one human being pulling another. I don’t agree. Unlike middle and upper class people in the West, those of us living in Kolkata constantly rub shoulders with the poor. We don’t live in gated communities or behind national borders designed to keep such people out of sight and mind.<br /><br />Another take on Kolkata’s rickshaws is the photojournalism of Ami Vitale and Calvin Trillin in the last issue of the National Geographic. Vitale’s photos capture the dignity of these men. Many live in the streets, sleeping on their rickshaws and bathing at open hydrants, as they labor to support families in far away rural villages. They are the unsung heroes of improvised village families that are determined to lift themselves out of their grinding poverty. <br /><br />Even so, some city officials, bent on burnishing Kolkata’s image, are determined to eradicate this potent symbol of India’s colonial past. But these rickshaw pullers (migrants from far-flung impoverished rural hinterlands in a region that stretches from Nepal to Central India to Bangladesh) are earning an honest living. The obscenity lies in taking away their livelihood—not in what they’re doing.<br /><br />Tears well in the eyes of Suniti, our housekeeper and office receptionist, as I talk with her about this. "Sir," she tells me, "Yesterday some policemen confiscated a rickshaw on our street." The driver was loudly protesting and crying, “How will I now support my wife and children?” Suniti asks me, “What will be left to them other than stealing to support their children?”<br /><br />Suniti knows where her sympathies lie. She comes from a family that has faced severe financial hardships and the plight of such people tugs at her heartstrings. Her job for MCC allows her to support a niece who she adopted as her own daughter. I prefer to see the rickshaw pullers and their trade through her eyes.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-79135434091491890642008-03-30T05:45:00.001-07:002008-11-15T00:04:18.403-08:00Religious Relics of the British Raj in India<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNajS_IXzS-4jFtzNEeYG2vpqUTKHJSPpVmN8VFEALkLFDtziVwxR5Zux-bBE5wj6hOx9QTWlTQvzX4XAb0GLgy8P4FU4kzB8RtoFwS1EX90EKR2mAgbrzjqjdiNOfYUaK0dvOgXTOxb6h/s1600-h/2006_0826KolkataRanchi0040.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNajS_IXzS-4jFtzNEeYG2vpqUTKHJSPpVmN8VFEALkLFDtziVwxR5Zux-bBE5wj6hOx9QTWlTQvzX4XAb0GLgy8P4FU4kzB8RtoFwS1EX90EKR2mAgbrzjqjdiNOfYUaK0dvOgXTOxb6h/s200/2006_0826KolkataRanchi0040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183515878699071074" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2xyL1NSLTstD75MQAQOSDO5UK7mZiEuTCVti6ryvbf1CCLdRWhCzI4Q2lhfjpywwf7hK84lmbct2vC3EyKYsGjvfLt_qLQyBQNtFXCr4K5ZzkbUQk9aixuOwsJIw6fr08KjZ-jE7eviv/s1600-h/2006_0902KolkataRanchi0006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2xyL1NSLTstD75MQAQOSDO5UK7mZiEuTCVti6ryvbf1CCLdRWhCzI4Q2lhfjpywwf7hK84lmbct2vC3EyKYsGjvfLt_qLQyBQNtFXCr4K5ZzkbUQk9aixuOwsJIw6fr08KjZ-jE7eviv/s200/2006_0902KolkataRanchi0006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183515599526196802" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihaCtVg-m9XKUOO23THPTlEMEgzi-gh1kSMPW-BPZu8AkH1YpSE9rREC1Ek_WnJpD7_71A595g4d0MKAVb1lDWz_z32IqW7INRIJywjMZQ_rynEb15X_8npHKacTCtU0hhLzFjSeVR43n5/s1600-h/2006_0902KolkataRanchi0001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihaCtVg-m9XKUOO23THPTlEMEgzi-gh1kSMPW-BPZu8AkH1YpSE9rREC1Ek_WnJpD7_71A595g4d0MKAVb1lDWz_z32IqW7INRIJywjMZQ_rynEb15X_8npHKacTCtU0hhLzFjSeVR43n5/s200/2006_0902KolkataRanchi0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5183515436317439538" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />On Good Friday I attended a service at Union Chapel on Lenin Street. The street and the chapel apparently live together in harmony here in Kolkata. Both are brave leftovers from bygone eras. Lenin continues to be revered by the Communist government of our city but the street named after him is a hardscrabble thoroughfare full of smoke-belching buses. During a recent political rally it was taken over by trucks full of cadres waving red hammer-and-sickle flags. The sight made me feel a tinge of the anti-communist fear instilled in me as a child during the Cold War.<br /><br />Union Chapel is the remnant of a still more distant past. Missionaries from the London Missionary Society built it during the heyday of the British Empire in the early nineteenth century. It’s a solid, slightly crumbling structure dominated by an ancient pipe organ in front of the sanctuary. Plaques on the walls honor various nineteenth-century missionaries. One plaque in memory of a former pastor reads: “In memory of the Rev. James Keith, Joint Pastor of the Church of Christ assembling in this place and missionary to the heathen, died on October 8, 1822.”<br /><br />The congregation that meets in Union Chapel puts on a brave face but keeping the building in good repair is a little beyond their means. The same is true of other British era church buildings in Kolkata. These once magnificent structures, now slowly crumbling, are relics of a past epoch with all its splendour and contradictions. Their foyers and churchyards have plaques and statues honoring past British governors and memorials to soldiers who died in various military campaigns. <br /><br />I don’t want to demean the sacrificial service of early missionaries in India but can’t help raising questions about their relationship with British imperialism. To what extent does the phrase “missionary to the heathen” reflect such imperialism and the violence that undergirded it? It’s easy to understand why many Indians still see Christianity as a foreign religion. And it’s equally easy to understand why Indian churches still struggle with this colonial legacy that ended abruptly with Indian independence in 1947. Independence was followed by the often-chaotic departure of foreign mission agencies.<br /><br />As a theologian in the Anabaptist tradition, I’m uncomfortable with such a convenient marriage of church and state. I empathise with the Indian grandmother in Amitav Ghosh’s novel The Shadow Lines who is opposed to her granddaughter Ila moving to England because she doesn’t belong there. The grandmother protests:<br /><br />“[The English] know they’re a nation because they’ve drawn their borders with blood. Hasn’t Maya told you how regimental flags hang in all their cathedrals and how all their churches are lined with memorials to men who died in wars all around the world? War is their religion. That’s what it takes to make a country. Once that happens people forget they were born this or that, Muslim or Hindu, Bengali or Punjabi: they become a family born of the same pool of blood.”<br /><br />For Christians this raises profound historical and theological questions? How has it happened that a religious faith born among marginalized people and slaves in the Roman Empire now sees little contradiction in being the consort of British, American, or other imperial powers. How have we been able to reconcile Jesus’ nonviolent life and vision with our participation in war and violence? It could not have happened without some means of trivializing or spiritualising the life and message of Jesus.<br /><br />That brings me back to the worship services I participated in during Easter. The focus was on Jesus’ death as a sacrifice that atones for our sins and restores our relationship with God. For those of us in the Anglican or Catholic traditions, participation in the Mass or Eucharist becomes the means of grace. For Evangelicals it’s praying the sinner’s prayer and accepting Jesus as our saviour. In theological jargon, it’s different versions of the theory of “substitutionary atonement.” Jesus becomes the sacrificial lamb who died to save us from God’s wrath.<br /><br />We conveniently forget to ask why the political and religious leaders in first–century Palestine found Jesus to be such a threat that they crucified him. Nor do we ask ourselves what it would mean to follow this radial prophet from Galilee. Thinking that who Jesus was doesn’t apply to us has allowed us to be involved in wars, racism, imperialism, and slavery while imagining that we are faithful Christians. We become blinded to the contradictions.<br /><br />Christiaan Beker contrasts such church teaching and ritual in the service of empire with that of the first Christians. He writes that the early churches were “not an aggregate of justified sinners or a sacramental institute or a means for private self-sanctification but the avant garde of the new creation in a hostile world, creating beachheads in the world of God’s dawning new world and yearning for the day of God’s visible lordship over his creation.”<br /><br />That’s what I so keenly felt to be missing in the worship services I participated in this Easter season. The following Sunday morning I opted out by staying home and reading. But that’s no answer even though I suspect it’s what many of us do. The challenge is to form or re-form congregations that have a vision of God’s reign on earth and, however incoherently, allow God’s Spirit to embody it in our fellowship. Only then—with great humility—will we have “good news” to share with our neighbors. It’s the antidote to empire.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-62188008818660683232008-03-08T03:06:00.000-08:002008-11-15T00:04:19.234-08:00Visiting Nepal Partners<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWe0HRgZ1H543-Ut06RhLG7EY658ctDN45uVDPX6eA8ZB-BTjiiv7Rffe-VbU6x-BNuvjB_VXx-FpmHOBgmT_YmMoV3faQjxuFAXzs-nFQY9X5cmiEdjIyGcAesBeaqAmtumrvGaAKhto0/s1600-h/IndiaNepal+195.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWe0HRgZ1H543-Ut06RhLG7EY658ctDN45uVDPX6eA8ZB-BTjiiv7Rffe-VbU6x-BNuvjB_VXx-FpmHOBgmT_YmMoV3faQjxuFAXzs-nFQY9X5cmiEdjIyGcAesBeaqAmtumrvGaAKhto0/s200/IndiaNepal+195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175342493490978482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_pdA_ZEnExSgtrL0B4i-s_mkplJA0mqeXOBqEA7ZjbN-1PFlEE8y_3CIaQBfU4Xa08Ji7KSnufDCTTBZtu6xY1MeTk1x_PVGfKBaK_U6BYxx7dzFDSjpWrIGqA0zz6Ba9lW-KkaudVD0/s1600-h/IndiaNepal+174.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_pdA_ZEnExSgtrL0B4i-s_mkplJA0mqeXOBqEA7ZjbN-1PFlEE8y_3CIaQBfU4Xa08Ji7KSnufDCTTBZtu6xY1MeTk1x_PVGfKBaK_U6BYxx7dzFDSjpWrIGqA0zz6Ba9lW-KkaudVD0/s200/IndiaNepal+174.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175342351757057698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepQzSEFDnSr1fHHX4YqFoeWmDevh6NvxyKsNvc1byUMvi5eYWwTqsl8X36tYqc6mmwKpGsWXz-4S4UbXVwA9Cp9MC15BZhTEznhuI4vxUpTBmkEyZATS9oQQcFqQXiBrZA1NgEzElDcAn/s1600-h/IndiaNepal+104.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepQzSEFDnSr1fHHX4YqFoeWmDevh6NvxyKsNvc1byUMvi5eYWwTqsl8X36tYqc6mmwKpGsWXz-4S4UbXVwA9Cp9MC15BZhTEznhuI4vxUpTBmkEyZATS9oQQcFqQXiBrZA1NgEzElDcAn/s200/IndiaNepal+104.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175342141303660178" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzw4H0NJ_mY3W9bX9DHl-sgamFEzBKx-CvmyjnQEFbVQWsqOAnvhQq34VxCPecCEmi2X-pcudA6y9YE5Bvi8fOjZLceUcnUWYPWUA_IAAj9DCaKJIkd9TP6WYP4pzRYBxLXBVACAChI6r/s1600-h/IndiaNepal+129.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzw4H0NJ_mY3W9bX9DHl-sgamFEzBKx-CvmyjnQEFbVQWsqOAnvhQq34VxCPecCEmi2X-pcudA6y9YE5Bvi8fOjZLceUcnUWYPWUA_IAAj9DCaKJIkd9TP6WYP4pzRYBxLXBVACAChI6r/s200/IndiaNepal+129.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175341926555295362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our recent two week trip to Nepal to visit and plan projects with MCC's national partners was quite an adventure. When we arrived we discovered that a general strike had been called by the Madhesi Front (a loose group of organizations fighting for an autonomous state on the border with India). They were able to keep petrol and other supplies from entering Nepal, bringing the economy to a virtual standstill for two weeks.<br /><br />We were, nevertheless, able to travel to most places for our visits, even if we had to use cycle rickshaws for part of our trips. Our MCC partners are doing some exciting things in peacebuilding, including starting a grassroots School of Shanti. The aim is to bring peace training to rural communities devastated by the recent civil war.<br /><br />The first picture on the left is of us riding to the next town in cycle rickshaws because a curfew had been imposed on all other kinds of vehicles. The top picture on the right is participants at a partner meeting in Kathmandu. Following that is a picture of the ancient Newari palace and temple complex in Kathmandu Valley. The last picture is of women at a rural discussion of HIV/AIDS and how it is impacting their community in the western hill region of Nepal.<br /><br />One MCC partner is working to combat HIV/AIDS in target communities. Another is conducting non-formal literacy classes for adults. Yet another is helping Nepali Christians develop greater capacity to respond to natural disasters along with other NGOs and government agencies. There is so much work to do and we are impressed by the energy and vision of people on the ground who really want to make a difference. They dare to dream of a new Nepal and are anxious because things appear to be moving too slowly.<br /><br />Nepal is in the midst of a major political, social, economic, and spiritual transition. The transition from a Hindu monarchy to a secular democracy sometimes feels more like anarchy. The interim government is a seven party coalition until general constituent parliamentary elections are held on April 10, 2008. The new constituent assembly then begins the work of creating a new constitution. In the meantime there are many issues affecting daily life that go unresolved.<br /><br />The former Maoist insurgency, which brought conflict to the countryside and killed 13,000 people since 1996, has ended with a peace agreement and Maoist participation in the interim government. The political situation, nevertheless, remains unstable. Still, the 2006 peace agreement has allowed a breather for all Nepal sectors and continues to offer hope for a new, revitalized society. The battered economy is showing signs of recovery as tourism and the service industry pick up. Social challenges that remain largely unresolved include:<br /><br />1. Poverty: Semi-feudal agricultural conditions and large landholdings on the Terai contributed to the recent agitation. Small landholdings in hill communities cannot support families, forcing people to become migrant laborers in India and other countries. The GDP per capita of $1,529 is among the lowest in the world.<br /><br />2. Education: Nepal has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world (only 42% of the population above 15 years of age can read and write). Initiatives in non-formal adult education and primary education are crucial needs.<br /><br />3. Health Care: Migrant workers traveling to other countries for employment, human trafficking related to the sex trade, and drug use contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS. There is a continued need for basic health care and nutrition in many remote rural communities.<br /><br />4. Peace: The recent armed conflict has left deep scars in rural communities. There are interfaith challenges for Nepali Christians whose churches have only recently been recognized by the government. Ethnic and caste divides are also sources of discrimination and conflict. Initiatives in grassroots conflict mediation and trauma healing are needed to give depth to the recent national peace agreement.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-36078949241633283192008-01-13T02:12:00.000-08:002008-11-15T00:04:20.221-08:00Visit to an MCC Partner and Women's Group<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rdO51cQcsrfC1IncpLOgMmp48qUXLd8lpZhn04wyltoeHaL4ZuEL6TTOUUn69ZxCVQKyxU4TqFe4GrHgo09kc8RMzdgG_F949SOek4ZxXCGUpdPXDaKaVynu9NMtwkbkWBrBEfyuQojy/s1600-h/2006_0616StaffPicnic0061.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rdO51cQcsrfC1IncpLOgMmp48qUXLd8lpZhn04wyltoeHaL4ZuEL6TTOUUn69ZxCVQKyxU4TqFe4GrHgo09kc8RMzdgG_F949SOek4ZxXCGUpdPXDaKaVynu9NMtwkbkWBrBEfyuQojy/s200/2006_0616StaffPicnic0061.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154907897028262098" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YhfXa0hgogKa61DXaI70EuRYzEbEQhla0tt4L_hyqVPwxA_FEJIIDN_ncS9f9wWcUfxJb1d049qj5XAhq1fC91CyZMcr3uoQrJdcAywzT6G_cB_pi63_Hu6wiCSU-liyUX25fFfJBIfM/s1600-h/2006_0616StaffPicnic0046.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YhfXa0hgogKa61DXaI70EuRYzEbEQhla0tt4L_hyqVPwxA_FEJIIDN_ncS9f9wWcUfxJb1d049qj5XAhq1fC91CyZMcr3uoQrJdcAywzT6G_cB_pi63_Hu6wiCSU-liyUX25fFfJBIfM/s200/2006_0616StaffPicnic0046.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154907776769177794" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcqpyBtZH0cI-9QLJDpqMInAHuZQu6csuS7GUAiUfsa-lf-YSxmFmQBykJ2nvHMhcq8IFxtkJ0_1ZKhQ13MGLBQL126TQqL6KmCI4T5PatN_yig-rdeHrWVJ-C3yjD9FYpTGccPVNGlWn/s1600-h/2006_0616StaffPicnic0040.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcqpyBtZH0cI-9QLJDpqMInAHuZQu6csuS7GUAiUfsa-lf-YSxmFmQBykJ2nvHMhcq8IFxtkJ0_1ZKhQ13MGLBQL126TQqL6KmCI4T5PatN_yig-rdeHrWVJ-C3yjD9FYpTGccPVNGlWn/s200/2006_0616StaffPicnic0040.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154902498254370930" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeFgl2PEMtd5ZbEE-8FBAweLnVSatVifNowrdgJ0MpxJetWF1IpF4nujZ2jLgOYN-PyatHoVU5xZzzXZV453l2PrddKNNZ1zUFsohsc80kFrCQpp6-8ufzpYHvL3XR38mP4g3es-xCv3P/s1600-h/2006_0616StaffPicnic0019.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeFgl2PEMtd5ZbEE-8FBAweLnVSatVifNowrdgJ0MpxJetWF1IpF4nujZ2jLgOYN-PyatHoVU5xZzzXZV453l2PrddKNNZ1zUFsohsc80kFrCQpp6-8ufzpYHvL3XR38mP4g3es-xCv3P/s200/2006_0616StaffPicnic0019.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154902287800973410" /></a><br /><br /><br />For the past two weeks, Ruth and I have been busy moving into our new roles and office space in the MCC India office in Kolkata. It feels very good to finally be here even though there is still so much to learn. January is the time when we’re busy working at the annual budget and program plans for the next year. This is primarily Ruth’s responsibility as the new director for our office.<br /><br />We’ve both had panic moments when various parts of the puzzle didn’t seem to fit together. Thankfully, we have an excellent Kolkata staff that has made it possible. Different people have been able to supply us with different pieces to the puzzle. Ruth and I have also been taking long walks around Kolkata to help us become familiar with our new home. <br /><br />It’s hard to describe those walks past many small shops and streets full of people. We pass flowing water hydrants where people are washing. We walk past auto and machine shops that spill over onto the sidewalks. And we walk past poor laborers who have thrown up a piece of plastic supported by sticks against a wall as temporary shelter. People everywhere are friendly and we’re surprised at how quickly we’re beginning to feel at home.<br /><br />On Saturday we accompanied our MCC staff to visit a development project in West Bengal near the Bangladesh border. (See the pictures above.) We enjoyed the verdant green scenes of growing crops as our train traveled through this rich river delta. At the end of the train line, we walked to the river bank where we were ferried to the other side on small boats. Then we climbed onto motorcycles that had been converted into huge tricycles for carrying passengers. After a short ride we arrived at our destination.<br /><br />Our program partner, the Resources Development Foundation (RDF), has been working at rural development for seven years. As we arrived, the local welcoming committee showered us with music and flower petals. They proudly showed us around their beautiful demonstration farm which is actually situated on a small island in the middle of the vast farming delta, interwoven with canals and small rivers.<br /><br />Salinity is a big problem as salt water coming from the sea makes the water in the rivers unfit for irrigation purposes. One project has been the building of a sluice gate to keep the salt water from infiltrating the area. Another is building water catchments to collect and store fresh water. As a result of such work, ten villages are now able to raise two or three crops annually instead of the traditional one.<br /><br />It’s a very poor area in which seasonal agricultural workers earn as little as $25 a month and primary school teachers earn about $125 a month. A recent RDF initiative has been to start women’s groups and farmers’ groups working at economic and social transformation. One of the women’s groups was in charge of our welcome and preparing the gourmet feast for our outdoor picnic. It was rewarding to see their pride and confidence in hosting us. They are clearly determined to create a flourishing community. <br /><br />Some of the challenges they talked about are the dowry system and early marriages that force women into prescribed roles with little future. Micro-credit economic schemes, raising social awareness, and adult education, are all part of their efforts. They believe women are crucial to the wellbeing of the family and the entire community. Empowering women is key to the empowerment of their villages.<br /><br />The work in these West Bengal villages involves a strategic partnership between the local women’s and farmers’ groups; the efforts of RDF (in which may retired professionals from Kolkata donate their time); and MCC, representing the generous contributions of congregations in North America. Ruth and I have the blessing of serving at the intersection where it all comes together.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-62774581324141768062008-01-06T02:47:00.000-08:002008-11-15T00:04:20.536-08:00Christmas in India<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfLh1eCPl_Xks2FbzgwWN386vKqDf3z9EI0qFd6Rvql1deEnWvqHH38H8ikTEOUgmxIl_mlnvwYIS5FppRX4v0pSe9l9mkU2tTrVkIxdc8HhOnp1z7NX6cmP9U6E01tcLKdtUDLuUfe4v/s1600-h/2006_0517Afghanistan0004.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfLh1eCPl_Xks2FbzgwWN386vKqDf3z9EI0qFd6Rvql1deEnWvqHH38H8ikTEOUgmxIl_mlnvwYIS5FppRX4v0pSe9l9mkU2tTrVkIxdc8HhOnp1z7NX6cmP9U6E01tcLKdtUDLuUfe4v/s200/2006_0517Afghanistan0004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152314325191997522" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2gwZEjFivA6v5NXJKUk6zTV_OM17E5FlKA4ZVS8zL9cY5lRhkgWfPSH3_tNo6o7q8YjinoweJo-gnDfszfDVlNqVTQIJsdsAJykPip1cjy9G_zy76PQDytvISKcScB6AnTo3Ogr1fuBi/s1600-h/2006_0531Mussoorie0039.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2gwZEjFivA6v5NXJKUk6zTV_OM17E5FlKA4ZVS8zL9cY5lRhkgWfPSH3_tNo6o7q8YjinoweJo-gnDfszfDVlNqVTQIJsdsAJykPip1cjy9G_zy76PQDytvISKcScB6AnTo3Ogr1fuBi/s200/2006_0531Mussoorie0039.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152314101853698114" /></a><br /><br />The one picture above is of children in a school that MCC helps support in Afghanistan. The other is of the snow capped peaks of the Himalayas as seen from hill station where Ruth and I spent Christmas. I began to write this Christmas post from New Delhi. We already feel like old pros as we tool our way around town in auto rickshaws. We have come to enjoy this city. It’s hard to believe that our first three months of language studies are already behind us. Those Hindi script squiggles that meant absolutely nothing are now beginning to form themselves and make sense to us. Language study can be both frustrating and incredibly fascinating for our fifty year old brains. <br /><br />We spent Christmas in Mussoorie, an ancient Himalayan hill station that is 6,000 feet above sea level. We went there for several days of relaxation and also to check out further language studies for our MCC team. Chitranjan Datt, the principal of the famous Landour Language School, graciously interrupted his vacation to meet with us one morning. We had a fascinating discussion about Hindi and how our brains learn languages as we sipped tea on his patio overlooking the hills.<br /><br />This is the first Christmas season that Ruth and I celebrated without our children. December 23 was also our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary. We could not help reflecting on how this year marks a new epoch in our life journeys. I remember teasing Ruth many years ago as I was studying Buddhism that the last stage of one’s active life, following that of a householder, is the stage of renunciation. I jokingly said that I was thinking about becoming a monk after our children left home.<br /><br />Maybe Ruth and I have become a monk and nun couple if there's such a thing. We said goodbye to so many things, including our children and our home in Virginia, to take this assignment. At times we’re painfully aware of all we left behind but we’re also amazed by the new world unfolding in front of us. We absorbed the stark beauty of the distant snow capped Himalayan peaks as we trekked on various paths and ally ways around Mussoorie. One day a knowledgeable Indian man showed us the various peaks through his telescope. He claimed that the most distant peak we could see was actually in Tibet.<br /><br />In the past month Ruth took an administrative trip to Afghanistan to visit with our MCC partners. She was shocked by the devastation she saw in Kabul, to war-torn capital city and could only imagine what the rest of the country looks like. There is little to see from the billions of dollars the American government dumped into the country. She was also impressed by the love and perseverance of our partners. Will the Afghani people finally be able to achieve a degree of self-determination in order to rebuild their devastated communities? <br /><br />We also participated in an MCC strategy session on Myanmar (Burma) that was held here in Delhi. That country has captured my heart and imagination ever since I traveled there for MCC in 2000. Its people have known no peace since the Second World War when it became a front in the fight between British and Japanese forces. Thousands of Indians fled the country, many of whom died in the long trek to Bengal. After a short spring of independence after the war, the government was hijacked an oppressive military junta engaged ever since in a protracted civil war with its ethnic minorities. <br /><br />I am now finishing this post from our apartment in Kolkata. There will also plenty to occupy us in India in the coming year as we assume the roles of Ed and Twila Miller, our capable predecessors. We look forward to settling into our apartment and beginning to work with our excellent staff that has kept this program running with their years of dedicated service. It rarely makes headlines but it is, nevertheless, so necessary for creating communities that reflect God’s grace and justice. Things like education for children, healthcare, and community development are the bedrock for flourishing neighborhoods.<br /><br />It is also evident that we will need to give more attention to the work of peacebuilding and nurturing healthy and mutually respectful interreligious relationships. Tensions between Christians, Muslims, and Hindus have flared into communal violence in several places in the past months. Some of you may have heard news reports of violence in Orissa and Nandigram. I especially look forward to leaning to know the Mennonite communities in India in the coming year. Hopefully we can work together toward a grace filled and transformative presence in the subcontinent.<br /><br />This Christmas season Ruth and I reflect on the meaning of being followers of Jesus in our world. Jesus was born into a poor family in a land occupied by a brutal empire. The Christmas story involves the humiliation of this family’s forced travel to their home province to pay the mandatory Roman taxes. During this trip Jesus was born in a stable with common shepherds as witnesses. <br /><br />One can easily imagine Jesus becoming an angry and violent revolutionary. Instead, he chose to live out of the center of God’s love for the whole world. His strategy for social transformation began with himself and his band of disciples. His struggle for peace with justice was always through peaceful means. Ruth and I pray that we can be true followers of this Prince of Peace in the coming year.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-7327712952673013592007-11-25T01:49:00.000-08:002008-11-15T00:04:21.559-08:00Train to Agra<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDbLE8xuuy75C_HBCvKeNLPhV0CS-zN4yNSB1Oos3PvHmsCIifu1bQwDus86AtouIRbfizKtTX14xQv_EzYd2ezMD8LRx9hZ1YKUUwVsaA7YrJ4y0QOLD1QFICA8LDX4xZSN9BAzTWzqQ/s1600-h/2006_0424Agra-Dehli0124.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDbLE8xuuy75C_HBCvKeNLPhV0CS-zN4yNSB1Oos3PvHmsCIifu1bQwDus86AtouIRbfizKtTX14xQv_EzYd2ezMD8LRx9hZ1YKUUwVsaA7YrJ4y0QOLD1QFICA8LDX4xZSN9BAzTWzqQ/s200/2006_0424Agra-Dehli0124.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136713892134269794" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tpHmNIFgl8SDwdbBfLBniuEWIoRGt38sPYCH29lbluEzhLpZkknGRW-bTok6dBwaWyqSHNelnaOFqam_Xt3yw6RIcacWjcNDpK5iaBxQLpTeLq85STz5JedJzoJLIHrMsZLa4skLIXgu/s1600-h/2006_0424Agra-Dehli0104.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tpHmNIFgl8SDwdbBfLBniuEWIoRGt38sPYCH29lbluEzhLpZkknGRW-bTok6dBwaWyqSHNelnaOFqam_Xt3yw6RIcacWjcNDpK5iaBxQLpTeLq85STz5JedJzoJLIHrMsZLa4skLIXgu/s200/2006_0424Agra-Dehli0104.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136713728925512530" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm2yhZuCohVtNDpbAVwMRt4ZRpMwh-cu4LnRqF0kJVx122zChtia6fEes36w0DjjKtAjRhse09SD4DbhzcD2bIredYXR6QtxhhStGW0eqUNmgzs1cAFgb5CBEPmansAIwnPnsfGcPUqrJ/s1600-h/2006_0424Agra-Dehli0080.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm2yhZuCohVtNDpbAVwMRt4ZRpMwh-cu4LnRqF0kJVx122zChtia6fEes36w0DjjKtAjRhse09SD4DbhzcD2bIredYXR6QtxhhStGW0eqUNmgzs1cAFgb5CBEPmansAIwnPnsfGcPUqrJ/s200/2006_0424Agra-Dehli0080.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136713582896624450" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSABIzTHb_86cgiAw0qetSx_3dDgiJNhaQvVV5nzBwz1sC3XJj54h9LRqFgMuS9-gNDXghAPNnNF0Y728gXg4whrArywHm2TXZC9IyJHs-lCMj2mjZbCZnCoZ88PhysSmiW68XGu5OkoHa/s1600-h/2006_0424Agra-Dehli0073.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSABIzTHb_86cgiAw0qetSx_3dDgiJNhaQvVV5nzBwz1sC3XJj54h9LRqFgMuS9-gNDXghAPNnNF0Y728gXg4whrArywHm2TXZC9IyJHs-lCMj2mjZbCZnCoZ88PhysSmiW68XGu5OkoHa/s200/2006_0424Agra-Dehli0073.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136713436867736370" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6M73mppYWf4qmr2ankK289YZSoRFYjOVTXZHfCdkhB2f9cRq8Hkqo9SHZmiV0jeUdAlKEj5ZUFC0QQzh7fxPPQO15U0mENObUp7sTQmY0WIRA7U2LbUF-WEtjZkFjmgq3gSOoUkFBk-tS/s1600-h/2006_0424Agra-Dehli0069.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6M73mppYWf4qmr2ankK289YZSoRFYjOVTXZHfCdkhB2f9cRq8Hkqo9SHZmiV0jeUdAlKEj5ZUFC0QQzh7fxPPQO15U0mENObUp7sTQmY0WIRA7U2LbUF-WEtjZkFjmgq3gSOoUkFBk-tS/s200/2006_0424Agra-Dehli0069.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136713149104927522" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-mSpEcidDfS5nZueY5tgIe_q0kdyXeAJGBRPYqWochPnC06l-l1WofffBuVELg4_5j5-fMyZgPqakA6o7zF_FA1UKhuJTsjhrJFJ5s3NIDlLdJrYAdYSQZKh005mlKZ_q2HvxjRHtrm5/s1600-h/2006_0424Agra-Dehli0045.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-mSpEcidDfS5nZueY5tgIe_q0kdyXeAJGBRPYqWochPnC06l-l1WofffBuVELg4_5j5-fMyZgPqakA6o7zF_FA1UKhuJTsjhrJFJ5s3NIDlLdJrYAdYSQZKh005mlKZ_q2HvxjRHtrm5/s200/2006_0424Agra-Dehli0045.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136713007371006738" /></a><br /><br />Last Saturday morning we woke up before dawn to catch our train to Agra. The taxi arrived at our gate exactly on time—a good omen! The driver, however, could speak no English and our limited Hindi wasn’t much help. We were finally able to communicate that we wanted to go to the train station and not the airport. We arrived at the station in plenty of time, the train appeared on schedule, and we were soon on our way.<br /><br />Upon arrival in Agra, we arranged to have a taxi take us around for the day. Our driver convinced us that it would be better to see the Taj Mahal in the morning because it would be less crowded. He was right. There were no long lines and we soon had our first breathtaking view of this monument that Emperor Shah Jahan built in memory of his beloved second wife Mumtaz Mahal. We were told that 20,000 people worked on its construction from 1631 to 1653.<br /><br />Needless to say, the bottom two photos are of the Taj. The top photos are of the Agra Fort and of the Itimad-Ud-Daulah or the baby Taj. The two in the middle are of Fatehpur Sikri. Our guide told us that design of the pillar at Fatehpur Sikri allegedly represents the three religions of Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. <br /><br />It’s hard to describe the Taj without using superlatives. I especially like Tagore’s description of it as—“a tear drop on the face of eternity.” The white inlaid marble and the unique symmetry of the oriental architecture combine to create that effect. Considering the ravages of history, it’s hard to believe it has been preserved so well throughout the centuries. It still looks immaculate. <br /><br />At noon we took the taxi to visit Fatehpur Sikri, the capital city Emperor Akbar began building forty kilometers west of Agra in 1571 and abandoned fourteen years later. Our tour guide was especially keen to tell us that Akbar had a Hindu, a Christian, and a Muslim wife. He pointed out the legendary palaces of each wife in the royal quarters of the city. I was especially intrigued by the way the architecture of the city maximized the use of water and air to make a comfortable and habitable space in this dry, hot climate. It has things to teach contemporary designers of urban spaces. <br /><br />The Jama Aasjid mosque is beside the palace area of Fatehpur Sikri. The tomb of Sufi saint Shaikh Salim Chishti is in the courtyard of the mosque. Emperor Akbar credited the saint for the long awaited birth of his first surviving son. Our guide said that the mosque is not maintained by the government and relies on the donations of visitors for its upkeep. He entreated me to buy a cloth and some flowers to put on the tomb—the proceeds of which purportedly would go to support needy children. I was also given a thread to tie on the marble lattice screen of the tomb as a prayer for any special request I might have. <br /><br />Our day was now well spent and we headed back to the Shanti Lodge, our hotel in Agra. It’s a budget hotel along a narrow, winding lane in the old city. The management and cleanliness of the hotel is basic at best. The most that it has going for it is a great view of the Taj Mahal from its roof top restaurant. We loved ordering cups of chai and absorbing the view at dusk and early in the morning.<br /><br />The next morning we hired an auto rickshaw to take us to some other places in Agra. First, we went to Agra Fort, a massive red sandstone fort and palace complex. More than any other place we visited, it gave us a sense of the might of the Mughal Empire during the height of its power. The massive walls of the fort once enclosed an entire inner city. During that time period Americans were still living in log cabins.<br /><br />Next we went to the Jama Masjid mosque built by Shah Jahan’s daughter in 1648. It’s a still functioning mosque in general disrepair. We were met at the gate by a toothless old guide who showed us around. Again, we were asked for a donation in return for special prayers. As we were leaving, our guide asked if we could give a little something for him personally. Is this an indication of the status of Islam in Indian society and of the atrophy of historical religions in the modern world? <br /><br />Our final historical site visit was the Itimad-Ud-Daulah tomb nicknamed the Baby Taj. It was built in 1622 by Emperor Jehangir’s wife Nur Jahan in memory of her father who migrated to India from Persia. The nickname is apt. Though much smaller in scale, it has the same beautiful architectural symmetry as the Taj. In addition, it features exquisite panels of inlaid marble that have been preserved through the centuries.<br /><br />We next visited a shop where craftsmen were creating inlaid marble artifacts. They are beautiful pieces using the same craftsmanship as seen in the historical monuments. Another shop was weaving Persian rugs. They wanted to sell us their wares which were out of reach on our MCC allowance. So we returned to the old city to visit some smaller shops.<br /><br />I soon ran out of endurance as hawkers determinedly tried to sell us their wares—refusing to take no for an answer. After much bargaining, Ruth finally managed to buy a small jewelry box made of inlaid marble. We then retired to the rooftop restaurant at the Shanti Lodge and waited for the night train back to Delhi. <br /><br />The press of poor vendors, drivers, laborers, and beggars in the old city speaks of another India that is not part of the promises of globalization. Has it always been thus? Was there the same press of human need during the reign of the Mughals? My study of European history tells me there was desperate poverty in Europe during the same time period. And the New Testament accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry in first century Palestine tell the same story. What is our response as Christians and religious people?Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3969907206576290642.post-43126847958621883602007-11-09T04:47:00.000-08:002008-11-15T00:04:22.669-08:00Religion, Politics, Tombs and Temples<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwvp24hUEWXRkP9ndTAx_vq3pJHd8vBsrJ_ENH6yoSnP1mZjUhioFSXbHUiNU0aIjgw952Ch1_Fs0tjLyjFW5gRTKcx8T9CT8IPVtspMldjDaEM36e_7bdghokOsZ6srWEj_ErfHUzRFq/s1600-h/2006_0327MCCStaffRe0042.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130825121492543410" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwvp24hUEWXRkP9ndTAx_vq3pJHd8vBsrJ_ENH6yoSnP1mZjUhioFSXbHUiNU0aIjgw952Ch1_Fs0tjLyjFW5gRTKcx8T9CT8IPVtspMldjDaEM36e_7bdghokOsZ6srWEj_ErfHUzRFq/s200/2006_0327MCCStaffRe0042.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNBavE3c6AzDgnqehoQGNjfMSxiGidE6DtfZWE9o7_-5cj2Cd7MPMdjy3nWyTa9aaEwSSozhhGKNxiwndcg0FeSVR8B51xC-kSU0Zoi2g1gApBDNPOw4ZO7QjFCxCkUZS2Vg6SubjZ2a3/s1600-h/2006_0327MCCStaffRe0001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130824438592743330" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNBavE3c6AzDgnqehoQGNjfMSxiGidE6DtfZWE9o7_-5cj2Cd7MPMdjy3nWyTa9aaEwSSozhhGKNxiwndcg0FeSVR8B51xC-kSU0Zoi2g1gApBDNPOw4ZO7QjFCxCkUZS2Vg6SubjZ2a3/s200/2006_0327MCCStaffRe0001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBCCKZ0d6kS0RJaxxPMdp4MvinI8UKORM8OOtpPi-IzW9XfZmOqLJErUAU9w3f0p-SbYPbcbOzztVRxl6V9TCmPjje6o56EB4pnqYSPa_QWGV2W0JUU6kLwaWuS-vHHRH1kDQ9ASt1xMp/s1600-h/2006_0317India20008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130822926764255122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBCCKZ0d6kS0RJaxxPMdp4MvinI8UKORM8OOtpPi-IzW9XfZmOqLJErUAU9w3f0p-SbYPbcbOzztVRxl6V9TCmPjje6o56EB4pnqYSPa_QWGV2W0JUU6kLwaWuS-vHHRH1kDQ9ASt1xMp/s200/2006_0317India20008.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-U-gDIBFf_HYka9PzvlvPU3QdwL8P-8kfYQsnnZjxfHOJDQYm6EFh3WCKfcTeLccpcJHwWT2n2e9yNSzMZMdmyObv60zBNjyVGsebLWwQhQG3TnIrTG0k3v47wYoNOM7M6z2WZ7ofK16I/s1600-h/2006_0317India20030.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130822269634258818" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-U-gDIBFf_HYka9PzvlvPU3QdwL8P-8kfYQsnnZjxfHOJDQYm6EFh3WCKfcTeLccpcJHwWT2n2e9yNSzMZMdmyObv60zBNjyVGsebLWwQhQG3TnIrTG0k3v47wYoNOM7M6z2WZ7ofK16I/s200/2006_0317India20030.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The above pictures are of various historical monuments Ruth and I, along with our colleague Sarah Adams, visited on weekends and holidays as a respite from our studies of Hindi and as part of our cultural orientation to India. All are within easy commuting distance of where we’re staying in Delhi. We’re planning to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra next weekend, a two hour train ride from here. <br /><br />The picture on the top left is of Safdarjang’s Tomb, one of the last examples of Mughal architecture before the empire fell to the British. The picture on the bottom left is of Humayun’s Tomb. Emperor Humayun was the son of Babur, the first Mughal ruler in India. The picture on the top right is of the Golconda Fort in Hyderabad. The picture on the bottom right is of the Lotus Temple in Delhi.<br /><br />The Indus Valley, in which Delhi is situated, is the cradle of Indian civilization. Around 1500 BCE, Aryan tribes from Central Asia gradually invaded, bringing their Sanskrit language (the predecessor of Hindi) and their religious beliefs (the predecessor of Hinduism) with them. This Indian social and religious history opens new avenues for our understanding of the relationship between religion and politics. What can American Christians learn from it?<br /><br />Northern India was also the birthplace of Buddhism. In remorse for the death and destruction caused by his wars of conquest, the great Mauryan Emperor Ashoka embraced Buddhism and made it the religion of his empire in 262 BCE. He embraced nonviolence and other Buddhist ethical teachings, seeking to incorporate them into the administration of his realm. <br /><br />It would be a fascinating study to compare Ashoka’s embrace of Buddhism with Roman Emperor Constantine’s embrace of Christianity in 312 CE. Ashoka was much more serious about adopting the social-ethical tenants of Buddhism than Constantine was about adopting the social-ethical tenants of Christianity. From an Anabaptist perspective (and also a Buddhist perspective) it involves difficult questions about what happens to a religious tradition when it becomes the official religion of a state. <br /><br />The historical sites we visited in Delhi are from the Muslim Mughal Empire which began with the invasion of Babur who marched into India from his capital in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1525 CE. The Mughals were known for their opulent court life and their love of creating beautiful architectural edifices, of which the Taj Mahal is the most well known. They tried to outdo each other in building magnificent tombs.<br /><br />The Mughals were known for their religious tolerance. Babur’s grandson Akbar (1556-1605), the most powerful Mughal emperor, integrated Hindus into the top echelons of his administration. He had a deep interest in religious matters and sponsored conversations with religious experts of all persuasions, including Hindus, Christians, Parsis, and even agnostics.<br /><br />As a Mennonite, I cannot help reflecting on the fact that Akbar’s religious pluralism and his interfaith conversations were taking place in the sixteenth century when our European Anabaptist ancestors were being persecuted and martyred for their stance on religious freedom. Indians understandably get somewhat frustrated when Westerners act as though religious freedom is a unique characteristic of Western culture.<br /><br />These different histories may help explain why Indian secularism does not have the anti-religious characteristic as much of Western secularism. There was not the same struggle to free itself from powerful, controlling religious institutions. Deeply devout Hindus, such as Mahatma Gandhi, readily embraced secularism as the policy of the newly created Indian state in 1947. And they understood it to be part of their Indian cultural and religious heritage.<br /><br />I do not want to leave the impression that all has been well in interfaith relationships in India. Aurangzeb, the last powerful Mughal Emperor (1658-1707), was a puritan who opposed both the extravagant opulence and the easy religious tolerance of his predecessors. His became infamous for his destruction of Hindu temples and his imposition of Islam on his subjects. He even attacked and destroyed the more tolerant Muslim kingdom of Golconda at present day Hyderabad in south-central India. The British, who established their first foothold on the sub-continent at Kolkata in 1690, were able to exploit such interfaith conflicts in their subsequent conquest of India. This legacy is at the root of ongoing Hindu-Muslim tensions.<br /><br />Representing a universalistic Bahia perspective on religious faith, the recently built and spectacular Lotus Temple is within walking distance of our house. It’s an inviting space that welcomes people from all faith traditions to mediate and pray. Bahia faith seeks to draw from all religions in its vision for world peace. This raises different questions.<br /><br />How do we deeply respect and learn from other religious traditions yet live and witness from the center of our own faith? India presents such a challenge. Can we invite people to join us in the new life and community we find in Jesus, yet avoid the religious superiority that thinks we alone have the truth? To paraphrase one of Jesus’ sayings, “It’s easy to attempt to remove the speck in the eye of the other religion while ignoring the big plank of religious prejudice in our own eye.”<br /><br />It all gives our MCC India team plenty of fodder for thought as we work at creating peacebuilding and interfaith partnerships and programs in India. We North Americans will have much to learn from our Indian partners.Earl Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11357763739591278165noreply@blogger.com0