Partnership conference Germany - South Africa
A successful mix of networking, challenging topics and singing together
On the second weekend of November, committed individuals from church districts and parishes of the regional church of Hanover gathered for the annual Germany - South Africa Partnership Conference in the Ludwig-Harms-Haus in Hermannsburg, continuing a tradition spanning many years. The partnership connections between church districts and circuits and congregations of the ELM's sponsoring churches (regional churches of Hanover, Schaumburg-Lippe and Brunswick) and circuits (church districts) and parishes of the partner church ELCSA have existed for over 40 years in some cases. These years have witnessed significant historical events, including the end of apartheid in South Africa, the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany and various societal and church developments. The experiences of the 28 participants ranged from numerous encounters with partners in South Africa to young people establishing their first contacts during a visit to South Africa or as hosts in Germany in recent months. The first round of sharing was characterised by reports from partnership visits this year. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, these trips often marked the initial journeys to the partnership groups after a few years of no traveling, and they were perceived as intense and motivating and reigniting partnerships.
On Friday evening, Nele Simon, peace education officer and coordinator of the South-North programme at Kurve Wustrow, introduced the topic of "Postcolonial partnership work under the microscope" .
- How do we see ourselves and others?
- How have we been shaped?
- What does this have to do with our partnership work today?
The discussion highlighted the enduring impact of the colonial era and the importance of examining the unconscious influence of colonial structures and behaviors on relationships with people and institutions in countries of the southern hemisphere (especially in former colonies).
An eye-opener came with a text from the book "Deutschland Schwarz Weiß" by Noah Sow, a black German journalist and civil rights activist. It became clear how irritating a text about the development of Germany can be when it contains vocabulary such as "ethnic conflict", "tribal area", "politically stable", "natives", "level of civilisation", "military dictatorship", "state-building development aid" or "civil war". How do we deal with our language? How does it affect us and others?
The conversation further emphasized that structures and thought processes subject to critical evaluation from a post-colonial perspective can lead to questioning prejudiced beliefs. Fostering an open society involves knowing and sharing not just one, but many stories about "others" (worth watching: "The danger of a single story - TED Talk by Chimamanda Adichie).
Partnerships thrive on encounters, consistently providing opportunities to compare our own prejudices, old knowledge and clichés and replace them with our own new experiences.
The evening ended with an informal gathering, delving into the latest news from partner relationships and discussing successful new formats or communication methods at length. On Sunday, everyone participated in the church service at the local Peter and Paul Church in Hermannsburg, with a sermon by retired ELM Director Michael Thiel. Marlene Altebockwinkel from the partnership department provided information and Dr. Joe Lüdemann shed light on the current situation in South Africa, addressing topics from politics, society and the church in South Africa.
"A successful mixture of networking, challenging topics and a lot of beautiful singing of South African 'church classics'," was the feedback of a grateful participant.
