"I Am Because You Are"

"The belief in a universal bond that connects all humanity."

"Human kindness."

These are three translations of the South African concept of "Ubuntu." And, well, have you ever had one of those days where all of your life just came together - where so many random things you've done suddenly make perfect sense? Me either. But today was on that spectrum. 

About sixty people present: students, participants, youth workers, social workers, teachers...
The student participants shared their digital stories, I presented, the Norwegians presented. 

The IPAV team took us out afterward for a two-hour traditional Portuguese dinner with bread, cheese, wine, sausages, ribs, vegetables and dessert. (The conference began at 3...very humane in itself)

All day and into dinner, the conversation was some form of this theme: Stories matter. Personal storytelling makes us self-aware and promotes understanding and growth. Getting our stories out allows us to put our lives in perspective and be settled with what has happened and move on with self-confidence.

Personal storytelling connects humanity and creates community.

The girl on the left: Emina - a refugee from Bosnia, fled to Norway with her grandmother during the siege of the city; one year later her father was killed by bomb shrapnel. Today was the first time she has told her story - really moving. She came with Sylo (standing) a refugee from Sarejevo. They work more in the political realm, making sure that immigrant communities have a voice in Norway. And sitting on the right is Milton from Angola. He got polio when he was six, immigrated to Portugal with his parents to escape war and has not seen the rest of his family since. He has spent five years in prison and now uses his story to help young people through IPAV. I spent the whole dinner trying to get his story out of him, and he kept deferring in bits, "But my English is so bad!" (Of course it wasn't, and I got quite a lot out of him...) Next to Edina is Anna (on the IPAV team), and you all know Carolina by now.

So, yeah, after today - we are all connected for life. It's really something to come together from so many miles away and realize that you are working for the same thing.

I have many things to think about during my two-day journey home.

Something I'm still thinking about now had to do with this picture I show in my PowerPoint:

I talk about how much I wanted to escape from the teaching profession four years ago - how what I was teaching seemed to have no relevance to my students' lives. Then I get into the storytelling/ student transformation part. At the end I show the picture again and say that I don't even think of escaping anymore, but now this picture represents freedom instead of escape. That now my students and I are on the same page, and how that has made all of the difference. How asking students what their stories are (and having such an expert as Ingrid as my teammate to join me in asking them) and guiding them through the process of writing them has transformed me.

Anyway, back to the meaningful interaction. One of the teachers approached me afterward and said - a little teary - "That fish is me. I want to escape. The Ubuntu project is the most meaningful thing I have ever done and now I want to have something like that in my class. I cannot teach according to tradition or standards only anymore. Thank you so much for the inspiration." (The Ubuntu project is what IPAV does in the school. Students are chosen to attend this week-long course and are selected by their teachers. This teacher who was speaking to me was the supporting teacher for the project.)

The reason this is significant to me is that recently, I've realized that my story is one that will help teachers. I don't have a story of hardship; I'm like that Modern Family episode where Claire takes Haley out into the middle of nowhere and drops her off so that she will have a hardship to write about for her college essay. But this is my story. It's nice to know.

So many people thanked me and said that our program was inspiring. During dinner, the director of IPAV said to me, "Marjorie, do you know how valuable your experience is? Do you know that you could go anywhere and teach this? That everyone will want this?"

He thinks they, too, need to write. He suggested bringing me back to lead them with that part. I definitely would do it. (I had intended to teach some of the writing concepts today, but the audience had so many questions, we had to skip it.)

And this: Carolina told me that they show the movie "Freedom Writers" on the first day of the Ubuntu project (first day of one week). They are very inspired by it, so they looked into getting Erin Gruwell to come and speak - but she charges $28,000. So they got me instead (and wanted Ingrid).

"You are better than Erin Gruwell," her colleague told me. "She's not even teaching anymore and you are still in it." She didn't say it, but she also saved about $26,000.

After some sleep I will share this story better. Did I mention I am exhausted? And tomorrow I have another day to see Lisbon. I've offered to take Emina around since I can now make my way around without a map. I even gave a Chinese tourist directions on how to get to the pastel de nata place yesterday. The IPAV people are treating us to lunch, too. They are fantastic - all of them.

Sorry about the lack of food pictures and for the tired writing. Thanks for hanging in there...