TAMALE INSTITUTE OF CROSS-CULTURAL STUDIES 2017 EDITION

Transcription

1 TAMALE INSTITUTE OF CROSS-CULTURAL STUDIES 2017 EDITION 16

2 SEPTEMBER OCTOBER One Week Cross Cultural orientation 30-day cross-cultural orientation course for missionaries to Ghana. This may include Protestant, Presbyterian, Lutheran Missionaries etc. Course in Interreligious Dialogue NOVEMBER Language Course Dagbanli, Twi DECEMBER News letter DKA STUDENTS WITH COCOA PRODUCERS IN THE E/REGION NEW MISSIONARIES WITH DR. ALHAJI HUSSAIN OF UDS 2 15

3 JANUARY JANUARY FEBRUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY - AUGUST TICCS PROGRAMMES FOR 2018 Return from Christmas Break Mission Resource International Preparation for programs and courses Network Pastoral Africa (NPA) Conference. This is a 4-day conference for Directors of Catholic Pastoral Institutes in Africa. Course on Inter-Religious Dialogue for Church personnel, Security Services etc. Promotional work Mini-cross-cultural training for SVD/SVS pastoral year seminarians Newsletter publication and website updating/language course DKA Study tour. Culture and leadership Seminar Word from the Director In early February, 2017, the Director attended an International Conference of the Network Pastoral Africa (NPA) which comprises heads of Pastoral Institutes working in Africa, at the Lumen Christi Institute in Arusha, Tanzania. We the participants reflected on Laudato Si the encyclical written by Pope Francis in May, 2015 during the four-day conference. Laudato Si is a reminder to the whole of humanity and not only catholic Christians of our divine responsibility as God's co-creators to care for our common home, the earth and all it contains. The encyclical emphasises that there is a lot of good and giftedness in the world, and so all humans should express the good embedded in them for the betterment of the global human family. The encyclical also echoed the negative practices of social injustice, strenuous IMF conditionalities, massive land degradation, increased health hazards emanating from poor sanitation and Greenhouse emissions, as well as, individualism, and the culture of permissiveness. The Pontiff expressed concerns about the fact that the human habitat and the survival of created species stand to suffer greatly if our attitudes towards the earth and the environment are not influenced by deep socio-cultural and religious values/virtues. The conference gave us great insights into the factors that embed the sociocultural and ecological challenges impacting negatively on care of the environment and good stewardship of mother earth. The significant lessons of Laudato Si must be actualised both on the local and international levels, for it to benefit more people, especially our people in Africa. Inspired by Laudato Si TICCS is creating the awareness of cultural sensitivity that enables all TICCS' trainees/participants (missionaries, development workers, NGOs and volunteers) to undertake cultural and language learning with an openness not towards other cultures only, but also towards the respect of mother earth. Similarly, the participant needs to be 'converted' from the participants' own cultural biases to accommodating the cultural practices of other cultures or peoples. Thus, they will be promoting healthy intercultural living wherever they work. 14 3

4 Since the publication of Laudato Si, TICCS has found new ways of encouraging it's course participants to be more culture-sensitive to the human, social, cultural and environmental ecologies of peoples. It is our conviction that the common good of humanity can only be achieved in an atmosphere of genuine respect for persons and their cultures. In our view, this is how the global human family can complement God's creation in its different manifestations and also foster ecological balance. In Ghana, there are clear laws regulating human activities related to forests, and in some communities these forests are preserved as shrines or sacred sites where people are not allowed to enter, except to carry out a ritual activity. Today, however, this is no longer the case, as radical human activity on forests and Mother Earth in general is impacting negatively on the cultural norms that hitherto protected our forests and the environment. Currently, in Ghana, addressing the issues of environmental degradation has become a major preoccupation of the state, the church and other stake holders. In our own little way, TICCS has introduced a course on environmental issues and personnel from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a state organisation, are the key resource persons. The course sensitizes the participants on how to develop good attitudes towards the environment especially in their own domestic spaces. NGOs AND VOLUNTEER GROUPS IN NORTHERN GHANA The Director has reached out to different NGOs and volunteer groups that work in Northern Ghana with the view to renewing old partnerships, and to create new ones. Today, TICCS is well positioned to enter into fruitful partnerships that will be of mutual benefit to her and other institutes or groups. STAFF In April, 2017, Br. Bruno Yirzie, SVD, who has been a missionary in Mozambique for sixteen (16) years, and has returned to the Ghana Province joined the staff at TICCS as Manager of the TICCS Guest House and Maintenance officer. Brother is a big help to TICCS and we wish him well in his work. Additionally, at TICCS, Laudato Si has been shaping and reshaping the Introduction and Cross-cultural orientation courses developed for new missionaries, seminarians, development workers, and volunteers who are about to work in the Ghanaian society. These courses equip participants with skills on how to effectively relate and bond with peoples of different cultures, and at the same time, challenge cultural practices that are inimical to good environmental practice. In doing this, we draw on the social structure, stories, proverbs, wise sayings or anecdotes of the people. 4 13

5 NEW COURSE IN 2018 Next year, in addition to the already existing courses, TICCS will start a new course on Interreligious Dialogue. The course examines the extent to which different religious persuasions can work together for sustainable social development in Ghana. The course will help participants to acquire skills/tools that will enable them to appreciate the world as one big family in which cultural and religious differences should not create divisions, but rather, should bring people together to know, respect, share ideas and build society for the common good. PUBLICATIONS: Appropriating Land, Worldviews, and Spiritual Navigation: The Dynamics and Praxis of Everyday Life in the Alavanyo-Nkonya Land Dispute in Ghana- Anthropos Journal, 112:2017, Anthropos Institute, Germany PROMOTIONAL WORK PARTNERSHIP WITH CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF GHANA, FIAPRE TICCS continues to explore its partnership with the Catholic University College of Ghana, (CUCG) Sunyani in the area of religion and society, and towards the establishment of a satellite campus in Northern Ghana for the University's MBA program. We hope that these efforts will lead to some good for both two institutions. Today, in Ghana, a major cultural challenge impacting the social relations of individuals and groups in society is witchcraft accusations. As an institute and motivated by the values of Laudato Si, TICCS tries to address this particular challenge by offering participants of its courses and seminars a deeper appreciation of the issue and how to address it. This is important for us in TICCS because we believe that a pervasive belief in witchcraft undermines the cultural norms and values that seek to protect the ecology of daily life i.e. protecting human relationships at home and at the work place, and good faith communities. This dynamic will encourage groups and individuals to respect the beliefs and cultural practices of peoples, and also challenge those practices which conflict with the inner logic of the gospel message and our common humanity. Moreover, the serene and ecologically friendly environment of TICCS provides a relaxing milieu where individuals and groups come to rest, study and interact with nature. Our beautifully arranged array of trees, sitting places, a bar (Jungle Bar) to have a drink are just the right elements one needs to get away for a while. In recent years, as in the past, a good number of Priests, religious men and women and volunteers come to the institute for retreats and quite time. Thus, as an institute, Laudato Si has challenged us to enhance and strengthen what we have been doing, but also to envisage new ways of integrating the theology of creation and a sociology of good stewardship in our cross cultural programs/courses. I would like to thank firstly, the Board of Directors for their support throughout the year and, secondly, the staff and friends of TICCS. 12 5

6 COURSES/PROGRAMS THREE-DAY PROGRAM FOR 'SELL' In February, a three-day cross cultural orientation was held for the leadership of SELL Sharing Education and Learning for Life. SELL is made up of religious missionaries and lay members whose objective is to give leadership training through workshops and seminars to youth groups within the parishes in the Tamale Province comprising an Archdiocese and four dioceses. The leadership of SELL was in TICCS to get a first-hand cross cultural introduction into Ghanaian sociocultural life, but especially, to learn about culture sensitive approaches to handling youth matters within the context of their work. We hope TICCS has positively impacted them and we wish them well in their work. THREE-DAY CROSS CULTURAL INTRODUCTION FOR CARMELITE SISTERS In April, the Director gave a three day workshop on cross cultural introduction to the Carmelite Nuns at their monastery in Tampe Kukuo, near Tamale. The course offered the Nuns the culturally appropriate skills for appreciating the cross cultural challenges that impact on their work and relations with locals, especially those who regularly visit them. MEETINGS/CONFERENCES th The Director attended the 4 annual conference of the Network Pastoral Africa rd th (NPA) in Arusha, Tanzania from the 3 to 7 February, This conference consists of directors/representatives of leading pastoral institutes in Africa who come together annually under the sponsorship of Missio Aachen, in Germany to share their experiences and to strengthen and inspire one another. This year's theme was on Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si, of which I mentioned at the beginning of this newsletter. During the conference, the Director gave an input on the role and impact of Laudato Si on the programs and courses at TICCS. th The 5 annual conference of NPA, which is on the theme: Youth in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for the Church will take place in Tamale at nd th TICCS from 2 to 5 February, OTHER ACTIVITIES From September to November, the Director gave lectures on: Introduction to Ghanaian Sociocultural life, Cross Cultural Approaches to Ministry to the Poor, Intercultural living and Cross Cultural spirituality to about 15 senior and young professed brothers of the Christian Brothers who come from different African countries and Australia, Ireland, and Canada. They were in Tamale to hold an International Orientation Program based on the charism of the congregation and their journey together as religious brothers. 6 11

7 DKA STUDY TOUR/LEARNING EXCHANGE The DKA study/learning exchange took place as usual. This year eleven (11) of them, comprising 10 ladies and a gentle man took part in the program. The participants demonstrated great enthusiasm and a willingness to learn from the different groups of people they encountered during the one-month period. We are extremely grateful to the DKA team in Austria for this great learning exchange program and we look into the future with hope for more enriching encounters. NI TUMA PAM. ONE-WEEK CROSS-CULTURAL ORIENTATION COURSE FOR SVS/SVD MAJOR SEMINARIANS This annual program is organised to give a cultural orientation to seminarians who would start their supervised long pastoral ministry for one to two years in different Dioceses of Northern, Southern Ghana and abroad. This year's sixteen (16) seminarians, comprising the SVDs, and diocesans come from the five (5) dioceses of Northern Ghana. Topics related to kinship systems in Ghana, cross-cultural differences, dynamics of African traditional religion (ATR) and language learning methodologies were taught. The seminarians expressed great satisfaction with the lectures. In fact, some expressed the desire to pursue further learning on some of the topics treated during the course. DKA Students with Madam Hannah Owusu-Koranteng of WACAM and Fr. Joshua Gariba, PhD, the Director of TICCS FOUR-WEEK CROSS-CULTURAL COURSE This is an annual residential course for Christian Missionaries and development workers. It is divided into two parts. The first part is a one-week orientation on socio-cultural issues in Ghana. It gives new missionaries of different Christian faiths who are about to commence working in Ghana, a firsthand information on Ghanaian socio-cultural issues related to chieftaincy, local and state politics, dynamics of African traditional religion and divination among others. 10 7

8 The second part is a three-week course on a cross-cultural communication. This concentrates on how to effectively relate and bond with peoples of different cultures. The ultimate goal of this segment is to help the participants acquire good language and cultural learning tools, as well as the culturally right perspectives and attitudes that enhance their skills as effective cross cultural communicators. This year, we had fifteen (15) participants. Four (4) of them did the one-week orientation course, while eleven (11) of them did the full fourweek cross-cultural programme in respect of Ghanaian language and culture. The participants came from Vietnam, India, DR Congo, Ghana, Uganda, Indonesia, Angola, Fiji Islands, The Philippines, Brazil, China and Burkina Faso. The multinational and multicultural nature of TICCS programs/courses and its openness to embrace peoples of different cultural backgrounds is always enhanced with the mixture of different nations and cultures. This is the fundamental focus of TICCS programs, and we will always stick to it. 4-week Cross Cultural course participants with the Fr. Dominic Apee, former Provincial of the Missionaries of Africa in Ghana 8 9