Since I tend to be a dualist by fault, my interests have been directed to other parts of the world outside of the one I am currently living in. With internet up and running in our apartment/office I have been able to keep up with the types of stories and headlines that are gaining major focus these days. I have noticed, though this is nothing new, that while America is very focused on issues such as Islamic extremism and terrorist groups in the Middle East, democracy has been under siege from religious extremism in other critical parts of the world, including India and Southeast Asia. As I look at the issues surrounding various regions and groups of people, I find myself asking, “why overall a clash? Many wise scholars would say it is simply the clash within every modern society between those who are prepared to live with and respect people who differ and those who seek the comfort of a single “pure” ethno-religious ideology. Either way, it has always bred interesting conversation with others and continues to make me think about this concept of different civilizations, cultural identity in its truest form, and it’s usefulness in examining the potential for inconsistency or conflict.
Perhaps there is a way to look past the different civilizations and cultures and unite everyone under a common purpose, goal and event. After all, an event such as the Olympics…specifically the Beijing Olympics this past year…is a way to bring everyone under one banner. As you look at the athletes competing, faces read agony, triumph, ecstasy, and amazement, rotating with every exchange, and every attempt, as competitors jostle for victory. What I am saying is sport is one of those things to experience in community. That is why we build giant stadiums and have elaborate parties dedicated to specific football games. It is a chance to escape and come together under a banner. It is completely human and completely glorious. The Olympics serves this very purpose. It shows the world that competition and sports are universal and the passion behind them can bring anyone and everyone together for a common purpose. The same can be said for sports in lesser-developed countries. Sports truly break down the barriers to peace and can change dramatically the opinions and initial feelings towards another person. In the West we seem to view these lesser-developed countries in a certain way. We see the differences in all aspects of life. What we fail to look at, and what we should always be concerned with, are the commonalities. If we keep looking at these things that are different among us, we will never be able to relate, build relationships, and help each other. Sports make it easier for us to relate to one another because it is a common medium. Sports enable young children to dehumanize the enemy. It gives each side a new perspective and understanding that can result in conflict resolution and sustainable peace, to an extent.
I attended a soccer match the other day at Christ the King school just down the road from Lacor Center where I am living. Stephen and Jolly are the head coaches and have brought together a group of guys to form a team last year when I was here. I have been working with them a bit on a soccer program that proves to be slightly more difficult and time consuming than I had previously thought. However, I have found the importance and fulfillment in trying. And in trying I have questioned, what is one way to address the clash between the communities here in Uganda, between the North and the South and between cultures all over the world? How do we prepare younger generations to live with and respect people who differ? Perhaps, and I would hope, that is the point and the greater meaning behind what I am trying to do and to help them do. I have seen how sports can bring joy and laughter to the lives of many, and laugher as a healing component can improve learning and reduce tension. It is an explicit factor in sports and helps to provide a vehicle for deflating all too easy pretensions and their resulting arrogance and violent thoughts, on either side of an issue. Sports challenge gender roles and myths and allow the youth to cross social and cultural barriers to bring about peace, development and even holistic fitness. So, it has become clearer now that I need to understand what provokes action, negative and positive, and what sparks attention. Sports do ignite a sense of passion and devotion, not to mention competitive enthusiasm and interest. Competitive sports have been an important aspect of our culture for centuries. They tend to allow breathing room for creating new grounds for peace, and I guess that is all I can ask for in a successful program…one I hope to help create.
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