|
Friends United Meeting |
 |
September 1999
Commitments: "Maturing Together"
Johan Maurer
A while back, during a break in a Lugulu Hospital Board meeting, I was in a lively conversation about Turkana Friends Mission. Should FUM continue to oversee the mission or should it be under a Kenyan yearly meeting? When I cited the opinion of a respected Kenyan, one of the those present turned to me and said, "Why are you so sure he's right? The trouble with you white people is that once you decide that someone here is perfect, there's no talking to you."
I still respect the opinions of the Friend I cited. My challenger had a vested interest in discrediting him. Still, the challenge was valid; I'm aware of several examples of North Americans choosing "heroes" and "villains" in cross-cultural situations, relating to their heroes with such indiscriminate, paternalistic generosity that corruption was almost inevitable. Those "chosen" heroes and leaders are not always respected at home by the grassroots believers, who, in the worst cases, could be excused for concluding (incorrectly) that FUM does not uphold high moral standards.
Other examples of cross-cultural awkwardness include our difficulties with evaluating private appeals for school feels, medical costs, and money for trips to the USA. Some North Americans have responded generously only to find that the solicitors had sent the same appeals to many others and felt no need to return the excess proceeds. Some visits to the USA for ostensibly religious purposes have turned into opportunities for immigration. An overcompensation for colonialism of the past seems to lead some North Americans to assume that any critical attitudes toward overseas Friends must be racist, and the only appropriate expression of humility is blind trust.
There are plenty of people ready to exploit that trust. On the other side, we are still paying for past colonialism and racial arrogance-the assumption that those with outward wealth and power always have the answers, that our busyness excuses us from the rules of common courtesy (whether the issue is delays in dealing with membership requests, or simply taking the time for conversation), and that field visits of a few hours or days are sufficient to understand complex local situations.
During my report to our Triennial sessions, I mentioned the importance of mature relationships between the former mission yearly meetings and the yearly meetings in North America. Here are some elements of such mature relationships; can you add more?
1. Realize deeply that in the body of Christ, we are precious to each other; we all have resources of spiritual and material wealth that the other members need. Discuss the imbalances in our resources and power, and the suitability or unsuitability of transferring resources to address the imbalance. Sometimes, for example, injecting money into a relationship (even into a situation of need) can do far more harm than good.
2. Keep each other informed. We need to be sure that information and discussions go beyond the "insiders" and reach all who want it. (This is one reason I'm eager to see an East African edition of Quaker Life, edited and printed in East Africa but with some content shared with the Richmond-based edition.)
3. Committing ourselves to trans-parency and mutual accountability; not letting a fake congeniality keep us from confronting each other when necessary. For example, FUM rightly demands financial accountability from all our project and field partners, but we also need to be accountable to them for the way we spend donor resources. Let's be more forthright in challenging greed, affluence and weak commitment to stewardship among those of us who are wealthy on a world scale; let's also challenge the equally bad assumption that the best answer to every scarcity is money from somewhere else.
Preparing for FUM's 2002 Triennial sessions in East Africa is an ideal occasion for thinking deeply about these concerns. Please send us your insights.
Johan Maurer is the general secretary of Friends United Meeting and editor of Quaker Life magazine.
Copyright (c) 1999 Friends United Meeting
Return to September Contents page