God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

03/20/2011 • 3:06 pm Comments Off on Simply too much to digest…?

Simply too much to digest…?

Sometimes there are indeed times, where I feel that there is too much to digest on information and news and task lying ahead. And the world as a global village with news aired 24 hours a day – how can one escape all the horrors and the non-logic of todays madness.
Japan – as it looks just escaped a complete meltdown of his nuclear reactor but thousands of deaths and a suffering almost unimaginable for a nation on the forefront of technology. So sophisticated and suddenly thrown into a chaos which means rebuilding of a nation and its facilities.  How does it come that we human mankind never accepts that we are not able to master nuclear power and that nature can beam us back into the stone age within hours. A lesson how to be humble again I guess, but a deadly and tragic one for those living on the island of Japan.
And seeing how in my home country suddenly politicians trashing just agreed longer running terms for the old nuclear power stations shows that even these tragic events are simply used for cheap daily politics.
Libyia shows also the double standards of politics – Saudi Arabia – involved in the crack down of the democracy movement in Bahrain, is part of the coalition of the willing – bombing started with no real strategy – and thanks TV we have it live at any given time.
The world is in a constant move in the moment – by nature, by political means – and we prepare for a world tour – for those into the logistics of this tour a real nightmare as routes have to be changed amidst real-time pressure. The ongoing drama of HIV/AIDS seems to be far away when each week brings new and exciting information about the Middle East region or Japan or any other political or natural disaster. It seems impossible to work on one front to ease the suffering of people when the next problem is already on the horizon, pushed by the modern media and its online websites, which only can sustain themselves if they chose new topics every hour to bring the reader back.

Maybe because events are unfolding so fast and the spectator has no chance but to digest the newest information, it is so important that some people stick to one topic and carry it over the time, reminding people again and again that new disasters don’t put away the unsolved ones. That is one of the reasons why I cherish what Joachim Franz and his team is doing – for the last 10 years. Sticking to one topic without losing compassion for actual problems. But insisting to carry on solving a suffering, which 33 million people worldwide effects and many more in a broader sense. Maybe because we are bombarded with so many different problems via the news we have no chance to give us the time to solve one for once and for all. I am convinced that all the money spend in Afghanistan and Iraq would have brought us closer to solve the problem of HIV and AIDS . We are getting half-hearted because there is so much to digest and our politicians and elected leaders try to jump on whatever they perceive to be the best bid for re-election. A vicious circle and surely not standing in the service of human mankind.

Filed under: General, HIV and AIDS, Politics and Society, Reflection, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , ,

03/11/2011 • 10:16 pm Comments Off on Bruxelles – Frankfurt – Johannesburg – Cape Town and in between

Bruxelles – Frankfurt – Johannesburg – Cape Town and in between

Multi-tasking is a word everybody knows from the computer systems and it seems, that in our days, not only computers but also human beings are forced to multi-task. Within 24 hours my body, soul and mind has to be in the different places – sitting in Bruxelles but sorting out things in Cape Town, while packing for the flight to Johannesburg via Frankfurt. One suitcase is going directly from Bruxelles to Johannesburg, while another is waiting in Frankfurt to join, deposited before leaving for Belgium as less baggage means faster moving at Bruxelles airport. While checking out of the hotel in Bruxelles I am on the phone with Cape Town, seeing an SMS coming in from Frankfurt.
It’s lent – and time of reflection means also to reflect on the demand, we are facing in our modern world, always to be available, via cell, w-lan, blackberry and there like. Doing one thing at a time seems almost out of fashion – or it seems, that we are only “in ” and “productive” when we can show running on several levels at the same time.

Maybe it is me coming into a certain age, but since a longer time I try to break out of these modern devils circles of proving your value – and I discover that especially when I am on travel, it works out that for a while I am able to shield myself from all those demands. It feels so good just to ignore emails and to concentrate on one task, one meeting, one encounter at a time. And it feels so good to keep time for oneself – and to enjoy those small  little islands of just “being” , just having a laugh, just being unproductive, just enjoying a “shit-chat” with a friend, a colleague or even a stranger somewhere on the way…

Lent maybe a time not only to reflect but to strengthen this development and I am sure, for the work, one is doing,  less multi-tasking and more “one task after the other”  will be beneficial for all on the short, middle and longterm run..

Filed under: General, Networking, Reflection, Society and living environment,

02/18/2011 • 8:28 am Comments Off on The day of the U2 concert

The day of the U2 concert

The day of the U2 concert has arrived and in the days before the newspapers were full of allegations against Bono, the lead singer, accusing him of supporting Julius Malemas “kill the farmer” song. Even when Bono retracted from his statement yesterday during an interview – there is another question open:
Is this singer turned activist a blessing or a curse for Africa? The same question applies to Bob Geldorf, who seems to have found a new role amidst politicians on high-profile meeting of the G7 leadership. Looking into their claims how to help Africa, there is in my eyes only one answer: they are a curse. Asking again and again for more money is a spin, we have had for the last 50 years and indeed, never has Africa received more money than ever. And the result is also clear as the world bank defines it: The people of Africa are not getting more rich or reaching the standards of a decent living: Africa has grown poorer in all these years.
In pushing for more money as Bono and Geldorf do, they just prolong the suffering of Africa as more money does not mean more development, more education, more clean water, more decent lives to live. It is not the solution but makes a solution more difficult in the development sector.
So I guess they should stay with their music and we can discuss whether we like the music or not. But they should keep out of politics like so many music stars, who seems to get into politics when their musical career is declining or even coming to an end. We don’t need Madonnas adopting babies from Africa, Geldorfs and Bonos pushing for more dollars and euros,  we also by the way don’t need the usual “one to one” partnerships between countries which gives the giving hand so much influence (like Minister Niebler unfortunately pushes in the case of the Global AIDS Fund) – we need to see and experience the life of ordinary people out here in Africa, we need to listen and then to act in a way bringing Africa forward instead our own interests.

Filed under: General, Networking, Reflection, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

02/13/2011 • 8:37 am Comments Off on The knives are out at home…

The knives are out at home…

It seems the knives are out in the Catholic church especially of my country of birth and in Europe – everybody wants dialogue but it seems that every fraction is fighting seemingly assuming that their position is the right way into a bright future of the RC church. The permission of the “old tridentine mass” as the extraordinary mass and the remarks of the pope regarding the condom use in the book of Mr Seewald – mixed with the abuse cases, the attempt to change the text of the mass to make it more “latin like” – from outside it looks frightening – fulled by irresponsible essays and news of so-called “catholic” websites in German language lacking every inch of the ethos of Catholicism and using a language rather be found in the times of the thirties of the last century in Germany. The just published declaration of theologian in Germany calling for a review of celibacy, women ordination and viri probati shows that since the II Vatican Council, nothing really has moved in these fields – binding our energy for matters which should have been resolved a long time ago.

If we really want to tackle the issues of the people and the faithful of our times, we have to stop fighting but first of all listening to each other. What energy is burned to hold up a certain ideology in our church or a so-called “tradition” – anxiety instead of freedom, attack and defence instead of listening to God’s good spirit.
And obviously this has also consequences for the topic, this blog is reflecting about. How much energy some put in to defend “Humanae Vitae” in a way which simply made it impossible within the church to develop an answer to the question: protection of life. And as Benedict XVI dared to speak his theological mind not saying anything new – for days the newspaper were full of comments and the Vatican had to issue three statements to interpret the interview of the pope in the right light. And now Vatican sources tell us that there is a new word on HIV/AIDS to expect, looking at it from a Christian perspective.  I hover between hope and despair waiting for this new paper.

I really would like to see a stop on all this navel gazing – how we can serve the people and make their life meaningful, that is the only question we should ask ourselves as members of or church, how we can open ourselves up to God’s spirit without always killing the breeze out of anxiety, stubbornness and a picture of God, which in reality is already outdated when we put it together. Then whoever and where ever God is, I believe that he/she is much more than we ever can think of. And for that, I am indeed grateful.

Serving in the field of HIV/AIDS would mean then to look anew at what sexuality constitutes, what sciences are telling us, how we have developed in the last 100 years. And from there to see how we can create a meaningful and responsible context for sexual activities which also matches the realities of us humans. Seeing how many young people world-wide are still dying we also have to reflect more on what life and death means and how we can learn to speak of a meaningful life, even if it is short. We have to put our view of a “successful” life on the test bench. HIV and AIDS has also to do with evolution, with a virus meeting a new host and being not able to co-exist in a way, other bacteria are living with us since ages.  The questions of justice and peace are also still not solved and I am sure the topic HIV and AIDS with all consequences could contribute immensely towards those questions.

So much to do… to reflect … to get down to business …

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, Reflection, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

02/02/2011 • 5:22 pm Comments Off on Tunesia, Egypt, Jemen ..

Tunesia, Egypt, Jemen ..

Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen – Jordan not far and maybe more to come. It is amazing for me to see how people cling on power throughout their life and expect that the position is one of a lifetime. The same we have on other  levels and in other fields:   founders of NGO’s who think they earn a lifetime pedestal in their respective organisation, local public figures,also church personal who clings to title and hierarchy level achieved. Sometimes it seems to me that those people simply don’t know who they are and that they never have achieved the inner maturity to be who they are meant to be. They cling to power, to title, to job because that is what keeps them straight and creates the stability necessary for life. But at the end they all depend on things which are not part of their inner being. There is no freedom of a mature person.

Freedom is always difficult, it is always a challenge, it asks always for decisions – it is so much more stressful than just being told what is black and white, right and wrong and just running life according to these parameters. How often is abuse of people the result. How often is ignorance another result – ignoring the truth, ignoring the people around one as that all is not asked for in such a life. I guess that also the big and small leaders, who cannot let go, are prisoners of their own ignorance, and victims of all those around them, who only articulate what they think the person concerned want to hear.

It is always good to have people who are able, willing and allowed to speak out, draw other scenarios, disagree, advise in an honest way. And prevent that we are so much cushioned in our position that we forget that all we do will have an end, and best is that in most cases we determine when to end a chapter in our life and start a new one. And give at the end others the opportunity to grow and deliver.

I am personally grateful to everybody who is not shy to give advice, to disagree – even if I don’t like it at times ..  🙂 But at the end, they are so necessary for me to find my way through life as a priest, as a co-founder of an NGO and in all the other capacities I have to deal with people and issues.

Filed under: General, Reflection, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , ,

Blog Categories

Follow God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE on WordPress.com

You can share this blog in many ways..

Bookmark and Share

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,711 other subscribers

Translation – Deutsch? Française? Espanol? …

The translation button is located on each single blog page, Copy the text, click the button and paste it for instant translation:
Website Translation Widget

or for the translation of the front page:

* Click for Translation

Copyright

© Rev Fr Stefan Hippler and HIV, AIDS and HOPE.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Rev Fr Stefan Hippler and HIV, AIDS and HOPE with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

This not withstanding the following applies:
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.