God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

02/08/2010 • 10:17 pm Comments Off on 08.02.2010 Monday blues again…

08.02.2010 Monday blues again…

Monday morning starts off with two doctors interested in the HOPE Cape Town project. Somehow an interesting dialogue between European and African thinking. For me amazing to see how people really try to get a grips on the HIV pandemic in Southern Africa and develop ideas how to minimise the transmission rate. Obviously also the stance of the Catholic Church is part of the discussion.

Thereafter a TV request and discussion with the producer what is possible on short notice. It is sometimes difficult to judge and see how we can get the legitimate request for information together with what we can render on possibilities to fulfill such requests. In the moment, lots of TV teams are searching for motives, interviews and stories around the soccer world cup 2010… People in South Africa are generally more sensitive about cameras in townships and I can understand it. For too long, townships have been used and sometimes abused to produce, what was requested, without really respecting the dignity of the people. Times have changed and I think it is good that they have changed.

CCMA next, the center for conciliation and arbitration has scheduled a meeting to discuss a case of dismissal, I have been involved with. Also here it is sometimes not easy to find a balance between the very different standpoints of view of the employee and the employer. But after an informal discussion a solution is found and the more legal ways avoided. I am quite relieved about it.

Then office work, emails – I think I did write about them a couple of days earlier – to answer takes time, a request for an interview tomorrow regarding Nelson Mandela and his release from prison has to be prepared, some phone calls and then it is time for a home visit with house mass. A good tradition to bring some families together to celebrate the Eucharist in their home and then to stay together for a decent meal and lots of chat and discussion. It is good to touch again the lives of people, talk about families, their joys and hard times, about any topic just coming up. I always find a house mass very intense as people are more participating, are more part of the celebration.

The evening ends with some preparation for tomorrow, some last emails to answer and reading the latest news on the internet.

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Medical and Research, Reflection, Society and living environment, , , , , , , , , , , ,

02/03/2010 • 5:22 am Comments Off on 03.02.2010 Friends are there for…

03.02.2010 Friends are there for…

…letting thoughts flow. A wonderful and more spontaneous luncheon with a friend where I was able to take a breath and to talk about personal things which really moved me in the moment. It feels like a blessing to be able to share when heart and mind creates a rollercoaster situation.  🙂

Otherwise I spend the morning with young journalists from Germany – organised by the “Sueddeutsche Zeitung”. We went to visit a primary health care facility in Mfuleni, one of our patients at home and then went to Tygerberg Academic Children’s Hospital and HOPE Cape Town to discuss current issues. The journalists already had meetings with important people like the German Ambassador Dieter Haller and Premier Helen Zille. Their task is it to gather background information about South Africa before the Soccer World cup 2010 starts. And it is difficult. As I heard there is either painted a rosy picture of South Africa in anticipation of the sports event – and it seems that nobody is allowed to say a critical word about some areas of concern – or people condemn and warn of security failure and the horrendous crime rates. It seems in the moment, there is only black and white at our disposal – and I think, this is simply wrong. South Africa has, like all other nations a variety of gray – yes, we have crime and the statistics are shocking, but yes, hundred thousands of tourists are visiting South Africa every year  and most of them are going home with a positive impression and lots of good experience. Yes, there are concerns, also security concerns – but yes, there are also lots of efforts to make 2010 a success for South Africa and Africa. Yes, the price structure of some airlines and hotels are indeed rather reminding us of gangsterism, on the other hand – there will be enough good deals closer to the time. We have to be honest brokers of the realities of South Africa. I concede, the realities are not that easy to read and interpret often – but only if we see and communicate all the potential for success, but also not forget the pitfalls – South Africa is like any other nation made out of humans and human structures… Nothing wrong about it.

The stadiums are ready – the people get more enthusiastic, upgrades of roads and transport systems are driving us South Africans crazy every day we commute to town, the soccer world cup 2010 will be a success – the African way and that is indeed good so…  Such events also help to highlight the shortcomings of a country – but which country has no shortcomings??

So I hope that the journalists went back to their hotel with the impression, that they got an honest assessment of the situation without politics or diplomacy tainting the picture. I think there is no need. Looking back to the last years there is surely more sun than shadow – and the way, South Africa will choose will anyhow only decided after the world cup circus will move on.

One is for sure: the soccer world cup 2010 prevented South Africa and its young democracy to  dip deeper into trouble during the developing times, when we have to learn how to organise us as such a democracy. The soccer world cup 2010 was and is the necessary nail to stop destructive development. My South African part tells me that nothing is decided yet when it comes to the future of South Africa, but one thing is for sure: the potential to create a home for all and a stable democracy is at hand, but in our times, all countries are interdependent as the global recession has again shown. So the future of South Africa also hangs in the balance with the other states and nations of this world. I will remain optimistic and realistic. A realistic optimist or an optimistic realist.. whatever is necessary in the next years to come…

Filed under: General, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

02/01/2010 • 6:56 am Comments Off on 01.02.2010 News which grabbed my attention this early morning

01.02.2010 News which grabbed my attention this early morning

There are some news which grabbed my attention this morning:

The first is from Berlin where the rector of the Berlin  Canisius-Kolleg gave a press conference about the abuse of minors, which happened in the college in the seventies. Amongst his thoughtful assessment he also said: “The church is suffering of homophobie.” He elaborated that the church keeps quiet about homosexuality in its own rank and the clergy with this inclination is permanently unsure whether there are accepted within the church hierarchy when they deal honestly with their sexuality. I think this is right – we all have to deal with sexuality – and only when we can do it in an honest way, then my assessment is, that most cases of abuse of minors could be avoided. In my view we as a church are guilty of not confronting this topic in a reasonable way many times.

The second news this morning is also from the church and deals with a talk, Archbishop Marx from Munich gave in Davos,where he supported the idea of controlling the banks better after the disaster last year. I think he is right, but that is for still to little to late. Maybe the article I read gave not all he said, but I guess, we have to learn many more lessons from the last recession and as far as I can see, we do ignore most of these but instead touch up some spots and go ahead as usual – until the next crash. It seems that the politicians nor the churches are able really  and hard and honest to reflect on major changes in our economical and political system to avoid disaster and to come to a just system of an economic system, which also has a social component. The fact that every politicans is eager to be re-elected in a short time of office means that most of them have no guts to really go for reform.
The system of Hartz IV in Germany, the unbelievable ignorance of politicians in Germany when it comes to the reform of health care show as examples the impotence of current politics.

The third news of this morning is about the Iraq war and its consequences. It is reported that the advisers to President Bush, who gave green light for the legal implementation of torture as an offical tool for the military and the CIA will not be prosecuted. It is a shame that the masterminds of the implementation of torture are going free while normal people face the full force of the law when convicted of minor things. We are not equal before the law. The same applies by the way for Georg W Bush and Tony Blair who, would they have lived and acted as an African head of states would face the Criminal Court in De Haag for war crimes – starting a war without legal grounds. As European or US American, they are standing above the international law. It is indeed a joke that we fail to implement our own ethical principals to ourselves while insisting they are applied to others.

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

01/28/2010 • 10:31 pm 1

28.01.2010 Students from Chicago

After a days work and quite some meetings I am invited to give a talk for students of the University of Chicago, who are on a course in Cape Town. The students listen very attentive while I try to bring them closer the grim reality of HIV and AIDS in South Africa. Yes, we have made progress, yes, there are almost one million people on treatment – but also yes, there are problems with adherence and compliance, yes, it is a reality that still hundreds of South Africans die every day as a consequence of HIV and AIDS. And yes, there are logistical problems, and yes, they are instances, where treatment is not given – lack of money, resources, man power – you name it.

And yes, we haven’t reached the peak of the problem yet – the Soccer World Cup 2010 and all its tales cover nicely up for all the things not running well in our country. It is not the time to debate them now – now is the time for fun and joy and soccer. The world should see, what we have achieved so far – and yes, we have achieved a lot, but the reality starts again on the 12.07,2010 when the FIFA circus is moving on to the next country and South Africa is left alone…

Let’s see

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

01/27/2010 • 10:25 pm Comments Off on 27.01.2010 a normal day..

27.01.2010 a normal day..

Standing up at 6h10 this morning, and being at the office before 7am. First checking emails & news before going to town. Meeting with my co-operation partner Anja Tambusso Ferraz from the Southern African – German Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Petra Reichwein from the Mediterranean Villa to discuss the next Ball of HOPE, to be held on the 22nd of May 2010 at the Westin Grand Hotel. A bit later our musical director Adolf Thelen joins to discuss the musical arrangements. After that planing for the service on Ash Wednesday for the Holy Cross Primary School in Brooklyn.  Back to the office and working on reducing the stable of papers, files and folders on the desk, answering letters, phone calls before heading off again to an interview regarding a volunteer position during soccer world cup 2010. I am considered for a “protocol position” and faced with 3 interviewers I try to answer all the questions. It is amazing to sit again in an interview on the side with the one chair.. 🙂

Back to the office, more phone calls, more paper work, some preparations for tomorrow for a talk and some meetings and at 6pm home, only to meet with friends at 7 for dinner. Back home at 9h30 pm – some reading of theological nature and now the blog and a last check on emails. Preparing some papers for the senior staff meeting of HOPE Cape Town tomorrow and for my sergeant duties at the Rotary meeting tomorrow noon time.  A day is done… nothing extra-ordinary but enough left for tomorrow and the rest of the week.

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

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