God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

07/06/2012 • 6:04 pm Comments Off on No time to rest…

No time to rest…

It is amazing – after 24 hours at airports and in the air back in South Africa and it takes not even minutes to receive the first phone call. How do they know that one is back in the country, just switching on the cell? This week is occupied a lot from work with HOPE Cape Town. The transition phase is ongoing but I get the feel that we are getting there. The website need an update and all the news about the new cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Neu-Ulm must be beamed up. We started research in the fields of E-learning: How do our people learn best? With paper documents, computers or handheld devices? A 6 months study will hopefully tell us more about it.
But it was great to see the enthusiasm of the students and lectures from Neu-Ulm coming to Cape Town for a week of extensive work. And it was good for our HOPE Community Health worker to see how networking is functioning and how important it is to learn from each other.
Other meetings with fellow priests and friends complemented the week and there was also a second meeting regarding founding a European Club for Cape Town. A club, where one can do networking; but also intellectual and spiritual exchange should take place. And not only once a week or once a month. The club should provide a venue to be accessible every day, just to bump in for a drink and a chat or a business meeting. To make such an idea working one has to look at existing clubs to liaise and form an additional grouping using the facility. I find it an exciting idea and I have the impression that all involved like to work hard to get it off the ground and going.

Ending a time as chaplain at sea means also to write a report about your work, the church wants to know what one has done in this swimming vineyard and even some guests have already taken the opportunity to send greetings from home to their “ex-chaplain”.

Church wise the appointment of Bishop Mueller from Regensburg in Germany to be “God’s watchdog” has created some debate and yeah, I guess, it is debatable. He has a diversity which leaves one sometimes guessing in which direction it explodes. On one hand he is a friend of one of the most acknowledged liberation theologian in South America; on the other hand he dealt with laity in his diocese in a way which is more than questionable. And for the Pius-brothers he seems to be a heretic – denying the virgin birth of Jesus and the teaching of transubstantiation. So it seems nobody is really happy – except the pope I guess and I think we just have to wait and see what is happening. Even if the past might be difficult, there is always the hope that people can change or grow into a job in a way serving God and the people.  All the hasty judgements,be it positive or negative are too early. Let him start and we will see…

Reading also the news on AIDS I see that Uganda starts to have problems related to resistance. This comes not as a suprise, this is indeed one of the biggest challenges we have to keep the virus far away from turning into a nasty resistant one. But the chances are high that it will happen if we don’t watch out very carefully, also here in South Africa.
I also note that the OraSure HIV home kit test is now FDA approved. I remember sitting with the representative of this company quite some years ago and at that time I felt that this test could prove good to make testing easier and avoid the pre-test counselling which I believe we have to stop doing as soon as possible. But local government and the hospitals were not keen at that time even to listen to such a test not performed in a hospital setting.

Well, weekend is coming and I hope there is time for some reading. I just have counted: There are 23 books waiting to be read…

Filed under: General, HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, Networking, Reflection, Society and living environment, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

06/06/2012 • 11:57 am Comments Off on Osnabrueck

Osnabrueck

Time is flying and the weekend sees me flying again, first to Osnabrueck attending the “Afrika-Festival” – giving a talk in the evening about my work and experience in South Africa and then the next morning visiting of the diocesan schools to discuss matters with the students and teachers. Then to Hamburg to board the AMADEA for a 14 days cruise. The last time, which was the first time I did the chaplain-to-sea-duty, I realised how important it is to engage with those on board of such huge ships and to bridge many times the living realities of those being the guests and those who are visited in different countries. What an eye opener for some to realise that the way, Germans live in Germany is not the standard – and that the reality seen on TV behind protective glass is so much different when we see, touch, smell it.
So all my travel is about bridging the gap – trying to bring worlds apart together – and at the same time reflecting on my own inner conflict between the two worlds or even more I am living in and have to deal with every day. All living in those world have the obligation to make themselves understandable to others and what could be a more suitable vehicle for that than the church as an international and truly world-wide organisation with the feet so often on the ground through the people working in the fields. And how much chance is given away in the Eurocentric and autocratic way the church is run – additional being so Rome and pope centered that so many voices might never be heard in their life time. We need to have the “German dialogue” expanded in a much bigger fashion if we want to have a future as real brothers and sisters.

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

06/01/2012 • 7:15 pm Comments Off on Weekend in reach…

Weekend in reach…

What a week it was again – full of encounters and many of them very enriching for one’s own life. But also dull moments, moments that hurt and were you suddenly realise how different other people look at you and judge you.
The transformation process of HOPE Cape Town is still in full swing and my guess is, that end of the year we are sorted in a way that has prepared us for the next 10 years to come. Transformation time is often traumatic, because beloved habits or ideas have to be abounded and fresh, unknown wind is blowing. But I belive that there is that meaningful line in everybody’s life,  also in a life of an organisation, that makes sense and brings the best out of people.
I remain concerned about the state of the church – Vatican leak, the conservatism of church leaders, the anxiety to let the Spirit roam freely, the unification and streamlining instead of bringing out the best of diversity in the universal church, the fight against a relativism which might be none at all, empty churches in Europe, structural reforms which sometimes destroy more than it supports what is still left – I read that the US Catholic church is doing politics in going to court over the health reform – contraception – the most ignored teaching of the church as a catalyst to fight government. Not sure I do understand it in full. I just wonder…

Tomorrow I will say Mass in Milnerton – Holy Trinity Sunday – what a challenge for a priest.. – but at the end it is not about a theological construct but about the unconditional love of God. Not more and not less..

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

05/02/2012 • 4:39 pm Comments Off on It is always looking so easy…

It is always looking so easy…

… when a ball, or better the Ball of HOPE is up and running.  Music, entertainment,raffle, live music, speeches, food – and it is indeed a great relief for the organizers if and when the curtain falls after the programme part and everybody just enjoys him- or herself. Forgotten then all the drama beforehand: bookings change at the last moment, but please the names must be on the alphabetic name board. Or whom to address first in a welcome speech – how much overtime we estimate the main speaker will take – it is important for the kitchen – just imagine the meet or the fish is dry because to long kept warm because of a timeless speech.. If the waiter does not function well, the raffle tickets are not at hand – the band is not in a good mood – all has to be balanced well and all the small little nitty gritties up to the decoration must be perfectly done – otherwise there will be some mentioning later. All in all we as the Ball of HOPE organisers cannot complain – the guests are normally willing to be entertained with ease and small little hickups in the programme are overlooked. The question of the room temperature we have now under control  – a bit higher first until the first bottle of wine is  consumed and the spirit high and then a bit down to avoid overheating.. 🙂 Even after 15 years it is every year again anew a first time experience – and I am grateful to have such a great partner in crime whom I can rely on. I am looking forward to the evening on Saturday and I am sure it will be once again a great event with great guests enjoying what we have prepared – and with “we” I mean much more than only Anja and myself. There are so many people involved, from the hotel, the deco firm, the sponsor companies and so on – so many people have only one goal: to offer the chance to celebrate an enjoyable evening and to do good for the cause of HOPE Cape Town. And thinking back of the humble beginnings in 1998, where I started a “dinner-dance” at the good old Nelly with Archbishop Tutu as the guest of honour and 80 guests – we came a long way until now. A salute to all those during the last 15 years who supported, donated or in any other way joined the good cause of HOPE Cape Town.  Lets hope for many more years to come with this annual event…

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

04/25/2012 • 5:36 pm Comments Off on Before the Ball of HOPE…

Before the Ball of HOPE…

It is the time before the Ball of HOPE again – and even if I have to give credit to Anja Tambusso-Ferraz from the Chamber of Commerce and Kerstin Behlau from HOPE Cape Town to overlook and organise most things it is piling up again – sudden thoughts are rushing to my mind again and again at night – “hope we don’t forget….” Yes, it is the 14th ball and yes, there is a routine to follow, but every year is different. But some feelings stay the same: moments before the ball = “never again” – the thrill when opening the ball, the relief when the dance floor is opened and we can sit down and relax and the happiness about some nice thank you letters and the possibility to hand over the proceeds to HOPE Cape Town and assist in their work.

This year we not only celebrate 10 years of the Ithemba ward – established as the first “infectious disease” ward at Tygerberg Children’s Hospital but also 60 years of the Southern-African – German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Since 2001 the Cape Town office supports the work of HOPE Cape Town. I am just thinking how many people have been given hope and light and a perspective in life, only because every year round about 300 guests have a splendid evening and are willing to share their joy via HOPE Cape Town. And I am asking: What would be an organisation like HOPE Cape Town be without all the faithful supporters out there, be it in Cape Town or anywhere else in the world?
I think, being part of a charity organisation one should always count the blessings – and each and every one giving HOPE Cape Town a thought, a helping hand, a meaningful advice, a networking opportunity, a donation, a sponsorship is a blessing for us. It means for us working for HOPE Cape Town an obligation to strive for the utmost on care, on love, on committment towards the cause. In this sense it is good to have the Ball of HOPE also as a reminder for all working with HOPE Cape Town… a reminder with very grateful conotation…

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

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