Tuesday 18 April 2007, Dili

My first proper day in Dili.

Attended a workshop run by GTZ with some of members of various Martial Arts Groups (MAGs). The focus of the workshop is on getting them to articulate their ideas on conflict and conflict resolution.

In the round of introductions, each one of the participants had to identify which martial art they practiced or group they belonged to.. Some did kung fu, others did tae-kwon-do or karate. When it came to my turn to introduce myself, I admitted to practicing aikido which received quite a respectful response. ;-) I had lots of enquiries - direct and indirect - about my aikido. It seems as if (1) there is an aikido group in Dili, being taught by a Japanese instructor and (2) that they have not been part of this peacebuilding effort thusfar. I will try and see if I can't get in some training with them over the weekend. Good thing I packed my keiogi and my hakama ;-)

The group, drawn as it is from several (conflicting) MAGs was understandably wary of each other. Some had met before on a leadership workshop, but for others this was a new experience. An exercise that brought them out of their shell was a sculpting exercise where they had to create an image of what they thought of the current situation using a few pebbles, some twigs and some grass. Silently.

Without the constraint of language, the group became incredibly animated with easily 100 images being produced as participant after participant rearranged the same set of materials into new and interesting shapes. All in about 1 hour. Debriefing the exercise gave an interesting insight into how the E Timorese react and how for the most part challenges or criticisms are met with a resort to violence. This I think is exacerbated by the dire socio-economic conditions and the accompanying frustration of fundamental needs.

Some work will have to be done on the cultural level to engage with what seems to be a very macho culture, where young men only touch each other with their fists, where the sexes are kept very strictly apart and where the expression of feelings is not a conscious skill.
I have been amazed at what does come out when language is bypassed. It shows that the lack of education has an effect in frustrating people who cannot give vent to their concerns.
So we need to find a different way...

And at the end of the day, this was the sight that greeted me as I left the office.....