Page 25 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 22

Community

whether a girl or a boy misbehaving, And so I would say that, as Afrika up to pursue his mandate in re-
please don’t call law enforcement. we need to create conversation, then pairing these breeches that exist
Intervene, try as much as you can to also know how to tell our stories, in society what it’s like and what
have a conversation with that child, and it’s the other thing that we also is going on behind the scenes
because when you call law enforce- encourage boys to do. that sometimes we’re just not
ment they’ll come and do their honest with ourselves about. So,
work, and a child who is broken, the There’s this boy who had been I just want to round up by saying
child will be broken even more. I released from a juvenile center this, if you want to connect with
remember someone telling me that and he was asking, “But since my John Wills get in touch with us,
there are some issues in the society, records are wrong, will I ever get a we will put you in touch immedi-
or rather how a child behaves, that job somewhere?” And my question ately.
will require a child being taken to a to him was, “Why do you think I feel like there are people out
police station. I know, yes, breaking you need a job?” And he said, “To there who are trying to figure out
the law and all those things, those make money.” “What else?” “To ways in which to roll out pro-
things happen. But why do we get live a good life.” “What else?” “To grams like he is and he already
there? The reason we have 85% of live in a good neighborhood.” “And has this written down. We’ve told
boys and men in prison compared then what else?” And he said, “You you oftentimes it’s not neces-
to 15, 14 percent of women in have so many questions. Can you sary to start from scratch, you
prison is simply that we are not en- just give me a solution?” And so I can plug into people across the
gaging as a society. The reason why told him, “Actually, what you need continent, find out what they’re
we have women every day crying of is to function as a human being doing and how they’re doing it,
oppression even as the workplace is and all those things that you have get content like this that you can
because we’re not engaging as men. mentioned are motivated by fear. So, immediately begin to implement
So, for Brave Heart it is mainly to you ended up in prison because of on the ground and start to do the
build a community and a society resistance, you resisted something work of transforming. Of course,
that will help these young people that you were not given a chance to you’re going to adapt it to your
be responsible, and ten years from express, so you ended up in prison. local context so that it is more
now we can have a connection in While prison, you were in denial relevant, but in terms of getting
different Afrikan states where men that this thing is not happening, and foundational tools in order for
are speaking the same language and that’s what elevated your stress and you to be able to build and re-
it’s a language driven by vision and a depression levels to manage the pain build and reconstruct society the
language driven by unity. of rejection, of shame and guilt in way that we need to and the way
prison. And then when you’re leav- that we need to do with the speed
Yesterday I was watching a docu- ing prison, you have fear. So you still that we need to do it with, part-
mentary on South Afrikan commu- go back to where you were, so we nerships, interactions, relation-
nities; the Zulu and all that. And I need to address these three things.” ships are necessary. Afrika must
realized the amount of wealth in And he said,”It’s okay.” So I asked once again become the connect-
our history, it’s something that we him, “What do you want to do?” He ed vessel and tool that she needs
need to study because of the kind said, “I want to learn more.” I told to be in order for the hearts and
of unity that these people had, and him, “Just go back to school. Just do the minds of men and women
then when you look at what broke that. When that time comes where across the continent, young and
the unity it’s capitalism. Every time someone requires you to see your old to be able to be restored and
that community was defeated it’s records, then you’ll have a conversa- revitalized so that we can become
simply because of capitalism. And tion around it, but be present. And and continue to be the life-giving
every time they defeated the enemy, what isolation also does, isolation spirits that we are meant to be
those who had come to invade, it’s makes you live in the past, or live in because that is our role.
simply because they were function- the future, you’re never present. And Thank you so much for watching
ing as human beings. And today, like that’s why people don’t connect. today. Thank you for allowing
I have friends who are pastoralists us to have this time with you, we
and these people, are not stressed, So you see why we had to talk appreciate it.
why, because they have human con- to John Wills! It was absolutely
nection and they are not addicted imperative that you hear from the
as we are to profits and such things. heart of someone who has stood

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