Celebrating diversity and difference through harmony is a gargantuan task for many in this, the third millennium.
Here at Edmund Rice Sinon, it is not so challenging a task.
Every Wednesday we invite local elders and priests from the community to come and give tuition and guidance to the students of our school. This time is called ‘dini’ and at the end of each year a ‘Dini Graduation’ takes place. It is a time to celebrate our core values and then come together to share a meal, a truly uniting experience.
All students at the school embrace the charism of Edmund Rice and work in unity towards universal harmony. If a school can celebrate our uniqueness and appreciate each others religious dogma, and if the students of this school aspire to be the next leaders of this nation, continent and world, then my gut tells me that we are in good hands.
The 1st September was an insight into a particularly moving element of life in Tanzania. An element that is spiritual, profound and all encompassing. This notion of spirituality, religious reflection and practice is almost foreign to the world that I left last year.
A world where media tried to perpetuate that the beliefs of a religion were responsible for the deaths of millions, the harassment of thousands and the isolation of those who believed. Here in this village, before each meal, before each exam and at the end of each day, a moment is taken to give thanks, offer blessing and seek comfort.
It is a tradition that many of us could do well to re-embrace, a practice that could not only reignite hope, offer peace and consolation but also provide a rich reason for living. I watched with pride as the students of Form 4 danced, listened, celebrated, shared, bore witness to and gave thanks for the life they were living.
My hope is that these leaders of the future will remember 1st September 2007 with pride and love, a common love for humanity, peace, justice and prosperity. Perhaps they will be the instruments of a memorandum of understanding that is signed by all members of the human race.
A memorandum which states that at the base of all our experiences is a search for understanding and a deep desire for love. We have much to learn from a Dini graduation. My hope is it will be before it is too late.
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By: Rachel McLean
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