MELLOWVIEWS Issue 3: Stories about home and community
ISSUE 3
Igihozo writes about green homes & communal living Sheija explores the ways architecture impacts human behavior Ines Makuza captures the comforts of home in poetry and behind her camera
Cover Image Gaju Editorial Sarah Agatoni Editor Mutsinzi Deputy Editor Contributors Rita Umuliza Igihozo Gloria Ines Makuza Ben Rutabana Sheija Angela Shyaka Maya Mutesi Uwera Ntaganzwa Mutsinzi Gaju
www.mellowviews.com info@mellowviews.com
MV
Published July 4th 2018 All Rights Reserved.
HOME & COMMUNITY CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION Rita Umuliza
ROOTED
Igihozo Gloria
PETIT PAYS REVIEW, THE WALLS BETWEEN US Mutsinzi
THE IMPERCEPTIBLE WAYS ARCHITECTURE IMPACTS OUR BEHAVIOR Ben Rutabana Sheija
COMFORT
Ines Makuza
WHY DESIGN MATTERS Angela Shyaka
HERE IS MY HOPE
Uwera Ntaganzwa
COMMUNITARIASM FOR DUMMIES Maya Mutesi
INTRODUCTION by Rita Umuliza
Home: a sentiment so dear to us that we would go the extra mile to hold on to it. For some, home represents identity, it informs how we see ourselves and who we feel connected to. Our cultures, traditions and value systems are often influenced by the places we’ve come to know as our home. For others it’s a place where they feel safe and shielded from the chaos of the world. And for many it’s a place that gives a sense of belonging. In fact, many wars have been fought in the name of home. A moment in history that hits close to home is the RPF's quest to reclaim a land that meant so much to them they were willing to loose their lives for it. And while the United goal was to fight for their right to inhabit a place they called home, each person had their own definition of what that would look and feel like, a testament to the beauty of the sentiment— only we can define and shape the meaning of home. It changes as we evolve and adapts to our life situations as they change. This issue of Mellowviews explores the moving pieces that quantify and define the spaces and places we call home. These writers teach us that the idea of home is nuanced and that there are no rules that govern how we shape that idea.
05
06
Rooted: Green Homes and Communal Living WORDS BY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Igihozo Gloria
Gaju
The theme of my first-year welcome week was: “Be planted”. It seemed like an odd choice, given the wide word bank that could have been consulted. It wasn’t until the college president addressed us that it became clear what these two simple yet heavy words would come to signify for all the eager students, now listening attentively. The president reminded us of the importance of being rooted in an environment that nurtures maturity of intellect, character, and faith. She delved into the beauty of diversity and what it means to embrace and celebrate our differences. It was a short but effective speech, making us understand that just like the previous at home, this new phase of life will constantly challenge our ideas and beliefs and open our minds to different worldviews.
As soon as we were dismissed, we went back into our dorm rooms. I sat on the small bed and looked around the pale room. How could I possibly call this home? How could I be expected to “root” myself in such a place? What home is and what it's not, is broad and subjective. Growing up, home was the house I lived in and nothing more. We often equate home with living in an environment that values one as an individual, allowing them to grow and achieve their best potential. Home can embody ideas, beliefs, and at times a yearning for something beyond what we are accustomed to. For third culture individuals, home is harder to define. It is neither physical nor emotional, rather a combination of the two: an attempt to be rooted within a
19
physical environment while looking for pieces of what feels like home in people. This new place was cold and unwelcoming. It lacked the cool bliss of lying on the tile floor when it was scorching hot outside, the aroma of a delicious meal, the sound of laughter from neighbors’ homes, and above all... a sense of peace and belonging. I hoped that the unfamiliar would become familiar, and bestow on me a sense of home. But the feeling never came. It was hard to find peace in a place where I did not feel like I was part of a community. It became clear with time that home was more than a comfortable bed and a clean shower. If I were to survive, I had to find a connection to this new environment. If I was going to make this place my home for the next four years, I had to redefine what that would look like. I reflected on what I needed to feel safe and peaceful: To feel at home.
The main thing was community. I was born and raised in a society where neighbors shared meals, laughter, and more. It was welcoming in that it made sure each of its members felt loved, valued, and cared for. Now, I was in a society where the word community was a mere reference to church groups and bonds forged out of common characteristics, out of sameness. If my idea of home were translated into a house, it would be in an environment that welcomes and celebrates differences: A community that seeks and values the contribution of each member, while fostering harmony. Being in a place that called out complacency, and exposed to ideas of clean energy, sustainable living, and eco-friendly lifestyles, it dawned on me that I had to expand my idea of home to include this new way of living: To be careful of the footprint we leave on the environment.
08
The majority of Rwandans who build houses don’t think green. We plant trees, but that’s as far as we go. Present and immediate concerns mean that certain things are delegated to the future, to be thought of later when we have “fewer problems”. However, part of what being communal entails is being environmentally conscious and ensuring that generations to come have a place they can call home. Sustainable living is a way of rethinking how we build and what we build with. It might include building and buying homes in areas with water treatment and recycling systems or lighting and warming our homes with sunlight or even using rainwater tanks to give communities access to clean water. In essence, taking advantage of our locality. Creativity is a necessary requirement for sustainability. Case in point: Volcanic rocks were first thought bothersome and useless, until someone recognized the upside of building with them. The rocks are ideal for creating sidewalks in parks and botanical garden without hindering the growth of indigenous plants seeing as they are porous and good at retaining moisture and heat.
Affordability is the other requirement. Organizations specializing in sustainable housing are numbered and have placed such high prices on the houses that it's hard for the average person to afford one. Builders should strive to think green and set standards on the types of homes that welcome individuals from all walks of life.
‘Petit Pays’ is Gaël Faye’s first novel. It tells the story of Gabriel, who now living in France, is haunted by his troubling past, a past that has its beginnings in Burundi where he was born to a French father and a Rwandan mother. Petit Pays is a collection of Gabriel’s recollections, of the peace that had once been, of the pain of growing up too quickly and of the war which replaced his home’s peaceful and eternal afternoons. A war which not only happened around him but also inside him. Gaël Faye tells his story through the eyes of the 10 year old Gabriel which I found effective in describing the beginnings of ethnic clashes both in Rwanda and Burundi because of the neutrality that comes with such a tender age. Gabriel, who through out the story is referred to as Gaby, first experiences the effects of conflict in his home in Bujumbura when the endless quarrels of his parents result into their separation. His mother, Yvonne, longs to return to her birth country and can’t seem to come to terms with the comfortable life she lives with her family in Bujumbura. She simply can’t stand the thought of forgetting where she came from.
Petit Pays: Gaël Faye's debut novel drives every point home WORDS BY Mutsinzi
Most of the story is set in and around Gaby’s neighborhood. It is here that he spends his afternoons with his friends. It is here that he and his friends, the ‘Kinanira Boys’ steal, sell and devour their neighbors’ mangoes, secretly smoke packs of cigarettes and share their first beers. It is here that the Kinanira Boys grow into the Kinanira Gang and finally it is here that despite fleeing Burundi to live in France, that Gaby’s heart remains.
11 Gaël Faye captures well the problem of identity with Gaby’s character. More so because Gaby is ‘metis’. His physical being acts as an important reminder of unity despite his incessant battle with the pressure to choose sides. At one point in the book, Gaby expresses this fight to find himself through these beautiful words:
La guerre, sans qu’on lui demande, se charge toujours de nous trouver un ennemi
Gaby’s friends, when the genocide in Rwanda begins, are quick to turn against the Burundian ‘Hutu’ because they consider them to be one with those responsible for the Rwandan killings. They soon become gang-affiliated and Gaby is pressured to become one of them. However, Gaby instead grows distant to his friends, he feels more and more the corrupting nature of ethnic tensions. As a way to escape his troubling reality, Gaby uses books and letter-writing as a form of escapism. It is his letters that give us an intimate account of what the war in Rwanda and political tensions in Burundi are doing to his people, how it is tearing
his once comfortable life apart. The most moving of all the letters is his letter to his late cousin, Christian, who was killed during the Rwandan genocide. Gaël Faye makes use of these letters to describe the process of trying to make sense of something as complex and terrible as a genocide. The political clashes in Burundi and the Rwandan genocide have an inescapable effect on Gaby. He loses so much. He loses his father shortly after fleeing to France and loses his mother (albeit not literally) because of her trauma after the Rwandan genocide. She’s never herself again, she goes mad. Gaël Faye’s intention with this book isn’t to paint a gray and grim image of war. It is instead to demonstrate just how resilient the love for one’s country can be. Gaby despite everything he experiences at a young age, never succumbs to hate for his country and you have to admit in difficult times such as those portrayed in this book, it isn’t a very easy thing to do. Gaby holds on to the beautiful times he had way back when his country knew peace. Gaël Faye’s mellow, sound-rich descriptions of such a time provide a sharp contrast against the mute, uncertain period which is to follow. It also serves as a subtle symbol of hope. Gaby’s inability to forget the good times implies the possiblity to reproduce them is not lost. Hope for the ‘Petit Pays’ is not lost.
THE IMPERCEPTIBLE WAYS ARCHITECTURE IMPACTS OUR BEHAVIOR
WORDS BY Ben Rutabana Sheija PHOTOGRAPHY BY Gaju
Casinos. A wonderland to a lucky few, a sophisticated but solvable puzzle to elite minds but ultimately a cash siphon to most. The latter is because when stripped to its skin and bones, a casino is nothing more than a cash-churning warehouse. How it accomplishes this however, is nothing short of brilliant and well executed social engineering. It’s common knowledge that all games are designed to give a statistical advantage to the house. If that’s the case, why do rational nonimpulsive people still splurge in casinos? The atmosphere. There are obvious methods used to create an inviting atmosphere, for example free drinks offered to players. Others are more subtle: flashy and
13 and flamboyant visual cues followed by a loud siren anytime someone wins money, encouraging the crowd to keep playing. Some details are part of the very structure of casinos. Many of them have soft, lush carpeting, which fades out into hard tiles towards the exit, subconsciously driving people towards comfortable footing. Inside the arena, you’ll notice a lack of windows, natural light, and the absence of clocks. This is explicitly done so players don’t notice the passage of time. Instead, the warm lighting which floods the room gets less inviting nearing the exit. The most important aspect, however, is the building’s maze-like design , which discourages people from finding an exit. The maze-like design is so effective that Ikea, a multinational Swedish furniture retail company, implements it in its stores worldwide. The goal is to maximize in-store time by pushing people through a confusing maze and encouraging impulse buys. Alan Penn, director of the Virtual Reality Centre for the Built Environment at University College London describes the path as “their catalog in physical form”. “You’re directed through their marketplace area where a staggering amount of purchases are impulse buys, things like light bulbs or a cheap casserole that you weren’t planning on getting … Because the layout is so confusing you know you won’t be able to go
back and get it later, so you pop it in your cart as you go past.” The result? 60% of purchases made by people were not on their original shopping list.
14
This concept that physical structures and the built environment can limit and channel behavior in a predictable manner is not new. Maurice Broady, a British planner who coined the term “architectural determinism”, claimed that the built environment is the primary and perhaps sole determinant of social behavior. Companies believe there’s some truth to Broady’s otherwise extreme view. Open office floor plans (those where no personal offices or cubicles exist) have become popular. The argument is that they foster a sense of community and faster dissemination of information among coworkers, which boost productivity. However, a study found that openoffice employees take about 62% more sick days than those who work in private offices. Others have concluded that visual and noise pollution offset the benefits and overstimulated employees, stressing them in the long run. Regardless of which side is correct, it’s clear that the number of walls
affects the performance of the people working within them. The same can be said for the number of windows. Sunlight influences our sleep cycle, and sunlight deprivation can lead to sleep disorders. “Light certainly has a physiological impact on people,” says Dr Alan Lewis, a lecturer in architecture at Manchester university. “Research has shown that visible light helps thehuman body to regulate the production of the hormone melatonin, which in turn helps to regulate our body clock, affecting sleep patterns and digestion. “Visible light also helps to stimulate the body's production of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which can reduce the symptoms of depression.” Armed with knowledge of the once imperceptible ways environments influence behavior, architects strive to create the perfect space. But the truth is that creating the “perfect” space is an impossible, and subjective, balancing act between form and function. The space we occupy is an extension of ourselves and creating a permanent structure that perfectly matches complex, fluid, and ever-changing personalities is like building a snowman in a desert: difficult to pull off and impossible to keep up.
Comfort Poetry and Photography by Ines Makuza
I could never figure out what ‘home’ meant as a third culture kid, constantly moving around, never settling in long enough to call a place home the way I wanted to. Until I realized I had it all wrong. Whether you’re somewhere for 3 months or 3 years, home is wherever you find comfort. Within any four walls,
17
there is love and calm. Tucked up to a book, diving into Netflix, or simply listening to music. Within any four walls, you can cook up a tasty storm, ready to ravish in the kitchen where culture comes alive. Within any four walls, there is comfort in the routine you
build. Wake up. Shower. Shop at the market nearby, sit by the balcony enjoying the view of green and blue and houses atop hills. Within any four walls, there is comfort in the home you build for yourself.
WHY DESIGN MATTERS WORDS BY Angela Shyaka PHOTOGRAPHY BY Gaju
19 We spend around 90% of our lives in the built environment; from the shelters we call home, to schools we get educated in, arenas, stadium and malls we go to for entertainment, to bridges, parking lots and gardens. Design is quite literally everywhere. But how often do you stop and think about the spaces that you go through and live in? Have you ever thought about their impact on your life? More specifically, their influence on our health and well-being? It may surprise you at first, but it is true. We have a rich and well documented portfolio of architectural examples and research that show the positive impact of good design as well as the negative impact of bad design on human beings (as well as plants, and other living beings- but for the sake of this not turning into an infinite complex debate and volume-worthy entry that while I would happily entertain the idea of writing, I would rather not; let’s stick to our species). Pruitt-Igoe is an example of a good initiative gone wrong. This 1950s housing complex designed by Minoru Yamasaki followed the contemporary architectural principles and aimed at urbanizing social housing by accommodating hundreds of working-class families in Northern St Louis, Missouri. But the bland, plain regular design (which, if you look at it, has no contextual cultural root) resulted in increased crime rates, vandalism, and ultimately was vacant. Result? It was demolished in 1972.
But you can as well look around for examples. Imagine you're in a 25 metre square room that only has one 0.04 metre square window that provides light into the room but is too high for you to look through. The walls, floor, and ceiling are painted grey. Now, imagine yourself in a similar room, half the walls are painted a light orange, and the other half made of glass, such that the garden outside is now visible. Which room would you prefer to spend time in? Why? The darker room creates a sense of seclusion and dullness, the lack of stimuli will likely bore you or even go as far as tire you, while the brighter room not only gives you access to the exterior through the openings, but the colors are engaging and vibrant. The condition and nature of our surroundings affect us emotionally. If you feel a difference in the way you’d feel in a space in the span of an hour, imagine how much the different spaces you frequented throughout your life impacted you.
What makes you want to walk down the long road in Nyarutarama, the one that goes through tennis club, wanders around and hides you from the world under the umbrella of its trees lined up on the sidewalk? The little touches and attention to detail such as maintained sidewalks, roads and vegetation make a difference. Everyday on my way to work, I pass by a commercial building, the Centene Plaza, composed of an 18 story office building adjacent to an 8 story parking lot, right off of the sidewalk. The Plaza parking garage is my favorite
structure in the area. Why? Because of its facade. The utilitarian space which doesn’t do anything more than serve as parking lot ( (and house several coffee shops and restaurants on the ground floor), wears an installation by artist Ned Kahn; a kinetic facade that responds and interacts with the weather. In doing so, it makes its presence known and captures attention of passersby. I was immediately captivated by its movements on windy days, and look for its otherwise subtly hidden bright columns behind the screen when the sun sets.
21 Inherently, there are some design elements that we are able to discern instinctively. Whether it is the comfort through color, how well-lit a room is, a push door that pulls, or that set of stairs between the living room and the dining room that you keep tripping on (which, must repeatedly frustrate you in a space that is supposed to make you feel relaxed and comfortable). In these cases, which are a few of many more, are not cases that should be solved by an ihangane. Why should you just bear with these mistakes or neglected details when you can avoid them? So this is where you come in. Yes, you. Because I want you to realize that you deserve good architecture. You deserve to expect more and better from the spaces you are occupying every day. You have the choice to decide what you get influenced by, because, quoting Winston Churchill, “we shape our buildings and thereafter they shape us”. While some of us go to school to learn how to design spaces for our clients, this will not be effective until every crucial party of a project (clients- users, engineers, architects, developers, etc.) are on the same page. Architecture is so much more accessible to us today, and I think that basic architectural awareness has to become ubiquitous. There is so much to gain from thinking about architectural knowledge the way we think about , say, medical knowledge. Just think about how much you know regarding mental
health, fever, stomach infections, or other symptoms and illnesses, and how wide spread the word is. This is knowledge that was either passed on to you by your family, friends, teachers or knowledge you sought. Your physical and mental health is so important that you ought to be aware of your body and what it’s doing to be able to know what to do. And just in case, you have professionally trained individuals (also known as doctors, nurses and physicians) who can further guide you towards good health. What if architects worked similarly? If architecture has so much effect on who we are, our health and basically our development, shouldn’t we be more informed about the nature and impacts of design? We are living in an exciting time where the design philosophy and accessibility is changing. This movement towards a more attentive and human-oriented architecture has been picking up pace worldwide, including Rwanda – which is very exciting! I am thrilled to see the amazing projects that are arising in different part of Rwanda and the importance and impact of design is getting momentum. In fact, several architecture firms are dedicated on generating a healthy and positive impact through their design while promoting innovation. Mass Design Group’s Umubano Primary School aims at promoting learning through design through a hierarchical clear organization, stimulating range of colors and choices
between interior and exterior learning environments. Active Solar Architecture (ASA for short) is another firm dedicated, as its name wonderfully iterates, to improving people’s lives and strengthening communities through design. Their Hospital in Nyabihu is informed by Rwandan traditional hill hierarchy of activities (the chief’s abode sitting atop hills, with slopes and valleys used for crops) to promote the importance of healthcare. Sharon Davis Design has worked on several projects in Rwanda, including the Women’s Opportunities center, which not only creatively optimizes natural ventilation through its meeting spaces, while perforating the bricks. More recently, you might have heard of the opening of the first Rwanda Cricket Stadium. Designed by Light Earth Design, this structure uses local materials and labor and its design, while inspired by Mediterranean constructions, compliments the local landscape. All these projects use locally-sourced materials, employ local labor and hence create a connection between the community and the building, and use the geo-climatic information to propose the most suitable solutions. The responsibility of building our future environments to the best of our abilities falls on… well, everyone. I hope that after reading this, not only do you feel inspired and excited for what our cities,
country, and world will look like in the near future, but that you also take responsibility for that future as fellow citizens of the world. You are the user, you are the client, you are the architect. Whatever your role is, you have the right and the power to seek what is rightfully yours: good, positivelyimpactful, sustainable design.
Knowledge isn’t power until it is applied — Dale Carnegie
23
THE WALLS BETWEEN US WORDS BY Mutsinzi
Civilizations throughout the ages have built walls and drawn borders to protect themselves against invasive attacks and the elements. These walls have evolved beyond the physical form into virtual, many times imaginary ones. Countries no longer need physical structures to separate them from other nations. In their place, you have cameras, sensors, and universally accepted lines that must not be crossed without being granted welcome in the form of visas. This progression from the physical to the abstract is observed in many areas of human life. It is especially interesting to note why these progressions are necessary. They occur as part of a shift in values and beliefs. Trade agreements between nations saw to the end of physical borders (with the exception of the looming Trump wall); a strong need for transparency has seen the use of glass walls take the place of opaque brick or cardboard walls in office buildings. In some cases these walls are gotten rid of altogether. This evolution of our relationship with space is ongoing. For the most part, the trend is towards a thin divide between nature and living spaces. The evolution towards dissolved borders is underway in architecture. The late American architect Frank Lloyd Wright who is well known for designing Falling Water – a harmonious marriage of housing and nature over a waterfall in southwestern Pennsylvania – referred to this form of building in harmony with nature as organic architecture.
Applying organic architecture on a mass scale is a challenge not only for city planners but also for society’s relationship with housing and homes. In light of rising environmental concerns, population growth, and rapid technological advancement, an opportunity presents itself to design consciously, to build sustainable communities and to build inclusively. Rwanda is one of the world’s most densely populated countries, an estimated 473 people per square kilometer according to Countrymeters. This puts a strain on housing and settlement. This strain is further tightened by how houses are built: with only the individual in mind. It is not rare to have an entire community sharing nothing save the streets and roads that connect it to the rest of the city. Fences and gates reminiscent of castles and fortresses shield homes from their surroundings. It reflects in part a deep-rooted need for privacy but becomes a challenge moving forward due to the absence of shared resource management, a non-existent sense of communal togetherness, and an ever stagnating mood and spirit among neighbors. Alain De Botton, a Swiss-born British philosopher and author, has through his books on architecture and his YouTube channel ‘The School of Life’ explored the relationship of inner realities with the environment and the buildings we live and work in. In ‘The Architecture of Happiness’, De Botton argues that architecture has a real emotional impact on our lives. That we are inspired or made miserable by our surroundings. It becomes
26
therefore a matter of our well being to design our homes and communities in accordance to design principles that improve our lives. It can sound too idealistic to make a connection to buildings and our emotional lives. It can seem almost unnecessary but it is as practical an idea as any. Recently, the University of Rwanda inaugurated a new building that will house the architecture the school of Architecture. The building is an interlinked complex built using locally available ‘amakoro’, a type of volcanic rock that is found in the northern and western parts of the country. Orange caps roof the complex and bring to mind Rwanda’s hilly terrain. This building is not only a good example of great design but inspires a sense of wonder and creativity in the students who will be using it for their studies. It instills a tasteful approach to design in the students which would be absent were they studying design in a blandly built building. Communities are more productive and more secure when the buildings they inhabit reflect a sense of unity not just with one another but with the environment as well. In addition to clinging tightly to privacy, cost would seem to be another factor discouraging the construction of communal living spaces. On the question of privacy, communal living solves two problems. Privacy is achieved
by design; it is embodied in the principles used to build the living spaces, not the surroundings. Security too is strengthened rather than diminished because people relate better to each other. They are nicer to each other, they wave and smile at their neighbors. While communal living doesn’t imply real human connection but it creates a space in which it can thrive. Investing in communal living spaces encourages a sharing culture in the inhabitants. Whether it be how energy is consumed or how security and gardening are coordinated. This sharing model has worked well in the digital space with companies like Airbnb and RelayRides using it as the core business model. Will it help inhabitants turn hefty profits like these companies? No, but it can cut down on energy, maintenance, and security costs. And if you run out of honey, you can count on your neighbor to lend a hand. Beyond the practical benefits of communal living, there is yet another wall that crumbles. The information age in which we now live has led individuals and nations to be more interconnected than ever. A kiss from a lover travels at the speed of light from across the globe, a library’s worth of books live inside highly-efficient storage devices that fit inside our pockets, and a fire starts along a thread of tweets faster than the communion between gasoline and a match stick.
And yet, there is reason to believe that people are lonelier than ever. Technology might be to blame but the physical spaces in which we stay also play a role. Current housing models isolate more than unite people. They shield people from physical interaction and the natural reaction becomes to look to the nearest windows in sight, our phones and computers. But this wall too can fall. Buildings have the power to influence our behavior in similar ways that mobile applications do. Our environment affects our state of mind through subtle and minute cues and we can take advantage of that by taking conscious strides towards communal living. In Charles Bukowski’s words: there is no other way, and there never was.
The School of Architecture, University of Rwanda
Here is My Hope WORDS Uwera Ntaganzwa PHOTOGRAPHY Uwera Ntaganzwa, Gaju
29
Every time I leave a place for ‘home’ I am filled with a special kind of warmth that brightly coloured walls, tiled floors, and flower fences cannot give; for if they could, I would find this warmth in the embrace of any roofed four walls. Home is at a house, a place, but home is neither the house nor the place alone. It is much more. Home is the place engulfed in familiarity. Even the sounds of wind blowing and birds chirping distinguish themselves from those of places we have been before. They are more soothing and inviting, and remind us that we can enjoy soundness here. The familiarity promises comfort and safety, allowing for the privacy to strip oneself of the faces we wear in the wild. To be oneself at last. Home is a safe space.
Home is also in the arms that are familiar and safe. It is with the people who live in the same houses as us, in the ones next to us, and anywhere else our families, given or chosen, reside. It is with grandparents, parents, and children. It is with everyone that has raised us since, indeed, it takes a village. It is also with the people who may not look like us, talk like us, or live like us, but with whom we coexist and manage to belong. Home is where a community of our beloved is. Home is a blend of our communities and the spaces in which we live, both conspiring to remind us of who we really are and who we were before we rubbed shoulders with the world. It is in the embrace of greenery, in architecture that allows us to experience nature in ways that are refreshing.
31
Have you seen how quietly nature calls attention to itself? Home is sweeter when a ray of sunshine slices through your window asking you to join the birds in singing, the fog in clearing, and the day in starting anew. Under a canopy, in the surrounding of trees, and on a carpet so green; in the presence of colorful petals one’s renewal would begin with one’s involuntary response to nature’s call. Home is many places. Places we have lived and carry with us, those where we left pieces of us, those where we can comfortably return, and those we have framed on the walls of our houses as a reminder of what once was and our hope to return. As long as these places are safe spaces with a community of our beloved, in response to nature and those who ask where we are from, saying ‘here is my home’ could also mean ‘here is my hope’ because home is just as comforting, refreshing, and assuring as the warmth of hope.
Communitariasm for Dummies WORDS BY
Maya Mutesi
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Chris Schwagga
Communitarianism refers to a
In collectivist cultures, as found in the
theoretical perspective that seeks to
majority of African and Eastern countries,
lessen the focus on individual rights
community is crucial. An individual's
and increase the focus on communal
primary obligation is to their community,
responsibilities. It is based on three
whereas Western countries tend to be
principles: any claim of truth should be
individualistic.
validated through co-operative inquiry; communities which represent citizens
“The measure of a society’s achievement
should validate common values and
and greatness is the measure of the value
lastly all citizens should have equal
it places on its citizens. Similarly, what
access and participation to this
this shows is that communal achievement
structure of society.
is only possible in an environment where the human person is treated with honor and nobility.� - Agulanna, Christopher.
Since the beginning of time, man has relied
2010 Community and human well-being in
on companionship. Hence families which
an African culture.
form communities that in turn make up societies. And so forth.
In Rwanda, it is natural for the oldest in the family to spend more than half of their
The world is as we think it is. Human
income on their siblings, even parents if
beings assign meaning to things.
necessary. Everyone contributes to society.
Consequently the relationship between
Like a big puzzle, every individual is an
the individual and their community varies
indispensable piece needed to complete
from culture to culture.
the picture.
33 In India two generations of families will
common case of students taking
live in the same house or compound in
programs in university because their
order to save money and ensure a very
parents asked them to.
family-oriented upbringing for the children. The shared concept here, is
Collectivist countries can still maintain
one of helping each other; the strong
individuality. As the Akan proverb goes:
help the weak.
"A clan is like a cluster of trees which, when seen from afar, appear huddled
In many African cultures ancestors play
together, but which would seem to stand
a central role in the community’s
individually when closely approached."
conscious. This was articulated perfectly
We all strive to participate actively in
by Christopher Agulanna, a professor
the community but not in the same
from the University of Ibadan:
ways.
“the being of the community is larger than, and prior to, that of any of its individual members since the being of the community as a whole is identical with the being of the total personality of the ancestors�
Disagreement with elders and entitlement to a personal view of things are frowned upon, however strong or valid they may be. It is deemed selfish for you to do something other than contribute to the society. It is also a sign of disrespect. Eventually, this instills a sense of responsibility and commitment to the community rather than to yourself. This can create a lot of pressure, making individuals feel like they cannot invest in things they truly enjoy or excel at. Take as an example the
Hinduism, the oldest and most widely
gender, teleological disposition and
practiced religion in India, is well
Cosmo-temporal placement. While such
integrated in the national culture.
a lifestyle might appear individualistic—
Hindus believe in reincarnation—the
each person tries to find their way to
state of one's current life is informed by
liberation—a strong solidarity develops
how they led their past life—and so try
between seekers.
to improve their present lives in order to secure happier rebirths. The ultimate
There is a popular saying that goes:
goal in Hinduism is transcending the
“The nail which sticks out will get
process of the cycle of rebirths itself, an
hammered”. This proverb is used to
act known as moksa or liberation. The
encourage conformity and collectivist
methods used to reach this liberation
behavior just like African cultures.
are collectively called yoga, meaning to
In Japan, a well-mannered individual
join.
strives to fit in and refrains from calling attention to oneself. Many individuals
Hinduism lacks a standard definition
who feel great shame from a particular
and does not oppose one single way of
event, choices or action consider the
reaching liberation (a good life). This
best way to redeem themselves to be
lifestyle offers a myriad of doctrines in
through suicide. This ritual is known as
health care, religious morality, ethics
Seppuku (belly cutting).
and death, all of which are specific to one’s vocation, age,
Another habit I found curious is the fact that falling asleep at work is a sign of diligence; as it is a sign of hard work. This emphasizes how one’s life is valued by the productivity and contribution one offers to their society.
35 Personally, I find communal living to be fulfilling. It has made me want to strive for better not only for myself but also for my family and community.
In individualistic cultures as opposed to collectivist, people live in communities all the while isolating themselves and being self-reliant. Community has been narrowed down to the public spaces they share, such as the train, restaurants, public bathrooms and group activities.
Regardless of culture or creed, community lies at the heart of what makes individuals who they are. If we are to become better individuals, we must actively work to create better communities. The relationship between the individual and the community is symbiotic. The task at hand is to nurture that symbiosis.
"The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." ALL GOD'S CHILDREN NEED TRAVELING SHOES
MELLOWVIEWS.COM
— Maya Angelou