21st Annual Conference of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies

'Search for Dignity'
University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

in cooperation with the World Dignity University initiative
24th - 27th April 2013

Please see Newsletter 21, written after this conference - you are warmly invited to contribute to it!
To participate in our conferences, please email us!

All

This conference had two parts:

Part 1
Workshop

Day One, Wednesday, 24th April, starting at 9.00
Introductory greetings and planning of the Dignity Dialogues for this conference
(we have coined the term Dignilogues for this format, which we adapted from the Open Space Technology, see explanations of this format)
Location: The auditorium of Gericke Library from 9.00 - 16.00, and after 16.00 the location will be co-decided
Day Two, Thursday, 25th April, starting at 9.00
Dignilogue sessions and Public Event from 14.00 - 16.00
Location: The auditorium of Gericke Library from 9.00 - 16.00
Day Three, Friday, 26th April
Dignilogue sessions continued
Location: In the auditorium of Gericke Library from 11.00 - 17.00, and for the time before 11.00 and after 17.00 the Botanical Garden of Stellenbosch
Day Four, Saturday, 27th April
Concluding Dignilogue sessions at a private home
Sunday, 28th April
Post-conference activity: excursions
Monday, 29th April
Post-conference activity: Robben Island

•  Please see the brief programme for the workshop and a flyer for the Public Event for print-out
•  See the general invitation and a personal invitation sent out prior to this conference
(there is no registration fee for our conferences, we share minimal cost according to ability at the end)
•  See a template (Word File / PDF File) for participants to fill in, print out, and bring to our conferences

Part 2
Public Event
A Dignity Renaissance!
Can There Be Too Little Shame?
The Link Between Dignity, Shame, Humiliation and Humility

Convened by Hélène Lewis at the auditorium of Gericke Library of the University of Stellenbosch, on Thursday, 25th April 2013, 14.00 - 16.00
Please see your flyer for the Public Event for you to print out
Francisco Gomes De Matos sent a 'Communicative Dignity: A Checklist' from Recife, Brazil, where he concludes that 'dignity is more than a quality; it is the essence of our humanity'

Local Host, Organiser, and Convener


Hélène Lewis
, MSc (Clin. Psych.)

lewis

 


•  How you could get to the conference venue
If you came from outside of Norway, you could fly to Cape Town. Stellenbosch is about 35-40 minutes from the airport – and shuttles or rental cars are available from the airport. Stellenbosch is not big. The conference venue was the campus of the University of Stellenbosch, JS Gericke Biblioteek auditorium. To get there, the hotels and guesthouses where you stayed could give you advice. Many places were within walking distance from the university.

• Where you could stay
There is comprehensive information on accomodation in Stellenbosch. Accomodation varies from self-catering (which is cheaper) to guesthouses. See Where to Stay, Travelground, SA-Venues or Stellenbosch Backpackers. Stellenbosch hotel, for example, is in walking distance to the conference venue on the campus of the University of Stellenbosch, JS Gericke Biblioteek auditorium.

• Post-conference tours
We went to Robben Island on Monday, 29th April 2013. We were kindly supported by Uli Spalthoff, Ronèe Robinson, and Hannetjie Du Preez with respect to obtaining the tickets. See Lasting Legacy: Nelson Mandela's Evolution as a Strategic Leader, published 9th July 2013 in Knowledge@Wharton.
On the way, some of us visited the Cecil Rhodes Monument.
Unfortunately, we had no time to visit the District 6 museum, or the Groot Constantia Estate, or pay a visit to the Fugard theatre, or take a walking tour of Cape Town. Other worthy destinations would have been the Vroue Monument and the War Museum in Bloemfontein, as well as the Victor Verster prison where Nelson Mandela spend his last years of imprisonment - which is vastly different from the litle cell on Robben Island.

•  Green conference
We strive to organise our conferences as "Green Conferences". Lynn King kindly advises us.

•  Please kindly note that...
• There is no registration fee for our conferences. To cover our expenses, we always summarise the costs during the conference and invite participants to contribute according to their ability. This collaborative approach to financing allows us to keep the conference affordable for all.
• We like to get to know participants prior to our conferences and workshops, and prior to issuing an invitation.
• All our gatherings are by invitation only, please approach us so that we can include you and register you. Only our Public Events are open to everybody without registration.
• The Non-Public Parts of our gatherings have limited enrollment.
• Participants are encouraged to find their own sources of funding or economic support to participate in our conferences. We offer our nurturing work as our gift of love and care to you, and we would like to lovingly invite everybody to contribute to this gift economy. If you need funding for your travels and housing, please inquire in your country and your university about possibilities. See, among others, for the US, www.supportcenter.org and www.foundationscenter.org. The Weinstein International Fellowship program, inaugurated in 2008, provides opportunities for individuals from outside the United States to visit the U.S. to learn more about dispute resolution processes and practices and to pursue a project of their own design that serves to advance the resolution of disputes in their home countries.
• Participants in our conferences are kindly asked to handle all of their travel arrangements and required documentation, including requests for visas, on their side. HumanDHS is a volunteer initiative and does not have the staff or resources to assist with visa requests.

•  Permissions
During our conferences, we always ask all participants for their permission to have their pictures or videos posted on our website, however, if you change your mind later, either in total or for specific pictures/videos, please let us know! Thank you!

•  What happened in our previous conferences?
Please have a look at all our previous conferences and the newsletters written after these conferences.

 


 

•  Frame
•  List of Conveners
•  Programme
•  Public Event
•  List of Participants

•  Pictures and videos

Still pictures:
Several web galleries with still pictures have been created for this conference:
Day One, Evelin's pictures
Day Two, workshop and public event, Evelin's pictures
Day Three, Evelin's pictures
Day Four, Evelin's pictures
Day Five, Evelin's pictures
Pictures of the entire conference by Shwetha Tumkur Shivakumar
Robben Island, 29th April 2013, Evelin's pictures
Pictures by Justine Richards, 23rd - 30th April 2013

Videos:
Introductory Presentation: Who We Are by Evelin Lindner, 24th April 2013 (unfortunately, reduced video quality)
A Dignity Renaissance: Can There Be Too Little Shame? The Link Between Dignity, Shame, Humiliation and Humility by Hélène Lewis, 25th April 2013 (unfortunately, reduced video quality)
Development Methods Open Space Dignilogue session, 25th April 2013 (unfortunately, reduced video quality)
Development Methods, summary by Gavin Andersson, 26th April 2013
African Languages in African Schools by Zehlia Babaci-Wilhite, 26th April 2013
Ubuntu Open Space Dignilogue session, 25th April 2013 (unfortunately, reduced video quality)
Ubuntu, summary by Joy Ndwandwe, 26th April 2013
Global Citizenship, by Akinlolu Makinwa, 27th April 2013

Videos created by Linda Hartling:
•  Greetings to All (short version), created on 16h April 2013 for our 2013 South Africa Conference
•  Greetings to All (long version), created on 16h April 2013 for our 2013 South Africa Conference
•  Appreciative Enquiry, a video recorded on October 30, 2011, in Portland, Oregon, USA, for the World Dignity University initiative
•  Welcome to Everybody, created on 12th August 2012 for our 2012 Norway Conference
•  Our Appreciative Frame, created on 12th August 2012 for our 2012 Norway Conference
•  Our Open Space Dignilogue Format, created on 12th August 2012 for our 2012 Norway Conference

•  Papers
•  What happened in our previous meetings? Please see Newsletters!



 

Frame

by Linda Hartling, 2004

In our meetings we aim at creating a humiliation-free, collaborative learning environment characterised by mutual respect, mutual empathy, and openness to difference. The perspective of 'appreciative enquiry' is a useful frame of our work. Our HumanDHS efforts are not just about the work we do together, but also about HOW WE WORK TOGETHER. At appropriate points during our meetings, for example at the end of each day, we take a moment to reflect on the practices observed that contributed to an appreciative/humiliation-free learning experience.

It is important to emphasise that an appreciative approach is not about expecting people to agree. In fact, differences of opinion enrich the conversation and deepen people's understanding of ideas. Perhaps, this could be conceptualised as 'waging good conflict' (Jean Baker Miller), which means practicing radical respect for differences and being open to a variety of perspectives and engaging others without contempt or rankism. As we have seen in many fields, contempt and rankism drain energy away from the important work that needs to be done. Most people only know 'conflict' as a form of war within a win/lose frame. 'Waging good conflict', on the other side, is about being empathic and respectful, making room for authenticity, creating clarity, and growth.
Please see:
An Appreciative Frame: Beginning a Dialogue on Human Dignity and Humiliation, written by Linda in 2005
Appreciative Facilitation: Hints for Round Table Moderators, kindly written in February 2006 by Judith Thompson to support the moderators of our workshops.
Buddhist Teachings on Right Speech, kindly provided to us by Thomas Daffern in 2006, relating to our quest for appreciative enquiry, caring and being.
Linda Hartling: Presenting the Frame of Appreciative Enquiry
Appreciative Enquiry is an approach to global collaboration developed by and for the Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies network and the World Dignity University. This video was uploaded onto YouTube on August 4, 2012, in preparation of the 19th Annual Conference of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies, 27th-30th August 2012, in Oslo, Norway.

Please see introductory videos created by Linda Hartling:
•  Greetings to All (short version), created on 16h April 2013 for our 2013 South Africa Conference
•  Greetings to All (long version), created on 16h April 2013 for our 2013 South Africa Conference
•  Welcome to Everybody, created on 12th August 2012 for our 2012 Norway Conference
•  Our Appreciative Frame, created on 12th August 2012 for our 2012 Norway Conference
•  Our Open Space Dignilogue Format, created on 12th August 2012 for our 2012 Norway Conference

 



List of Conveners

 

Evelin Gerda Lindner, Medical Doctor, Clinical and Social Psychologist, Ph.D. (Dr. med.), Ph.D. (Dr. psychol.), Organiser of the HumanDHS Conferences, Supporting the Local Conveners

Evelin Gerda Lindner is the Founding President of the Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies (HumanDHS) network and initiator of the World Dignity University initiative. She is a transdisciplinary social scientist and humanist who holds two Ph.D.s, one in medicine and one in psychology. In 1996, she designed a research project on the concept of humiliation and its role in genocide and war. German history served as starting point. She is the recipient of the 2006 SBAP Award and 2009 'Prisoner’s Testament' Peace Award. She is affiliated with the University of Oslo, Norway, with its Centre for Gender Research, and with its Department of Psychology (folk.uio.no/evelinl/), furthermore, with the Columbia University Conflict Resolution Network (CU-CRN), which was superseded, in 2009, by the Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict, and Complexity (AC4) at Columbia University, New York. She is also affiliated with the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme in Paris. Lindner is teaching globally, including in South East Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Africa, and other places globally. [read more]

Linda Hartling, Ph.D., Social Psychologist, Organiser of the HumanDHS Conferences, Supporting the Local Conveners

Dr. Linda M. Hartling is the Director of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies (HumanDHS). She is also a Member of the HumanDHS Global Advisory Board, HumanDHS Global Core Team, HumanDHS Global Coordinating Team, HumanDHS Research Team, and HumanDHS Education Team. She is the Editor of the Journal of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies (JHDHS).
Hartling is affiliated with the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute (JBMTI) at the Stone Center, which is part of the Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Until November 2008, she was its Associate Director. Hartling is a member of the JBMTI theory-building group advancing the practice of the Relational-Cultural Theory, which is a new model of psychological development. In addition, Hartling coordinates and contributes to training programs, publications, and special projects for the JBMTI. She holds a doctoral degree in clinical/community psychology and has published papers on resilience, substance abuse prevention, shame and humiliation, relational practice in the workplace, and Relational-Cultural Theory. [read more]
Please see:
• Humiliation: Real Pain, A Pathway to Violence, the draft of Linda's paper for Round Table 2 of our 2005 Workshop on Humiliation and Violent Conflict, Columbia University, New York.
Humiliation: Assessing the Impact of Derision, Degradation, and Debasement, first published in The Journal of Primary Prevention, 19(4): 259-278, co-authored with T. Luchetta, 1999.
• Shame and Humiliation: From Isolation to Relational Transformation, the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute (JBMIT), Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College No. 88, Wellesley, MA 02481, co-authored with Wendy Rosen, Maureen Walker, Judith V. Jordan, 2000.
• Humiliation and Assistance: Telling the Truth About Power, Telling a New Story, paper prepared for the 5th Annual Conference of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies 'Beyond Humiliation: Encouraging Human Dignity in the Lives and Work of All People', in Berlin, 15th -17th September, 2005.

Hélène Lewis, Host, Organiser, and Convener

Helene is born in Namibia, currently living in Cape Town, South Africa. She holds a MSc in Clinical Psychology and is a psychologist in private practice. She has a keen interest in Psycho-history, particularly in generational re-enactment within and between groups in South Africa. She has contributed towards the Rhodes Review, writing on racism, and is currently researching a book on the woundedness caused by humiliation and consequent revenge in SA – over the past 350 years.

 


 

Workshop Programme
Please see your short programme for the workshop and your flyer for the Public Event for you to print out

 

Stellenbosch University
The library of Stellenbosch University was the venue of this conference. See here a picture of the Stellenbosch Student March of 2008: Students rallied to the university campus' 'Red Square' to listen to speeches condemning police brutality by the Student Representative Council and local government. Photo by Fmalan

 

 

Day One, Wednesday 24th April 2013, in the auditorium of Gericke Library, from 9.00 - 16.00

Please see the template (Word File / PDF File) for participants to download and fill in, print out, and bring to our conference!


• Please click on the picture on the left or here to see all of Evelin's photos of Day One
• Please click on the picture on the right or here to see Shweta's photos of the entire conference

9.00-9.20 Hélène Lewis and Linda Hartling welcomed everybody to the workshop part of our conference

Linda M. Hartling usually welcomes everyody and sets the frame of our conferences within 'Appreciative Enquiry' (until his sad passing in 2007, she did this together with Donald Klein). Please read An Appreciative Frame: Beginning a Dialogue on Human Dignity and Humiliation, that Linda has written for us in 2005.
Linda keeps our workshops together with her continuous caring interventions and her wisdom carries our conferences through crucial moments.


• Please click on the picture on the left or here to see all of Evelin's photos of Day One
• Please click on the picture on the right or here to see Shweta's photos of the entire conference

9.20-10.10 Participants presented themselves

 

10.10-10.30 The Appreciative Frame of this conference

Linda Hartling, Ph.D., Director of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies (HumanDHS), former Associate Director, Jean Baker Miller Training Institute, Wellesley College, Boston, USA

In our conferences we aim at creating a humiliation-free, collaborative learning environment characterised by mutual respect, mutual empathy, and openness to difference. The perspective of 'appreciative enquiry' is a useful frame of our work. Our HumanDHS efforts are not just about the work we do together, but also about HOW WE WORK TOGETHER. At appropriate points during our conferences, for example at the end of each day, we take a moment to reflect on the practices observed that contributed to an appreciative/humiliation-free learning experience.
Please read An Appreciative Frame: Beginning a Dialogue on Human Dignity and Humiliation, that Linda has written for us in 2005.

Linda M. Hartling, Ph.D., Director of HumanDHS. Linda is also affiliated with the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute (JBMTI) at the Stone Center, which is part of the Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Until 2008, she was its Associate Director.

See here the latest news of our HumanDHS network:

•  An Introduction to HumanDHS, March 2013
• 
HumanDHS Good News, March 2013
•  A Quick Fact Sheet, March 2013
•  Information About Our Leadership and Collaborative Teams, March 2013
•  A Collection of Pictures, Including the Book Covers, March 2013
•  Dignity Press Flyer April 2013 (formatted so that you can print and fold it)

Videos sent by Linda:
•  Humiliation and Peace: CBS News Interview of Elie Wiesel with Scott Pelley (2:59)
•  Kofi AnNan’s Quote on Humiliation (0:13)
•  S.M. Miller’s Presentation on How to Dialogue and Why (4:35)
• Remember Abou Bakar: Linda’s Tribute (3:18)
• Remember Abou Bakar: Evelin’s Message (9:53)

10.45-12.00 Introductory presentation: Who We Are

Evelin G. Lindner, Founding President of HumanDHS
This talk highlights how globalisation is interlinked with new and unprecedented psychological dynamics that call for novel solutions at all levels - macro, meso and micro levels, and in all fields of public policy.
Please see background material:
A Dignity Economy: Creating an Economy that Serves Human Dignity and Preserves Our Planet, Evelin Lindner's fourth book, published by Dignity Press, 2012
• See introductory lectures given at the University of Oslo, Norway at www.sv.uio.no/tjenester/kunnskap/podkast/index.html (search for Lindner)
Invitation into the World Dignity Initiative


• Please click on the picture above or here to see all of Evelin's photos of Day One
• Please click here to see Shweta's photos of the entire conference

• Please see a video of this talk (unfortunately, reduced video quality, due to dim lights and lack of microphone)

12.00-13.15 Lunch

 

13.15 Launch of Dignilogue Sessions

Introduction into the Dignilogue Sessions Format by Linda M. Hartling (created on 13th August 2012, see also Open Space Tools by Peggy Holman)

We have thought about how to dignify the way we conduct our conferences for many years. The Open Space movement has started from the observation that after mainstream academic conferences, the participants, when asked, often say: 'Oh, I slept through the presentations, but the coffee breaks were wonderful!' The creators of the Open Space approach thought: 'Ok, why don't we create conferences that are structured like coffee breaks!' Please read more about the originator of the Open Space Technology, Harrison Owen.
In other words, the basic idea behind the Open Space approach is that most academic conference are rather boring. Invited speakers might not be in tune with the audience. Reading papers aloud may be particularly uncommunicative.
We aim at co-creating our conferences, in contrast to traditional conferences. We take a highly collaborative approach to determining how to use our time. The Dignilogue approach allows for identifying priorities for dialogue sessions on key topics.
In practice, on Day One of our conference, we, the participants, make the programme for Day Two and Day Three together, in a collaborative effort. All participants are both presenters and audience, there is no separation, there is no pre-planned programme, except for the introductory part (and the Public Event). We are aware that this approach is new to most people, yet, it opens new dimensions. We invite every participant to join us and try. It has an profoundly dignifying impact and, as our participants always tell us afterwards.
We have adapted the Open Space approach, added the term dialogue, and connected it with dignity to form the expression Dignilogue (see also our Video page for how peace linguist Francisco Gomes de Matos has inspired this linguistic creation).
Please watch the Introduction into the Dignilogue Sessions Format by Linda M. Hartling (created on 13th August 2012). Please read here more about the Dignilogue format and what it entails. See also Open Space Tools by Peggy Holman.

We invited the group to create mini-videos of dialogue for the World Dignity University if they wished so. Please see www.worlddignityuniversity.org.

As mentioned above, the Dignilogue approach means developing the programme of the conference on the first day.

See further down a list of the topics that were proposed prior to the conferene but did not manifest in the actual conference because their initiators were hindered to join us in the conference.

See here two topics that had been proposed prior to the conference and which later merged with other themes that were spontaneously put forward in the course of the conference:

• Joy Ndwandwe
See some of her work:
- Video: Swaziland former King Sobhuza II by Jan Van Der Meer and Joy Ndwandwe, published on 2 Feb 2013 and produced by voluntourist Jan van der Meer. A new book is unearthing King Sobhuza II and his philosophy, written by Joy LaNdwandwe to show the cosmology and ontology that was lost centuries ago. It is recommended to universities world-wide. As a Prophet, Joy trained at the Institute of Right Brain Research of Dr. Steven Hlophe in Montreal, Canada. She authored Releasing Monkeys and Spirit of Kwandza.
- Siyinqaba: We Are Fortress, Incwala Ceremony, in Weekend Obersver, Saturday to Sunday 10 -20 January 2013, page 29
- Sibaya System: Our Indigenous Governance Tool, in The Swazi Observer, 6 October 2012, page 23
- The Nwandwes and the Incwala Ceremony, in Weekend Obersver, Saturday to Sunday 22 -23 December, 2012, page 28
- Umhlanga weLutsango LwaboMake BakaNgwane: My Journey in Regimency, in Weekend Observer, Saturday to Sunday 11 -12 August 2012, page 19

Uli Spalthoff and Evelin Lindner, also on behalf of Kamran Mofid
The Spirit of Ubuntu and the Common Good
On 1st February 2013, Kamran Mofid wrote: 'Dear Evelin, Greetings. I hope all is well. Many thanks for your reply and your kind forwarding of the email to freinds and colleagues. Looking back now, I think, all those years ago, when I founded the GCGI, I must have been influenced and inspired by 'ubuntu', even though I did not know anything about it until last year.
See the Story of the GCGI.
You know, I will be delighted if we can organise a special panel on the Spirit of Africa, Ubuntu and more at our forthcoming GCGI Paris Conference. People everywhere I believe will be inspired by the Spirit of Africa. I will be most grateful for any help, advise and guidance on this. For the conference details please see: Yours ever, Kamran'


Please click on the picture above or here to see all of Evelin's photos of Day One
Please click here to see Shweta's photos of the entire conference

End of Day One





 

Day Two, Thursday, 25th April 2013
From 9.00 - 16.00 in the auditorium of Gericke Library, and later in Helena's restaurant

 

Coordination of Dignilogue Sessions

 


• Please click on the picture on the left or here to see all of Evelin's photos of Day Two
• Please click on the picture on the right or here to see Shweta's photos of the entire conference

 

Dignilogue Session 1: Ubuntu


• Please click on the picture on the left or here to see all of Evelin's photos of Day Three
• Please click on the picture on the right or here to see Shweta's photos of the entire conference
• See a video of this session on 25th April 2013 (unfortunately, reduced video quality)
• See a summary of this session by Joy Ndwandwe on 26th April 2013

Dignilogue Session 2: New Generation of Global Citizens

 


• Please click on the picture on the left or here to see all of Evelin's photos of Day Three
• Please click on the picture on the right or here to see Shweta's photos of the entire conference

• See a video of the summary of this session by Akinlolu Makinwa, recorded on 27th April 2013

Dignilogue Session 3: Development Methods


• Please click on the picture on the left or here to see all of Evelin's photos of Day Three
• Please click on the picture on the right or here to see Shweta's photos of the entire conference

• See a video of this Open Space Dignilogue session on 25th April 2013 (unfortunately, reduced video quality)
• See a summary of this session by Gavin Andersson on 26th April 2013
Zehlia Babaci-Wilhite contributed to this session with her paper Search for Dignity by Implementing African Languages in School. See the video of her presentation on 26th April 2013

End of Day Two

 


 

Day Three, Friday, 26th April 2013
From 9.00 - 11.00 in the Botanical Garden of Stellenbosch, from 11.00 - 17.00 in the auditorium of Gericke Library, and later in the Big Easy Restaurant

 


• Please click on the picture on the left or here to see all of Evelin's photos of Day Three
• Please click on the picture on the right or here to see Shweta's photos of the entire conference

 

Dignilogue Sessions continued

 

End of Day Three

 


 

Day Four, Saturday, 27th April 2013
From 9.00 kindly hosted in the private home of Ronèe


• Please click on the picture on the left or here to see all of Evelin's photos of Day Four
• Please click on the picture on the right or here to see Shweta's photos of the entire conference

Thank you for reflecting on these questions and giving us your feedback:

What worked for you?
What do you think would work better in future conferences?
How would you like to help?

End of Day Four

 

 

Public Event
Search for Dignity!
Can There Be Too Little Shame?
The Link Between Dignity, Shame, Humiliation and Humility


Thursday, 25th April 2013, 14.00 - 16.00, University of Stellenbosch, auditorium of Gericke Library
Please see your flyer for this Public Event for you to print out

 

•  Welcoming everybody to the public event of our conference

•  Hélène Lewis, host, convener, and organiser of this conference, welcomes everybody
•  Linda Hartling, Director of the Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies network, sends her greetings (8 minutes) and this overview over the work of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies:

•  An Introduction to HumanDHS, March 2013
• 
HumanDHS Good News, March 2013
•  A Quick Fact Sheet, March 2013
•  Information About Our Leadership and Collaborative Teams, March 2013
•  A Collection of Pictures, Including the Book Covers, March 2013
•  Dignity Press Flyer April 2013 (formatted so that you can print and fold it)

•  A Dignity Renaissance:
Can There Be Too Little Shame? The Link Between Dignity, Shame, Humiliation and Humility

Hélène Lewis, MSc (Clin Psych), host, convener, and organiser of this conference, gave a short outlay of shame, it's dynamics, history and a comparison between humiliation, shame and the other states. We then opened up for dialogue. Helene is born in Namibia, currently living in Cape Town, South Africa. She holds a MSc in Clinical Psychology and is a psychologist in private practice. She has a keen interest in Psycho-history, particularly in generational re-enactment within and between groups in South Africa. She has contributed towards the Rhodes Review, writing on racism, and is currently researching a book on the woundedness caused by humiliation and consequent revenge in SA – over the past 350 years.
For deeper understanding, Helene recommends the book The Boer Whore by Nico Moolman, published by the author in 2012 in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng, Rebublic of South Africa.


• Please click on the picture above or here to see all of Evelin's photos of Day Two
• Please click here to see Shweta's photos of the entire conference
• Please see a video of this talk (unfortunately, reduced video quality)

15.00 Dignity and Humiliation in the Amazon

Daniel Baron Cohen (known as Dan Baron in Brazil) Dan Baron spoke to us live from the Amazonian North of Brazil from the arts-based pedagogical work he and his partner Mano Souza conduct.

Dan is a playwright, community-based arts-educator and cultural activist, presently living and working in Marabá, in the Amazonian state of Pará, northern Brazil. He studied English Literature at Oxford University where he did doctoral research into theatre as popular education. After a decade of community theatre and mural collaborations dedicated to conflict transformation and social justice with excluded communities in Manchester (Northern England) and Derry (North of Ireland), in 1994 Dan accepted a permanent post in theatre and popular education at the University of Glamorgan, in Wales. He left Wales in 1998 to collaborate as a Visiting Professor at the State University of Santa Catarina and has been collaborating with communities within the Landless, Indigenous, Trade Union and University movements of Brazil ever since. His Pedagogy of Transformance emerged through these collaborations and dialogues with other cultural movements in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe. Two national awards in 2008 and 2010 from the Ministry of Culture and a national UNICEF award in 2011 allowed Dan to accept an invitation to live and collaborate with the Afro-Indigenous community of Cabelo Seco ('dry hair'), founding community of the city of Marabá, in the quest to develop sustainable communities through living popular culture.

On 26th April 2013, Dan wrote: 'Dear friends: We invite you to participate in the launch of the CD 'Amazon Our Land' by the young artists from the band 'Backyard Drums', from the project Rivers of Meeting, this Saturday from 7pm onwards, in the Afro-Indigenous community of Cabelo Seco, between the Amazonian Rivers Tocantins and Itacaiúnas.
Anyone can participate from a distance, downloading and sharing the 12 songs from the CD which will be posted on YouTube the same night. The complete CD (with a booklet in Portuguese, Spanish and English), will also be available on our site from Saturday, the 27th.
riosdeencontro.wordpress.com
Messages of solidarity for these young musicians who refuse to step onto any stage funded by the multinational mining company Vale, presently devastating the Amazon, are welcome and will strengthen the movement for a living and sustainable Amazon. 
Thanks in anticipation for your participation!
Abraços
Dan
Dan Baron
Project 'Rivers of Meeting'
National awards from Funarte and the Ministry of Cultura Brasil, in 2008, 2010, 2012
Award from Itau-Unicef, 2011'

Monument Dan Baron Cohen
Please click on the pictures to see them larger.

Dan wrote on 12th April 2013: 'If we have more time, I will also do what I can to include live music and could also turn this contribution into a world (pre-) launch of the Latinhas' first CD (which occurs two days later) 'Amazonia Nossa Terra' (The Amazon Our Land), and send you one of its songs in advance'.
Dan also sent us the community action poster for the centenary celebration of Marabá in the Amazon of Brazil:


Please click on the picture or here to see it larger

Dan explained: 'I thought you'd like to see this poster (3m x 4.5m) which is on the main wall of the village square, at the back of our home and Cottage of Culture, now our main outdoor theatre and cinema space, run by the young people. It is the third huge portrait in our 'People's Gallery'.
This poster was created for the centenary celebrations of Maraba (April 5th), and apart from a small corner of publicity for the community-world launch of the Latinhas' CD, contains a brief poem to stimulate the city, region and country to question the indstrialization of the Amazon which is now accelerating into the most disturbing pace, creating undescribeable political opportunism and the scramble for vast profit.
The poems reads:
Grandma
I adore to immerse myself
in your stories
I can imagine the childhood of Maraba
but grandma
I hear so often
that everything is changing
and I ask myself
when my river
becomes a highway
how will I play?  

This was the background to the young peoples' refusal to play on any stage funded by the mining giant, Vale, which is the driving private economic force behind the construction of a huge iron ore smelting plant, a complex of dams, and the transformation of the Tocantins and Itacaiunas Rivers into river-highways. No scientist or politician is prepared to predict the socio-ecological implications of this epic interference in the Amazonian eco-systems.
Feel free to share it with your networks!
All our love
Dan'

Monument

Dan wrote on 12th April 2013: Hi Evelin, Here are some of our community art (dialogic interventions) from the people's gallery in the square in cabelo Seco and newspaper articles generated by the project... So much happening!
beijos Dan

Monument Monument
Please click on the pictures above or here to see more photos

Please see the CD Amazonia Nossa Terra Rios de Encontro 2013 (CD cover, CD booklet) by the Latinhas de Quintal of the Afro-Indigenous community of Cabelo Seco ("dry hair"), Marabá, Pará, Brazil.
See three songs uploaded here: Amazonia Nosa Terra, Cabelo Seco, and Beaba da coruja
See also:
- Invitation to the launch of the CD Amazonia Nossa Terra Rios de Encontro 2013 (English) and Outdoor lancamento
- Release para o lancamento (27 abril 2013)
- Outdoor Centenario de Marabá
- Os Sopros de Quintal criando sua propria musica na Casinha de Cultura, Cabelo Seco
- Os Sopros de Quintal celebram a conclusao do mini-curso de improvisacao coletiva na baira do Rios Tocantins
- 30 jovens do Rios de Encontro (Cabelo Seco) pedalaram para o bairro Liberdade para afirmar uma Amazonia Viva Sustentavel
- Tres geracoes da familia de Elizangela, lavadeira e gestora do Rios de Encontro, apreciam a foto dela no Dia da Mulher, na 'Galeria do Povo'
- As Latinhas de Quintal e o nucleo adulto comunitario do Rios de Encontro recebem aplausos na entrega do CD no final de cinco anos de formacao artistica (2)

Media attention:
- Resenha latinhas negam tocar no palco da Vale
- Jornal sobre residencia
- Resenha residencia artistica

On the 27th April 2013, Evelin wrote to Dan:
Dear Dan,
We still are deeply touched by your account of the dramatic events in Cabelo Seco, including the violence experienced by a young artist-leader from the Latinhas de Quintal (Backyard Drums). "We" includes the participants of the 2013 conference "In Search for Dignity", held from 24th to 27th April in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Please receive our message of solidarity with the young Afro-Indigenous musicians of the band "Backward Drums". Their decision not to participate in the centenary celebrations funded by the multinational mining company Vale, presently threatening the Amazon, is a bold protest and gives us hope that more and more people will resist against further destruction of our world's most rich and vulnerable ecosystems.
At our conference we acknowledge and applaud the brave fight of these young people. We like to confirm our solidarity to them.
Participants of the 2013 Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies conference "In Search for Dignity":
Hélène Lewis, South Africa
Evelin Lindner, living a life as a global citizen
Uli Spalthoff, Germany
Aine Hughes, Ireland and South Africa
Ann McCollum, Ireland and South Africa
Gavin Andersson, Botswana and South Africa
Gary Pages Jones, Kenya and Australia
Douglas Racionzer, South Africa
Howard Richards, Chile
Justine Richards, United States
Akinlolu Makinwe, Nigeria
Joy Ndwandwe, Swaziland
Emmanuel Ndahimana, Rwanda
Zehlia Babaci-Wilhite, Norway

Closing of the Public Event

 


 

Participants
If you wish to participate in future conferences, please email us!

 

Hélène Lewis, host, convener, and organiser of this conference

Hélèlne Lewis
Please see more still pictures in Evelin's web galleries of Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, and Day Five, see also all of Shwetha Tumkur Shivakumar's pictures of the entire conference, then see Evelin's Robben Island pictures from 29th April 2013, and Justine Richards's pictures from 23rd - 30th April 2013

Please see a video of Hélène's talk titled 'A Dignity Renaissance: Can There Be Too Little Shame? The Link Between Dignity, Shame, Humiliation and Humility' on 25th April 2013 (unfortunately, reduced video quality)

Linda Hartling & Richard Slaven

Linda Hartling
Please see a list of the videos that Linda Hartling created as her contribution to the conference:
•  Greetings to All (short version), created on 16h April 2013 for our 2013 South Africa Conference
•  Greetings to All (long version), created on 16h April 2013 for our 2013 South Africa Conference
•  Welcome to Everybody, created on 12th August 2012 for our 2012 Norway Conference
•  Our Appreciative Frame, created on 12th August 2012 for our 2012 Norway Conference
•  Our Open Space Dignilogue Format, created on 12th August 2012 for our 2012 Norway Conference

Ulrich Spalthoff

Ulrich Spalthoff
Please see more still pictures in Evelin's web galleries of Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, and Day Five, see also all of Shwetha Tumkur Shivakumar's pictures of the entire conference, then see Evelin's Robben Island pictures from 29th April 2013, and Justine Richards's pictures from 23rd - 30th April 2013

Evelin Lindner

Evelin Lindner
Please see more still pictures in Evelin's web galleries of Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, and Day Five, see also all of Shwetha Tumkur Shivakumar's pictures of the entire conference, then see Evelin's Robben Island pictures from 29th April 2013, and Justine Richards's pictures from 23rd - 30th April 2013

Please see a video of her introductory talk (unfortunately, reduced video quality)

Howard Richards, Justine Richards, and Gavin Andersson

Howard Richards Gavin Andersson Justine Richards
Please see more still pictures in Evelin's web galleries of Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, and Day Five, see also all of Shwetha Tumkur Shivakumar's pictures of the entire conference, then see Evelin's Robben Island pictures from 29th April 2013, and Justine Richards's pictures from 23rd - 30th April 2013

Please see a video of the Open Space Dignilogue session on Development Methods on 25th April 2013 (unfortunately, unfortunately, reduced video quality), and see a summary of this session by Gavin Andersson on 26th April 2013

• Joy Ndwandwe

Joy Ndwandwe
Please see more still pictures in Evelin's web galleries of Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, and Day Five, see also all of Shwetha Tumkur Shivakumar's pictures of the entire conference, then see Evelin's Robben Island pictures from 29th April 2013, and Justine Richards's pictures from 23rd - 30th April 2013

Please see a video of the Open Space Dignilogue session on Ubuntu on 25th April 2013 (unfortunately, reduced video quality), and see a summary of this session by Joy Ndwandwe on 26th April 2013

Please see some of her publications:
- Sibaya System our Indigenous Governance Tool, in The Swazi Observer, 6th October, 2012, page 23
- Umhlanga weLutsango LwaboMake BakaNgwane: My Journey in Regimency, in Weekend Observer, Saturday to Sunday 11 -12, 2012, page 19

Emmanuel Ndahimana

Emmanuel Ndahimana Emmanuel Ndahimana
Please see more still pictures in Evelin's web galleries of Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, and Day Five, see also all of Shwetha Tumkur Shivakumar's pictures of the entire conference, then see Evelin's Robben Island pictures from 29th April 2013, and Justine Richards's pictures from 23rd - 30th April 2013

• Akinlolu O. Makinwa

Akinlolou Makinwa Akinlolou Makinwa
Please see more still pictures in Evelin's web galleries of Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, and Day Five, see also all of Shwetha Tumkur Shivakumar's pictures of the entire conference, then see Evelin's Robben Island pictures from 29th April 2013, and Justine Richards's pictures from 23rd - 30th April 2013

See a video of the summary of the Open Space Dignilogue session on Global Citizenship by Akinlolo Makinwa, recorded on 27th April 2013

Zehlia Babaci-Wilhite

Zehlia Babaci-Wilhite Evelin Lindner
Please see more still pictures in Evelin's web galleries of Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, and Day Five, see also all of Shwetha Tumkur Shivakumar's pictures of the entire conference, then see Evelin's Robben Island pictures from 29th April 2013, and Justine Richards's pictures from 23rd - 30th April 2013

Please see her paper Search for Dignity by Implementing African Languages in School, and see a video of her presentation on Day Three of the conference, 26th April 2013

• Shwetha Tumkur Shivakumar

Shwetha Tumkur Shivakumar Shwetha Tumkur Shivakumar
Please see more still pictures in Evelin's web galleries of Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, and Day Five, see also all of Shwetha Tumkur Shivakumar's pictures of the entire conference, then see Evelin's Robben Island pictures from 29th April 2013, and Justine Richards's pictures from 23rd - 30th April 2013

• Sr Áine Hughes, Dr. Ann Mc Collum, Douglas Racionzer, Founders of DIGNIFY

Douglas Racionzer Sr Áine Hughes Ann Mc Collum
Please see more still pictures in Evelin's web galleries of Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, and Day Five, see also all of Shwetha Tumkur Shivakumar's pictures of the entire conference, then see Evelin's Robben Island pictures from 29th April 2013, and Justine Richards's pictures from 23rd - 30th April 2013

Gary Page Jones

Ann Mc Collum
Please see more still pictures in Evelin's web galleries of Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, and Day Five, see also all of Shwetha Tumkur Shivakumar's pictures of the entire conference, then see Evelin's Robben Island pictures from 29th April 2013, and Justine Richards's pictures from 23rd - 30th April 2013

• Ronèe Robinson

 

• Hanneli Arndt and Daniel Sidler

 

• Erika Wessels and Jane Theron, only on Saturday

Please have a look at 'My voete loop na Worcester, waar versoening lewe kry', 20th October 2012, 'A project in Worcester can South Africans learn much about political reconciliation, writes Leon Wessels, former National Party cabinet member who is now at the International Institute for Studies in Race, Reconciliation and Social Justice at the University of the Free State involved...'

They were unfortunately hindered to join us:

Michael Britton

• Inga Bostad

• George Chidieber Iheanacho

• Catherine Flanagan

• Robert K. Green

• Eric Tokoto Billong, for Pamela Koseh Mayah

• Jacques M. Ngenda

Bernedette Muthien, see an interview with Bernedette Muthien, 'Gender Based Violence in South Africa', 27th September 2012, conducted by Annika Schall

• Tharcisse Ukizintambara

• Mary Venables

• Mansoureh Sharifzadeh

• Safia Abdi

Wael Mohamed

• Tonya Hammer

• Cheryl Duckworth

Liu Bangchun, The Peacefulness of Chinese Teenagers (2013)

Merle Lefkoff and Joy Stocke

• Patrick Bond

• Muhammad Derfish Ilyas

• Lyn Harvey

• John Aspill, Humiliation, Stanislavsky and Consciousness

• Frank Kronenberg (28th April)

Yoav Peck and Avi Shahaf

• Mark R. M. Itallange, 'Slaughtering Children is Firing the Coming Leaders'

• Kirstin Conradie, the philosophy honours group are unable to attend the first day of the conference because of academic engagements. Thursday afternoon they will attend the public seminar and hopefully Friday they will be able to partake a bit more.

 


 

Dignilogue - Open Space and What It Entails

Introduction into the Dignilogue - Open Space Format by Linda M. Hartling (created on 13th August 2012)
(see also Open Space Tools by Peggy Holman)

Donald Klein explained the Open Space design as follows (2006): It involves creating a kind of 'marketplace' of possibilities based on topics nominated by participants. The only requirement is that whoever nominates the topic, acts as the convener of the discussion of the topic and takes responsibility for having notes taken. A report is subsequently made about the essence of what was discussed, including any conclusions or recommendations, at a plenary session following the topic groups.
The Open Space design has the advantage of focussing on whatever is of greatest interest to participants at the moment. It allows for parallel discussion of multiple topics, followed by a period of sharing and general discussion.

Alan Klein kindly wrote (31/10/2005): One of the key elements in making an OS event successful is the focusing of the question that the participants respond to. Another is being clear about what will be done with the information presented and/or decisions made in the OS event itself.

I would like you all (and any others who should be involved in this as well) to begin thinking and dialoguing about what would be the most question that you would most like to see grappled with by the participants. This may or may not include a sense of the decision(s), or type of decision(s) that you want the participants to come to or you may decide that the OS event is just for gathering and focusing energy and not to some to any decisions.
Thanks,
~Alan

On 14th December, 2005, we had a Board Meeting in NY:
We discussed our Open Space Section. Don explained that we could have different levels, a more open and general level and a more focused level. At the more open level we would discuss what is on our minds, at the more focused level, we would form 'buzzgroups' on particular topics, such as business, research, education, fundraising, non-profit.

Don Klein kindly wrote (30/12/2005):
[...] The main point I recall dwelling on at some length had to do with deciding first on the content of a session and its purpose; then deciding what meeting technology to use. Open Space is often used when the purpose is to make it possible for individuals to focus on aspects of a general topic that are of special interest to them. The participants themselves choose what they want to discuss.  No one knows in advance how many groups there will be and what they'll be  discussing.
Buzz groups are used as a way to break a large meeting down into smaller sections (usually from six to twelve or so people). All the buzz groups can be assigned the same topic; or different buzz groups can be assigned different aspects of the same topic; or buzz groups may be divided among two or more different - usually related - topics.
The main point is to decide what is to be the topical focus and what outcomes are desired from a session.  Then pick the technique that promises to help us achieve the purpose.
Love, Don

Sophie Schaarschmidt kindly wrote (02/01/2006):
What I would suggest for a following workshop (and this is my very personal view) is to create discussion forums as open choices. The open space technology as I know it, and as it is used mainly in the field of training involves participants in a unique way. The first step is like an open brainstorm session involving all participants. In this session, participants can come up with a topic that they want to (present and) discuss. All topics are written down and similar topics might be combined into one topic. This process can happen either beforehand via email or a web-forum or at the workshop on a blackboard. Once the discussion topics are defined the person that proposed a certain topic would announce a time and a space when and where the topic will be discussed. In a full day of open-space, up to 50 topics could be discussed. People are free to join and leave a discussion. As a metaphor, people are like bees flying from one topic to another, participating in a discussion as long as it feeds their interest and taking the honey from it as well as contributing to it, and leaving the discussion when it takes a turn into a direction that they are less interested in or when they wish to participate in other discussions on other topics as well. Normally people take part in 3 to 10 discussions a day. Therefore, people are free to select the topics they are interested in and move to other discussions, as listener or both, listener and contributor. Each discussion group is also free in putting their time frame, and scheduling breaks. Of course, there should be a time frame for the open-space session, let's say it would take place from 1pm to 5pm in the afternoon. Yet, discussion groups can schedule their space (location), time frame (a discussion could last half an hour or three hours: as much as it takes to explore the issue) and breaks themselves. The only condition is that the discussion topic, its location and starting time will be announced (or written down on a public board) so that all participants know when which subject will be discussed where.
I participated twice in such an open-space session and I was very much impressed by its power and evolving possibilities. Not only were people more active, excited and engaged, taking little breaks, but also people felt they could gain and contribute most in this process. They felt they were free to choose which discussions to engage in, and it was an easy way to make contacts with those people interested and engaged in topics similar to one's own. By being able to set an own time frame discussions were deeper than usual, and by participants moving from one topic to another, joining (and making new contributions) or leaving a discussion the discussions stayed vivid and interesting, and many perspectives could be shared. At the end of a discussion each group filled in an A4 page which contained the title of the discussion group, a list of the names of the people who contributed in the discussion, and a summary of what was discussed (the main stances). All the discussion summaries can be combined to a book at the end of the conference providing people with a tremendous treasure of topics and insights.
Another advantage of the open-space technology (as I experienced it) is that people stay 'fresh' in the workshop. The discussion excites and revives people and forms a good basis for getting to know each other and going on with the discussions at a later time in the workshop (e.g. during lunch).
It might be worthy to try the open-space technology in a HumanDHS workshop meeting substituting the round table sessions, or in addition to them. The only difficulty I'm aware of might be that we would need many spaces (rooms) where the discussion groups could spread for their discussions.
[...]
Good luck for your work in 2006!
Yours warmly,
Sophie Schaarschmidt

Linda M. Hartling kindly wrote in response to a message from Carlos Sluzki (21/01/2006):
How do we maximize the quality of work together when we are a group of individuals with dramatically varying levels of experience? This is such an important topic I think we should discuss it at our next meeting in Costa Rica. Perhaps, we could use some of our Board meeting time to discuss this? In addition, perhaps we could use some of our 'open space' time to explore people's view of this dilemma? I suspect that all of us involved with the operations of this network share a desire to optimize our efforts, to move the work forward efficiently and effectively. When we use an all-inclusive format at our meetings, we risk back tracking and dealing with questions that have obvious answers (e.g., convincing some newer attendees of the significance humiliating behavior). (...) In the words of Peter Drucker, I would like to see our group create conditions that 'strengthen our effectiveness and make our weaknesses irrelevant'. But, how do we do this in a way that promotes the dignity of all the people who attend our meetings?  I'm trying to think of some examples of organizations that do this... perhaps, Linda Stout's Piedmont Peace Project? Not too long ago I read a book entitled, 'The Wisdom of Crowds', which I think is relevant to our questions about inclusion/exclusion. It
describes the conditions for 'wise crowds'. (Surowiecki, J. (2004). The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies, and Nations. New York: Doubleday.)

Don Klein kindly responded (28/01/2006):
I very much support the focus on where we want to go. Suggest working in interest groups part of the time: i.e., education, research, civic action, global community building. And include a way for groups to emerge around other areas of interest.  for that matter, if only one person had an
interest and wanted to develop it further and then share his/her thoughts with us, that might also be possible.
Love, Don

Don Klein kindly wrote (28/01/2006):
I'd like to offer some experiences with the network originally known as National Training Laboratories.  This network, begun around 1950, is sstill in existence today; it has changed, however, in ways that seem relevant to the issues raised.
The network originally was a group of 'originators' of theory and practice in the area of group dynamics.  Most of them had participated in the discovery of 'sensitivity groups' or the t=group method.  After almost a decade, the more experienced people in the network became Fellows, as distinct from ordinary Members of the network.  To admit someone to their membership, all the Fellows had to agree that the applicant's credentials merited inclusion in the Fellows.  During t his initial period, which lasted about ten years, selected members of the network participated as staff members of two and three-week training programs for the general public, using the t-group method.  An enormous amount of theory building took place as faculty spent three or four days preparing each of the training labs.  It should be noted that most of the network were academics engaged in one or another of the social sciences, in areas related to democratic participation in social change.  They were all motivated by their common passion and some of them felt that the two or three weeks they spent with their  colleagues from around the country were the most meaningful and exciting of the entire year.
In the 1960s, questions arose about the suitability of having a 'class' system in the network.  The Fellows were seen as an anti-democratic perversion of the ideals and purposes of NTL.  And so the Fellows class was discontinued.
At about the same time, financial difficulties led to a reorganization of NTL, which included dissolution of the existing netework and inviting a more diverse group (sex, race, and ethnically) to form a new network.  The theory and practice of Organization Development, meanwhile, had emerged and more and more of NTLs network members became engaged in OD practice, while fewer and fewer network members were engaged in academic pursuits.
In my view the social impact and creativity of the current network have been reduced by NTL's growing emphasis on operating profitably as a 'business'.
There is currently an upsurge (how strong we don't know) of those wishing to advocate working on participative ways to democratize our institutions and our society.  Some of the network members are placing an increased emphasis on creating an international network and of promoting global community.
A major point in all of this history for me is that there is no 'ideal' and certainly no 'absolute' way of resolving questions having to do with competency, interest, and inclusion.  Based on the above history, my inclination is to favor the 'class' system; i.s., creating a group of qualified researchers, practitioners, and policy shapers to work together to shape, participate in, and contribute knowledge and skills to the work of HDHS network, including those activities that enable it to raise money by grants, contracts, income from training programs, and contributions.
These comments are lengthy. I hope they're helpful.
Love,
Don

Linda M. Hartling kindly wrote (27/04/2006):
In terms of Open Space...I think we should have some of the same groups we had in Berlin, with room for a couple of new groups. For example, we could have an education group, a research group, a business group, etc. It would be helpful to have these key groups continue their discussions, rather than creating all new groups. Didn't we talk about having 'buzz groups', meaning groups addressing topics that people want to continue to move forward? The education, research, and business groups could be buzz groups.

The following Dignilogue topics were proposed in different conferences, yet, the facilitators are unable to come. The topics are listed here, because they might inspire you.

•  Giving Voices to the Environmentally Humiliated and Misrecognized: Nature and Women by Keitaro Morita (adapted from a similar presentation at the 9th Annual Conference of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies in Hangzhou, China, 13th-16th April 2007)

•  Peace: A World History, by Antony Adolf (2009)

•  Native Hawaiian and Polynesian Communities, by Dharm P. S. Bhawuk and Neil Ryan Walsh (Neil was unfortunately hindered to join us) (2009)

•  Familiarization and Its Ways: Is Ragging/Bullying an Archaic Method of Interaction, by Harsh Agarwal (2009)

•  Humiliation and Dreams, a talk/session by Dakshinamoorthi Raja Ganesan (2009)

•  Asian Religious Worldviews and Alienation, and/or Alienation and Dreams, a talk/session by Dakshinamoorthi Raja Ganesan (2009)

•  Video Series of the Causes and Patterns of Humiliating Experiences Through Role Play by Dakshinamoorthi Raja Ganesan (2009)
D. Raja Ganesan kindly wrote on January 15, 2009: 'I take this opportunity to suggest that a video series of the causes and patterns of humiliating experiences through role play of well established principles of social psychology--both culture free and culture fair--through role play and simulation be taken under the auspices of our group'.

•  Intercultural Research, faciliated by International Academy of Intercultural Research (IAIR) researchers (2009)

•  The Role of Dignity and Humiliation for How We Relate to Other Animals by Michael W. Fox (2010)

 The Role of Human Dignity in Nepal by Chandra Prasad Siwakoti (2012)
Synergy in understanding between the occurrence of violence in Norway and Nepal will be explored.

 Between Conspiracy Theories and Madness, by Katrine Fangen (2012)
Katrine Fangen, Ph.D., is a Professor in Sociology at the Department of Sociology of the University of Oslo. She has published several books and journal articles within the research-field of racism, national, political and ethnic identity, stigmatisation and youth subcultures. [read more]

 The Concept of Human Dignity in Indigenous Philosophies Project, by Lars Kirkhusmo Pharo and Tashi Nyima (2012)

The Hubris Syndrome and Arabic Spring, by Wael Mohamed (2012)

The Peacefulness of Chinese Teenagers, by Liu Bangchun (2012)

Humiliation, Stanislavsky and Consciousness, by John Aspill (2012)

Ubuntu & the Gift Paradigm in Africa, by Bernedette Muthien (2013)
See an interview with Bernedette Muthien, 'Gender Based Violence in South Africa', 27th September 2012, conducted by Annika Schall.

I Apologise for Apartheid, by Ronèe Robinson (2013)
Ronèe Robinson wrote on 14th April 2013:
'Dear Evelin... I had an awesome day today in Worcester, where I attended a church service where some of the participants in the peace train spoke about their experiences. Afterwards two of the ladies who went on the train and met with Stefaans Coetzee were kind enough to have lunch with me. One of them worked as an intensive care nurse and another worked right across the shopping centre where the bomb went off. I listened spell bound as the nurse described the disbelief as the children were brought in, one little girl with her heart outside her body, and how she had to comfort young Dr Coetzee who wept hysterically because he could not save her. The other lady described the effect of the bomb blast and how she missed being injured because she decided against crossing the street, for some reason. 16 Years later, and through the Peace and Reconciliation process started by Dr Deon Snyman in Worcester, survivors of the bombing were on a train, sponsored by government, to meet with one of the bombers, Stefaans Coetzee. Having come to repentance in the prison (through the intervention of Eugene de Kock of all people) he was entirely honest with the people from Worcester. His honesty and the fact that he sought to make no excuses for himself led the people to accept his bona fides and they came to great healing. One man, who went there with the hope of doing Coetzee harm, left saying that, as far as he was concerned, Coetzee could now be set free. Today was all about hearing about people who walked a very real path of forgiveness, which they recognise as having set them free of a terrible burden of pain.
Healing was brought about by a number of factors, including the fact that, at last, these people experienced the government caring about them - the prison service did much to assist the process, even going so far as to escort the bus back from Pretoria to Johannesburg. They felt that they mattered, that they were somebody. But most importantly, I think it was that they came face to face with their monster, and then found with shock that he was just a human being who had, at one stage, gone very wrong. One lady now said that it was now time for the community to look after Stefaans! What a rich country we live in and what special people we have'.
Ronèe Robinson also sent us a message on the Die VroueMonumen, where her alma mater is gathered. She wrote: It 'is the most moving monument in the world, as far as I am concerned, to the effect of women in war. It is also a warning of what happens when the feminine strength gets repressed and denied. We would gather there once a year to celebrate the birthday of the school, which was founded by President Steyn after the war to create a woman that would stand as strong as a rock. Koningin Wilhelmina van de Nederlande gave the funds for the school, hence its name. The school went on to produce, among others, the first female advocate and first female judge of appeal in this country'.


Please click on the picture above or here to read more.

Merle Lefkoff and Joy Stocke (2013)

Gay Rosenblum-Kumar made us aware of a speech by Brendan McAllister on The Quality of Our Attention (2013)

 


 

Papers

All participants are warmly invited to send in papers.
Please notify us, if you wish to submit any of your papers also as a book chapter or as a journal article.

Please see earlier submitted papers here:
• List of All Publications

Zehlia Babaci-Wilhite (2013)
Search for Dignity by Implementing African Languages in African School
Abstract presented at the 21st Annual Conference of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies 'Search for Dignity', in South Africa, 25th - 28th April 2013
See a video of her presentation on Day Three of the conference, 26th April 2013

John Aspill (2013)
Humiliation, Stanislavsky and Consciousness
Abstract presented at the 21st Annual Conference of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies 'Search for Dignity', in South Africa, 25th - 28th April 2013

Liu Bangchun (2012)
The Peacefulness of Chinese Teenagers

Paper presented at the 21st Annual Conference of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies 'Search for Dignity', in South Africa, 25th - 28th April 2013

Merle Lefkoff and Joy Stocke (2013)
Paper presented at the 21st Annual Conference of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies 'Search for Dignity', in South Africa, 25th - 28th April 2013

Wael Mohamed (2012)
The Hubris Syndrome and Arabic Spring
Abstract presented at the 21st Annual Conference of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies 'Search for Dignity', in South Africa, 25th - 28th April 2013

Joy Ndwandwe
see some of her publications:
- Sibaya System our Indigenous Governance Tool, in The Swazi Observer, 6th October, 2012, page 23
- Umhlanga weLutsango LwaboMake BakaNgwane: My Journey in Regimency, in Weekend Observer, Saturday to Sunday 11 -12, 2012, page 19

 


 

Material

"The Big Read: Who killed Russel Botman?" by Jonathan Jansen, Times Live, 11th July 2014.

"South Africa's Shameful Past and Hopeful Future," by Sadie Dingfelder, Monitor on Psychology, April 2013, Vol 44, No. 4. Psychologist and anti-Apartheid activist Saths Cooper has dedicated his life to ensuring that psychology serves all of humanity, not just a powerful few.

Mandela: The Man Behind the Legacy, published on 3 December 2014: If there were a few more Mandelas in the world, what a difference it would make – Kofi Annan. From what he was like to know as a person, to his impact and the legacy that he left behind, Kofi Annan, Jimmy Carter and fellow Elders honour Nelson Mandela on the anniversary of his passing.

Forget Apartheid, Time ANC Government Took Responsibility
By Zipho Shusha, in Thought Leacer: Equality, News & Politics, Posted on: April 16, 2013

The Frost Interview: Desmond Tutu: Not Going Quietly
The Nobel laureate on his role in South Africa's struggle against apartheid and his alarm over recent developments. 17th November 2012.

Dag vs DAC
by John Y Jones, 2011
'In his last years before he met his untimely death in Africa half a century ago, UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld challenged the colonial powers' continued attempts to quell the quest for freedom sweeping the continent.
He expressed his frustration over 'many member Nations [who] have not yet accepted the very limits put on their national ambitions by the very existence of the United Nations and by the membership of that Organisation'. Hammarskjöld's warning about Africa being turned into a 'happy hunting ground' has sadly
been proven right...' [read more]
See the same text published also as UN Chronicle.

Re-Visiting 'The Winds of Change': The Role of Europe and The United Nations in the Decolonization of Africa Half a Century Ago
by Henning Melber, Arrigo Pallotti, Ian Phimister and Mario Zamponi
Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, Sweden.