Then,
in September last year, he was invited by a parishioner and member of GRain Of Wheat group, to be part of a “WSF
awareness” event in Johannesburg, at the Cathedral Hall. There he got more up to date information about the WSF and
he had a chance to clarify some doubts that arose when he browsed through the web site.
He could not go to Nairobi in Kenya for the celebration of the six years old WSF, held for the first time on the African Continent, in January 2007, but for the information he is still getting from some newsletters/papers and from the members of the GrOW group he has understood that this forum has to be celebrated also at local, regional and national levels to reach everybody and to be appreciated by all.
Actually, Martin is searching for a deeper meaning in his life and with the help of the parish group he is intent on knowing better himself and the people at large and the way we all interact with each other.
It is natural for one to look for people who accept you and who appreciate your work. At the same time you avoid facing some other people fearing that your self image may take a knock. Considering that today we receive a flood of information through the mass-media it seems that we have reached high levels in the communication ability.
But often we recognize the limits of this relation with others, because of some internal and external blockages. There is a poem with a chorus saying: “you don’t know me”; indeed although you know something about me you don’t know me! In a dialogue with his priest, Martin remained rather confused recognizing that sometimes he is happy to feel “somebody” when he interacts with his friends, or when he is at work with his colleagues; but in other occasions he feels just “something”, weak and feeling hurt for anything, reacting badly even to the close friends and relatives.
So ashamed and embarrassed for what happened he became more restless, asking himself the reason for those reactions. In one workshop he became aware that often, around the countries we find important places and monuments dedicated to generals, state’s leaders, artists/scientists/writers and aristocrats. We are teaching at school the history done by this particular minority who come from some specific geographical areas of the world, ignoring the majority who industriously are building the society at large.
From our experience, we see some people (the majority) resigned and delegating others (the minority) to be protagonists and to decide for them. Today people are classified according to the labels stuck on them by the decisions of a certain elite.
It seems also that the philosophies and ideologies of the different organizations are suffocating of filtering some individual appeals coming from some sectors of society. Indeed although there are marches of protest, and a movement of people declaring their rights, and this is a process of good change, there is also a long way for people to get to true freedom and to be protagonists of their own life.
Martin has been part and parcel of this majority and unconsciously he is accepting to be manipulated by the system, but he is determined to learn more about himself and society at large. So that his search may not be in vain it must be reworded and enlightened with some external help.
For example, reading the Bible, especially Exodus 3:7-8; the members of the church group noticed that God is the one who hears the cry of the people on their slavery. He is aware of their sufferings and He got a strategy for liberating them. He is a witness of what is happening to the people and He does not need any media to broadcast “partially” the news, because He sees and knows “thoroughly” each person and his/her deep needs.
Now He just needs collaborative and responsible people ready to risk even their lives to fulfil and put in practise his plan.
So Martin became excited, recognizing that the World Social Forum can be instrumental in empowering the people and each one in being protagonists of their own history. The World Social Forum and the National/Region Social Forum are privileged moments of communication, where people can enlighten others about the true situation of the planet and society.
The WSF is an open meeting place for people from all over the word to join hands, to team up for action and so help create a fairer and more just world. All are committed to diversity and unity, social justice, human rights, peaceful and equal relations.
Now Martin is accepting his reality and he begins to see the whole picture. He knows that he is privileged for getting a chance to better see his abilities and qualities but he knows also that he is also part of a humanity with its limits. He is not unsure about himself any more, but he is determined to continue his journey towards maturity. The information about the WSF gave him a chance to know many other courageous people and the formation that followed strengthened him to the point that now he feels part of a big chunk of humanity intent on building a better world.
Indeed Martin, you and me, we are persons and not “puppets”. Let us also recognize that this maturity that we long for is what Jesus in the Gospel encourages us to be. For sure Jesus is making use of the WSF, among other means, to communicate to the people of today!
He could not go to Nairobi in Kenya for the celebration of the six years old WSF, held for the first time on the African Continent, in January 2007, but for the information he is still getting from some newsletters/papers and from the members of the GrOW group he has understood that this forum has to be celebrated also at local, regional and national levels to reach everybody and to be appreciated by all.
Actually, Martin is searching for a deeper meaning in his life and with the help of the parish group he is intent on knowing better himself and the people at large and the way we all interact with each other.
It is natural for one to look for people who accept you and who appreciate your work. At the same time you avoid facing some other people fearing that your self image may take a knock. Considering that today we receive a flood of information through the mass-media it seems that we have reached high levels in the communication ability.
But often we recognize the limits of this relation with others, because of some internal and external blockages. There is a poem with a chorus saying: “you don’t know me”; indeed although you know something about me you don’t know me! In a dialogue with his priest, Martin remained rather confused recognizing that sometimes he is happy to feel “somebody” when he interacts with his friends, or when he is at work with his colleagues; but in other occasions he feels just “something”, weak and feeling hurt for anything, reacting badly even to the close friends and relatives.
So ashamed and embarrassed for what happened he became more restless, asking himself the reason for those reactions. In one workshop he became aware that often, around the countries we find important places and monuments dedicated to generals, state’s leaders, artists/scientists/writers and aristocrats. We are teaching at school the history done by this particular minority who come from some specific geographical areas of the world, ignoring the majority who industriously are building the society at large.
From our experience, we see some people (the majority) resigned and delegating others (the minority) to be protagonists and to decide for them. Today people are classified according to the labels stuck on them by the decisions of a certain elite.
It seems also that the philosophies and ideologies of the different organizations are suffocating of filtering some individual appeals coming from some sectors of society. Indeed although there are marches of protest, and a movement of people declaring their rights, and this is a process of good change, there is also a long way for people to get to true freedom and to be protagonists of their own life.
Martin has been part and parcel of this majority and unconsciously he is accepting to be manipulated by the system, but he is determined to learn more about himself and society at large. So that his search may not be in vain it must be reworded and enlightened with some external help.
For example, reading the Bible, especially Exodus 3:7-8; the members of the church group noticed that God is the one who hears the cry of the people on their slavery. He is aware of their sufferings and He got a strategy for liberating them. He is a witness of what is happening to the people and He does not need any media to broadcast “partially” the news, because He sees and knows “thoroughly” each person and his/her deep needs.
Now He just needs collaborative and responsible people ready to risk even their lives to fulfil and put in practise his plan.
So Martin became excited, recognizing that the World Social Forum can be instrumental in empowering the people and each one in being protagonists of their own history. The World Social Forum and the National/Region Social Forum are privileged moments of communication, where people can enlighten others about the true situation of the planet and society.
The WSF is an open meeting place for people from all over the word to join hands, to team up for action and so help create a fairer and more just world. All are committed to diversity and unity, social justice, human rights, peaceful and equal relations.
Now Martin is accepting his reality and he begins to see the whole picture. He knows that he is privileged for getting a chance to better see his abilities and qualities but he knows also that he is also part of a humanity with its limits. He is not unsure about himself any more, but he is determined to continue his journey towards maturity. The information about the WSF gave him a chance to know many other courageous people and the formation that followed strengthened him to the point that now he feels part of a big chunk of humanity intent on building a better world.
Indeed Martin, you and me, we are persons and not “puppets”. Let us also recognize that this maturity that we long for is what Jesus in the Gospel encourages us to be. For sure Jesus is making use of the WSF, among other means, to communicate to the people of today!
