Blog: 'Choosing to keep dancing bravely'
Upon arrival on this first day of the 15th IRTI biennial, soothing classical music sounds in the background. Students and faculty from all walks of life meet in a very convivial atmosphere. Suddenly, uptempo music catches their attention and a entirely different vibe emerges. A dozen young people appear in the middle of the room, adorned in skirts and headgear, their bodies decorated with motif paintings and necklaces. They move to music that makes it almost impossible to stay in your seat. It is the traditional Papuan welcome dance that is performed here. After this enthusiastic welcome, the dancers leave the hall.
Blog by Ilse Almekinders
Integration
After reading various passages on peace from the holy scriptures of different religions, music and prayers to God, the dancers return. With graceful movements, they move to the centre of the hall and dance the so-called Yospan dance. After repeating this dance several times, a number of people from the hall are randomly chosen to dance with them. It is a beautiful sight: two people from a completely different culture, who become attuned to each other and to the rhythm of the music while dancing. The Yospan dance is said to be a contemporary dance depicting friendship. According to the information I found, it is a combination of two Papuan folk dances, namely Yosin and Pancar. The Yosin dance is all about freedom: freedom of dance movements and relying on the agility of dance movements. Pancar is a dance that developed in the early 1960s during the colonial era in Papua. The acrobatic movements seem to refer to the planes that traversed Papua's skies at that time. Fascinating to see freedom and domination, two diametrically opposed themes, having been integrated into one dance.
Studies linked to colonialism
Serendipitously, today's key word happens to be (post-)colonialism. Many contemporary conflicts stem from colonial principles or were intensified by colonial interventions, and in many cases this still affects people worldwide today. During the pre-symposium before the conference--intended as a kind of warm-up for what was to come during this conference--outcomes of three studies linked in one way or another to the theme of colonialism were presented. Both theology students and teachers from Sumatra to Papua were asked about their knowledge and perceptions of colonialism, as were several Dutch theology students.
Theology lecturers fundamentally see colonialism as a criminal practice against humanity, because it includes power relations, supremacy, domination and exploitation. The students largely share the same views as the lecturers and, in addition, indicate fear as an effect of being colonised, which causes trauma. Anger is also mentioned, because the victims were not allowed to develop and their culture was replaced by another. In the survey of Dutch theology students on perceptions of colonialism, they indicated that in some cases they distanced themselves from history because they feel what their grandfather did in the colonial era, for example, was not their responsibility. Nevertheless, students mostly felt shame and guilt. However, shame and guilt seem to be unproductive if they do not encourage action, such as standing up for the vulnerable in society. Ultimately, thought determines action. These studies also raised the question of the theological relevance of colonial history, how it shaped the participants as human beings and how it does or does not affect their view of others.
How God works in situations of war and persecution
Last but not least, Hanns Lessing (World Communion of Reformed Churches) reflects on the role of Reformed theology in a postcolonial era. Reformed churches, supported by Reformed theologians, often justified wars for a variety of theological reasons, emphasising God's sovereignty or that it was 'all for the good', whatever that might mean exactly. There are many factors that contributed to the long, complex Reformed tradition, which incidentally proves difficult to define in practice. In any case, Calvin had a great impact on the whole. He speaks of a spiritual warfare. He tries to understand how God works in situations of war and persecution. In his letter to the monastic community of Aix in 1561, Calvin recognises the value of a law that legitimises the use of arms but under well-defined circumstances. Yet he does not encourage the Christian congregation to take up arms even if the law allows it. His argument is that when Christians resist evil through the power of weapons, they prevent God from coming to them. The conclusion of the treatise is that the Reformed contribution lives by the tensions it attracts and the paradoxes it propagates. Reformed theology keeps the political debate going and creates space through which peace can flourish in the midst of nations.
A beginning of peace
