Page 2, October 1985
(Brarlg
Ciy the Beloved Countiy
^ Dr. Clark Thompson
Editor’s Note: Beginning with Dr. Clauss' column
in last month's Saletnite, The Oracle this year will
be devoted to studying the various facets of the
current crisis in South .Africa. The Oracle is a guest
editorial column open to all members of the Salem
College community.
And now for all the people of Africa, the beloved
country God save Africa Yet men were
afraid, with a fear that was deep, deep in the heart, a
fear so deep that they hid their kindness, or brought it
out with fierceness and anger, and hid it behind fierce
and frowning eyes And such fear could not be
cast out, but by love."
From Alan Paton's Cry the Beloved Country
This was the plea of South Africa's Alan Paton over
thirty-five years ago as he wrote and worked for both
justice and compassion in his racially-torn country.
His cry of protest and agony has been echoed by many
and it is heard again in the 1980's. South Africa, with
its problems and hopes, is familiar to the Moravian
Church. Moravian missionaries arrived in the Cape
Town area in 1737 and began major work among the
native peoples, a work that has continued to the
present. George Schmidt encountered early
opposition to his plans to proclaim a Gospel of
liberation. From 1792, the Moravians worked to
establish Christian settlements for dispossessed
people who were loosing more and more of their rights
in their own country. The work spread from such
villages as Genadendal (1737), Mamre (1808), and
Elim (1824) to the Eastern regions of the 20th century.
Moravian work was also begun in the urban areas,
establishing congregations for the relocated, schools,
hostels, clinics and homes. Today there are 86,000
Moravians in the United States and Canada.
Much of the early work of the Moravians in South
Africa was in the rural areas among agricultural
communities. More recently the work has followed
the migrations to the industrial areas associated with
mining, and the coal, iron and textile industries. The
history of these congregations is marked by a constant
struggle since the eighteenth century to develop an
indigenous church with native leadership and a
relevant Gospel of deliverance and education and the
medical and economic means to a fuller life. Certainly,
like many overseas missions, the Moravian work
suffered from colonialism and paternalistic
influences. But repreatedly, the church has been
forced to close school, relocate work and curtail its
social ministries. A boarding and training school for
native high school boys founded in 1957, the first in
South Africa, was closed in the late 1950's. In 1964,
the large Moravian community at Fairview near Port
Elizabeth was declared to be a "white area" and
the congregation was scattered and the theological
seminary dismantled. Many of these Moravians now
live in the newly created "Homelands” established by
the "Apartheid" policy described by Dr. Clauss in his
recent article. Work in these new resettlement towns
such as Sada near Queenstown is almost impossible in
the face of the tremendous problems of relocation,
lack of work and income, and the total absence of
basic resources. The Moravian work has also suffered
acutely from the government's policy of attempting to
separate the Black and Coloured people in South
Africa.
The Moravian Church in South Africa has been
active with the South African Council of Churches
and many other denominations in various efforts to
change government policy and in fighting for political
and social justice. Most recently in 1983, the
Moravian Board of the Eastern Region sent a pastoral
letter to all its congregations opposing the new
constitution for South Africa because of its partial
representation for Coloured and Indian peoples and
its total exclusion of Blacks. In 1984 both wings of the
Moravian church in South Africa sent a "Message to
our members with regard to relocation."This message
was also shared with the larger Moravian Unity
throughout the world. They called for people;
To witness against injustice meted out to
our brethren and sisters in whatever
responsible manner our Christian
conscience may lead us.
To identify ourselves with the plight of
those affected by relocation by obtaining
first hand information and by personal
visits.
To consider whether by active
collaboration we became partners of the
system we hereby deplore. And they
affirmed:
That as a church we will be judged by our
reaction to the needs of the poor, the hungry,
the lonely, discarded and relocated, because
Christ is also among them.. .Matthew 25:34-46.
That we condemn whichever system destroys
the unity of the people of God, a Unity which
to all Christians and to the Moravians in
particular.
—The Provincial Board of the Moravian
Church of South Africa
Salem College, founded and nourished by the
Moravian church, shares many of the same
educational aspirations and traditions of Moravian
schools in South Africa. The belief that education and
humane learning must be tied to a just and free society
has been basic to our shared heritage. Our belief that
knowledge and understanding must apply to everyday
life, our social system and our values is crucial to us as
educational communities. The Rev. Henning
Schlimm, a Moravian authority on South Africa, has
written:
What happens in Southern Africa is in
many ways paradigmatic for what is
happening and is going to happen in the
whole world.
In many ways the Salem College community should
remember the students, teachers and administrators
in South African Moravian schools as they seek to
study, live, and serve in a fearful, troubled and
deprived land. We must listen to their plea and
respond to their cry!
Salem Needs Alternatives to Alcohol
To the Editors: camp.as and in.aybc share it with: a
This was suppcoed to have w stPd*pb; ;^)i' .:
"Bahama. Basfe'' by.. 8A€GMJtf$;,
, thata«.7-- sA-foi.
ptaraatare due to the fact that. contact with Waite Fotesi which
hardly any college is ready for the
change. I shall, however, pose
some questions that may or may
not make people stop and think
about what is going to happen.
For example, will the "legal"
students be able to have liquor on
has formed a committee to
investigate how other colleges are
dealing with the situation. We are
also in the process of investigating
different ways of having fun, such
as providing non-alcoholic drinks
like the ones served at our
■: iii «Jetwtel|f-fi»b«h»rp
it'%^ji|-dpes.|f5.^
as Sateih wbmeo,. will find plenty :
of tfti’n^ to replacc/the ateohol: Tnyi
not saying that we will go dry, but
I'm just trying to get people to
think about (his concern of mine,
rather, ours.
Monica Carter
The Salemite
^bttortala
Responsibility Begins Here
By; A4aiyanne JVlcDonough
I knew at the end of my sophomore year that 1 wanted to study aborad.
Having made that crucial decision I began a search for information that
left me standing frustrated and confused at an outdated file cabinet on the
second floor of Main Hall.
Deciding to go overseas was only the first step toward putting the plan
into action. 1 still had so many questions - ranging from the location and
type of program 1 should choose to the time of year and length of time 1
should go. 1 had no idea of the programs Salem would accept, of how my
credits would transfer, or how my tuition would be handled. 1 desperately
needed guidance that simply was not available on Salem's campus.
It was a rude awakening to realize that the overstuffed file cabinet and
my best judgment were literally going to be my only resources. Since it
had come to this, however, 1 knew that 1 would have to clearly define my
objectives.
1 began with the decision to go to England because of my English major
and my interest in Shakespeare and the arts. 1 also decided to try life at a
slightly larger co-ed institution for a change, and the geographic location
was of prime concern. To get the most out of my experience 1 wanted to
be totally emersed into the British culture. 1 wanted to live, eat, sleep,
study, and socialize with the English, not with other Americans.
Once 1 had clarified my goals and expectations I began to sort through
the abundance of program information. Using a process of elimination I
was able to narrow the field to ten choices that 1 wrote to for more
information.
My first choice was St.John's College in York, England, and when 1
learned that 1 had been accepted, 1 also learned that I was to be a pioneer -
the first Salem woman to study at St. John's. This was both exciting and
frightening because 1 had no idea what to expect. Once again 1 wanted so
badly to talk to someone who could provide more information and
advice.
When f think about all the things that could have gone wrong for me
going off across the ocean to a program that 1 knew so little about, 1
realize that 1 was very lucky. To my relief St. John's turned out to be
everything and more that 1 had hoped for.
Going abroad was one of the best things I have ever done. I learned
so much about myself, and each day brought a new challenge, the merits
of spending time in a foreign country are endless, and interested students
should be encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities available to
them.
It took a great deal of hard work, time, and patience for me to work out
my program on my own,and while 1 definitely feel that it was worth it, 1
would like to make the road a little easier for those following in my
footsteps.
I found a real need for improvement in the provision of information
and guidance to Salem students who wish to go abroad. There are no easy
solutions to this problem, but there are several ways that we can begin to
turn the situation around.
We have a wealth of information on campus existing in the past
experiences of the juniors and seniors who have already studied abroad.
Students should be aware that a list of these women, along with the
programs they attended, is published in the back of the catalog under Off-
Campus Study. This list could serve as an excellent source of reference.
Students who wish to study overseas should also attend the panel
discussion sponsored twice a year by the International Club. On Oct. 10
of this year 15 seniors spoke on their experiences abroad. The session was
interesting, informative, and invaluable to students considering overseas
study^^ P8- 3
>taff
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Laney Frick, Maryanne McDonough, Liz McGehee
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