A few weeks ago a friend approached me with a giant smile and asked, “So, what you think about Brett Favre not playing with the Packers anymore? This whole thing must be driving you crazy!” Of course, these words would not have been too strange if I were in Wisconsin, but to be asked about the former Green Bay quarterback in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa? With that one question, I was reminded that the world is most certainly “shrinking”, and no matter where one lives around the globe, we are intimately connected in ways like never before.
As Country Coordinators for the E.L.C.A.’s Young Adults in Global Mission Program, Kristen and I have been fortunate to visit numerous areas around South Africa. What continues to amaze us as we travel is that, no matter where we go, there are constant reminders of globalization. Whether in the urban centers of Cape Town or Johannesburg, or the rural country-sides of Mapumulo or Rorke’s Drift, we are likely to see someone wearing a professional basketball jersey or a major league baseball cap, perhaps watching the Oprah Winfrey Show, reading Sports Illustrated, or listening to Jay-Z or Beyonce. I might walk into a store and see items from The Gap, Pepsi, or Nike, and amazingly, I have even noticed products originating from within miles of my hometown in Wisconsin (…who would have thought Wausau Paper and Kimberly Clark would make it so far!).
As we meet new friends and enjoy numerous conversations, what we find increasingly amazing is how, with the dawning of the Internet and globalized television news networks, many people here in South Africa have a significant grasp of what is taking place in the United States (…some are more informed on American current events than most Americans are!). Whether it’s the upcoming Presidential Elections, this week’s weather forecast, Hollywood gossip, and of course – all the drama surrounding a certain football team and its longtime quarterback, all one has to do is click on a computer, grab a newspaper, or tune-in to CNN or the BBC, and the information is readily available. As a result, people in this country – and around the globe – hear more and more about what is taking place in the world, and as a result, we are affected more and more by what each other does or chooses not to do.
While it is amazing to learn of our various connections with people around the world, when one looks a bit closer, it becomes evident that the process of globalization is not beneficial for everyone, especially not for those in the developing world. For example: international trade often has a way of harming developing countries; the Western-controlled media has been accused of damaging and/or destroying foreign cultures; United States television programs provide false ideas of what North American life is truly like; foreign advertisements increase the demand for expensive products that people do not need, cannot afford, but eventually learn to desire; and international sporting events often cause young people to desert their traditional games in order to pursue more glamorous “Western” forms of recreation. Yes indeed, people are becoming more and more connected around the world, but in this globalized world where the playing field is certainly not equal, we are forced to ask ourselves: What is the nature of the connections? Who benefits most from those connections? Who is hurt because of the connections?
Kristen and I believe a significant part – perhaps the most important part – of our Global Mission service in South Africa is communicating the “connections” shared between North Americans and Africans, and trying our best to play a part in strengthening the positive connections, as well as “transform” those connections that are harmful to our global companions. As people of faith, we believe it is critically important to understand how our behaviors and decisions have a way of impacting people around the globe. As the world is getting smaller, and as Jesus reminded us to care for our neighbors, we are forced to remember that our day to day actions do not only effect ourselves, but our various “neighbors” around the world. The amount of gasoline we choose to pump into our vehicles, the types of foods we choose to purchase, the amount of clothes and electronics we choose buy, the volume of waste we choose to put into the environment – while all these choices might appear to be small and private matters, the reality is that they have profound public consequences for all our global neighbors.
As a way to explore our various connections, Kristen and I decided to launch this program website which will allow people to learn more about those living and serving here among us in South Africa. This site will be filled with writings from American volunteers serving alongside us through the Young Adults in Global Mission Program, but also, it will contain numerous contributions from local South Africans who contribute to the program as our co-workers and hosts. One who visits the site will be exposed to current events, personal perspectives, people profiles, and a variety of other creative writing pieces. The overall goal of this venture is that people in various parts of the globe will be reminded of their connections, and through increased awareness, will make renewed efforts to make better use of those connections for good. We hope you will make time to explore the site and follow its development, and if possible, share it with as many people as possible.
Rev. Brian Konkol serves as Country Co-Coordinator for the ELCA-MUD program.
