Baa

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PNG News - Baa
February 18th, 2005

Baa Baa Black Sheep
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir
Three bags full
One for the master
One for the dame
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.

Just down the lane from my official work at Good Shepherd Seminary, senior statesman and PNG’s current governor general, Sir Paulias Matane spoke at the Fr. Peter Secondary School. (February 6, 2005) At the podium, amongst Western Highland’s bigmen, he told us that when he was 17 year old boy he went to school for the first time and memorized this rhyme. He asked his teacher ‘what is a black sheep? And what is wool? What is a dame? And a lane?’ He didn’t ask about the word ‘master’. His teacher, who he suggested had grade four education, was not able to provide the answers. Although this happened at least six decades ago; black sheep are still a conundrum in the PNG and 56%!o(MISSING)f the population can’t read the rhyme. I am here, to help ensure the university’s point of view- that the sixty, thirty something year old men, who spend three years at Good Shepherd Seminary will learn thinking skills as well as learning sheep behaviour.

Father Case from the Netherlands and Father Ziggy, from Poland, have divergent interpretations what makes a good shepherd. Father Ziggy newly appointed as the rector for Good Shepherd wears white robes in the church and his vision is to have each of the men wear black shoes when they attend chapel five times a day. The two priests are standing in wool sweaters and black leather shoes in front of the poster board that indicates all the SVD Catholic missionaries working in PNG. They are talking in their particular English dialect and the photos, vertically grouped into homeland countries, represent these SVD men’s wantoks or one talk - the people who speak their language/culture within PNG. These people are therefore their support group, their network, which is how the voluntary sector works as well.

Although the Italian Dean of Studies’ black leather shoes are not yet mould-deteriorated, Father Ciro wears thongs to the chapel walking in the students’ shoes, so to speak. He spends at least 3 hours a day cutting the grass and is actively recruiting PNG priests to be involved with teaching in the Seminary and to serve as role models for the men.

Father Ciro drove me from the Hagan airport to the seminary, telling the story of a child who failed long division three times. His teacher dismissed him from school. Years later the teacher is at the market because she wanted to make wine. This is of course an Italian story. She recognizes the boy, now a man at the market. He approaches her, introducing himself as one of her failed students. He escorts her to the local grape growers and manages to negotiate the large quantities of the grapes she needs at an excellent price. He leaves her saying, “There is more to being a man than long division.”

Most of Father Ciro’s mail is in Italian and he struggled to find the word for division. I can’t be certain that I am being true to the story. The all and sundry use of the English language boggles my mind. Imagine how bewildered you might be if you were one of the men in the picture below. English is not your first language and you are asked to attend five classes a day with five visits to the chapel listening to five different nationalities attempting to speak English. It is exhausting, not to mention confusing on bad days, but has the potential of becoming rich and engaging on the good.

Although most of the lecturers at the seminary are oldsters who have been required to do this service in PNG; it would be difficult for them to agree on what the bible is saying in the Twenty-Third Psalm, King David's psalm. And if they read it aloud their inflictions would betray their lack of understanding.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me bedside the still waters;
He restoreth my soul.

In his leadership role Father Ziggy is expected to teach the men metaphorically the work of shepherding - grazing, watering, travelling, resting, and producing. The servant shepherd's job description revolves around ensuring that these priorities are met in the life of the flock and for the individual sheep. But how is one supposed to do this?

For instance, grazing is required to nourish the body, sustain life and ensure growth. Failure to communicate the truth dooms the flock or individual sheep to being tossed about by every wind of doctrine and the trickery of men. Watering implies the refreshment of going to church. Individuals often need to be encouraged when their heart loses focus. Travelling clearly implies the changing of pastures. Therefore, the servant shepherd needs to be skilled in managing change. Change in the life of the individual implies the transition or transformation in their life's calling. The servant shepherd will encourage them to become all that they are intended to be.

The protection against conflict and the maintenance of peace enables the group to rest free from distraction and more focused on religious work. This is a cultural challenge in PNG’s Highlands where there has been tribal fighting on the grounds as recent as this last December.

In our modern age we might romanticize shepherding as a calm, peaceful activity. But in reality, shepherding was a dangerous, demanding, 24/7 job. Shepherding was the family business, and bad shepherding could ruin an entire family's welfare.

And of course our 21st century western minds expand the notion to Servant Shepherd Leadership Indicators and quadrants of leadership behaviours. There are books on Shepherd Leadership offering

‘ a much-needed lens through which to consider our own leadership as well as the leadership of those around us. This important book teaches us important lessons about leadership: we can be vigilant without being adversarial, we can serve without being passive, and we can guide without commanding. Shepherd Leadership offers a visionary new model for transforming leadership practices in both corporate and small business settings. This is whole-person leadership. It's not just a matter of thinking or doing things a certain way. It's a fully integrated life— a matter of head and hand and heart. It's a way of thinking and doing and being.’

‘Shepherd Leadership provides modern-day leaders with a lens through which to consider their own leadership as well as the leadership of others. Like a good shepherd, good leaders learn to meet needs, lead on right paths, know the challenges of valleys, use the right tools, transform conflict, remove irritants, create abundant supply, frame a positive future, and cultivate loyalty.’

On our time off Sister Miriam and I were walking on the road to Banz and came across two women happily washing their produce in the gutter. On the other side of the road was a PMV truck stuck in the ditch. I will never forget the low moaning and shrill cries declaring my leg, my arm, my pain. A passenger who wasn’t hurt scurried out of the scene, back to Chimu province. Someone would be blamed and he did not want to be around. The shepherds too were nowhere to be seen, they must have been in contemplation.

So how do we expect the young men to shepherd their village people by learning the customs of Europeans? In this photo of the painting by artist John Siune, 1999 the ‘Boyfriend and Girlfriend’ are living in two different cultures. Consider the dichotomy of the seminarians bare feet and leather shoe, weapon and bible, servant and bigman, village and Vatican. The cultural landscape is changing for all of us, however in PNG the speed, the contradictions and the illogical decisions are extreme.

I am a great believer of the use of metaphors to help people learn. Just think of this article about black sheep. However this is not always the case. I spent many hours with a Dutch priest who was asked to expand his course to include Spirituality in general and not just Catholic Spirituality. In the first chapter in the textbook that he was given to use, Janis Joplin, Mother Teresa and Princess Diana are used to help define ‘eros’ or spirit and passion. It took me many words to explain Janis Joplin. Image again being a young PNG man and learning about the “eros” and passion of a dead woman blues/rock star who lived 40 years ago in the west. Is this important learning? I think not. Fortunately this octogenarian was not up for the challenge.

Defining ‘black sheep’ in this eccentric world of missionary madness is a difficult task. It just might be Brother Maurice, the tall Australian who reads Chinese, Arabic, ancient Greece and some languages I have never come across. He wrote to me: “Good to catch the hems of your skirts as you swept out of here.” A couple of times this Aussie hiker was on the missing person list. One time after five-day rescue team met up with him, he asked, ‘Are you looking for someone?’ These days this rebel is walking on eggshells for fear of losing his job. You see Sir Paulias, sometimes a black sheep does not go baa baa it doesn’t even know that it is lost.

Like a box of dated used textbooks that are of no use to anyone, Rotary sends them all the same; this is my current metaphor for development. You see I too am a black sheep, a Jewish volunteer in a Catholic institution and a Canadian volunteer in a European voluntary agency. Volunteers are viewed as missionaries without halos and I am increasingly itchy wearing this role.
Eight more weeks to go.

PNG News- Mis-Education

When my heart speaks, I find that my mind sheepishly retreats and allows it to proceed.
What follows is a summary of my work here- a parting shot, as it were, and a required report. This may be too long for some, so let me summarize quickly so you go on with the rest of your day… Even though we have an agreement that shit is denied and everyone acts as though it does not exist. Shit happens.

The context
VSO supports a Catholic run, western style university that has one half of the one hundred and twenty employees PNG nationals and all of the seven hundred and fifty students fee paying nationals. (There are government scholarships). I was given the privilege of serving as the second VSO Volunteer- Director, Academic Quality Assurance. Amongst so many religious people, a volunteer is sometimes viewed as a missionary without a halo. We are ever so cheap and industrious; and VSO pays some of the expenses.

With a sweeping generalization I say, PNG has an enormous untapped potential for work. Energy conservation is achieved by simply doing as little as possible. It is an enviable success- do as little as possible or do nothing at all if you can. Work opportunities are not a priority here. Unfortunately many people are being asked to shelve their self-respect and assume another permanent role as a first-rate expert beggar. Focused on meeting the needs of donors, the country in many respects lacks direction and is currently in a state that some would consider failing. Again in simplistic terms the population is outgrowing the economy.

When a country is rich, its people don’t need to work with their hands, they can devote themselves to activities of the spirit. However even if you don’t agree with the common suggestion that PNG is failing, it is clearly not rich enough to duplicate six western style universities for 5 million people. And what is the purpose, to train specifically for PNG needs? Unemployment runs at 95%!a(MISSING)nd I can’t believe that the research generated locally will be read and utilized, anymore than the numerous reports that are tabled and disregarded. I have yet to uncover a human resources plan for the country.

My own unverifiable speculation suggests that this is a culture that does not invite self-reflection or criticism. People are awestruck by photos of themselves, seeming taken aback by the image. Criticism is not encouraged; however it is the mainstay of university academic work. I don’t know if this is typical of all religious organizations however criticism at DWU often degrades to personal hurt feelings without a discussion of the issues.

Development is served on a platter and overseas experts define the problems and solutions. In this environment everything is simultaneously possible and impossible. The following contradictions- corruption and ethics, organized religion and shamanism, growth and development in a failing economy co-exist within the current culture. Within this context, it is not clear to me what a successful intervention might look like, particularly in a university context. My hunch is that it includes a co-operative partnership and an agreement between partners on national sustainability.
This is not to degrade the unique success of DWU in providing a safe if not controlled haven for females as well as males to pursue further education. Organized religion is probably the most effective instrument for the attainment of wealth, power and renown.

My difficulties
I was expected to serve as Director of Quality Assurance, sit on Cabinet and hear how decisions were being made. Following the cultural tendency for a bigman, a Polish priest architect president made and continues to make all the decisions. Unfortunately I had to watch him distort information, attack people’s character and verbally abuse individuals on his way to his successes. Although none of these human behaviours are foreign to me, overtime it took its toll. No one in the room will disagree with the president. In fact I saw the opposite, each person learning his current whims and currying his favour. Overtime I didn’t want to be associated with what was happening in front of me, I found the need to say to others, what I could not believe others were not saying. (Reality as I saw it.)

When I read that Noam Chomsky suggested, “Freedom without opportunity is a devil’s gift,” this spoke deeply to me of my experience in PNG. Thoughts and words are whispered or worse swallowed instead of being spoken out loud. The more I tried to be culturally sensitive and not say anything, the more I lacked respect for myself. I expected my colleagues to have a similar outlook, and therefore would have the same experience. One Dean keeps telling me that I am making a positive contribution for speaking my thoughts. After all, if Quality Assurance doesn’t say anything it assumes that high standards are being met. To be honest, I don’t know how to keep saying things while being ignored. I am returning to Canada celebrating the freedoms we have, having seen the results of these power plays.

The work
I should have understood there was little openness for change when the two VSO organizational consultants resigned at the beginning of my stay. I should have read their report on the organizational culture and said, if this is being censured it is not an academic institution that wants to listen to its staff.

I allowed myself to be convinced by the previous director that it was a problem because the two consultants were not experienced, there were personality differences and a lack of understanding of academic institutions. Of course, I wanted it to be this way, as I had just arrived, was eager to stay and to contribute.

I have a particular problem with how the president operates as a leader, yet others seem to be satisfied to support him, as he has been very effective in growing the university. Bad people scare me, not tigers.

I had some successes- inspiring some faculty members to take their work more seriously. I taught national instructors two courses and now they have achieved their teaching and learning postgraduate certificate. I provided professional development sessions with faculty in affiliated institutions. I saw some instructors respond by committing themselves more deeply to student learning. Some documents were produced because of my prodding. And some quality standards were reinforced.

I initiated two art exhibits in the new library, and helped with the start up two editions of the DWU Research Journal. I also initiated informal chats with visiting academics, which were not well attended.

There was opposition to my role by one Dean, and the new structures that have evolved leave the role with limited access to information. I think the role of Director of Quality Assurance has its limitations in the west, however within this context it is a misfit. I also don’t think that I am the person to make it successful. Over the past eighteen months I have been concerned about my safety, my effectiveness and question my contribution to the country. I understand that ‘development is fraught with contradictions and illogical decisions.’ (excerpt VSO Volunteer pamphlet) I have not been able to find my own place in it, where I feel comfortable about what I am doing. Without a place, there is no place. I am leaving the country with a bad taste in my mouth. It goes further than that, like garlic it permeates my body.

I strongly recommend that another volunteer not be put in this position. The government’s Institutional Accreditation has not been implemented. The church affiliation and amalgamation processes continue whether or not the standards are met. The new structures, which add another layer of administration, must take responsibility for quality assurance. Unfortunately I see too many actions being made because the president told me. The lack of responsibility this creates is enormous.

A fundamental contradiction at this institution is that DWU is providing an example to the rest of the country that a university can succeed, and many NGO’s are contributing to the organization. I believe that VSO’s decision to focus on program areas within DWU is definitely the right way to go. And I heartily support VSO’s demands for sustainability plans that move teaching positions to national positions.

Meeting Placement Needs
Key Duties and Responsibilities changed over the 18 months to the point where the expectations were clearly unclear.

The Summary of the Placement Meeting on June 30, 2004 articulates the difficulties.
“There have been tensions for the DAQA position caused by a lack of clarity of the role and different interpretations as a consequence.
The arrival of the Deans, which had not been factored into the original placement have further complicated matters.
The deans have a period of self-exploration to define their roles creating additional interpretations of who has responsibility for quality assurance.
It appears that Deans have different needs, some requiring more support from DAQA than others.
The aspect of organisational capacity building form the aspect of quality assurance does not have clearly defined objectives as to how quality assurance will practically be undertaken in the future. Whether this will include an DAQA position or whether quality assurance will be incorporated into the faculties is unclear.
The suggested role of DAQA being an independent entity within the University does not reflect operational realties, and the mechanisms need to be explored in more detail.” VSO meeting minutes.

In the June 30, 2004 meeting each point of the original job description was discussed and in each case the Deans, or one of the Vice Presidents disagreed with the wording and limited the responsibilities. These issues were not subsequently clarified. As late as early 2005 the President was dismissing the results of the previous meeting, seemingly having forgotten the discussion altogether.

This unsatisfactory position need not be insurmountable, however it became this way. The President wanting the position just as it was, yet the rest of the administration did not. The volunteer was in the middle, having less and less access to information to do the job. I am pleased that this process was documented, as it helps me to understand the no win situation I was in.

There is more of me where I come from. If one white volunteer leaves disillusioned, another will take my place tomorrow.

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Photos

Father Ciro
Father Ciro driving me to the airport

Boyfriend and Girlfriend
book cover from painting John Siune