On 2014-07-04, at 5:12 AM, Denis Fitzpatrick DenisFitzpatrick@xxxxxxxxx
[ConstellationTalk] wrote:
"the reality of the financial, physical, emotional and visual reminders
your people have to face on a moment to moment basis each day. I cannot
imagine the unconscious and conscious internal suppression necessary to
simply exist."
As both a constellator and an educator in transformative learning from an
Irish indigenous perspective, I agree with Denis' suggestion to expand the
constellation Field to include what I would term issues of colonisation...
Education has and continues to be, both the main tool for colonisation by
dominant cultures and a site for transformation in this time. Even with the
richness of multiple local languages and their held knowledge, most African
education remains in the language and worldview of the colonisers. Northern
Ireland's education system is British. (Northern Ireland was the first
English colony, from 1157, and remains one.) The Irish became 'whiter'
since the late nineteenth, early twentieth century, gaining status but
losing their connection to ancestors and land-rooted indigenous
knowledge.Here in Canada, I have clients from many immigrant populations
who struggle in graduate school between yearning to succeed and make a
difference within the dominant system while opening up to their own
peoples' contributions to the stream of life and knowledge. Many stop. It
is hard to have not just blind loyalty to family history and aspirations
but blood loyalty to our ancestors who died to protect our lands and ways.
Now we can come full circle. It helps if those learning now, see themselves
as places where education systems are in confluence, informing each other
to transform the whole.
To Den's blind constellation set-up I would add a representative for
indigenous knowledge as well as education. I would also suggest a
representative for current or emergent wisdom keepers.
I am most interested in hearing what unfolds.
Eimear
On Fri, Jul 4, 2014 at 5:12 AM, Denis Fitzpatrick DenisFitzpatrick@xxxxxxxxx
[ConstellationTalk] <ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
G'day Lawrence, how goes it ?
I believe your email speaks to a far wider issue within the western
education system than just what you raised.
I like Anni's input and I think it may be a far larger (national) issue
intermixed somehow with the single parent thing.
Through my middle class white Australian privileged filtered eyes it looks
like.......
There would be no need or application for a schoolroom type "education" in
African Tribal life before the white man's arrival (say pre 1650) . The
life and values lead and held by the ancestors. Then for the next 3
centuries the country is overtaken by white men. The first peoples are
continually brutalised and oppressed. I wonder then are these students you
speak of bound by the possible negative beliefs of the ancestors around
"education" and the society / way of life that came with it, plus the way
it was introduced / imposed.
Is there some sort of "blind love" happening here that goes something like
"I will not excel in this field because I know you don't approve"? It is
not our way.
Similarly yet not quite the same I ask myself, single parents or not, how
does it effect what they have unknowingly taken on / inherited because it
is the "same" white people who introduced this society and "education"
system who are the same people that decimated your country and its original
inhabitants, who are the "same" white people who introduced and enforced
Apartheid and the "same" white people who still control the majority of the
countries wealth and power. Other than survival, I wonder how there can
possibly be any true belief in or support of a system introduced by these
people.
And what I have spoken to only scratches the surface of what might be some
of the issues. It does not mention the reality of the financial, physical,
emotional and visual reminders your people have to face on a moment to
moment basis each day. I cannot imagine the unconscious and conscious
internal suppression necessary to simply exist.
If I were in your position (and I am not and I can only make up a story)
I would do a blind constellation to look at the overall/ national picture
and I would do individual ones for the students.
In the blind constellation I imagine I would have a representative for the
elders during the periods pre 1650; 1650 to 1805; 1805 to 1950; 1950 to
1990 and for today. One for education and another for students. I would
also have in there someone representing a time spirit / spirit of the land
/ ubuntu spirit / the spirit of evolution...I dunno mate, you will. What I
know is whenever I do a systemic constellation around my land or groups
functioning within my land such a representation always seems to become a
focal point for the awareness, resolution and healing.
In the individual case I would probably do a similar set up to Anni and
just follow the flow / the field. I never have any preconceived ideas on
how it might develop, I simply work with what I am given.
I also wonder if the modality called "Brain Gym" might assist with the
establishment of some enhanced mathematical and learning type Neurological
pathways for your students.
Hope you are well mate.
Love, Light and Laughter...Den
Home = 61738433818
Mobile = 61 448744755
Skype = denisfitzpatrick
On 30 June 2014 20:23, Lawrence Ngorora lavincisa@xxxxxxxxx
[ConstellationTalk] <ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Dear All,
Has anyone looked at what forces may be preventing learners from
thriving in given courses? If learners feel they have given everything and
nothing is changing in doing well, in what ways might I explore how the
same patterns persist? What has worked?
The background is that a particular group of student ('formerly'
disadvantaged, the bulk are single parents now and have been raised by
single parents too, perhaps first in the family to earn a tertiary
qualification). They seem to seem to struggle with Maths-related
courses.............
I value your feedback in however way it will support these learners and
my learning too!
Thank You
Lawrence Ngorora
