On behalf of Namibia '99 ACS World Challenge Group
Thank you very much. I would like to say a few words in return for the honor
of accepting this award.
What makes our receipt of this award so gratifying, is that we never set out
to win any awards. From our first meeting all those months ago we were excited
and enthusiastic about the project but none of us joined it for the recognition.
It is truly an honor that the ACS community has interpreted our efforts as
furthering world peace. When thinking back on all we have experienced, on all
our trials and tribulations and all our successes, I am still overwhelmed.
It is almost impossible for me to express the emotional significance this trip
had, and I think I am speaking for the whole group when I say that, we worked
so well as a team, we were so focused and were so prepared and had so much
fun, that I admit I was genuinely sad on the way to the airport at the end
of the month.
The trip was far beyond any simple vacation. It was a physical and emotional
journey, one which I am sure none of us Challengers will ever forget. Although
we enjoyed all parts of the trip, even Anton's treacherous driving and some
of those questionable meals, I think that the most meaningful part was our
time at Shituwa School. There we were exposed to a culture so completely different
from our own, an educational and social system so completely new, that most
of us at first didn't know what to make of it. Even after months of preparation,
we were still intrigued by the uniqueness of the Namibian culture.
It was a rewarding experience for us to be able to interact with the Namibian
students. Several challengers, including myself, actually taught classes and,
in doing so, learned what a difficult and yet what an important job teachers
have. There was quite a disparity between their level of English and ours.
The importance of establishing a fundamental communication link was therefore
suddenly clear. Once that had been done we were actually able to share our
knowledge and our insights with Namibian students. However, we weren't the
only ones teaching. The Namibian students ended up sharing their knowledge
and insights with us. We learned their style of working out math problems,
their approach to essay writing, even some of their songs. While their English
may not have been perfect, we were still able to decipher their messages and
ideas. It truly was an incredible opportunity to emerge ourselves in a culture
very different from our own.
After a week of teaching at Shituwa and getting to know the Namibian learners,
we began to realize that their culture, when it came down to it, really was
not that different from our own. The students there were willing and ready
to learn. The teachers were knowledgeable and supportive. The people in general
were eager and ready to make friends. Even though the learner's clothes and
eating habits were different, basicallythey weren't.
It was a moving experience for all of us to realize that we were fundamentally
the same as these people half-way across the world, that indeed we were not
a nation unto ourselves. We learned an important lesson from our experience
in Namibia. We learned to appreciate the importance of communication with and
understanding of other cultures, especially in such a technologically expanding
world as ours. In short, we learned the value of peace-- peace of mind, peace
of habit, peace of custom, peace of relation, and peace of being.
We have worked hard, we have challenged ourselves, and we have made a difference.
It is therefore with great humility and yet with the utmost pride that I accept
the International Peace Prize on behalf of the ACS and Namibia '99 World Challengers.
Thank you.
