Reach Lesotho

Witaskewin

Posted on 29. Mar, 2010 by Joel in Educators' Blog, General News

Its funny how connections are made in our lives. Often we try desperately to create them {think dating and the proliferation of companies to bring relationships to people’s lives}, but more often than not, the most meaningful things are not the result of purposeful insight but rather connections that occur because of who we are and our interactions with the world.

As we head into April and what I call “Earth Month” {seriously, one day is not enough… unless it is every single day}, I find my worlds connecting in the most wonderful way. In the last year my life has taken two incredible turns. The first was the coming together of Reach Lesotho. After years of ideas and random discussion, Abid and I gathered like minded friends in this ambitious project. Reach Lesotho has consumed our lives at times but that’s what dreams do if they are to come true. And through tragic circumstances, I have come to teach the Community Environmental Leadership Program, created by Mike Elrick. Two life changing programs for the young leaders of Guelph and me in the middle.

Now you may be asking, what does a locally developed environment program and a trip to southern Africa have in common {other than they both have just been stereotyped into their lowest common factors}? Well, like all things on this earth, they are connected and if done properly, they are witaskewin. This is my new word of the year {when it’s a really good one who needs more than one!} and unless you speak Cree, or have read Saul’s new book like I did, you probably do not know its meaning. The word, like all good ones, has great depth to it, and symbolizes a concept… it is, as I understand it, the harmonious working and interaction between living things… people and nature… the greater circle of life {please no Lion King jokes}. Due to extreme poverty , both historically and due to the current devastating effects of AIDS, Lesotho has experienced rapid deforestation and Rotary and Reach Lesotho intend to support their hope for change. We join hands first in our own back yard… our own environmental community… to lead Guelph on April 24 to keep our part of the circle healthy so we can go beyond our borders and build connections.

With the connection between my worlds this “Earth Month,” I see the meaning of this word witaskewin expanded beyond Cree culture, and beyond Canada… to the uniting of our local community in a common cause around the world… the need to support and work with our environment. That trees are desperately needed to support life in both Lesotho and Canada is no coincidence… all cultures have, at one time or another, lost sight of their connection with the earth and the results are never good. The interconnections with nature and with ourselves is the only solution to world problems… as with an ecosystem, the delicate balance between every organism is critical… if one dies, all are effected. We must be in harmony.

And so Reach Lesotho “Reaches In” and “Reaches Out” to find, to expose, to support, and to create hope in this world. We encourage everyone, especially the youth of Guelph, to come out on Earth Day Saturday and plant with Rotary to “Reach Beyond” and make this a better, more connected, world.

Earth Day is Thursday, April 22 and will be honoured by Guelph’s Rotarians, supported by Reach Lesotho and others, at the annual tree planting celebration at Guelph Lake Nature Centre on SATURDAY, APRIL 24. With Rotary’s support, Reach Lesotho will be launching a youth-led tree-planting initiative in Lesotho in 2011.

---