Tsunami
Spiritual Retreat
Selesa
Hillhomes, Pahang, Malaysia
May 14-20, 2005
Report
The
Tsunami Spiritual Retreat was organized by ICF to provide activists caught
up in the December disaster an opportunity to get away from the stress of
their work for a few days, seek some inner healing and renewal, and share
experiences with others living in a similar situation. It was hoped that
this retreat would offer them the encouragement and energy they need to
return to their field of work and continue to assist tsunami victims in
rebuilding their communities and getting the assistance require to start
life again.
Because
of travel costs and language differences, it was decided to focus this retreat
only on Aceh, Malaysia (Penang and Langkawi) and Southern Thailand. Participants
were activists living in tsunami-hit areas who had lost family members,
homes and work, as well as activists who have now become involved in the
tsunami-affected areas as care givers and development workers. They represented
the Muslim and Buddhist faiths. Some of the resource persons were Christian.
The
retreat was deemed to be an important activity by the ICF committee because
these activists are a very important avenue for touching the lives of the
tsunami-affected communities. In the areas of Aceh and Thailand, the work
of rebuilding peaceful interfaith communities is very important. ICF can
begin to build relationships through these activists. But the tsunami and
the extremely difficult tasks of rebuilding in its aftermath is taking a
severe spiritual and physical toll on the activists. As one Acehenese put
it, “I am like a turtle. On the outside I have a very hard shell,
but on the inside I am tender and hurting.” This particular participant
had lost his entire family and home in the tsunami but remains actively
working as a facilitator in the rehabilitation efforts. With his hard shell
visible to those around him, few may be aware of his own spiritual, mental
and physical trauma. Thus, these activists also need special attention so
that they may remain strong and healthy in their crucial contributions to
the building of new communities.
The
retreat was hosted by Pusat Janadaya (Empower) with the assistance of the
Women’s Development Collective. They not only arranged the venue for
the activity, but also identified excellent resource people to help throughout
the week. ICF owes them special thanks for all of their hard work and commitment.
Also a special thanks to Ms. Lin Chew for arranging funding to cover the
travel expenses of seven Acehenese participants.
I.
Objectives of the Retreat
-
To provide activists directly affected by the December tsunami with a
supportive atmosphere in which they can share their experiences, their
pain and their hopes.
-
To support these activists as they renew their energy and spirits for
the continuation of their work among communities damaged by the tsunami.
-
To find ways to encourage the activists in the long-term work of building
interfaith communities of justpeace.
-
To strengthen and expand the interfaith network in Asia, and to encourage
interfaith cooperation in building communities of justpeace
II.
Retreat Strategy
As
it is not always possible to predict when people will be ready to talk about
their feelings following a traumatic experience, the program of this retreat
was kept as flexible as possible. Space would be provided for participants
to share their fears, angers, sadness, etc if they wanted, but only if they
expressed the readiness to do so. This space for opening up to their inner
feelings was provided in several ways.
-During
the introduction time, they were asked to respond to four questions through
drawings. When they described their drawings to the group, they could
share their feelings and sadness if they liked.
-
Small groups were formed to discuss their hopes (expectations) for and
concerns about the retreat. This was a further opportunity for them to
indicate their readiness to discuss their own traumatic experiences in
the tsunami.
-
Two professional counselors spent time with the participants, especially
talking about how to help children who are dealing with trauma. These
activities, although designed for children, were also an excellent help
in guiding participants into an inward journey through their own experiences.
-
One day was devoted to creative activities with batik painting, woodblock
printing and silkscreen printing. Through these exercises participants
could use different art forms in order to share their feelings with the
broad group.
-
Much time was spent in small group discussions working a various issues.
In these small groups, participants could feel freer to share their sadness
and/or anger in a less vulnerable setting. The issues raised in these
small groups could then be shared with the larger group for further reflection.
-
Free time in the evenings provided space for brief cultural presentations
from each country. This included dancing and singing which helped the
group feel more at ease with each other and enable more open sharing.
-It
should be noted that a lot of the important sharing was done informally
when people sat together for meals, went for walks, etc. Very often an
important part of healing is simply the opportunity to tell your story
and be heard empathetically.
III.
Retreat Schedule
Day
1
During
the morning sessions, the participants introduced themselves by illustrating
their answers to four questions:
1) What is the happiest time in your life?
2) What do you like to do on your free time?
3) What is your best skill?
And,
4) What is your vision for the future?
Following
the introductions, the participants were divided into four groups and asked
to discuss among themselves what their expectations for the retreat were.
These expectations were written on large sheets of papers and attached to
the walls.
In
the afternoon Andrew, a counselor with expertise in working with traumatized
children (many affected by sexual abuse) took the group through a three-step
process. The first step consisted of relaxation exercises and included acupressure
points that can be massaged in order to relax the body and ease tension.
The
second step was an inward journey where participants were asked to find
a quiet comfortable place where they could spend some time sensing their
inner feelings. After a time, all were told to put something on paper which
would express what they discovered during their inner journey. Small groups
got together to share with each other and then try to express the feelings
of the group on a large sheet of paper which was then shared with the large
group.
The
third step was an outward journey – seeking the way to move forward
and serve the community. This, again, was done by quietly meditating on
the work to be done and seeking the inner strength to do it.
In
the evening, the group met informally for snacks, singing and sharing stories.
Day
2
This
day was devoted to creative arts led by six members of the Yayasan Kesenian
Perak (Perak Arts Foundation) led by Ms. Nur Hanim Khairuddin. These six
professional artists provided the materials for participants to experiment
with three different forms of self-expression –
1) silk screening,
2) batik painting, and
3) lino/wood printing. Although participants were
encouraged to choose one art activity, most were determined to learn and
utilize all three forms.
It
was a bit difficult to break the participants away from their art activities,
but at 5 pm the group met with Ms Lisa Sum, a professional counselor in
Kuala Lumpur. Lisa uses a style of counseling called “sand tray”.
The counselor and the person(s) coming from counseling sit on either side
of a tray of sand. Initially they may play with the sand, create something
with it, or just run their hands through it. Then she asks them to go to
a table filled with small items representing people, animals, household
goods, etc. They are to select something that they feel represents their
feelings. These they place at some location in the sand tray and Lisa, using
questions and observation, urges them to begin talking about their issues,
feelings, angers, etc. Through these exercises, it is possible to help people
identify the causes of their feelings and begin to deal constructively with
them. Lisa led the group through several exercises using this technique.
It was a supportive way to help participants begin talking about their experiences,
but also provided them with another tool they can use when they return to
their work.
In
the evening, the Acehenese friends provided a cultural evening with Acehenese
dance and music.
Day
3
During
the night, the six resource persons from the Perak Arts Foundation had been
preparing all of the art work produced by the participants the day before.
In the morning we all gathered to pick up our work and share it with the
group. Some of the reflections are in the notes attached to this report.
After
tea the group once again met with Lisa Sum. She continued to encourage the
participants to use the counseling techniques in their areas of work and
offered them any support they might need as they helped people work through
their trauma.
The
afternoon was devoted to an outing in Kuala Lumpur, providing the participants
with an opportunity to see some of the important sites of the city and also
do a bit of shopping. Unfortunately, part of the city visit was marred by
heavy rains, but it still proved to be a relaxing and community-building
time for all.
Day
4
Most
of the day was spent in small groups to discuss four focused topics:
1)
The affect of foreign aid on tsunami victims and the rehabilitation process,
2) Government policy on rehabilitation and rebuilding,
3) Environmental
issues arising from the tsunami, and
4) Community issues which need to be
addressed. Groups were encouraged to look at these questions with a gender
focus, identifying not only the broad aspects, but also how they specifically
affect women and children. A summary of the discussions is found in the
attached notes.
In
the evening, the group gathered for informal sharing and singing with a
special “Wrist Tying” ceremony organized by the Thai participants.
Day
5
This
final day was devoted to discussing the question, where do we go from here.
Again small groups discussed this question and then shared back to the larger
group. A summary of these discussions is attached with the notes.
For
the closing ceremony, the participants formed a circle and held hands. Each
one offered a word or short sentence expressing what she or he gained from
the time together. A song using the work peace in all our languages was
sung as a commitment to go back to the communities and continue the work
of building communities of justice and peace.
In
the evening, the women met for a special time of sharing their concerns,
activities and dreams.
IV.
Participants
Aceh
– six women and five men
Thailand - three women
Malaysia - five women and three men
V.
Outcomes
Sharing
by the participants tended to cover three topics:
1.
Experiences during and after the tsunami.
2. Militarization in Aceh.
3. Situation of women under fundamentalist Islam.
It
was clear that some of the participants needed time away from their place
of work and an opportunity to make the inward journey which Andrew talked
about. However, time was too short and the need for translation may have
made this process more difficult.
Participants
learned a variety of skills that they can use for their own renewal and
growth as well as benefit their work with the people. These include several
very good counseling skills, and a variety of art and craft skills which
will be very beneficial to help tsunami victims deal with trauma and also
can help people gain some economic benefits.
In
relation to the objectives of the retreat, the outcomes were:
•
To provide activists directly affected by the December tsunami with a supportive
atmosphere in which they can share their experiences, their pain and their
hopes.
Participants
expressed appreciation for the time of reflection and sharing. Within a
short period of time they established a good and open community. The sessions
with counselors and the art workshop were very successful and through them
good sharing began to take place. However, more time was needed.
•
To support these activists as they renew their energy and spirits for the
continuation of their work among communities damaged by the tsunami.
More
time was needed to think about future plans for work. Much of the planning
for the continuation of work was too general. Perhaps more focused questions
and well-prepared small-group facilitators would have helped move closer
to this objective. At the same time, there were good efforts among the participants
to support each other and to continue sharing information on their work
in the future.
•
To find ways to encourage the activists in the long-term work of building
interfaith communities of justpeace.
There
was a good exchange between the Buddhist and Muslim participants. The Muslim
friends talked quite openly about the problems they are facing as fundamentalist
Muslims from other parts of Indonesia take the opportunity to enter Aceh
and agitate. ICF must make a serious attempt to continue dialogue with these
Acehenese friends. One or two will be invited to attend the next ICF committee
meeting in Indonesia this August and, if possible, an exchange visit should
be made to strengthen the link with them and also to assure them that there
is concern and support for their efforts.
•
To strengthen and expand the interfaith network in Asia, and to encourage
interfaith cooperation in building communities of justpeace
Good
contacts were made with the Acehenese Muslim friends and ICF will need to
build on this. Perhaps some of these friends can be invited to the Interfaith
School for Peace which will begin next year. Also they can be encouraged
to become active in the Asian Interfaith Day, and perhaps participate in
some exchange visits with other areas like Sri Lanka or Thailand.
VI.
Recommendations
-This
kind of service to the activists who are frontline care givers is crucial.
A program to provide systematic, professional and consistent help to
them when needed is essential. While the ICF is not in a position to
initiate an on-going program of this nature, but we can encourage other
groups working specifically on tsunami issues, to consider making this
a part of their program.
-
ICF will continue to build on the relationships with the Acehenese and
Malaysian participants by bringing them into various ICF activities
and by sharing information with them.
-
A small ICF delegation visit to Aceh should be arranged in the near
future with some of these Acehenese friends hosting. Through this visit
we can learn more about their situation and also strengthen our ties
with them so that we can more effectively respond to the religious issues
in their area.