Dakar Academy: What and Why?

This video by professional John Brill (no known relation to my brother) of Colorado introduces you to the purpose and a few of the people of Dakar Academy, my home, and will make you thirsty for more. Fortunately, Brill is producing a longer video to quench that thirst! Stay tuned.

Fine Fun Art

For some amusement mixed with a sense of wonder, go to http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever/pave.htm and select any of the thumbnail pictures there. Unlike most trompe-l'oeil exponents, British artist Julian Beever paints his eye-tricking images on streets, not buildings. You may have seen some of these which have made the rounds in the past year or two via email, but there are several here I'd never seen, plus they're always worth a second look. You can also watch a time lapse video of Beever creating one of the scenes at http://media.cnpapers.com/chalk/

Fine Fine Art

We just held our Middle School Fine Arts Festival, which consists of a juried art show (judged by three international artists), a short drama presented by each grade (6, 7, 8), and a handbell performance by each grade. I had no part except to observe and applaud, which I did a lot. (I teach middle school in the fall, but not the spring.) Even in budding adolescence, some of these kids have extreme and already-developed talent. It truly amazes me. They're so good, I hope to purchase a few of the pieces! I certainly don't remember anyone in my junior high school being so gifted or skilled.

The High School Fine Arts program is next Saturday, and will be even more impressive. I did purchase an entry from this show my first year here--a striking, quirky, highly detailed ceramic set--a triangular vase, candy dish, and candlesticks, and a set of (square) coasters--all now prominently displayed in my living room. I do have a formal role in this event--conducting our 11-member Chamber Choir. They will perform 6 selections:

• Kafal Sviri--an exciting and difficult Bulgarian folk song (their favorite)
• Love You--a little known, a capella, American pop song from the 1970s (their other favorite) that I "discovered" when it played over the credits of the film Stranger than Fiction
• O Shenendoah--American folk song (which none of them had ever heard!) in a very pretty and subtle arrangement
• Windsong--another film tune, this one with an African flair (the text is in Swahili), written specifically for Mighty Joe Young--which they grew up on, but I had never seen or heard.
• Hitch a Ride--a light-hearted song in the style of a black spiritual
• Chantez a Dieu--a 17th century, Huegonot, fugue-like setting of Psalm 96 (or maybe this is their favorite)

I'm looking forward to the concert. They have worked hard, they are ready, and they sound great!

The Generosity Jam: Daily public giving, or secret unregulated giving?

Islamic Almsgiving

Alms-giving is one of the four pillars of Islam. Every faithful Muslim is expected to give something to someone in need every day. But, one is only required to give once, and it may be a very small donation.

Living in a Muslim country for five years, it has been interesting to learn a little bit about how this works out in practice.

The daily experience of letting go of something that is "yours" (usually money) is a good thing. Giving something away every day develops a habit and a mindset in which giving is a natural experience, and therefore, a more likely option when a need arises. It can loosen of our grasp of material wealth.

A second benefit of required daily almsgiving is de-stigmatization of the begger. If I am required to give, there must be someone to give to. The fact that I am required to give to them in some sense legitimizes their need. A life of begging, if not pleasant, is at least not dishonorable.

Another aspect of this Islamic pillar--that you are only required to give once each day--yields a third benefit: it de-stigmatizes not giving. Though every begger is ostensibly engaged in a legitimate practice, and is worthy of assistance, once you have given to one person, you are under no compulsion to give to another person in the same day.

Most beggers in Dakar respect this. For example, if I decide not to give to someone begging at my car window, I find that if I look directly at the individual, smile slightly and shake my head (usually also holding my clasped hands to my heart), the person will smile--often broadly, give a slight bow of the head, and walk away. Each of us has respectfully acknowledged the other--I haven't ignored her or her need, but have instead acknowledged her existance, her humanity, and the validity of her station as a beggar. And, though she naturally expects me to give alms to someone today, she accepts that I don't have to give to her.

There are drawbacks to this system, too, however. As with any something-for-nothing system, required daily almsgiving encourages abuse. Apparently begging instead of working can be quite profitable. Some beggers in Dakar are said to live in quite remarkable homes. Some travel miles and miles to beg on a corner that is particularly lucrative (and where they won't be recognized as the owner of that fine house across the street).

A second drawback is the effective encouragement of very small giving. Any amount qualifies, so why give more than the least possible? Hand out 10 to 25 cfa (about 2 to 5 cents US), and I'm off the hook for the day. And, in fact, such amounts are considered sufficient. Granted, 25 cfa here has more buying power than 5 cents in the US--350cfa can buy a meal--but it's still not much.

Christian Almsgiving

What of the Christian approach to alms? While Jesus lauded generosity, he didn't mandate any specific frequency of almsgiving. There is no requirement to give every day. Moreover, most giving is to be done secretly, without public fanfare, or even public knowledge. This approach is less legalistic, and therefore, it seems to me, less likely to produce a large begging population. In fact, the Apostle Paul, actively discouraged begging. He wrote that he who doesn't work should not eat. This tends to promote diligence among those who can work.

But the Christian approach does lend itself to stigmatization of the begging class (which, Jesus said, we will "always have with us"). In FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, Tevye says, "It's no shame to be poor--but it's no great honor, either." Yet, I suspect many people do experience their poverty as shameful, and experience poor treatment and receive less respect from many of us who are financially better off.

The lack of daily practice can also abet our human tendency to hold on to what we have. If I'm not required to give, and I don't practice giving daily, I can easily never give. (If giving is secret, so too, a lack of giving can be kept secret.)

There is one more factor for the Christian to consider, however: the guidance and prompting of the Spirit of Christ (or Holy Spirit). In the 14th chapter of his Gospel, the apostle John quotes Jesus:

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to
you.

Having a relationship with one generous enough to give his very life for us should increase our desire to become more like him, including our willingness to help others materially. With this remarkable gift available to us, I opt for the Christian perspective on giving. Yet, I have something to learn from the Muslim example of daily generosity.