It is not length of life, but depth of life.Ralph Waldo Emerson

Inner Life Directions

Expanding Reality

Danielle Levy

  • The Human Library

    Suppose you could go to the library and instead of reading a book, you could talk to someone for a half hour or so. You could talk to an alcoholic to better understand what alcoholism is and does to people, you could talk to someone in a wheelchair, to a holocaust survivor… That’s the Human Library. The idea is to create dialogue and get people to avoid stereotypes or overcome them in a safe environment. In fact the sweatshirt they sell puts it succinctly, Unjudge Someone. It is headquartered in Copenhagen where it was started in 2000 by 4 young people. It began as what they call an event, in this case it went on for 4 days for 8 hours each and was very successful. Although the early years were slow, the idea took hold. One of the ways it did was that Ronni Ebergel one of its founders began the Human Library Organization which helped set up human libraries in other countries. It is now on 6 continents and in over 80 countries, including Kenya and Botswana. It’s a non profit of course in whatever country it is and it is staffed by volunteers. The books, or more accurately the people who become the books are volunteers too.

    It’s such a magnetic idea. It makes one want to make sure one’s own library can participate and include human books.  It’s not only that it can be a powerful and easy way to open people’s horizons and  thus tear down the barriers of prejudice, it’s also that its very presence feeds our creativity. It reminds me of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and the land of the book people where each person memorized a book and embodied it. We each have something to share or give based on our experience and the human library invites us to do so.

  • Protactile-A New Language

    Protactile is a new language used by the deaf blind.  I’ve known blind people and I’ve known deaf people, but I’ve never met someone who is deaf and blind. And as we know from the history of Helen Keller, they not only exist, they are able to communicate. How they do that has been an evolution and will no doubt continue. In  Helen Keller’s day people could communicate by spelling words in the other’s hands.  Then  sign language  and Braille were developed, and over time deaf blind people realized they were somehow not given the same consideration as others, they had to adapt to others’ way of communicating.  For example signing involves the use of  the space around the person, certain signs depend on it, not much use to a blind person.  The deaf blind then had to depend on interpreters and that made them less independents. In 2005 a group of deaf blind women who were then at the Deaf Blind Service Center in Seattle began to seek another way, for them a better way.  They use touch. They sit with knees touching and use touching  to communicate. Different gestures have come to mean certain words, usually what the word means or evokes. The word oppression can be expressed by pushing down on the arm or thigh. A large car will be translated with something that means it is heavy such as a weight upon the arm or some other gesture conveying the importance of the car. A pat on the back is a sign that the person is here. As a more formal way of communicating  Protactile was developed about 15 years ago by Jelica Nuccio a deaf blind person at the center in Seattle. She is now aided by one of her co-founder Aj Granda and was later joined by John Clark and together they founded the Deafblind Interpreting National Training and Resource Center through which they teach this new language which has attracted the attention of linguists who are beginning to  think of it as a language all its own. Having had a sister who was a quadriplegic and could not move at all I am familiar with the handicaps humans can conquer and still thrive. Protactile is not only a reminder it stands as a testament to that conquering and thriving.

  • Returning Looted Art

    Some stories have a long journey before they end up in print. In the last year or two we have read about  several countries and museums returning art to their native countries, art that was obtained under less than legitimate circumstances.  Back in graduate school  many years ago I remember reading about colonial administrators, adventurers, greedy collectors  and others just taking what art they encountered and liked. They had no respect for the people who created this art, and colonial archives will show this, and yet they appropriated what art they came across  and wanted. Last year the  Ethnological Museum  in Berlin returned all the Benin bronzes it had to Nigeria where they belonged. As Germany continues to  engage in reconciliation with its colonial past, the same will be done with its entire collection of Namibian art. The restitution is only a part  of the reconciliation  that is underway. In this case it includes also the sum of 1.3 billion Euros to be paid over the next 30 years. The art to be returned is made up of 23 treasures which were  taken between 1884 and 1915. The Museum stated that “ the collection reflects colonial, and in some cases extremely violent processes of appropriation.” It added that they also show the creativity and ingenuity of the Namibian people. Other museums are also involved in restitution of art appropriated during the colonial era. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is  also returning a large collection of Benin bronzes and the Brooklyn Museum has decided to return a very large collection of 1305 pieces to Costa Rica.  There is also 17,000 pieces being returned to Iraq by the US government. It took decades of work from many artists and activists to return this art.  And it may right a wrong but it nevertheless reminds us of the harm colonialism did.

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