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Our programming mix reflects Africa's hopes, diversity and achievements. It includes some of the finest South African and African programmes.
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| SABC AFRICA FEATURE ARTICLES
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| SABC AFRICA FEATURE ARTICLES |
| SABC Africa Feature Articles. Feature Nr 2: Is South African Media accurately portraying African Culture and reality? *Feature Nr 1: Is there a True African Story? |
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Defining African heritage and a counter approach to its western influences
In a pursuit to create a platform for public voice and to stimulate African dialogue, SABC Africa recently held a forum on African heritage, what it constitutes and how Africans can preserve this heritage.
Held at the Constitution Hill, the former Old Fort Prison Complex commonly known as Number four, where thousands of Africans were arrested and tortured during apartheid; and now a new home of the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg, the forum was attended by representatives from various African institutions including the department of Arts and Culture, the Senegalese Embassy, the National Heritage Council and Freedom Park.
Asked to define heritage, the panelists agreed that heritage is that which is particularly important and purposeful to a group of people such as their collective history, consciousness and essence which is passed through generations. It is a dynamic phenomenon which includes the tangible and intangible while it is both normative and instrumental.
Emphasizing its relationship with culture, some panelists asserted that culture differs from heritage, as it is all that the group is and has at a time. But what guides the selection processes and criteria that the nation uses as a reference in selecting what will constitute its heritage?
Professsor Keorapetse Kgositsile, Advisor to Minister of Arts and Culture Dr. Parlo Jordan, says one of the factors that influence the selection process is the nation’s purpose and values. "The nation must first decide where it wants to go and subsequently select those elements of its culture that are relevant in enabling it to reach that point. Secondly the selection process is highly influenced by the nation’s sense of values which form a guiding force in the heritage building process," he says.
Agreeably, heritage is largely about celebration, reverence and reflection. It is naturally invested in the positive, such that even the negative elements are valued through the nation’s positive response to them. Dr Somadoda Fikeni, Chief Operations Officer of the National Heritage Council says heritage elements may sometimes not in themselves constitute heritage, especially if they are negative, however, a nation as a collective may choose to value these elements because of the positive way in which it chooses to respond to or interpret them.
For example in South Africa, the Wars of Resistance were a generally negative experience to Africans, however the nation’s spirit towards this element of its past is a positive one, focusing on the nation’s sense of victory that accompanies this trying period.
Supporting this view, Veliswa Gwintsa, Head of the Roodepoort Museum argues that because heritage is fundamentally rooted in memory, it important to carefully select what to remember as it will be what we celebrate in the future. The memory then constitutes a collective knowledge and this "is what will keep us going as a nation."
Speaking on behalf of Freedom Park, panelist Ramzie Abrahams added that one of the challenges facing Africa is the fact that the concept of heritage remains debatable, as there are certain groups that propagate the idea that heritage is discursive. "This is mostly evident in the way we can identify with heritage at various levels such as the personal, national, and global or humanly levels. The challenge lies in which idea we, as Africans, choose to adopt," he says.
Proving the inherent nature of heritage, Dr. Kgositsile refers to his grandmother’s saying "we don’t do these things" which she would use to discourage him from undesirable behavior. He explains that this proves that we are born into many realities, most of which are inherent in our languages which, by definition, constitute a large part of our heritage. These realities comprise the packages we bring as we negotiate our position in the world. Dr. M’ Boup uses an example of the slaves in the Diaspora remarking that those who are part of the Diaspora were able to survive because they chose to value their inherent heritage and to use it as their reference point wherever they may have been at any time. They also undertook a positive response to their slavery experience, choosing to focus on their victory over the slave system.
There is nonetheless a general consensus that we do not choose our heritage and that we are born into it and adopt various external circumstances that we come across. The two co-exist. For example, Evelyn Senna Head of the Sandton Civic Art Gallery says, many African children who attend private schools receive ancestral callings at later stages of their lives despite their white schooling. This proves that although we may have not chosen the events that came upon us as a nation, we can always choose our response to them in line with our Pan African objectives. This also applies to how we can treat the deep western influences evident in our various heritage elements.
This was found to be a critical point as it surfaced that African heritage is subverted by the power elements inherited from its colonial past. These influence what we Africans view or choose to constitute our heritage, hence many heritage sites in Africa reflect an imbalance of power that was caused by colonialism, apartheid and other influences from the West.
For example, Dr. Kgositsile remarks that many images in Africa actually alienate Africans. "We allow ourselves to be bombarded by foreign influences through TV, shopping malls and book stores which are heavily influenced by western ideas." This gives us very little chance to process and internalise issues that concern us as Africans. Urging Africans to be alert and to guard their legacy relentlessly he warns that, "There are still efforts from western fronts directed at destroying us and what we are about as Africans".
Dr. Samba Buri MBoup, Senegalese Ambassador believes that as Africans we should search for a heritage meaning that is beyond definitions by focusing on the instrumentality and practicality of the concept. "We need to investigate heritage initiatives that can create a conducive environment for the African Renaissance," he says.
He says we need to reassess our African legacy, to find mechanisms to repatriate our stolen heritage and to identify places of pilgrimage where we can meditate on our essence as Africans. "We need to have a strategy to win back the hearts of Africans especially youth and women and to asses Africa’s contribution to globalization and civilization," he says. He also emphasized the need to produce a discourse that insists upon African unity versus disunity pointing out that initiatives such as Nepad can provide a framework to achieve this while being profitable.
Asked if there is a possibility of, or an existing, Pan African Heritage, Dr. MBoup says, "Yes and the Pan African Parliament is a proof of such. It proves that there are rules and values that cut across all African boarders. The commonality is not only in what we choose, but also in our selection criteria’s as Africans from different areas of the continent. Indeed we have challenges around diversity, nation building and globalization but what is important is our decision to be loyal to the same vision as Africans."
In conclusion, the panel said we need to stop debating about heritage and learn from those Africans who live and practice heritage, such as those in rural areas. In this way we will activate a knowledge construction process and discard our obsession with intellectualism. As her closing statement Senna states that "what we Africans ultimately need is to attain a sense of ownership with regards to our legacy, and until such time, it is not yet ‘Uhuru’."
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Is South African media accurately portraying African culture and reality?
The portrayal of Africans’ reality by South African media, in particular, broadcasting and programming has been repeatedly questioned, with many arguing that the inaccurate portrayal of Black African’s reality is often a result of a cultural imbalance evident in the current South African society.
Examples can be drawn from local soapies such as: Generations, which last season, had Sibusiso Dlomo demanding R 500 000 for the lobola of his daughter, Lumka Dlomo, a script which many viewers said was an exaggerated portrayal of the African lobola system; or more recently, Isidingo’s "Lettie Matabane dates ‘white guy’ Joe" script where her father, Zeb Matabane goes out of his way to make Joe’s life difficult by making him slaughter chicken to prove his manhood – a scene which has been described as ‘ridiculing’ the African culture.
These, are but a few of the many instances where local programmers have been criticised for exaggerating and sometimes even misrepresenting Black African cultures, lifestyle and reality.
Mathole Motshekga, chairman of the KARA Heritage Institute in Pretoria says the current inaccuracies in the portrayal of Africans’ reality is a reflection of the nature of the relationship between South Africa’s dominant and subordinate cultures where Africans are the subordinates.
"We are witnessing what the dominant culture accepts as necessary for its entertainment or amusement. For example, most images of African culture have been reduced to dancing, whereby, most of the time what is broadcasted is dancing African people and nothing that portrays the spirit of the people."
Sowetan journalist, Ido Lekota, believes that the most obvious problem is the insufficient use of black scriptwriters in local programmes thereby causing the loss of accurate cultural meaning.
"I believe media exaggerates the current cultural mix to attract a minority viewership, one that is obsessed with Hollywood lifestyles. Tales of murder, divorce and celebrities are consumed with heartiness. Local television shows are generally not related to the true identity of the people of South Africa or Africa and rarely take into account the significant populace that live in rural areas and whose lifestyles and stories are not told. These people are the true custodians of true African stories," he says.
"It is sad when journalists and producers abuse the opportunity to report creatively. They make fun of our culture and make it appear like paganism. As journalists we tend to act as observers and forget that we are part of the culture we are capturing. African producers need to decolonise their minds because most people behind the cameras are from formal schools informed by western theories and therefore the portrayal of the African is still somewhat insensitive," says associate professor of English at UNISA Professor Zodwa Motsa, who believes the challenge is entirely upon writers and producers.
But how can writers embrace their values and beliefs while maintaining their professionalism and timely delivery? Motsa says, modernity and globalisation are not excuses "In fact, it’s an advantage because through modernity we have more and better resources to ensure the professionalism that comes with accuracy, while globalisation allows for a larger platform and audience to tell the African story. The only challenge is to ensure that we retain our knowledge about ourselves even as we cohabit and work with others."
On the other hand Motshekga, argues that the dilemma that South African programming finds itself in, is largely a societal identity problem where the discovery and formation of a true African identity competes with the urgent need to form the country’s national identity – the Rainbow Nation identity.
"We embrace the urgency to create a Rainbow Nation, however, it is important for us Africans to fully understand what our cultures and traditions were before colonialism, prior to accommodating other people. Our general tendency is to become what is acceptable to other people by adopting their value systems which are based on their religions and tailored according to their cultures, before embracing our own," he says.
Victoria Letsoalo, SABC Africa’s programme buyer says one of the channel’s programme buying strategies is that they (programmes) should not only entertain but also educate. "There has to be an edutainment value and people should identify with it wherever they are in Africa," says Letsoalo.
She agrees that right now SABC Africa’s programming doesn’t even tap into grass root level and that although the channel broadcasts throughout the continent, most content is still largely South African.
"It is difficult to apply one’s beliefs and perceived identify in one’s everyday work life because you depend on your pay check. So the least you can do is to speak up against any misrepresentation you may foresee. That usually consoles me as I do not merely sit back and make excuses. At this point there are very rare cases where the representation of the black population has been accurate because the decision making process is not a lonesome one. You have to consider factors such as subscribers and return on investment (ROI) before making programming decisions. For example, it is always a challenge to reconcile the content needs of the majority of subscribers who are white Afrikaners and the needs of the majority South Africans who are Black Africans. The challenge is how you keep balance without losing any element of your audience," says Bongiwe Selane, commissioning editor at MNet local productions.
Selane, who admits that the "portrayal debate" has been a recent issue within the channel, pronounces that programming like Yizo Yizo and Gaz’lam has been revolutionary and is worth modelling. "I commend the bravery of the commissioners when they commissioned these productions. It is because of such instances that I believe we are making progress" she says.
Similarly there is an urgent need for local channels to invest in research. "More budget should be allocated to research to enable us to find out from the people if we are meeting their needs and expectations," admits Letsoalo.
"We realise that although we are telling African stories, they are not deep enough to touch on core societal issues. In most instances there is a pool of amazing documentaries, through channels such as the BBC and others, but they are told from a white or western point of view."
Using the example of the recently internationally flighted documentary – "How to become a man in Africa" she touches on the issue of how initiation is one of the African cultural elements that continue to be explored by western journalists and documentary film makers from a western point of view.
Finally she reassures viewers about the commitment of the current SABC Africa board ensuring and upholding values of accuracy and telling a true African story saying: "The current board is passionate about Pan African Content and that the SABC plays a meaningful role in supporting the objective of Africa’s renewal and NEPAD.
To participate in the discussions regarding the article / topic visit the Pan African Debates on the SABC Africa Discussion Forums |
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Gugu Asks:
Is there a True African Story?
The ongoing search for who Africa is through her history, heritage and culture; the evolution of her identity, has been and continues to be a controversial one. It has sparked debate in political and academic circles alike with questions around the rightful custodianship and preservers of Africa arising.
Storytelling is a cultural skill that is used to entertain, teach and pass on knowledge. This art is inherent in all cultures in one form or another. Some cultures prefer oral storytelling while others use words or pictures to convey the story. Legends, myths and customs are preserved through stories that are exciting and have the ability to self-propagate throughout communities. For instance the fictional story of William Tell teaches of bravery against unscrupulous authority and has propagated in one form or another throughout different European countries. A story usually has a greater meaning than the words that make up the story. One needs only to look at the Christian Bible and its parable to understand the true meaning of a story. Stories that tell of a people are usually based on a solid knowledge of the history of the people, their beliefs, customs and identity.
The True African Story is more complex in that its definition has been confused and its propagation deliberately stymied by centuries of oppressive rule by Western colonialists and religious missionaries. In reaching back to the African past to grab the essence of the True African story, one encounters an impenetrable wall, which denies the existence of any history beyond the advent of European visitors to the continent.
However, The Story does exist in this African past and it links up to the events of our more contemporary past. It is this link that is of vital importance in order for the purpose of storytelling to be realised: The transference of organic knowledge, the teaching of values, and pride of identity among others. Without the link into our African past, the present is nothing more than cultural Tabular Rasa created by years of cultural suppression by colonialism and Apartheid.
University of Pretoria lecturer, Sope Maithufi explains this, "South Africa is influenced by the US as opposed to African realities and situation. We need to reconsider our position and focus on drawing attention to these realities and social ills and not over emphasise redressing the past." He goes on to say: "Africa is about displacement and strife and with varying cultures, traditions and religions, we face dying legacies. With no effective systems in place to protect them, how do we ensure that the true identity of Africans is maintained?"
This remains a crucial question. How does Africa make the link into its hazy past to understand its true history from which a True African Story will flow? Our African past and its True African Story has been hinted at and largely ignored by a media that panders to the culture of entertainment. Or in the words of Author Isaac M Thoka, "The media exaggerates the current cultural mix to attract a well-to-do minority viewership and readership that is obsessed with Hollywood lifestyles. Tales of murder, divorce and celebrities are consumed with heartiness."
In fact, our African past points to great advances in Astronomy and Science, studies commonly associated with Europe and the New World. The Dogon people of Mali knew about the stars Sirius B and Sirius C long before they were "discovered" by European astronomers using telescopes. Our African past is bursting at the seams to tell of our abilities in cartography, medicine, architecture and agriculture. Professor Zodwa Motsa of Unisa says, "We should not forget the story of Africa goes beyond the 11th Century where we learn about the Zimbabwe ruins." She concedes that we need the past because it is a way to position ourselves.
The link to our African Past can be likened to a frequency on a radio. We are currently tuned into a radio station that broadcasts our contemporary stories that seem not to be able to escape barrier of 1652AD. The African Story is a hidden frequency that needs to be searched for and when it is found; the stories will flow for a very long time. How do we find this frequency? Thoka puts it this way: "The means are everywhere. The first step is research. Correcting and rewriting African History is vital for the telling of African Stories."
Does the True African Story exist? Yes it does. The story is hidden behind a veil that needs to be opened to reveal the basis for a True African Story. Africa is more than a continent that fought against colonialism; Africa is more than a continent to be mined of its gold and diamonds – and SABC AFRICA actively supports the campaign to tell it as evidenced in its enlightening programming.
Gugu Sibeko is acting General Manager at SABC AFRICA. You can email sabcafrica@sabc.co.za
To participate in the discussions regarding the article / topic visit the Pan African Debates on the SABC Africa Discussion Forums |
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African identity: Where will we draw the lines?
Nigerian author Ade Ajayi wrote of the interconnectedness of African concepts and systems arguing that they were not limited by political boundaries, thereby anticipating that it would be long and hard to ever close the door on the definition of Africanness.
The length of time it has already taken us to come up with any sort of agreed upon definition of our identity as Africans is further prove that whereas one might start with four definite terms of self definition, they may inevitably uncover many more terms of consideration as they progress because the definition process, specifically around identity is dynamic.
To Africans this is manifested through various current debates around the positioning of European Africans, Asian Africans, American Africans and many more that surface by the day within the African definition. These have made the move by Africans towards independently defining their own identity appear controversial, especially in the light of the continent’s efforts towards creating a non-racial society. Many non-indigenous citizens have incorrectly spoken of this as an exclusion mechanism, rather than realizing the value it would add in the overall objectives of the continent to promote diversity, in particular, ethnic diversity.
For example, Major-General Gert Opperman, CEO of Voortekker Monument and the heritage Foundation says African identity should be an overarching concept consisting of sub-identities "because we are all from Africa and love the continent and the soil.
"My ancestors came here from Germany and not me. I do not identify with Germany as my entire family goes back many generations in Africa. I see myself as an African and I have never considered any alternative country. Even when I tried to go to another country I couldn’t wait to come back home and take part in the solution of our problems. Some people may feel they still have family overseas and associate more with them while some of us may feel attached even if they have only been here for a short while," he says.
This article, further emphasizes the importance of Africans, within their intercommunity dialogue, to decisively agree on the terms of inclusion of non-indigenous Africans in their definition if their identity. Using various inputs from a number of sources, the article will further explain why it is important for these conversations to take place sooner than later.
As Opperman puts it, it may not be all non-indigenous Africans that may want to identify themselves as Africans, it is therefore important that those that would like to be included in the definition process, come forth and undergo the process of authenticating themselves using various authentication elements as the fact of the matter remains that "citizenship does not comprise identity." "The former identification categories were misleading, because even if they said I was European, I did not feel it.
"On the other hand, there are many white people who do not want to be involved in the ruling of the country and are not interested in constructive input and being part of the solution. Some do not to work towards reconciliation, are still denying change and are depressed, but at an individual level you will find those who believe what happened was wrong. It is how we deal with this that matters and it is our responsibility to patiently engage in dialogue with them."
Associate Professor of English at UNISA Professor Zodwa Motsa supports this view saying, "Identity is fundamentally a fossilised perception of the self externalised in the manner we deal with others around. So first, one needs to settle on a definition or perception of "self" from their own vintage position – not from a reactionary stance using the impetus from the external world. Second, identity is "being" what your community "is". So the individual and the community subscribe to the same or similar set of values. This self-knowledge singularly and communally enables the person to take custody of the self and direct their agenda of being. Settling on our identity will enable us to then participate as equal players in the wider community; we come as contributors to world cultures not as imitators of others."
Mafuna, makes an example from a typical scene of Africans in a room discussing their identity and other issues affecting them as a people. "In this situation there isc usually so much discovery, sharing and exchange, however, the minute a white or Indian person enters the room, there is a sudden need to accommodate that person. So for example in South Africa, the debate moves from Africanness to South Africanness." He attributes this problematic tendency, not only to our patently African cultural system that says you have to be receptive and accommodative to strangers, but most importantly to not having had done the work of defining who we are as well as how the non-indigenous will be included.
"Not all indigenous Africans are ready to enter this level, but there are some who are. We are all going to need to heal because the policy of apartheid had a tremendous effect on indigenous Africans as it did on Non-indigenous Africans, those white individuals who suffered when they realized they were not critical enough of policies, simply accepting what they were told. This has led to a huge credibility gap and they withdrew from society," says Opperman.
Tu nokwe, contemporary African artist says she is against a forced effort. She believes that people have to pace themselves while they heal and discover, and as they become ready to accept more they will eventually enter a state of readiness.
"I believe it is important to research an engage in dialogue, but research and dialogue have to go with respect because if done from a place of respect and humility information will surface and we will certainly find the truth," she concludes. |
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African Identity - A case for a unified definition
The difficulty facing Africans around the essence of African identity needs no lengthy introduction. This commentary is an attempt to make a case for the need to achieve a unified definition of African identity. The article argues that there is a need for Africans, as a nation, to create a streamlined effort towards the rediscovery of their identity post colonialism.
The necessity for a unified definition of Africanness is evident in the realization that Africans are in a space where their rediscovery needs to take place simultaneous to the continent’s nation building efforts.
Time and space are a contested terrain where giving undivided attention to the rediscovery process stands to be perceived as self-indulgent while it could be arguable that the same effort should be invested in future orientated activities where nation building, followed by economic development, are some of the first that come to mind.
The truth of the matter is that without a clear sense of who we are as a people, we lack the most important ingredient of nation building. Eric Mafuna, CEO of African Leadership Group draws from Gunnar Myrdal’s nation building theory where he uses the concept of the melting pot to explain how the American nation was built to support this fact.
Myrdal found that once people are legally allowed into an American country, they are required to undergo a socialization process whereby they are to pass some basic requirements before they are granted American identity. During the socialization processes they are examined about their grasp and willingness to embrace American characteristics - how Americans articulate their religion, their culture, beliefs etc. This ensures that all Americans ethnic groups are ultimately melted to become one and the same. "It was only in the late 1960’s that they moved to talk of the German American, Anglo American and so on, but the concept of the melting pot is still a prominent identity building factor in the USA," Mafuna elaborates.
The South African constitution differs in its approach to nation building by undermining the need to melt ethnic identity in the nation building process. Premised on the perception that group survival is always threatened, it is a constitution that speaks of preserving and promoting diversity.
As a result, ours is more like the ‘potjie kos’ whereby, as a multicultural society of all ethnic groups is thrown together but retain their identity. Until we understand this, we will not survive. This means that in order to become part of the potjie you must be an ingredient, which added into the mixture will add to the flavor. Without a clear sense of who we are as Africans, we will not be able to fully and rightfully participate or play a meaningful role in this nation building process. And that’s the best case scenario. At worst our ineptitude will spoil the entire broth.
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Rediscovering an African identity, difficult it is, impossible not
In the last week a case was stated towards the need for Africans to create a unified definition of their identity, the African identity. In this article a proposed feasible methodology that can be applied to reach this objective is explored in an attempt to introduce a solution to a challenging mission.
Having moved from Bantus, Natives, Africans, to Blacks, Black Africans, and most recently African Africans, it is no doubt that the terms of reference for discussion around African identity remain debatable. Coupled with the naturally dynamic nature of identity, and the general richness and depth of African essence, the task ahead of us seems to become even harder.
A group of African researchers under the leadership of Eric Mafuna, CEO of the recently launched African leadership group have designed a research methodology that can be followed to enable us to systematically progress towards an agreed upon, and ultimately, reach a unified African identity.
Prior to presenting the methodology, Mafuna argues that if we had to engage on African identity, it is important to move beyond color, but towards ethnicity, because it is the various ethnic groups which when combined, together form the African nation.
Together with his team, they have collected and found data pointing to the fact that there are 13 to 26 elements that contribute towards identity.
"These are universal attributes and are not based on values because values cannot be interrogated as they are personal interpretations. Moreover it is harder to conclude on the origins of any value due to the immense exchange of views and practices that has taken place amongst humans over time. This explains common beliefs such as divinity, circumcision or even ablution. A closer look reveals that it is not the basics that differ from one nation to another, but rather the different approaches, perspectives and emphasis placed in each element that become the differentiators," explains Mafuna.
The identity elements include the following variables:
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- History - determining how you authenticate your claim to a particular identity.
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- Mythology - how you define your relationship to your history or society.
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- Religion - your concept of creation and the supernatural in relation to your belief system.
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- Philosophy - how you articulate your relationship to knowledge, achievement or success, as a group or a society.
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- Knowledge systems - how you articulate wisdom.
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- Contextual definition - one’s definition of their position in the context of the broader society.
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- Art, dance, music - these elements help authenticate and build up identity.
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- Culture – defines your lifestyle and common activities.
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- Values – dictate your decision making processes and perspective.
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- Ethics and morality – dictate character and behavior.
Mafuna argues that reference to these variables in the definition of any particular identity would enable one to attain a sense of who they are. Closer to home we would need to look at ensuring that all indigenous Africans or ethnic groups partake in this process.
These comprise of the broader groups, which are the ethnic groups, within which are sub ethnic groups and even sub-sub ethnic groups. For example, within the Batswanas, you would find the Barolongs, Bathlapings and the Bahurutsis each with their own approach to the above mentioned variables.
In this process, each sub group would hold inter and intra community engagements on their definitions and approach towards each of these variables. So for example, in South Africa, the Ndebeles would start an inter-group dialogue, and the Pedis would do the same and so on. After that all these groups would come together in a larger dialogue, where all the indigenous groups would meet. Eventually, we would have a definite set of common variables that will be utilized as tools in the building of an agreed upon definition.
A potential problem is that if you define Africanness in this way, there are some who will feel to be having been left out. "That is why, all will have to come out during this process," says Mafuna. "In so doing, the use of these matrices there will reveal those with different shades of Africanness. The definition would therefore deal with the issues of where they come from, their language etc. Having agreed upon definitions, however, generally helps to accommodate or bridge differences."
The second point of problem could be the practicality of the research process from a time and resources perspective. Can we afford ourselves the "luxury", to begin what seems like a potentially endless task?
Supporting this research idea is contemporary African musician who has also carried out extensive research into her identity, Tu nokwe. She says research is always powerful because as you engage in it, you automatically connect with the past. She admits, however, that there are no shortcuts to this process. "It’s been thirty years since I began researching my past and I’m still learning. We need a lifetime because culture evolves with time and we have to do this because it is important."
To conclude, may it suffice to point out that as tedious and lengthy as this process may appear, three points in favor of this approach are worth stating. The first being its move away from the subjective realm into the objective. The second and most valuable being its ability to put Africans at the center of their own defining process, a priceless achievement by far and finally, the method’s ability to bring to surface that it is not the destination that we seek but the space to journey.
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