Many of us were moved by the movie Avatar, and some of us most deeply by the greeting spoken by that Na’vi, “I see you.” It is a powerful moment of recognition and an equally powerful reminder to be fully present to the other. But James Cameron didn’t come up with the idea. It has been present in deeply meaningful ways which are being shared around the world by Margot Van Sluytman, an advocate for restorative justice who uses the ancient African term “Sawbonna” to draw our eyes toward the possibility and responsibility of relationship. I am honoured to share this article by her on this most important of days.
Sawbonna: Shared-Humanity
by Margot Van Sluytman On Easter Monday, March 27, 1978, Theodore, my Father, left the world. Murdered in a robbery in Scarborough, Ontario. On May 1, 2007, I received an email from, Glen Flett, who ended Theodore’s life. He had read about my poetry and chose to email me. We shared Sawbonna. I learned what Sawbonna meant from Glen. Over the next eleven years from the very first email we have developed a rich, authentic, and poignant friendship, as we both work to create new articulations, frameworks, and possibilities for justice. One small step at a time. Building relationships. Nurturing creativity in very concrete ways. With my writings, and in our talks, media, and at Emma’s Acres, a farm on which victims, offenders, and community work side by side planting literal seeds of hope. Reaping justice. With-ness-ing joy. Through sharing in the stories of others from whom we learn so very much about hope. About healing. About surrender. When I read Gretta’s email, “What can I do for you?” What struck me was the clarity of this simple ask. The clarity that underscored how social justice need not be vast, all-encompassing, far-reaching, and big. I was struck with the kinship that Gretta’s compelling ask shared with Sawbonna. Sawbonna addresses justice from a place of shared-humanity, whereby whether we like the other, or the other likes us, is not its essence. Akin to religious and faith dialogues, what is key is relationship. Is relating. Is hearing, being heard, seeing, and being seen. This in and of itself can not predict who is in a given relationship. However, the essence of the rich possibility for cessation of brutality and banality resides in the courage to ask. In the courage to know that if responses come they might be laced in vitriol, hatred, anger, anguish. Oft-time gratitude and unexpected alliances too. The key is that communicating occurs. Margot and Glenn Sawbonna challenges justice, social and restorative, and criminal, via the lens of: respect, responsibility, and relationship, to acknowledge that no matter the degree of the discord, dissonance, or crime, we can lean into the very fact that all voices must be heard. Victims, offenders, communities. And that what might be asked for, will not always be doable. Revenge, retaliation, retribution must be carefully unpacked. Victims and offenders share much in common. Besides the fact of shared-humanity, is the knowing that we are often at the mercy of systems purporting to know what we need. Certainly not poetry. Certainly not planting seeds, side by side. Correct? Not a chance. For Sawbonna holds the space, invites the context, situating justice in the crucible of shared-humanity. ~~~~~
SAWBONNA is needed here…..Nigeria and parts of English speaking Cameroon.
…Sawbonna addresses justice from a place of shared-humanity, whereby whether we like the other, or the other likes us, is not its essence. Akin to religious and faith dialogues, what is key is relationship. Is relating. Is hearing, being heard, seeing, and being seen.
…no matter the degree of the discord, dissonance, or crime, we can lean into the very fact that all voices must be heard. Victims, offenders, communities.
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SAWBONNA is needed here…..Nigeria and parts of English speaking Cameroon.
…Sawbonna addresses justice from a place of shared-humanity, whereby whether we like the other, or the other likes us, is not its essence. Akin to religious and faith dialogues, what is key is relationship. Is relating. Is hearing, being heard, seeing, and being seen.
…no matter the degree of the discord, dissonance, or crime, we can lean into the very fact that all voices must be heard. Victims, offenders, communities.
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