Bricc arts

Today James played in the Middle School football team's first match against a different school.  Fraser and Ruth headed over to support him but I had somewhere else to go.  BRICC's football match was last Saturday when Christians and Muslims met on neutral ground.  This week, more attractive to those of us who aren't that keen on football, was the BRICC arts, poetry and music session.

One of the benefits of living in the Highlands of Scotland is the Gaelic culture.  This afternoon reminded me very much of the traditional ceilidh when anyone who wants can get up and do a turn, although here the theme of peace ran strongly through the programme.  Poetic Oracle (aka David in the lime green shirt) was leading the activities and in true Nigerian fashion announced that we would all introduce ourselves, or rather would have to talk to the person next to us and introduce him (at the start Ruth Beattie and I were the only women there and white at that so we did stand out somewhat).  My heart quailed but I found I was talking to a very interesting artist called Rotimi.  He teaches art in his studio and many of the paintings on display this afternoon had been created by his students.  Peace work to him is similar to the process of producing a picture.  You take many different colours and use them together to make something beautiful.

In our pairs we went up to the front to talk about our new friend.  I was quite surprised when Poetic Oracle then held my marriage up as an example of peace work in action.  Fraser's Scottish, I'm English: to him we married outside our own cultures and so have proved it's possible to build bridges between different peoples.  I've never seen it like that but am quite happy to be used in any helpful way.

After introductions we split into groups to discuss the meanings of the words each group was given.  Mine got Trust, Trauma and Peace.  No peace can be built without trust and the right attitude of heart that focusses on healing peace and not on divisive trauma.  Listening to these Nigerians, some of whom have been driven out of their neighbourhoods by the crisis, talk about working together for peace is very encouraging.

"The Chairman", BRICC stalwart and my group's leader

Finally, after reporting back to the whole, the first acts of rhythmic poems on peace and Jos were performed.  Others brought up their guitars, one man had a stringed gourdlike instrument which made the most beautiful sounds as he sang hauntingly to it.  You did not need to understand the words to hear the longing for healing, rebuilding and peace.  It was much better than a football match.