On Intercultural ministry and power (Jan 23, 2015)

My last question/comment I left to a blog that addresses the subject of intercultural ministry and power. 

5) What disturbs me often is that when we engage with these types of dialogues, always the attention is given to the privileged (let's say, the 'white' or those who have easier access to the 'white privilege'). Even if the privileged or the White or those who have easier access to the privilege are criticized, challenged, or asked 'apology' or 'forgiveness', still the 'attention' is given to the privileged. It makes me wonder why the major discourses on races or racism, including my most recent experience of taking the course of 'racial justice workshop of UCC' seem to assume that the recipients of the message are the privileged. To help my argument, here, to be more understandable, let's ask, who is 'we' who speak , and who is 'we' who are being challenged, when we refer to 'we' and use the subject 'we'. Why, many 'intercultural' dialogues, sermons, gatherings, including Intercultural Conferences including Behold Conference, are always designed to serve the need of learning of the White? Many experiences I have had tell me that the major beneficiary is the White. Why cannot it be that the major beneficiary, the 'targeted' recipients, be the non-White participants. In many gatherings or dialogues, the White seem to want to always direct the attention to be given to them, for their own need of learning, including their desire and need to be challenged. It is often clearly shown how the gatherings or events are designed. They never seem to want to experience ‘being excluded’ or ’not being invited.’ which is fine. However, they don’t seem to notice that even in the intercultural gathering they are still in the centre and are focus of learning, which is a problem, while the non-Whites are often asked to serve that need or be ‘gladly’ patient with that? For example, let's imagine that a minister is giving the message about interculturalism one Sunday morning. The congregation is consisted of the White (70 percent) and the non-White (30 percent). (It is based on my real experience) Who is she talking to? To whom is the sermon directed to address the issue? To the White congregation. Why? Because she believes that becoming intercultural really asks us to engage with challenging them and changing their minds. Somehow it seems that she almost believes that intercultural journey starts with challenging the Whites. But the problem is that the non-Whites have not heard the message that is directly related to their lives and their need. What is their real need? The 'empowerment' for them and to them. To give them the power: not only the power to speak but to power to listen (to the message that is exclusively or primarily FOR them!) How can the power be given to them? Make them to lead, make sure their own need and agenda take the priority. However, they are patient, and often they feel that the situation is very 'normal', because they have grown up with having learnt White superiorism, or a sort of internalized racism. They tend to think the White is more important. They have always grown up that way, in the school in Canada or in their own home country. They can really kindly and patiently listen to the message that is not really intended for them and directed to them. This kind of discovery has always remained with me with wonder and questions, regardless of what kind of intercultural gathering I attended. Always the white gets the attention. WHY? The intention IS for the white or the privileged. WHY? In addition, the issue or agenda that 'women' or 'racialized women' may have rarely talked about, and their voice for their own need is rarely given the priority. WHY? BECAUSE, it is my assumption that the White believes that they have 'almost' overcome patriarchy and major significant sexism in Canada or in UCC. Yet when we talk about intercultural ministry, the majority of the participants are women, and patriarchalism or sexism is very much still major ongoing oppression and issue for ethnic minority women. However, the issue rarely achieves the prioritized attention, focus, and intention, because they are really in the margins even in this kind of dialogues and in gatherings. LOTS of things should be changed if a person like me would feel that so-and-so intercultural gathering/event/time has nurtured me; I have not given away my own need of the learning that empowers me. My own need is not replaced or marginalized or ignored, for the sake of other's needs - mostly for the White and/or male's needs and agendas.