The Lawrence Project

Update

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:16:00 +0000

Wow! A lot has happened since I last posted. I'm now living in Victoria with my partner, the lady Shannon. I'm looking for work here, and have only just moved all my stuff over from Vancouver. That means that I've also gotten the Lawrence Project files and video out of storage, and I am hoping to make some progress on that project now that we've got a place to live, and are getting some measure of stability.

My "auntie" Heather Lawrence has been posting a lot of pictures and other information on facebook. If you are interested in the family history, than she would be a good person to contact! (I've got the auntie in quotes because I think we might be second cousins or something...)

Living on the Drive

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:32:00 +0000

These days I'm living on Commercial Drive in Vancouver. I've taken a job with Full Circle, which is an Aboriginal Performance Group, supporting First Nations theater, including training for young First Nations actors, development of original works of theater, as well as putting on the Talking Stick Festival, which will run from Feb. 9-15 2009... I was up in Haida Gwaii this summer, making some new Haidawood movies. I am pretty happy with the results, and I'll be showing some of the movies at the Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival.

I haven't made much progress on the Lawrence Project since February, and, I would like to find some time to sit down and edit a 20 minute short together. Perhaps over the Christmas holidays...

Back to business

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:40:00 +0000

Well, my romantic relationship with Sharmeen came to an abrupt end around Valentine's day this year, and this resulted in a big change of plans. Instead of going up to Haida Gwaii, I've instead been living like a gypsy here in Vancouver. So, I've been staying with my friend Daryl, and then a brief house-sitting gig at Yemaya's place, and finally a stint with my friend Chris. I am very grateful to both Daryl and Chris for supporting me through this challenging transition. The good news is that I've been making lots of friends here in Vancouver, and I've actually had a good summer, exploring Vancouver, as well as the Burning Man and Tribal Harmonix communities here in town. The bad news is that I haven't made a single edit on the 40 hours of footage I watched while I was back in K-dub. Hopefully the delay will give me some much needed perspective on the whole project.

I'm moving to Commercial Drive in Vancouver today. The Drive is a hotbed of art, activism, and community, and so it's a natural place for me to call home. The Drive has been calling me for a while, and I'm looking forward to living with my roommates Jen and Janine, and hopefully getting some much needed traction on the Lawrence Project as well.

I'm also flying back to Ontario on Monday, and then making a trip with Mamma to Germany for the IACCP meeting. That might also give me some added impetus to bring closure to the Lawrence Project. Really, I just want to make a 20 minute movie that captures the essence of what the project is all about...

Meanwhile, in other updates, it looks like Gale Street will not be renamed Lawrence Avenue after all. Instead, it sounds like the street will have an African name, which is not too surprising given the political realities on the ground in Durban...

Mum's talk on Google Video

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:13:00 +0000

I took the liberty to post mum's talk on Google video, for all of you who didn't get a chance to see it.

Successful 19th Birthday Party!

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 18:54:00 +0000

Mum had a very successful 19th Birthday Party yesterday. There were over 100 guests, and people brought all sorts of cards and flowers. Mum gave an illustrated talk about her life, which we followed with a toast and champagne. There was all sorts of delicious food prepared by the University Club, and there was a string quartet that played as well. You can see a huge selection of pictures here.

Happy 19th Birthday

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:46:00 +0000

I've been helping Mamma prepare her slides for a talk she's going to give at her big birthday party this Saturday. Mum was born on a leap day, so she'll be officially 19 (that's 76) on Friday. The party is on Satuday, from 3-6 pm. Currently, we've got 114 confirmed guests. Mum will give a short speech about her life, and there will be plenty of food, as well as cake, and a champagne toast. Feel free to leave her a birthday wish in the comments below!

Auntie Therese Memorial Post

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:30:00 +0000

Auntie Therese, who was Vincent Lawrence's youngest daughter, died on January 1st, 2008 in the UK. She is survived by her daughter Heather. Here is a picture of the two of them back when Auntie Therese was young, and Heather was just a child.

Heather was good enough to put up some pictures from the funeral, which you can see here. Mum made sure to send a bouquet of South African flowers on behalf of the entire family.

I've taken this opportunity to post an Auntie Therese Memorial Gallery on my Flickr account, consisting of pictures taken from the Lawrence Project archive. If you would like to share a memory of Auntie Therese, you can leave a comment at the bottom of this post. Also, feel free to add any details you know about the pictures in the gallery as comments at the bottom of each picture (e.g., I've left a comment on this picture of Auntie Therese's university graduation). Also, please do email me any photographs that you'd like me to add to the gallery.

Full Steam Ahead

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:09:00 +0000

I seem to have found a temporary resolution to my 24p woes: I'm going to just go ahead an capture the footage in a 60i timeline, and edit that together. This means that I don't need to send the footage to Compressor, which I've found to be horribly slow. I did an edit of some of the 60i captured footage, and burned it to DVD, and played it on my player, and that seemed to work okay. So, my plan is to just push ahead that way. I could always send the clips that I am definitely going to use to Compressor, and edit together the final project in 24p mode later. The good news is I feel that I've got enough of a solution to move ahead with the project.

Dad and I have been watching the raw footage together. I find watching the raw footage to be quite painful times - sometimes it's boring, and sometimes it's frustrating for me because of minor details I got wrong. Basically, I need to watch it all, and separate the wheat from the chaff. So far, we've watched about 13 hours of footage together, including the interviews with Ela Gandhi, Joy Brain, Father Rattering, and now Devi Rajab. It's a big help watching the footage with Dad, and I appreciate him spending the time with me on this.

Mum has asked me to burn her DVDs of the different interviews. I'd like to finish watching and capturing all the raw footage, burn the interview DVDs, and get a rough cut of the project in the next two weeks, before I travel out to BC for my conjugal visit with Sharmeen from Feb. 6-15.

In other news, Mum and I met with the faculty club to begin to plan her birthday party for March 1st. Mum's actual birthday is February 29th - a leap day. So, although Mum will be 76, it will actually be her "19th" real birthday. We've got plans for a big party, and a short speech. I'd like to have a draft of the movie done by then, although it sounds like the movie premiere will happen at a later date.

More 24p woes...

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Well, at the moment, I am really regretting shooting my footage in the 24p HDV mode on my HV20. I had originally chosen to shoot in the 24p mode, because I wanted to get the most "film like" look I could for the project. However, I've since discovered that this makes for a really nasty work flow, such that I have to capture the footage in Final Cut Pro 6, and then send it to Compressor to have it de-interlaced, etc., as per this apple workflow. Unfortunately, Compressor seems to crash when I give it too many files to process, and the processing is very slow, and the processed files take up a lot of hard disk space. I wish now that I had just shot the footage in either regular HD, or even just SD. Life would be a lot easier...

Anyway, there's nothing to do now but figure a work-around. I've been on the Canon HV20 Users Forum looking for solutions. But so far, the news isn't very good. I think my best option may be to log the tape, and then only capture the footage I need, and then send those short clips to compressor. This puts a bunch of the work of deciding what footage to use at the front of the work flow, which isn't my first choice, and, I don't seem to have any other option...

The good news: Dad has been sitting with me while I watch the footage. I find it a lot easier to watch the raw footage with him.

Happy New Year from K-Dub

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:53:00 +0000

I'm back in Kitchener-Waterloo, and here to finish up the Lawrence Project movie over the next two months. Sharmeen is working out on Vancouver Island, so it's just Mum, Dad, and I working on the project here.

At the moment, I'm just finishing up a short xmas video for the family back in South Africa. I've been a bit remiss in keeping in touch, and I am hoping this will help set things right. Most of the footage is of my little niece Jayanti, who is the latest addition to the family. Michele is also 7 months pregnant, so we'll have a new addition soon.

There is a lot of video to go through, and I've gotten Dad to agree to sit and watch the raw footage with me, which I think will be a big help.

Happy New Year everybody!

One step forward, two steps back...

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 23:21:00 +0000

I've been up in Hazelton BC for the past three weeks, trying to get a start on editing the Lawrence Project. The first problem I ran into: I couldn't upload the HDV footage, which I shot in 24p mode - that's 24 frames-per-second, instead of the regular 30 frames-per-second of regular video. The 24p is meant to give the footage a more film-like look. I made the decision to shoot it this way back in May, once I decided on the HV20 prosumer camera. The down-side is that I can't even upload any of the HD 24p footage to a hard-drive with my old copy of Final Cut Pro 4.5. I've ordered the latest version of Final Cut Studio 2, which hopefully will arrive any day now down in Vancouver. Of course, I still need to learn how to edit using that software, but one step at a time.

I've also started to watch the 37 hours of footage that I've shot. I'm only 7 hours in, and I find it all quite painful to watch! There is some good material mixed in with a lot of sub-optimal footage, with either poor sound or poor light. As I watch, I remember back to how frustrated I was with some of our shoots. I have been keeping a rough log of the footage, although that's a far cry from the transcript that I'd ideally have.

On top of all that, Mum is working on a book proposal for the Lawrence Project, and so she wants me to send her an overview of answers to the questions that I posed in the interviews. She also wants some kind of short proposal or treatment about the film project. I've started to think that I might be able to include some short and simple animations in the project, to help at least bring some of the stories to life.

I was scouring the web for advice on how to proceed. I came across this site about a first time filmmaker's making of the documentary "My Hippies." It all feels a bit overwhelming. I've got a lot more raw footage, and, I'm guessing less drama than he had. I am worried that the movie will come across as too academic, with too many talking heads, and not enough conflict or drama. Anyway, there's nothing to do but try and push the project forward as best I can.

I'd like to get a rough draft done for my Mum's birthday, on February 29th. At times, that seems doable, and at other times, it seems overly ambitious. I also think I would do well to keep the movie short: down to 25 minutes, with perhaps a longer version of the project at 60 minutes.

Lawrence Grave repaired

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:23:00 +0000

I just got this photo from Harold. As you can see, the Lawrence grave has been repaired. The last time I saw the grave, it was with Harold, and we were both surprised to see the gravestones over on their side. So, it's nice to know that things have been set right. It sounds like Rosemary and Natasha have had a productive visit to South Africa, and I will be interested to learn more.

Lawrence Project Trailer

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 17:57:00 +0000

I'm up in the Haida Gwaii these days, aka, the Queen Charlotte Islands. I'm here with Sharmeen, and I'll be working on the Haidawood project over the new two weeks, which involves making stop-motion animated movies with Haida youth in the Haida language. You can see the proof-of-concept movie here.

Just by chance, the Whistling Bones Aboriginal Arts Festival was in town, and I got a chance to participate in a filmmaking workshop with Mi'kmaq filmmaker Catharine Martin. She encouraged me to work on a teaser for the Lawrence Project movie as part of the workshop.

It was a lot of work, and I didn't have much time, with only 2 1/2 days to shoot and edit the movie. I am reasonably happy with the results, and the film was shown at the closing ceremonies of the Whistling Bones festival here in Old Masset. I didn't have access to the footage I shot in South Africa - that's all down in Pemberton. My plan is to spend two weeks in Pemberton in September to make a start on the project.

As I think about the Lawrence Project, it's clear to me that I'll want to balance the tone between the seriousness of some of the content, including discussions of apartheid, satyagraha, etc., and my own sense of humor. I think balancing the tone will be important in making a watchable short movie.

Lawrence Avenue?

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:24:00 +0000

It's been a while since I've blogged on these pages. I've been traveling in British Columbia, visiting my sister Michele and my Dad up in Pemberton, and then making a trip up to Quesnel to reconnect with Sharmeen. Now I'm back in Kitchener-Waterloo visiting with Mum and Dad for a bit before visiting the States for a week, and then back to BC.

While Mum and I were in Durban, the eThekwini Municipal Government was in the process of renaming various street names. For example, Point Road has been renamed Mahatma Gandhi Road, Grey Street has been renamed Dr Yusuf Dadoo, and Victoria Embankment has been changed to Margaret Mncadi Avenue. The Point Road rename has been especially controversial among the Indian community, because the street is frequented by prostitutes and drug users. I don't think the Mahatma would mind - he was always compassionate towards people of all backgrounds and life circumstances, and who knows, perhaps the name change will help inspire people to adopt the principles of non-violence to help solve issues of poverty in the area.

Mum is not one to let an opportunity pass by. When Leslie Peters mentioned that he thought it might be a good idea to rename Gale Street, where Vincent Lawrence and his family lived for years (and where Mum was born), Mum jumped into action. With Dad's help, they have submitted an application to have Gale Street renamed Lawrence Avenue. They have just submitted all the relevant documentation, and it remains to be seen if their bid for the rename will be successful.

Devi's Diary

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 20:02:00 +0000

Devi Rajab was good enough to send me a transcript of her article, entitled "Creating a Peaceful Nation," that appeared in the June 4th issue of the Mercury. I've included the transcript here, for those of you who don't subscribe to the paper:

Devi's Diary Monday Column

I had an opportunity to speak with some foreign visitors to our shores recently. A mother and son team Dr Josephine Naidoo an eminent Canadian social psychologist and her son Dr Kenneth Leslie a clinical neuro-cognitive scientist had come to conduct research in SA. Effortlessly the conversation trailed to SA and the crime and its future. Although SA is a microcosm of the world, it is significant that they felt that it displays the most pernicious form of violent crime, which involves shocking acts of cruelty reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's film "A Clockwork Orange." They cite the example of a white man stripped naked by thugs who then crazy- glued his exercise bike and forced him to sit on it and then sealed his mouth with the same glue and proceeded to rob him. Attacks like these induce fear and revulsion in the population, and lead to a sense of hopelessness and despair. But they also tell a lot about the psyche of the perpetrators, which we need to study closely in order to understand why they do what they do. What follows is a series of questions and answers towards a better understanding of how we could fight crime by building a non-violent society.

Our prisons are overflowing. Lesser criminals become hardened, hardened become irredeemable. Recidivism is high. We spend more money on security than food and criminals are emerging like the proverbial Hydra monster, the more you lop of its head the more heads emerge. How should South Africans respond to ubiquitous crime, I asked. Other than employing private security companies, retreating to gated communities, building walls and electrified fences and filling up our jails with inmates, what should we do? “I have been reading Richard Gregg's "The Power of Non-Violence," which has helped me to better understand the principles of Satyagraha says Dr Lesley. The approach maintains that you cannot solve any problem at the level of the problem. A violent response to thugs only serves to reinforce the idea that problems can be solved through violence. In a sense, you are agreeing with the criminals, that might really does make right. The increased security approach is already showing its limitations, and it is clear that it will never solve the security problem in South Africa, or it might do so by returning South Africa to a police state.”

What about the efficacy of the principal of an eye for an eye as a quick and immediate deterrent I asked provocatively. Many South Africans are calling for the death penalty and cite the Arab method of cutting off limbs as a negative reinforcer. There is very little crime in Muslim countries where merchants leave their goods unguarded while they attend to their ritual prayers. While this may be so there is a great deal of collective violence displayed in the acts of the suicide bombers.

“ Violence begets violence and what we want to create is a society that is truly free and non violent. There is a real opportunity to explore alternative approaches to reducing violent crime in South Africa he said. One such approach would involve a Satyagraha campaign aimed at discrediting the use of violence. After all Gandhiji was also a son of Africa and for 21 years he incubated these ideas on this very soil”.

But surely this is a tall order and out of synch with the dominant culture I asked? Non-violence is wonderful as a philosophy but how do we translate this into some concrete proposals?
”Before we can begin to articulate a plan for a campaign against violent crime, it is important to understand the psychology of our opponent. A vital tool in disarming our opponents is empathy. I would argue that the men who stripped that man of his clothes and crazy glued him to his bicycle seat, have, themselves, suffered from feelings of being emasculated and rendered helpless and voiceless. From this perspective, their violent act can be seen as a tragic attempt to seek empathy, in this case, by victimizing someone else. An important part of our strategy is an attempt to help our opponents remember their humanity (by treating them like human beings instead of enemies), and help them recover their sanity.” Change will hinge on helping people to disengage themselves from their identity as gangsters, and help them instead to realize their own capacity for feelings of vulnerability and love. It is important to remember that this identity is only a persona, and not who the person really is.
Progress will depend in part on getting past enemy imagery, and seeing the humanity of our opponent, but what then?

“ The next step involves identifying opportunities for contact with violent criminals, and then creating situations where the power of non-violence can be used to maximum advantage. South Africa has many violent criminals in prison. Instead of judging these people, and reinforcing their identity as the "worst of the worst," which just plays into their egos, and reinforces a culture of violence and retributive justice, we could instead adopt methods pioneered by Kiran Bedi who reformed the infamous Tihar jail in India which many described as a hellhole and converted prisoners into noble citizens through a course in Vipassana, an ancient technique of self-purification, which has experienced a public revival in India after having been all but lost for centuries. Participants spend a rigorous ten days of meditation and prayer, learning to observe themselves. As the course progresses, the participant is brought face to face with himself. This experience has had a positive impact on many of the prisoners who claim that the course rehabilitated them as it forced them to look directly and without excuses into their dark sides.”

How can we confront violent criminals in a non-violent way that communicates self-respect and respect for the attacker, without taking foolish risks? “The answer will require more research, and I think it will involve Non-Violent Communication, and a delicate balance between asserting one's right to personal and economic safety and a willingness to let go of one's personal possessions. This idea could be extended even further: a willingness on the part of wealthy South Africans to embrace voluntary simplicity and live with less, and instead invest in strategies for making sure that everyone's needs get met, including the need for economic and personal security for all. This, along with access to education and opportunity, can help South Africans create a peaceful and prosperous nation.

Letter from Dr. Betty Govinden

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 14:28:00 +0000

Mum and I did an interview with Herbie and Berry Govinden, before we left South Africa. We also had a chance to discuss with them the application of Satyagraha to South Africa's violent crime problem, and Devi Rajab's recent article in the Mercury (you can see a picture of the article here, and I am trying to make a copy of the article accessible online for free). Here is Dr. Govinden's response to the article, which was recently published in the Mercury, for the record:

VINCENT LAWRENCE – Role Model for a Great Grandson

I was happy to read Devi Rajab’s account of her dialogue with Dr Kenneth Leslie, who told her of the power of non-violence, as espoused by Gandhi, to deal with the rampant problems of crime [The Mercury, June 4th]. Leslie’s constructive application of Gandhian principles to present-day problems of violence in all forms is worth understanding and following through purposefully both locally and internationally.

Reading the article, I pondered over how Gandhian principles have been handed down from generation to generation. Dr Leslie is the great grandson of Vincent Lawrence, who was Gandhi’s secretary. Lawrence, a well-known community leader at the time, came from Madras in the early 1890’s as a trained teacher, and worked as a clerk in Gandhi’s legal practice in Durban.

He was a part of the Gandhi household for a time and imbibed Gandhi’s values and ideals, as did R K Khan, the well-known advocate and philanthropist. He worked side by side with Gandhi in the Ambulance Corps during the South African War. It is not surprising that Vincent Lawrence spear headed many petitions in the 1900’s against discriminatory laws which affected Indians adversely. Lawrence assumed the leadership of the Natal Indian Congress from time to time and contributed to several social welfare organizations, sporting, cultural and church groups. A devout Catholic, he was staunchly non-sectarian is his dealings, like his mentor. It is worth noting that Leslie’s great grandmother, Mrs Josephine Lawrence served the cause of education and social upliftment, especially that of women and girls.

Even after Gandhi returned to India, Lawrence continued with his political involvement, working with Manilal Gandhi, who himself followed in the footsteps of his father. Lawrence was among Manilal’s key supporters when there were South African solidarity formations in Durban for the Swaraj movement in India.

I would be very interested to know whose copy of Richard Gregg’s “The Power of Non-Violence” Kenneth Leslie is reading. This was one of Manilal Gandhi’s favourite books and was much in use in the early 1950’s when Manilal went on an extended fast in protest against the apartheid government’s policies. It was Vincent Lawrence who readily offered his support to Manilal at the time, as well as, among others, Gadija Christopher.

A great grandfather such as The Honourable Vedanayagum [Vincent] Lawrence - what an admirable legacy for Kenneth Leslie to draw on!
MS D GOVINDEN Phd

Writing for Change

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 12:04:00 +0000

Check out this IDRC sponsored website on effective writing. I continue to be impressed by my copy of "The Power of Non-Violence" by Gregg. His writing is very effective at getting his message across, and I'd like to learn to be similarly effective in developing ideas regarding the application of non-violence to our times, including the use of Non-Violent Communication, and both persuading and teaching people how to strengthen their own non-violent responses to life.

Delegitimizing Violence and Building Peace

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 10:16:00 +0000

I came across this article on Turning the Tide of Violence in South Africa by the Canadian International Development Research Center (IDRC). In part, the article suggests that violence was legitimized as a form of political protest during the apartheid years, even though in many cases, this violence was also economically motivated. How deep does this legitimization go? I was surprised to read Nelson Mandela's comments on Gandhi on the Tolstoy's Farm website. Mandela seems to be at pains to justify the use of violence to combat apartheid. Here is an excerpt:

Gandhi remained committed to nonviolence; I followed the Gandhian strategy for as long as I could, but then there came a point in our struggle when the brute force of the oppressor could no longer be countered through passive resistance alone. We founded Unkhonto we Sizwe and added a military dimension to our struggle. Even then, we chose sabotage because it did not involve the loss of life, and it offered the best hope for future race relations. Militant action became part of the African agenda officially supported by the Organization of African Unity (O.A.U.) following my address to the Pan-African Freedom Movement of East and Central Africa (PAFMECA) in 1962, in which I stated, "Force is the only language the imperialists can hear, and no country became free without some sort of violence."

Gandhi himself never ruled out violence absolutely and unreservedly. He conceded the necessity of arms in certain situations. He said, "Where choice is set between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence... I prefer to use arms in defense of honor rather than remain the vile witness of dishonor ..."

Violence and nonviolence are not mutually exclusive; it is the predominance of the one or the other that labels a struggle.

I disagree with this characterization of Gandhi. I doubt very much that the Mahatma would have endorsed violent opposition to the apartheid Regime. I imagine he would have instead argued for an even more strict application of Satyagraha, which, at its moral core is based on the concept of the application of courage and the acceptance of self-suffering as a tool for awakening the compassion and moral understanding of the oppressor.

It has become a widely accepted truism in South Africa that violence helped end apartheid. I would argue that other factors, such as economic sanctions, sports and scientific boycotts, and the end of the Soviet Union were more important. I believe that the decision to use violence will ultimately be seen as a strategic error, and that the violent wing of the struggle only served to make the regime more repressive, while also contaminating the peace in post-apartheid South Africa.

If the goal of the anti-apartheid struggle was to create racial and economic peace, then the decision to legitimize violence has delayed the realization of that goal, by creating a class of people who are willing to use violence to acquire wealth. This violent criminal activity is working to sabotage South Africa's economic development, and is undermining racial harmony. The solution out of this conundrum is not more law-and-order, and not more security firms, and not the reintroduction of the death penalty! That will only serve to return South Africa to a police state, but with a different master. Instead, a slow and quiet campaign of non-violent resistance to crime, and a compassionate re-education program for convicts are the most effective solutions to realizing the goals of economic peace and racial harmony.

I'd be interested in applying for a grant with the IDRC to develop concrete strategies and pilot projects for transforming violent criminals into Satyarahis. I believe this transformation is possible. As I have developed my own interest in, and understanding of, non-violence, I have realized my own violent tendencies and need to dominate, and through that awareness, relaxed into a more peaceful way of being. The difference between the violent criminals and me is only one of degree, not of kind. That is why I believe this transformation is both possible, and the best hope for economic and racial peace in South Africa.

Simple Living and the Now

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 05:46:00 +0000

The other day I came across this website on simple living. As my opportunities to become rich dwindle, and as my interest in and commitment to non-violence deepens, I find I am becoming increasingly interested in living simply.

Why doesn't everyone live simply? Part of the reason is fear. The fear of lack leads to greed, and the pursuit of material goods, often at the expense of morality, community, and the environment. Is there a way to trust that your needs will get met in the future? Is there a way to be more present, and by so doing, bring compassion and wisdom into everyday life?

E. Tolle suggests that if you are in the now, then you can relax, and just be. Then, whatever action arises out of your response to the now, can come from the core of your beingness. This right action can come from a place of acceptance of 'what is', and a willingness to work with 'what is.' Similarly, there is a Buddhist saying: "There is nowhere to go, there is nothing to do, and there is no one to be." This doesn't mean that we are to be complacent, instead, it means that acceptance, and a spontaneous and compassionate reaction to 'what is,' is sufficient. Another Buddhist technique is to ask yourself "Right now, what is lacking?" By constantly asking this question, you begin to discover that the present is always manageable. Relax. There is no need to worry so much about the future. And there is no need to fret about the past. Just be here now.

South African Send-Off

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 22:17:00 +0000

Mamma and I have arrived safely back in Canada. We should have booked a wheelchair for Mamma - there was really too much walking for her, in both the Joberg and Heathrow airports. Once we arrived in Toronto, they immediately got us a wheelchair, and that made things a lot easier. It's clear that there are more resources and fewer people in Toronto, so it's easier to get services. Also, we missed our connection in Heathrow, but Air Canada was very helpful, and just booked us on the next available flight. I was happy to see that all our luggage arrived safely, and with everything there, as far as I can tell.

I was very touched to see so many family members there at the airport to see us off, including Auntie Carol and my cousin Christine, as well as Harold, Auntie Joan, Auntie Saroj, Uncle Raymond, and cousin Thanusha, and Uncle Cyril and Auntie Kogi. Everyone was very loving, and I felt very loved... I ended up wearing a red shirt and a striped suit. I had brought the suit for my birthday, but had left it in my mum's closet, and totally forgotten about it. I only discovered it again on our last day, so, I opted to wear it, even though it wasn't the most sensible choice.

I am very glad to be safely back in Canada, and I am looking forward to going out to BC on Sunday, so visit briefly with my friend Daryl, and then see my Dad for a week. And, of course, I am very much looking forward to seeing Sharmeen! The family in South Africa is very curious to meet her, and of course, they are encouraging us to get married! I told them I've got my best people working on it!

Back to Canada

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 11:47:00 +0000

Mum and I fly to Johannesberg today at 5:40 pm, and from there on to London, and then Toronto. We've had a good trip, although this has definitely been more of a working holiday, than a vacation. The family is coming over soon for a last send-off, and we'll be incommunicado until our arrival in Canada on Friday night. Wish us a safe flight!

Last Full Day...

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 22:16:00 +0000

Tomorrow Mum and I fly home... it's been another full day. Right now Mum is cleaning the fridge... We started the day by saying goodbye to "all my ladies," including Thanusha, Auntie Saroj, and Christine. Later, we had lunch & a lively discussion with Pat Poovalingam and his wife Shakuntala. And in the evening, we had dinner with Julienne and some of her family. She has 9 children, a whole bunch of grandchildren, and one great grandchild, and she's younger than my mum! She told us the story about Auntie Sylvie's death in Sri Lanka: what an ordeal! Julienne went to accompany Auntie Sylvie to Uncle Claude's Diamond Jubilee in Sri Lanka - he had spent 60 years as a priest. Soon after, she died of a heart attack in Candy. We got a group photo in front of Auntie Sylvie's old piano to remember her. You can see all the photos here.

Long day for a Tuesday

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 22:03:00 +0000

Mum and I are winding down our trip, and so there is a rush on to fit in everyone we can. Today we visited 4 different sets of people, which was pretty hectic. We started the day at Dr. Lulu Mahabeer's place. She was good enough to serve us a lovely lunch, and we had a nice social visit. After, Leslie Peters picked us up, and we got to visit with him, and my Mum's school chum Emily, and their son Melvin, who is a jazz pianist. We had a nice time, and then made our way over to visit with Herbie and Betty Govinden. There, we discussed Satyagraha, and I pulled out the stops for an interview. And then, finally, Jackie Nagan, and her husband Aubrey picked us up, and we had dinner and discussed the Naidoo side of the family. Jackie is my second cousin, which means that her grandmother was my grandfather Naidoo's sister. What a day! You can see all the pictures here. Frankly, I'll be glad once we are safely back in Canada. I'm looking forward to just relaxing for a bit with Dad.

Satya = Truth

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 07:37:00 +0000

My commitment to and understanding of the principle of Satya continues to deepen. This from Gregg's "The Power of Non-Violence":

"In the persuasion of non-violent resistance, there must be not only gentleness and love but also truth. All human beings make mistakes. Adherence to truth requires public admission of our mistakes. If, out of pride or ignorance, we wait until others show up our error, then people mistrust both our ability and our honesty. But public confession of faults promotes trust because it shows: (1) a realiztion of one's likeness to all other people in respect to liability to error, hence a sense of human unity; (2) humility; (3) honesty; (4) disinterestedness towards one's personal fortunes; (5) willingness to pay the price of mistakes; hence (6) a sense of responsibility; (7) courage; (8) a revival of intelligence after a lapse into stupidity; and therefore (9) worthiness to be given another opportunity; and (10) the realization of an intellectual prerequisite to progress. When I have made a mistake in arithmetic, I cannot correct it and get the right answer until after I have admitted, at least to myself, that I made a mistake. Thus, in the moral realm, frankness and humility are modes of intelligence."

Comments

kenneth.rajan.leslie@gmail.com (Kenneth Leslie) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 05:16:00 +0000

I know that Sharmeen, Rosemary, and Natasha read this blog, as well as perhaps Harold, and Christina and Michele and Dad more sporadically. However, it appears that you are not in the habit of leaving comments. Did you know that you can click on the "comments" button below, and leave a comment, thought, or reaction? Did you know that you can also read other people's comments? That's what the Friday Five, etc., are all about!

Today is Tuesday. We've got a full day of interviews - actually, Mum has optimistically lined up 4 interviews today (when realistically I think we can only do two). Somehow, the plan is to bend time, and get them all done. We're going to have to do that, because I've only got 4 DV tapes on me at the moment. There will be an opportunity to get more tapes tomorrow, but for today, those 4 tapes will have to do.