Rwanda
Negotiation Village Party
Party
Description
The village of Gisenyi
will celebrate!!! Ancille, Charles, Bernadette, Frederic, Joseph, and Perpetune
negotiated an agreement! The issues of cattle grazing, land ownership, and village
leadership are resolved at last.
Each villager will contribute
to the festivities. Each character will bring three things (one for each person
who played that role) – a story, food, and a piece of art to offer as a
gift to someone who was an opponent. Each person decides what he/she will contribute.
At the start of the party
gifts will be exchanged. Then the food will be served. Finally, stories about
the lessons learned in the negotiation will be shared.
Descriptions of the various
contributions:
- A story. Much
of Africa’s history is passed from one generation to another through
the art of storytelling. As your contribution to the celebration, you will
prepare and tell the story of the village negotiation. You can choose one
aspect of the negotiations instead of trying to do the whole thing. Remember,
most African stories are told so that future generations will learn a lesson
from the experiences of their ancestors. Your story should be told as if you
were telling it to your grandchildren. It must end with a moral, or some form
of lesson learned from the experience.
(See "African Folktales"
sheets for info.)
- Food. Food that
the villagers might bring to the celebration is often very different from
the food we might eat in this country. You may choose from one of the six
recipes in the Village Cookbook, or you can research another African recipe
of your liking. (The internet has lots of great recipes posted.) When you
serve your food you simply have to describe the ingredients and how you made
it. The rest is up to the happy and hungry villagers!
(See "Village Cookbook"
for recipes.)
- A piece of art.
Tutsi/Hutu art reflects the lifestyles they live. There is great emphasis
on physical appearance, as well as usefulness. Statues, baskets, masks, etc.
are commonly hand-crafted items. The village library has a small collection
of art pieces that you might like to use as guides. Your art must be prepared
for your fiercest opponent as a peace offering. It must be hand-crafted. Nothing
may be exchanged that was purchased. It must reflect your own design and handy
work. It doesn’t have to be too polished. Something simple and meaningful.
It should represent your character, or the character to whom you are giving
the gift.
(See "African Art" packet
for info. And ideas.)
Enjoy
the celebration!!!
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