Finding Peace Amongst Restless and Unatoned Bones: a Dialogue on Búmùntù from the Democratic Republic of Congo
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FINDING PEACE AMONGST RESTLESS AND UNATONED BONES: A DIALOGUE ON BÚMÙNTÙ FROM THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Irene Margaret Sephton BFA RMIT University, BSW(Hons) Latrobe University School of Global Urban and Social Studies College of Design and Social Context RMIT University December, 2018 I DECLARATION I certify that except where due acknowledgement has been made, the work is that of the author alone; the work has not been submitted previously, in whole or in part, to qualify for any other academic award; the content of the thesis is the result of work which has been carried out since the official commencement date of the approved research program; any editorial work, paid or unpaid, carried out by a third party is acknowledged; and, ethics procedures and guidelines have been followed. I acknowledge the support I have received for my research through the provision of an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. Irene Margaret Sephton December, 2018 II DEDICATION “The world of humanity is possessed of two wings: the male and the female.1 So long as these two wings are not equivalent in strength, the bird will not fly.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá I dedicate this work to our daughters Elikya Areti Dinanga and Ilunga Ida Lorian. Thank you for continually keeping my vision on a hope for the future. May our journey together inspire you both to embody Búmùntù – in each of your respective realities – and to strive towards a future where the (many) wings of humanity are equivalent in strength, that we may fly. 1 In the Bahá’i writings this metaphor of the two wings of one bird is also applied to the relationship between science and religion. The equality it expresses can be applied further yet, to the relationship between different ways of being and ways of knowing. I use this quote in its broadest sense here. III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: MWAFWAIKO In the above “declaration” I was obliged to make the statement that “except where due acknowledgement has been made, the work is that of the author alone.” It seems a strange statement to make in the context of a dissertation whose central guide is the concept of Búmùntù and whose evolution has so fundamentally been shaped by “le rendez-vous du donner et du reçevoir” (the encounter of giving and receiving)2 occurring with countless individuals and communities over the course of six long years. It is impossible to name all these individuals, nor capture my immense gratitude for such contributions. However, it is the term “Wafwako” or “Mwafwaiko (pl)” in Kiluba (the language of the Luba-Katanga) which most powerfully captures their part in this work and the extent of my gratitude. This term, often translated as “thank you,” is in fact a term derived from the verb kufwa/kufa (to die). And so, whilst the term is often used to express gratitude, a more literal translation is closer to the statement: “you have died here.” It is thus a term that acknowledges that in every act of giving, one gives a little of themselves. Framed in another way, one dies a little death in order to give life to something. It is such a contribution that I wish to acknowledge here. To my daughter, Elikya Areti Dinanga, I thank you for your patience and tolerance of “this thing that must not be named,” for accompanying me on the journey, for keeping me forever grounded, and reminding me to breathe and appreciate the many precious moments of life. To my mother, Euthymia Sephton, for always holding the fort for us and your endless “positive thinking” mantras — none of this would have been possible without you. To my squad of official and unofficial supervisors and mentors. (Papa) Clovis Alidor Mwamba Kayembe, it was you that set me on the track. Thank you for the long afternoons rolled into evenings immersed in deep conversation and forever encouraging me with the assurance that “Muana utu ukuma ngoma bantu bakola baja maja” (a child beats the drum, adults also dance). Mutombo Nkulu N’Sengha, for inspiring me with your writing and for enabling my 2 The notion of an “encounter of giving and receiving” is a reference to Léopold Senghor, founder of the Négritude movement, who argued for this as part of the “civilization of the universal” (Mabana 2014). IV (daunting) vision to voyage with my five-year-old daughter to an unknown (and notoriously challenging) destination possible. You gave me a home, a family, a plethora of networks, and countless hours of advice, translations, comradery and humour. To Jacques Boulet, thank you for returning to Congo with me after all these years. Your inspiration and encouragement has given me the courage to forever seek that borderlands space, that “open wound,” where different worlds grate and bleed into each other.3 To Damian Grenfell, you have kept it real, grounded me when I’ve fallen into an overly antagonistic view of the system in which I myself reside and challenged me to speak not only to those that would naturally agree with my position. Thank you for sticking it out with me, even after the “Lion and the Ant” episode. Anne Brown, thank you for coming on board just at the right time and offering your impeccable blend of intellectual rigor and tender humanness. To Jonathan Makuwira and June Allan for a fine welcoming to beginnings. And to Charles Hunt for providing the additional scaffolding when it was needed. To my many colleagues, here in Australia and internationally, who contributed to the shaping of this research project in the early days, its practical execution, and its formation into the form of this thesis: Charlotte Mertens, Pamela Couture, John Mutombo, Andre Kabamba, Anicet Mbangu Muyingi, Ilgha Monga Ilunga, Yaso Nadarajah, and Stefani Vasil. Mostly, however, this Mwafwaiko is addressed to Kamina and to Congo. You welcomed me, as a foreigner (or as a “sister in law”) into your arms and gave generously. Through you, I have experienced the gift that is Búmùntù, as well as just some of the many challenges that are confronted in the contemporary struggle for a “real peace.” I can say that I have died numerous deaths and been brought back to life. To Grand Chef Kasongo Wa Nyembo and the Notables of the Luba Royal Court at Kinkunki, thank you! You welcomed us onto Luba lands and assured us with the protection of the ancestors. To Bishop Ntambo Nkulu Ntanda and the United Methodist Community in Kamina for your invitation and your generous hosting of me during my initial field trip. To Fabrice Ilunga and Shabana Banza Horace for your expert assistance, guidance and encouragement. To our original research crew: 3 This is a reference to Anzaldúa’s (1999, p. 3) articulation of the U.S-Mexican border which she describes as “una herida abierta [an open wound]” where one world grates against the other and bleeds, where the “lifeblood of two worlds” merges to form a third, a “border culture.” V Kasongo Nkulu Nancy, Ilunga Kazadi Choudelle, and Maloba Kaodi Douce. You have inspired me. I am so happy to have seen you each graduate despite the immense challenges you have faced. To those that joined us later, Boshwaa Nkulu Kilumba and Billy Mishindo Ngoy. Thank you for your generous assistance and the many laughs. I look forward to once again travelling together to the village of Kamaungu and discovering whether the name “Akká” has indeed become famous. To Netto for always getting us back before the storms hit. To our home and our family in Kamina. (Maman) Ilunga Wa Ilunga Angeline, wafwako bikatampe bikatampe!! You were there for us as the formidable matriarch of the house. I will never forget your vigil by Elikya’s bed at l’hopital SNCC. Thank you also to Ngoy Wa Ilunga Edithe, Kanyema Masengo and the rest of the extended family for all your generosity and support. To those precious people who offered the same immense hospitality on our way through: (Papa) Vincent Umbalo and family in Lubumbashi (2014 & 2015), Da Sally Ilunga and family in Lubumbashi (2015), Guyguy and Chantal Kankolongo in Johannesburg (2014 & 2015). To Jordy Fulbright and Badi Katunango who facilitated these connections for us. Of course, I haven’t even begun to list the many individuals and communities that contributed to the dialogues that form the major contribution of this thesis. Their names are recorded in Appendix F: Table of Dialogues. However, some of these individuals deserve a special mention for their ongoing contribution beyond the more “official” dialogues: Prof. Mwembo Lumbila Ngoie Robert, Véronique Kilumba Nkulu, Tata Amedée, and Rev. Odette Makonga Kyakutala. Also, other individuals that took on particular roles in facilitating contact with different networks are Pastor Waudru Maloba in Kamina, and Richard Loshita and Jerry Kalonji in Lubumbashi. Finally, I would like to make a special acknowledgement to two individuals who are no longer with us. Rev. Boniface Kabongo Ilunga, your guidance and support was instrumental in the formation of this thesis. Your legacy lives on in the lives of the many people you touched. Valdez Disele, your life was violently taken when you were much too young, I will forever remember your smile and your eagerness to learn. VI TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ......................................................................................................................................... II DEDICATION ........................................................................................................................................... III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: MWAFWAIKO