by Amy Goodhew

When Howard Clarke, religious education co-ordinator for Pymble Ladies’ College (PLC), was asked to host three chaplains from Kiribati for a day he eagerly accepted. What followed was a relationship that has the potential to be life-changing for all those involved.

The Kiribati chaplains were in Australia as part of a 2008 fact-finding tour sponsored by international advocacy and development agency UnitingWorld. Howard happily showed the group around the grounds of the school and discussed the mutual challenges they faced in religious education.

Whilst it was an enjoyable day, it occurred to Howard that there must be something more.

“I felt I could not leave this with a ‘goodbye’ and ‘have a nice trip home’ so I sent a few emails to [UnitingWorld] advocating that we support the people of Kiribati and develop some sort of relationship,” he recalls.

“What that would or should be, I had no idea. I just did not want the visit to be a relationship birth and a death on the same occasion.”

But what to do? Writing and opening channels of communication seemed like a good place to start and the talking began.

Howard contacted Kathy Periera, associate director for Experience programs for UnitingWorld, about a visit to experience life in Kiribati first hand. In October 2008 Howard and Kathy led a workshop for chaplains, ministers and teachers in Kiribati.

Howard reflects that from the experience, “I was able to learn so much about Kiribati people and culture and to develop links and connections to help drive this relationship to more useful levels.”

The relationship was deepened by the participation of PLC’s Year 9 girls in a letter writing activity with students at William Goward Memorial College. Both sets of students would like to continue that letter writing relationship.

It became obvious of Howard, after spending time in Kiribati, that the threat of climate change loomed large. Kiribati is a collection of low lying atolls and islands and is perilously vulnerable to raising ocean levels and changing weather patterns.

As Kiribati remains largely powerless in the fight against climate change Howard took the matter up with his local member — Maxine McKew, the member for Bennelong.

“My first contact with Maxine was when I joined the queue to talk to her at a ‘meet and greet’ activity she held in Gladesville one Saturday morning.

“I said I wanted to advocate on behalf of the people of Kiribati and Tuvalu and concerns they had about global warming. She supported my concerns, argued the Government case on CO2 targets (which has since been voted down in the Senate) and promised to get me information on what they were doing (since provided).”

Howard is excited about the future of the relationship and the benefits it will provide for his students. The partnership, “Will allow them to experience a world beyond theirs where ipods and twitter are not everyday events,” he hopes.

“Any relationship with someone from another country or culture or society is a way of making the world more peaceful, more understanding and more civilised.

“It is not TV or cars or big buildings which show the level of civilisation; it is how much a part of the community I feel in my society and how I add to the feeling of community that you experience.”

Howard is pragmatic about the pitfalls of this kind of undertaking. “Like any idea – it is always easy to give up and walk away when something does not happen – when time passes without a step being taken or when other parts of your life stop the momentum.”

But the momentum is strong and a younger generation are witnessing for themselves how easy it easy to open yourself to a bigger world, to make the connections with people who’s lives are different to your own and mutually benefit from the friendship.

First published in The Transit Lounge www.thetransitlounge.com.au