A CANADIAN-ARGENTINE FRAMEWORK FOR INTERCULTURAL NARRATIVE CONSTRUCTION

Environmental Space interactions with Culture, Art & Science. JULIO ENRIQUE CORREA, M.D.

 

    A Canadian-Argentine framework for narrative Construction

Dr. Julio Enrique Correa is a high qualified research professional that is running the “Cultural Space” of the INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES AND HEALTH (Buenos Aires, Argentina), where he conducts a Research and Educational Program: “Crossroads among ART and SCIENCE”. In that context he has developed a research project entitled “Multicultural communication and diversity of meaning in the inter-professional narrative construction: An Argentine-Canadian story”, obtaining a FRP academic fellowship from the Canadian Government in the frame of the international research program on Canadian-Argentinean Studies. During the one month trip to Canada Dr. Correa gave sessions on the narrative construction of his expertise including conferences, seminars and training workshops on the narrative construction of bereavement.

SCHEDULE DEVELOPED AT THE CANADIAN JOURNEY OCT 7/NOV 4 2011

October 7-15 Kingston Neil Hobbs [Queens University: Tuesday Oct 11 Introductory conference at the Family Medicine Grand Rounds Dr. Julio E. Correa and Dr. R. Neil Hobbs; October 12th 9:15 Wed Oct 12 Academic Half-Day Seminar at the Palliative Care Unit of Queens University Dr. Julio E. Correa and Dr. R. Neil Hobbs Workshop: The narrative of bereavement, Thursday 13^th, 2011 19hs, Palliative Care Service, Queen’s University, Dr. Julio E. Correa; Friday Oct 14 Palliative Medicine Rounds: "Telling Stories to Heal: the art of narrative reconstruction in the care of the bereaved"; Dr Julio Correa, Educational Objectives: [1] to understand the role of narrative process in the healing of the bereaved, [2] to understand the possible roles of the physician in the grief process, [3] to participate in an brief example of narrative reconstruction, [4] to reflect on how narrative reconstruction may play a part in palliative care [with particular attention to the role of family physicians], [5] to discuss how knowledge domains, other than those customarily deployed in medical science, contribute to the understanding of bereavement process].

October 17-21 Montréal Franco Carnevale [Mc Gill University: Julio Correa, MD: Wednesday, October 19th, 2011, 10h30-12h Seminar discussion on:  “Telling Stories to Heal: the art of narrative reconstruction in the care of the bereaved”. This presentation examined (a) the role of narrative processes in the healing of the bereaved, (b) the possible roles of therapists in the grief process, (c) how narrative reconstruction may play a part in palliative care, and (d) how knowledge domains, other than those customarily deployed in the health sciences, contribute to the understanding of bereavement. Location: Oral Health and Society Seminar Room, 3550 University Avenue, McGill University.

October 19th Session, Oral Health and Society Seminar Room, 3550 University Avenue, McGill University: “Telling Stories to Heal: the art of narrative reconstruction in the care of the bereaved”. This presentation examined:  (a) the role of narrative processes in the healing of the bereaved,  (b) the possible roles of therapists in the grief process,  (c) how narrative reconstruction may play a part in palliative care,  (d) how knowledge domains, other than those customarily deployed in the health sciences, contribute to the understanding of bereavement.

October 21^st  “Narrative training on Family Medicine Nurse Counseling”, Prof. Franco Carnevale introduced Dr. Correa to of a francophone Spanish Nurse working at Montreal Children's Hospital on Marital and Family counselling to whom a narrative training workshop on bereavement was given as applied to a clinic case [Anne-Marie Martinez, MUHC Marital and Family Therapist and Nurse at Montreal Children's Hospital].

October  21/ 28 Montréal [Mc Gill University: Preparation of reports]

 October 31-November 4 Toronto-Niagara Falls  [Ontario art association: Art Therapy Here and Now, November 3-6, 2011, Niagara Falls, ONTARIO]

1.      Following the FRP project design exploring the role that narrative skills and cultural variables have on the aesthetic story construction, the Kingston bereavement workshop was replicated at Buenos Aires with a same design schedule and number of attendants, which permitted further comparison of the Canadian and Argentine stories (Correa, 2012).

2.      In attempting to further advance in considering the narrative skills and trans-cultural factors that melt together into diverse meaning levels at the construction of intercultural stories of bereavement, Dr. Julio Correa aimed to describe on what was built simultaneously to the development of the Canadian FRP Fellowship project, as a parallel project that was entitled: “A multicultural medical view considering native land populations and environment: Preliminary Notes” This study considers the narrative construction connected to native populations and environmental change (See below).

3.      All this connects to a third earlier project entitled “A Study on aesthetics judgment as related to aesthetics perceptual determinants, artistic skills and socio-cultural environmental variables”. This proposal follows narrative inspiration from Phillipson Test pictures providing a narrative high quality art design which enables to appraise the structuring capacity of perceptive stimuli in shaping both psychological and aesthetic skills narrative construction (de Artiagoitia & Correa, 2005).

A multicultural medical view considering native land populations and environment: Preliminary notes.

Dene culture

Since Neil’s trip this July to Canada’s Northern Territory (involving Fort Simpson and Trout Lake in the South, and Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope further north, almost on the Arctic Circle), he started re-writing a multicultural story under the impact of such story-making context with a significant personal-medical ethnographic contact with native cultures, in this case with the DENE (because he had been several other times to wild Canada, as i.e. Goose Bay together to destinies at his early arrival to Canada: “working in Northern Newfoundland, and had gone on to work in Labrador and the James Bay area of Hudson Bay”), Such an experience assisting patients of the DENE culture should necessarily had challenged meaning on the many aspects of ethnic contribution by such a singular native Canadian culture to his previous medical and educational experiences. Therefore we might infer that such a story-writing context turns his story not only a voyager diary but a multicultural story expanding meaning on the many aspects of ethnic contribution to medical approaches to the caring of the terminally ill and relatives’ grief. By sharing experiences with individuals of such different cultures at the challenging palliative assistance in Northern Canada -as an amount of cultural/transport/housing issues that are unique (i.e.: South Slavey native language needs a translator when those patients are to be assisted), a novel multicultural story might got started:

   “I'm on my way - waiting in Kingston airport...but my imagination is already in the North, land of the midnight sun, muskox, and the Land of the Dene, the native people who live there”. Later his own vivid experiences on their cultural behaviour were described: “the Dene opened the ceremonies with a prayer conducted in the Dene language  accompanied by drumming, a traditional way to open a public proceeding here. All the drummers made the sign of the Cross at the  end of their prayers”. Further, he told about his insights on their “very loving relationship with the land even though it is hard to live in the natural state on it. There is much nostalgia for times gone by...”, under steady “struggles with climate and what the Dene would call the Land”. 

Comparison of Dene and Mapuche cultures

On my side the Canadian FRP scholarship guidelines I received, underscored the need to develop the study within a "cultural frame" (as purely health/ medical approaches were not considered for it), although in the case exerting an impact on health would have to be considered it would only from a multicultural/ diversity outlook, displaying Canadian contents of interest as it were to be directed to a Canadian interlocutor, as in fact Neil is. Further, simultaneous to the time Neil prepared his Northern Territory trip I got in touch with artists that worked on Argentine-Canadian projects [related to a Canadian awareness-creating series program of educational activities in connection with environmental concerns including Canadian projects on ice [In Antarctic Peninsula where environmental change has caused a loss of ice of 4000 km3 over the last 31 years, Visual artist Andrea Juan has developed several projects dealing with the climatic change impact on ice as i.e. Methane, that hints the apparition of methane gas particles on the ice surface; Sparkles (pollutant alterations), The Invisible Forest (the ocean invisible marine phytoplankton forest playing a critical role in regulating Earth's climate that human activities can alter and is disclosed by the impact on the carbon cycle which is crucial for predicting long-term ecological effects); Geo-Radar (due to climatic variations, soil-permafrost-frozen is suffering unusual structural  changes as i.e. in its water content and ice wedges that can be detected by geo-radar that reaches up to approx. 15 m depth)] and Canadian-Argentine inter-hemispheric migratory birds at risk of extinction [Boreal forest project seeking for the preservation of the Red Knot Calidris canutus rufa which has been aided by Edith Matzen Hirsh leading an educational program to paint the bird by low graders and send it as mail cards to Canada, as a message mimicking the bird, is sponsored by the Argentine-Canadian Studies Association (ASAEC) and the Canadian delegation of the Global Conservation Congress composed by government, entrepreneurs, researchers, advocacy officers as potential on-site mentors, that would even integrate Margaret Atwood, a novelist with whom I am particularly interested to get in touch with because of a study where I focus on the effects of bereavement on foreigners [“The Stranger”, Albert Camus] settled into discriminative cultures. Therefore a multicultural/ diversity outlook fits the aim of a multicultural story making format following a conversational style as the one Neil devised we have already held along our large correspondence. The case that since June this year Chile’s southern volcano Puyehue started eruption loading enormous layers of ash over lakes and landscapes of Argentine’s southern desert region inhabited by natives from the Mapuche culture, opened Neil’s interest in order to compare Mapuches’ cultural stories with Canadian Dene’ on their “many similar struggles with climate and land, language, culture, land rights and struggles with colonial expansionism, respectively in South America and in North America [Wikipedia entry http:\\en.wikipedia.org/wiki/*Mapuche*]”. By following Neil’s proposal, it would be possible to tell Canadians an Argentine imaginary journey story in parallel to Neil’s present journey through Canada’s northern territories.

As we have described in a former paper (Correa & Hobbs, 2007), cultural stories overlap with personal and family stories in the bereavement narratives shared by group members that were gathered with that aim, the present scope of this study entitled “Multicultural communication and diversity of meaning  in the inter-professional narrative construction: An Argentine-Canadian story”, might pose new challenges to the “multiculturalism and interculturalism” question not only “to be understood as policy orientations, more or less formalized” but to be “continuously redefined” (Duchastel, 2010). One significant source of redefinition may come from bereavement shared experiences by individuals of different cultures as those challenging palliative care in Northern Canada. On the other side it is to be considered if the multicultural/ intercultural issue can be compared between Canada and Argentina concerning the relationships with the original land people. On such matter Neil asked:  “I wonder how often you need a translator for native people in Argentina...”  As it is not clearly established a policy ruling such issue -if not by all means natives are submitted, with exceptions, to the official culture-, as does emergence practice to disaster (María Cristina Diaz, Bs As, XIth Psycho-trauma Congress, 2010), it might be certain to state that native people find themselves without adequate government support in Argentina –like shows the plea from fundacion@cruzadapatagonica.org asking for 180 native families isolated in the ash waiting to receive help to feed and water their sheep in peril of starvation and thirst-. The Argentine Association of Canadian Studies (ASAEC) is interested in aiding native populations in Argentina: Beatriz Ventura, the Canadian Embassy Public Affairs Officer who assesses on the Cultural and Academic matters, told me about a Southern Argentine bursar [Valentina Farías] that under a Canadian project has already inaugurated a Centre on Ethnic Health that considers the subject of mental health on a native context.

Mapuche narrative culture

Mapuche people have had worship for the narrative skills becoming a trait necessary to become “chief” (Fernández, 1995). In order to find if it existed some connection of such a communication skill development and transmission of knowledge related to volcano perils at the same region they lived, it were studied all Mapuche stories collecting such an issue from an anthropological survey (Fernández, 1995): eleven stories were found to appertain to such a theme category showing not only behaviours to be followed by learning on risks as well the beneficial outcomes that are needed to take notice about, as praise on mountain stones transmitting a kind of mountain language [study not shown here].

Otherwise, as last year an Argentine narrative group that I coordinate since a long time ago produced stories on the alchemy of stones, animals and birds turning into new life after devastation brought in the collective fantasy by Iceland’s volcano ash clouds that disturbed European voyagers, I asked them if they felt moved to write stories on our local land havoc. Then a group member that writes poetry and stories on her recollections when living in the “Mapuche” land, to whose legends and beliefs she is particularly acquainted and has written stories about their worries and hardships with the land, wrote stories on this subject that underscored respect for earth violent lessons and a kind resemblance amongst human (woman) sensitivity and birds:

                                              No place to hide

                                    Marta Bailaque, July 21^st, 2011

   The sky is also stepmother.
   If I not delude, it is pure truth. And fell, wicked, over all innocent life.

   One morning it was. One morning. One morning when the sun itself was in retreat. The volcano had erupted, and instead of lava, he delivered ashes. Dark remained the day, fears and shadows the ancient step-brothers.

   Ashes first rose up to the clouds themselves, up high there to untie all their strength and expand then into the vast ethereal immensity to free as they had never lived as squeezed down in the bottom of earth.

     The infinite space was of them until the inevitable occurred: the fall. Coming from the height or highest height, according to the load of each tiny grain of silica, the gray flecks returned this world.

     Then men begged for their flocks, women prayed for brooms, oaks and grasses. The roses prayed for their roses.

     And yet, the crystal waters were concealed. The birds rested hoarse until got dumb. Sheep, with damaged eyes, bleated asking for a big snowstorm, because that would certainly have been less cruel than such havoc. But deaf, ashes that had suffocated the grass, now would do on their guts..
     No greenness of the forest could retain its liveliness, no rose offered more its smell.

     The mountain range, abducted paradise, was moan. The plateau, without even some memory of beauty, was one tear.
     Yet a new morning had the winds to rest and ash ended. Nobody knew what would happen in the immediate, in the time after tomorrow, but all of them delivered entirely to hope. The rain that fell, lamblike, would wash. Would then remain unmasked each life that had been taken away. Empty-looking eyes would become indictment, secure and direct dart to human folly.
     Disturbed, another eyes, when feeling each fleece, each log, each saved petal would bow down all pride and pay respects.

                                With the breath as a load

                                             Marta Bailaque   July 26^th, 2011

     It is said by many lands of earth that when God annoys is when storms occur, even calamities. And God had got angry. Somehow the men had caused this rage, this atrocious deploy of restricted fury and until previous hours, not visible.

     But on that fateful day, burst fire from within and it showed the world as deadly rest, ash. From the volcano, from beautiful Puyehue. The crater regurgitated silica, dense and imposing silica column.

     All soil and plants and trees and flowers and grasses, and the flight of birds and the fleece of the lamb, and the waters of the lake so clear, everything was exhausted, barren. Flattened.   

     The mountain range, abducted paradise, was moan. The plateau, without even some memory of beauty, was one tear.
     However, there was a woman that even with the shock getting to the bone, got further beyond fear and pain. Simple woman of the common people, she sought the warm fabric, as many pine nuts* she could put in her pocket, and went to the lake. On her own. Unique.

     Already in the bank, kneeling on the rocky beach, she held herself with the left arm to increase her strength together to move the right like an oar, over and over. By this way she generated a small wave that, in its widest and distant replicas started to slightly move, to get rid long after, the gray blanket. Meanwhile, the woman murmured from time to time Om, Om, **, as she was saying a psalm.

     To believe that she would clean the lake if she was to persist in such gigantic effort, was perhaps as outrageous or miraculous as when Siegfried drank the blood of the dragon and so learned the language of birds. However, she might have remembered it without knowing it, because the heroes whether not knowing each other, share the same essence.

    There was no clock to measure the span of time during which the one and only shook her arm both gently and rhythmically. What is certain is that with dauntless persistence she recovered a thin layer of clear water. Clean. Only then she rested. She stopped and ate a pinion. And started asking with the heart of a girl that looks after embrace instead of any reprimand. That wants to be reminded: “Again! It’s by here." She begged for mercy.

     Nor even the air moved.

     With the peace of deliverance, she wrapped better herself with the blanket and ate another pinion. Then she bowed down her head up to touch the water and drank. She drank and gave thanks.

       Immediately, a bird flew.

Other comparisons might be made on the multicultural/ intercultural issues by telling other experiences Dr Neil Hobbs had at other countries where he travelled for giving educational training on Palliative Care as New Zealand, from where he told me about a friend and her ophthalmologist husband at Christchurch that had resisted bad earthquakes. In this case would be worthwhile to know how the Maori culture population had been aided both at the housing and survival, as well at the medical assistance and palliative care, This conversation on Maoris led to further comparisons with Mapuche culture as we could find as we talked, similar ethnographical traits in both cultures in respect to praise for narrative skills, posing an hypothesis of cultural transmission by sea in between Chilean/ Patagonian Mapuches and Southern Polynesia cultures. In fact they were brought to my mind remembrances from a book by William Willis that I had read in my youth.

WILLIAM WILLIS (September 8, 1893 – July ?, 1968)

American sailor and writer who is famous due to his solo rafting expeditions across oceans. Willis became a sailor at 15, leaving his home in Hamburg to sail around CAPE HORN. During his first solo expedition in 1954 from South America to American Samoa, he sailed 6,700 miles — 2,200 miles farther than did Thor Heyerdahl on Kon-Tiki. His raft was named "Seven Little Sisters" and was crewed by himself, his parrot, and cat. Willis was age 61 at the time of this voyage

As Willis’ story about the voyage he planned in order to reach Easter Island in the South Pacific, leaving from Peru’s seashore with the aim of following the native culture ocean path that might have transported stone sculpturing knowledge to an island lost in the ocean neighbourhood. Anyway he had arrived Samoa [6,700 miles: away from Peruvian seashore from where he departed], finally arriving a much farther destination that the one he had formerly planned to arrive, this new story frame would enrich the intercultural medical/ Health agents Palliative care story-making by giving testimony about the impact of environmental injury done by volcanic ashes on ground, water surfaces, sheep cattle, and population health, specially focusing on native culture populations as the Mapuches. 

Moreover social and cultural loss in oppressed minorities as those concerning American continent native populations exposed, as Neil Hobbs has addressed Mapuche and Dene Cultures respectively in South America and in North America, to “many similar struggles with climate and land, language, culture, land rights and struggles with colonial expansionism” that finally reflect “the abuse of power and ‘political amnesia’ that comes from abusive situations; inequitable distribution of health care; geographic and anthropological influences on health care”; would provide a wider social and cultural grief and loss frame for these groups’ environmental injuries, “as well as the possibility of recovery from these central human experiences”.

As was stated a principal aim at the FRP research project (Correa, 2011), the use of storytelling and literature merits stand for the expansion of the intercultural communication aspects that interest bilateral Canadian-Argentine relationships, as those encompassing contemporary situations affecting both countries.

These notes outline similar situations that are connected to native populations and environmental change issues needing to deepen the understanding of diverse levels of cultural meaning present at the intercultural and multicultural narratives (Correa, 2013). On such realm our narrative conception states that rather than technical media, the narrative skills are the substantial cultural bricks for building intercultural and diversity competence (Mighty, pdf), as they open to the understanding of both own and alien culture. Such a key for achieving multicultural communication handles diverse levels of meaning and stands at the threshold of the inter-professional communication, as the one assayed in the Argentine-Canadian story leading the FRP project (Correa, 2011). From our point of view narrative may evolve into significant conversation and comprehension of different levels of meaning if it delves into all members in a group and expands through sufficient human interaction with persons and groups from outside the group. It is not a sum or superposition of a diversity of narratives, nor a repetition of master narratives or dogma, neither DIY narrative patchworks as recovered materials taken from different cultures (Cuche, 2002) whatsoever how much functionally inserted in the narrative set can be, as could eventually happen in order to help patching holes due to "associative/ affective" disturbances in the narrative contact and communication with other people, rendering individuals alienated by the values promulgated by economic globalization & "postmodern collage culture" (Mary , 1994 ) helplessness that is so well pictured these days as played by Kate Blanchet in Woody Allen's film “Blue Jazmin”. Regrettably many professional encounters these days, whether at the working places, congresses, symposia, on line or on electronic quick interactions, might follow a similar trend of isolation, disregard for others` reports and insufficient narrative exchange and co-construction. 

Therefore we understand that as much narratives interacts amongst the members of a group and the outsiders bringing knowledge or new narratives to the former, hard real live narratives made of integrated personal contributions of each participant will result.

Example: One of the Buenos Aires Narrative Workshop participants [see below: A.L.], who selected as initial image for her narrative a Phillipson picture that was also selected by a Kingston N.W. [V.F.], was asked after she made the reflection on her own story, to read and make a reflection on the Canadian participant story and finally summarize reflection on both. This participant along other three B.A. participants selected the same plate in a former WS to the one in which V.F.`s story was introduced to the group in order to reflect on both, but only A.L.’s story corresponded on the same matter about concern on a relative’s health problem, claiming that “a truly loving relationship allows saying with courage” what has to be told, whatever “terror, fear and hopelessness” feelings were to become. Exactly one year after this participant was confronted with the same situation that was drawn by the Canadian WS story, as her daughter was diagnosed with very malignant oncotype of breast cancer. Override by elevated anxiety she could return to his senses finding courage on her “own loving resources”, as following the witty advice she had made herself.

Study of narrative significant meaning connectedness

Interpersonal/ intercultural constructive/ reflective exercises

Argentine group reflective work on the Argentine and Canadian stories

Extracted from Correa, 2012

Stories based on two figures: AL [A2*2(2)]

Comments made over stories based on two figures: AL [A2*2(2)]

”Concern” (AL)

A man and a woman, they have a mean age of 55-60 years old. Relationship: a loving friendship. Context: Walking through a park at late evening. What's going on?: They're keeping deep talk about the issues that each of them have and share. What happened before?: Long time has passed since last time they’ve met, so they need to say, consult, communicate, because of the deep love relationship amongst them. Both of them know that the other one could understand what’s going on in each of them. Anyway the woman claims that if she doesn’t call him, he doesn’t communicate. And she fears for his health as he can barely walk. The light of the path outlines an after that might be a little brighter. But increasingly, she thinks she will have to look after him in order to know about what’s going on with him. Actually she thinks he is in danger of death.

Canadian Story “Speaking Truth” by volunteer caregiver VF [Plate A2 *2 (2)]

At a hospital ward a MD gives medical diagnoses to a woman that listens terrified what she would not be able to tell her daughter, although she knows she ought to. When she goes to her room, she sits by her but feels she cannot touch her. So she bends her head to become closer to her and then she looks at the eyes of the young girl to talk about what she strives to say at the same time she needs to protect her child from suffering. Many questions arise on what, how and when to speak to her. She then recalls the stories she had told her when a little girl and trusts the words filling the imaginative space grown amongst them will come to tell with no harm but with love and understanding.

AL’s reflection on the own and FV stories from plate A2*2 (2)

AL story: Love is pleasant, bright, but also raises concern if really the other one is significant for oneself. In such sense, even without fighting, the other’s feeling is receipted by oneself. And in the same way that it brings joy to know/ feel that the other one is fine, also sadness and concern for the other's pain. I believe this is true in every kind of true love, whether with partners, children or friends. I think that in such is founded a true love relationship.

VF story: I think this story will end as it deserves. Mother and daughter are lovingly close. Why then doubt about a possible deep communication, although the expected truth turns to be terrifying?! Love will emerge, once more, this time in the form of courage.

AL’s reflection on the two stories together from plate A2 *2 (2)

Conclusion: Whatever the situation experienced, in the infinite gradations of love, terror, fear and hopelessness, a truly loving relationship always allows saying with courage what intrinsically is felt, and this is possible as based on the reciprocity of the same feelings

We decided then to run such a narrative intermingle process in order to produce inter-personal narratives with the participants attending regular narrative workshops and with the professionals giving Art Seminars at the Environmental Sciences and Health Institute (ICAS) of Buenos Aires. This strategy looked on to provide at the Conferences and Seminars a high individual learning level in the workshops together to a high social learning level [Nakahashi, 2010]. Such latter schedule followed a two year conference period since the FRP Canadian project was performed: the first conference [2011] was held one month before the journey to Canada and aimed to integrate Argentine narratives with narratives of indigenous people (Mapuche), who were exposed to environmental injury caused by ash from the Puyehue volcano during the first half of 2011, the second one [2012] focused on the integration of Canadian narratives with Argentine-Native people narratives, both with a similar number of workshop attendants as the Kingston experience (Correa, 2012) and by inviting to participate Fellows from the Argentine-Canadian Association. The third Meeting centered on a guided visit to places integrating Natural environment and Art [2013], that in turn corresponded to the themes deployed in each Seminar, which were designed to develop thematic interdisciplinary and intercultural aspects of female narratives particularly focusing on the integration of reflection and sensitivity, which were understood to exert an stimulating effect on the aesthetic developments that lead to the arts as well as protect or enhance health. All the Workshop attendants gathered at meetings held once a month during two tears [November 2011- October 2013] whether the monthly Seminars were given during April-September 2013. Rather for a symbolic “celebration” frame recalling the Canadian journey, each of the conferences’ dates, from beginning to end were made to coincide as possible to the Canadian initial and ending events. Such idea supports the notion that significant narrative events are build upon remembrances of inaugurating meeting events endowing an original meaning that are to be renewed and recreated.

The last forthcoming third conference [Sat. November 2^nd, 2013] celebrates rather than the OATA encounter -which was extremely brief and hardly impossible to establish good communication amongst the noise and dark emplacement around a large table with people shouting while asking beverage and sort of mollusks-, the magnificent encounter with the strength and mysticism of the Canadian horseshoe waterfalls, that itself miraculously corresponded to Art Therapist Wanda Sawicki’s tale she told me about, while we met in the Hard Rock café noisy and dark environment: “a boat sailing on rippling water one dark night, suddenly jumping through lightning into the Spirit world until it slid back to earth again”.

SCHEDULE DEVELOPED AT BOTH CANADIAN AND ARGENTINE EVENTS

September 15, 2011 First Conference on Art and Environment, ICAS, Buenos Aires, Argentina. October 7-15, 2011 Sydenham/ Kingston, Ontario, Dr. Neil Hobbs [Queens University]

Tuesday October 11, 2011[Introductory conference at the Family Medicine Grand Rounds Queens] Thursday October 11, 2012 2^nd Conference on Art and Environment, ICAS, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

November 3, 2011, Niagara Falls, Ontario [Ontario art association: Art Therapy Here and Now] November 2, 2013 3^nd Conference on Art and Environment, ICAS, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In turn, for the Argentina November 2^nd Third Conference I asked one of the Seminar lecturers to choose a title for her guidance walk around a fountain monument representing the bravery of ocean waters –not knowing from Adam that story nor the relation I had made with the Falls--. After she worked on the matter she mailed me a title that matched the feeling I experienced in the Falls “The strength of nature”

This constructive narrative scope stresses on a constant practice of narrative performances amongst all members in multicultural group, maintaining faithfulness to all members in spite the distances that could overcome due to time, space, opposite views or social, cultural and institutional appurtenances that may become disrespectful for different cultural narratives instead interested in understanding the role that every narrative has on the dynamics of intercultural communication. Dominant accepted narratives might conceal aligned ideological axes of cultural or political domain. A permanent constructive narrative scope endeavors to integrate diverse narrative styles and formats as open to multiple participation and dialogic interaction, such as those generated in multicultural and intercultural systems and disciplines. Intercultural and Interdisciplinary Narratives testify about practices in different scientific and artistic domains, building new connections within the sciences, the arts as well between the arts and the sciences, encouraging dialogue or encounter between diverse knowledge dimensions and discipline expressions, rather than privileging individual unsurpassed master narratives featuring scavenging skills between different authors and teams.

It seems necessary to design strategies to enhance the use of analogical communication codes in the narratives’ construction by developing products, methods, activities and guides for the construction of permanent group narratives that operate as bridges amongst cultures.

        

Dr. Julio Enrique Correa, Buenos Aires, 29/9/2011

References

Correa, J.E. & Hobbs N., “Storytelling to the group and group recreation of the story/ Narration du contes au groupe et recréation du conte pour le groupe”, Interfaces Brasil/ Canadá, 7: 109-135, 2007.

Correa, J.E., “Multicultural communication and diversity of meaning in the inter-professional narrative construction: An Argentine-Canadian story” [FRP project], 2011.

Correa, J.E.: “The role of reflection in the group construction of the narrative of bereavement: Argentine group workshops held on Argentine and Canadian stories”, Revista Argentina de Estudios Argentino-Canadienses/ Argentinean Journal of Canadian Studies/ Revue Argentine d’Études Canadiennes, 6: 27-52, 2012.

Cuche, D, La notion de culture dans les sciences sociales, Paris: La Découverte, 2002.

de Artiagoitia, M. & Correa, J. E., “El Test de Relaciones Objetales de Herbert Phillipson: Definición y Estimación de parámetros cuantificables de contenido y estructura”, Acta Psiquiátrica y Psicológica de América Latina, 51 (2): 120-131, 2005.

Duchastel, J., Multiculturalism: what are our discontents about? CD con las Ponencias de la Jornada Internacional “Nación, Diversidad. Pluralismo. Entre el crisol de Razas y el Multiculturalismo. Miradas cruzadas Argentina-Canadá”, School of Economic Sciences, UBA, Bs. As., 2010.

Fernández, C. A., Cuentan los mapuches, Antología, Edición de César A. Fernández, BIBLIOTECA DE LA CULTURA ARGENTINA, EDICIONES NUEVO SIGLO S. A. 1995

Mary, A., “Bricolage afrobrésilien et bris-collage postmoderne”  Laburthe-Tolra Ph., Roger Bastide ou le réjouissement de l´abime, Paris : L´Harmattan, 1994: 85-98, 1994.

Mighty, J., Developing intercultural and diversity competence. pdf 

Nakahashi W Evolution of learning capacities and learning levels. Theor Popul Biol. 2010 Nov;78(3):211-24. Epub 2010 Aug 18.

Humans strongly depend on individual and social learning, both of which are highly effective and accurate. This study considers the effects of environmental change on the evolution of the effectiveness and accuracy of individual and social learning (individual and social learning levels) and the number of pieces of information learned individually and socially (individual and social learning capacities) by analyzing a mathematical model. I show that individual learning capacity decreases and social learning capacity increases when the environment becomes more stable; both decrease when the environment becomes milder. I also show that individual learning capacity increases when individual learning level increases or social learning level decreases, while social learning capacity increases when individual or social learning level increases. The evolution of high learning levels can be triggered when the environment becomes severe, but a high social learning level can evolve only when a high individual learning level can simultaneously evolve with it.

PROYECTO CONSTRUCCIÓN DE NARRATIVAS INTEGRADORAS DEL MEDIOAMBIENTE Y EL PATRIMONIO CULTURAL TANGIBLE DE C.A.B.A. CONSIDERADAS COMO PROTONARRATIVAS DE PATRIMONIO CULTURAL INTANGIBLE U ORAL Dr. Julio Enrique Correa jecorrea@retina.ar

PROYECTO  CONSTRUCCIÓN DE NARRATIVAS INTEGRADORAS DEL MEDIOAMBIENTE Y EL PATRIMONIO CULTURAL TANGIBLE DE C.A.B.A. CONSIDERADAS COMO PROTONARRATIVAS DE PATRIMONIO CULTURAL INTANGIBLE U ORAL Dr. Julio Enrique Correa jecorrea@retina.ar

 Descripción general del proyecto “CONSTRUCCIÓN DE NARRATIVAS INTEGRADORAS DEL MEDIOAMBIENTE Y EL PATRIMONIO CULTURAL TANGIBLE DE C.A.B.A. CONSIDERADAS COMO PROTONARRATIVAS DE PATRIMONIO CULTURAL INTANGIBLE U ORAL”. Dr.Julio Enrique Correa

Proyecto presentado al Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Línea Patrimonio Cultural, Sublínea Investigaciones y Publicaciones

*SÍNTESIS

Se propone un Proyecto de Investigación teórico y experimental acerca de la concepción del patrimonio cultural tangible e intangible que incluya al medio ambiente como un espacio que participa de ambas condiciones materiales (la naturaleza) e inmateriales (la inspiración y efectos que la naturaleza induce creando, recreando y modulando en forma constante a los objetos estéticos). Se trata de  una postulación que explora la generación de patrimonio cultural inmaterial u oral a través de la construcción de historias en interacción constante con el patrimonio cultural material que a su vez combina objetos de la cultura con aspectos estables y mutables del medio ambiente. La experiencia de investigación-acción aplica estos conceptos a la participación de ciudadanos  a través de tres experiencias grupales que destaquen las relaciones entre el medio ambiente y el patrimonio cultural material de la ciudad de Buenos Aires, combinando arte y naturaleza en una construcción  estética (germen de patrimonio cultural oral) que aliente el compromiso participativo en la protección y difusión de las relaciones medio-ambientales con el patrimonio cultural. Estas experiencias buscan imprimir un sentido educativo reflexivo a la tarea que genera mayor involucración con las temáticas y amplía la conciencia del cuidado patrimonial y medioambiental.

 Objetivos generales y específicos del proyecto

INTRODUCCIÓN

La propuesta teórica plantea que el patrimonio cultural inmaterial u oral se construye por individuos o grupos a través de la generación de Narrativas Culturales-Medioambientales de diversos objetos del patrimonio cultural material en relación al medio ambiente conectado a la naturaleza de manera enriquecedora (como la iluminación solar de una fachada a diferentes horas y tiempos del año –como lo ejemplifica la catedral de Rouen pintada en 1890 por Claude Monet-) o negativa (zonas aledañas o suelo donde se encuentra el patrimonio cultural con consecuencias destructivas o despreciativas para el mismo). En tal contexto cada observador con sensibilidad estética se convierte, al expresar su gusto estético y valoración de la naturaleza -del medio ambiente- y del patrimonio cultural, en artista, a la vez que en defensor de aquellos aspectos que a su juicio deben ser considerados, privilegiados y preservados de ambos. La habilitación de espacios sociales de generación, expresión y discusión de historias promueve la intervención narrativa de muchos narradores en diferentes contextos culturales y disciplinarios, que a su vez produce asociaciones multiculturales e interculturales, multidisciplinarias e inter-disciplinarias capaces de confrontar con definiciones rígidas y unívocas de la realidad social, cultural o del conocimiento que son promulgadas por los grupos de poder político, corporativo [económico-político-militar] e institucional. El narrador que desarrolla su propia narrativa generativa defiende su identidad personal, en concierto o en competencia a las narrativas de otros. De esta manera "el conjunto de creaciones basadas en la tradición de una comunidad cultural expresada por un grupo o por individuos (…) reflejan su identidad cultural y social (…) intentando “preservar el legado cultural junto a la gente de la comunidad protegiendo los procesos que permiten que las tradiciones y el conocimiento compartido puedan pasar de unos a otros” (Unesco). La matriz narrativa generativa aportada por las lenguas, la literatura, los rituales y mitologías y los espacios culturales en interacción permanente con el medio ambiente, que dan testimonio de las diversidades culturales y modalidades de expresión creativa que constituyen una fuerza motriz dinámica cambiante para las culturas vivas que compite con las fuerzas estáticas de los sistemas de poder social, su omnipotencia y su intolerancia. En su esencia creadora se trata de un despliegue diario de narrativas que son recreadas con variantes por cada individuo o grupo (Correa/ Hobbs 1993-2012), de una divulgación incesante y transformadora a lo largo del tiempo y de los narradores, así como del surgimiento de nuevas narrativas o del ensamblaje de proto-narrativas diseñadas por nuevas circunstancias culturales o ambientales del flujo popular de narrativas poéticas (Correa, 2006b), que intentan sobrevivir a las macro-narrativas instituidas como voz aceptada de la cultura establecida, sean dogmas, parlamentos o historias oficiales.   

EXPERIENCIA GENERATIVA DE CONSTRUCCIÓN NARRATIVA MEDIOAMBIENTAL/ CULTURAL

En Noviembre del 2013 se organizó un paseo de construcción narrativa grupal por sitios próximos entre sí en contacto con el patrimonio cultural artístico y la naturaleza, lo que estuvo dirigido a integrar los aportes narrativos de los participantes [Ver Documento Anexo 1]. A cada participante  se le proveyó de un cuadernillo donde se describieron las actividades de composición narrativa a practicar, junto a información acerca de los sectores a recorrer en la visita. Las observaciones del grupo destacaron la belleza que la naturaleza exalta -“la naturaleza con la belleza de los jardines, la fuente y la creación representada en su esplendor”- en contrapunto con “la vida en las experiencias que representan” las obras de arte hechas por el hombre, con “inspiración sublime acorde a la naturaleza misma”. También ponderaron el estímulo que naturaleza y arte ejercen en cada subjetividad: “imaginando que debajo de los árboles (hay) raíces fuertes”, o “hermanados después de un baño de culturas milenarias que nos hacen crecer alas”; y postularon la integración de la naturaleza “como fuente rica de producción de sentimiento y sensaciones en el alma humana” con “la expresión del hombre a través del lenguaje artístico, (su) manifestación excelsa del alma y maravillosa capacidad creativa”; lo que recomienda no abandonar “la observación, el cuidado y la protección del mundo que nos rodea, preservando los sistemas dentro del universo”.

Las experiencias grupales que se desarrollarán en forma mensual seguirán un mismo formato narrativo en el que participarán asistentes experimentados en talleres narrativos de Narrativas Estéticas (Correa, 2012) y se convocará a otros participantes por publicidad a través de promoción a diversos niveles que incluirán internet, posters en instituciones y conferencias.

Generación de Narrativas Culturales-Medioambientales [Metodología]

Se propone una experiencia de investigación-acción que aplica los conceptos antedichos a la participación de ciudadanos a través de tres experiencias grupales que destaquen las relaciones entre el medio ambiente y el patrimonio cultural material de la ciudad de Buenos Aires, combinando arte y naturaleza en una construcción  estética (germen de patrimonio cultural oral) que aliente el compromiso participativo en la protección y difusión de las relaciones medio-ambientales con el patrimonio cultural. La tres experiencias de generación narrativa combinan en diferente grado a objetos del patrimonio cultural tangible y a objetos del medio ambiente -el árbol como representante simbólico de la cultura que ha sido asociado al poder generativo de la vida tanto como a la ciencia, poder que en manos del hombre lo desafía a riesgo de muerte en discernir en forma permanente al bien del mal-: “Dios sabe que en el momento en que comáis se abrirán vuestros ojos y seréis como dioses, conocedores del bien y del mal” (Biblia, Tentación, caída y proto-evangelio). En un patio interno del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires se exhibe la escultura de un árbol hecha con libros –sincretismo-; en estas experiencias se desafía a recrear esa relación interactiva entre los objetos de la cultura y la naturaleza (monumentos entre sí/ con árboles/ plazas).

La siguiente selección de temas es tentativa: se intentará tener el apoyo de centros conectados al tipo de experiencia intercultural (argentino-canadiense), interdisciplinaria (arte y medicina) o multidisciplinaria (educativa/ estética), como por ejemplo el apoyo de la Asociación Argentina-Canadiense [ASAEC] que apadrinara la 2ª Jornada de Arte y Medio Ambiente del ECICAS “Seminario de narrativas interculturales en relación al medio ambiente” [Ver Documento Anexo 1], tras la experiencia de coordinación de taller narrativo en la Universidad de Queens, Ontario y dictado de conferencias y seminarios sobre la construcción narrativa desarrollada en la anterior y en la Universidad de Mc Gill, Montreal, Quebec, en el contexto de la beca académica FRP concedida en el año 2011 por el Gobierno del Canadá. Los temas y centros de referencia se confirmarán al momento de aprobación del Proyecto y se modificarán por otros en caso negativo o de tras ofertas posibles.

Por último, dado el ofrecimiento de la Comisión Organizadora de las IX Jornadas de Capacitación Ambiental Metropolitanas y II Jornadas Nacionales de Capacitación Ambiental a habilitar un espacio de presentación durante el evento en probable formato de taller [Ver Carta Anexa del Ing. Claudio M. Muñoz, Director del CAERCEM, Instituto Tecnológico de Bs. As. –ITBA-], se diseñará un programa de trabajo que contemple esta experiencia en conjunto con la propuesta educativa presentada a MECENAZGO [Ver Antecedentes], que este proyecto enfoca a nivel de experiencia de producción vivencial en el contexto de una propuesta conceptual generativa de patrimonio cultural inmaterial oral/ visual.  .

      

1.       Exploración de “conversaciones” entre árboles y patrimonio cultural ARGENTINA-CANADÁ

                Tótem y árboles de plaza Canadá/ Embajada del Canadá y entorno arbolado.

·         Exploración de “conversaciones” entre árboles y patrimonio cultural de Hospitales 

                Parque del Hospital Alemán:

1.       Árbol centenario y edificio moderno de internaciones

“Yo soy la savia silenciosa y el tronco fuerte que inadvertido, alienta la vida de tus pacientes en las ventanas y en las paredes” [J.E.C.].

2.       Árboles centenarios y Escultura clásica (greco-romana) Stift. Federico und Tochter. [Stiften: fundación/ donación (de hospital, centro de investigación/ tochter: Filial/ sucursal].

3.       Árbol centenario y edificio antiguo de internaciones

·         Monumentos al Gral. Juan Lavalle y al Cnel. Manuel Dorrego ¿Conversan entre sí?

El fundamento teórico de la implementación de un abordaje artístico/ científico es dado por el marco referencial teórico de la Ecología que posibilita considerar a la cultura -y dentro de la misma al Arte y a la Ciencia- como un espacio del ecosistema humano [Ver FUNDAMENTACIÓN]. Desde una perspectiva científica puede criticarse que muchas aproximaciones artísticas a la ciencia son ambiguas, poco claras en la descripción y relación del/ con el objeto científico, en exceso conectadas con el egocentrismo del artista que se sumerge en una subjetividad experiencial indistinta de cualquier otra, que no permite el intercambio comprensivo interdisciplinario a no ser que el artista provea de comentarios o interfases referenciales como lo hacen Alain Resnais en “Mi tío de América” o Agnès Varda en “Les glaneurs et la glaneuse... deux ans après” (2002). Al respecto, las disciplinas artísticas que mejor permiten el salto entre lenguajes artístico y científico manteniendo los lenguajes propios de ambos campos son la literatura, la fotografía y el cine, como lo demuestran las películas de Werner Herzog   “Encuentros en el fin del mundo” (2007) y  “La cueva de los sueños olvidados” (2010) y en el contexto de la actual exposición de MALBA (Junio-Julio 2014) “C-31 Lo contrario de la magia” [Curador invitado: Lux Lindner] la película “Autosocorro” de Julián D’Angiolillo (2013) filmada en Tandilia, sobre una experiencia de espeleología. Estas tres producciones tienen el denominador común de describir científicamente derroteros feéricos por cavernas labradas en la montaña, el hielo o el agua; a la vez que mostrar multitud de planos artísticos simultáneos o sucesivos.

En este PROYECTO de investigación las producciones narrativas que surjan de cada encuentro serán grabadas en Tablet, serán fotografiadas con tecnología androide y procesadas en archivos WI FI [Tablet pc Samsung galaxy tab 310.1 gt-p5210, cámara delantera y trasera, procesador 1.6 GHZ]. El empleo de esta tecnología aportará narrativas visuales a los textos que produzca el grupo, y por lo tanto una revisión in situ de los objetos culturales y elementos del medio ambiente asociados a la producción de las narrativas individuales por los participantes, que serán consideradas proto-historias, que luego serán leídas y comentarán en grupos, reflexionando sobre sus sentidos, explorando y vinculando observaciones, para luego conectar con información y establecer conclusiones que derivarán en una construcción narrativa grupal (Correa, 2012) –denominada aquí proto-narrativa-. A más de las inducciones creadoras y recreativas, estas experiencias imprimirán un sentido educativo/ reflexivo a la tarea que ampliará la conciencia del cuidado patrimonial y medioambiental, fundamentando acciones de preservación y mejoramiento. Las producciones textuales y visuales de cada una de las experiencias mensuales serán subidas al cabo de su realización al Blog ARTE y MEDIO AMBIENTE. Luego de la elaboración teórica y evaluación del PROYECTO, el documento textual y visual será procesado [Procesador 1.6 GHZ] e impreso [Impresora WI FI HP 2515 619S], para ser enviado a publicación en revista/s especializada/s en las temáticas y en diversos medios.
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La descripción conjunta de ciudad y medio ambiente fabrica un entramado literario que nutre de metáforas biológicas a la descripción del medio ambiente urbano y de la ciudad, o de metáforas del habitat humano a la descripción del medio ambiente. Resulta una relación íntima entre el arte y la naturaleza que da marco y sentido a la vida de los hombres que las habitan [Ver en la entrada INTRODUCCIÓN - NOS PRESENTAMOS: "PALABRAS" para el "apasionado ambientalista" Guillermo Fidalgo, quien desarrollara su actividad en la ciudad y el estuario de Bahía Blanca]..

Eduardo Mallea describe en Todo verdor perecerá: "He aquí la ciudad del sur, Bahía Blanca, azotada por la arenisca junto al océano. Como la garra cauta del gato con el cachorro confiado, juega el verano con la ciudad atlántica. De pronto los plátanos de hojas inmóviles contienen, alegres, el gorjeo de la siesta”. Pero Mallea describe no sólo la ciudad, sino que describe su origen y crecimiento cuando compara a Ágata –personaje central del relato– con la ciudad. Dice: "Mientras ella se abría, la ciudad, Bahía Blanca, se cerraba, también como una flor, pero de piedra. La formación de las ciudades americanas se parecen [sic] a un capítulo de biología vegetal. En torno al fortín, valla opuesta al indio predatorio, comenzó a crecer, hacia los ochocientos veintiocho, la población militar, y cuatro años más tarde Rosas y Darwin se paraban ante aquellos salitrales que después de los secos calores extendían en la bahía su ardiente sabana blanca.".
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