ELL: New SIL Alias: WRAP-UP

J. DIEGO QUESADA dquesada at chass.utoronto.ca
Fri Sep 24 00:32:04 UTC 1999


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Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 17:32:04 -0700
From: "J. DIEGO QUESADA" <dquesada at chass.utoronto.ca>
Organization: UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
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Subject: ELL: New SIL Alias: WRAP-UP
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The exchange of messages of the last days, especially the information
provided by our Brazilian colleagues, was very illuminating in finding
an answer to my initial query.

The question on whether NT was a SIL Alias has to be answered
negatively. Legally, it seems, they are separate. Hence I must admit
that the term "Alias" was, technically speaking, erroneous; but that is
what the query was about: to find out whether or not  NT is an alias.
And our SIL-colleagues and their most fervent, engaged, and vehement
simpathizers on this list will get credit here that no piece of paper
was cited or found where the two appear as legally merged. The latter
colleagues were more concerned with the issue than the former (kind of
interesting that other people come up in defense of allegedly accused
ones, but the latter did not even bother to speak up). But, once more, I
underscore that the intention behind the query was not to mount a
witch-hunt or something of the like, but simply to get certain things
straight.

Thus, no alias.

Marcus Maia, based on irrefutable information, writes, on the other
hand:

	> "The truth is SIL and NTM are not the same organization and yet they
	share        pretty much the same goals. Years ago I was in a federal
	committee who
	 	  investigated missionary agencies in Brazil. We amassed lots
	of
	evidence of all
		 kinds about the purposes and actions of these organizations
	in Brazil."

	Marcus shared some of that info with us. That info leads to the issue
	of
	commonality of interests, shared activities, and even to act in a kind
	of "echeloned-relay race" (cf. the Karaja project). Knowing all this,
	the situation in Panama (original cause behind my query) now makes
	very
	much sense to me. What is going on there is one of those situations in
	which, according to D. Moore,:

	       > "SIL collaborates with the New
	       	 > Tribes Mission (=Novas Tribos) and also with others, such
	       	 > as MEVA, in
		   > Brazil.  Derbyshire, for example, worked in an area
	       	 > controlled by
		 MEVA"

		 This points to the second point in my query, of whether there
		 is a
		 connection between the two due to common interests. The
		 answer is a
		 blatant "yes".

		 	 As for the consequences for the "recipient
		 	 communities", the last point
			 in my query, there seems to be agreement here that
		 	 they are negative not
			 only because "alphabet soups" (M. Maia) are created,
		 	 but even worse,
			 because in a way the community is simply left like
		 	 the audience of a
			 tennis game, looking here and there, seeing the ball
		 	 going from one side
			 to the other, without being able to do anything. I
		 	 find that negative.

			 I then went on to ask about the intention of changing
			 names:

				> "A couple of years ago there
				  > was a name change in Brasil, when SIL
				  > listed itself as the Sociedade
				    > Internacional de Lingu.stica, which
				  > caused much amusement among
				  Brazilian
					> linguists.  I don't know if this
				  > name is still in use." (Moore)

				  Or even worse, a "cell transplant" took
				  place in Brazil as ALEM was
				  created with SIL's flesh (Drummond). My
				  question in that respect, why?,
				  has not been answered satisfactorily.

				  Marcus cites Chomsky, as puzzled as I am,:

				  	 > "how come we know so little if we
                                             have so much evidence? Orwell's
					     problem."

					     Marilia Faco Soares, finally, hit
					     the nail on the head with her
					     posting,
					     which summarizes the discussion
					     that is coming to an end (as far
					     as I am
					     concerned):

					     >  a) one and the same missionary
                                                institution can be duplicated
                                                into
						> several national
                                                institutions which mirror
                                                itself (egs. ALEM, in Brazil,
						> Vision Mundial, in Equator
                                                etc,  created in image of
                                                SIL);
						>
						>   b) there is a (hidden)
                                                partnership among legally
                                                distinct missionary
						> institutions, due to an
                                                overlapping which make of them
                                                faces of the same
						> thing (as perceived by the
                                                indigenous communities);
						>
						>   c) damage is caused/can be
                                                caused to the indigenous
                                                communities by
						> missionary institutions
                                                whose understanding of serving
                                                God is reduced to
						> tame/ to change the other
                                                and everything which
                                                identifies him as an
						> individual/ as part of a
                                                group.
						>
						>   So now, it is urgent that
                                                a serious attitude be taken
                                                collectively in
						> order to change the
                                                situation.

							As the one would say
							in German: SIL and
							akin organizations
								STECKEN UNTER
							EINER DECKE
							      or the
							Brazilians "FARINHA DO
							MESMO SACO" (que
							saco!!!...)

							Thanks to every one;
							it was very
							enlightening (though a
							bit
							uncomfortable to
							some). Since science
							is not neutral, it
							should not
							surprise nor hurt
							anyone that such
							issues are touched
							upon. In science
							and other practices,
							each horse takes care
							of his grass.

							ITE MISSA EST.

							J. Diego Quesada

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