March 2007
The Gesundheit Institute Alternative Spring Break trips go beyond being involved in a loving service adventure. In the past, people who have chosen to participate have said the trip was a life changing experience, and the many who have been repeat-clowns can certainly vouch for that.
This past spring we were a group of twenty something from the United States, and that number swelled with our Venezuelans friends that we clowned with. Given the political situation between the U.S. and Venezuela, this trip was not only a chance to share the joy of service and love of humanity, but also a political statement. The purpose and impact of our trip was only intensified by the fact that the people we were sharing our love, companionship, and goofiness with were supposedly our “enemies.”
Of our group from the U.S. only a handful had ever clowned before, but during the first day or even event of clowning most everyone got the picture that we weren’t kidding when we said no experience, training, or talent necessary. All you need is an open heart and willingness to make a fool of yourself. Most of our “costumes” are made up of the most hideous things you can find at a thrift store, and props can be anything (fake poop, an oversized bra, puppets...you get the idea). One thing we’ve found to be funny across cultures, genders, and age groups is farting--with or without the help of a whoopee cushion.
For a lot of first time clowns, a little bravery might be needed because these trips certainly call on each clown to give of themselves what everyday life often neglects. Opening yourself up to give and receive love consciously and intentionally is not something a lot of us do on a regular basis and sometimes it’s hard to do in normal life, but it’s much easier when this atmosphere of play and fun is created by everyone around you.
The atmosphere I’m talking about is also responsible for part of the reason why we, as a group of twenty or so U.S. citizens, could go to Venezuela and feel reasonably safe. Although much of the risk involved in going to Caracas has more to do with our own government than the Venezuelans,’ safety is certainly a concern we had to seriously consider. A lot of the violence and danger of Caracas stems from the fact that there are so many poor people and a very few rich. In a world where this wealth gap is growing larger and larger with globalization and people capitalizing on stepping on others, the rich are getting richer and the poor are stuck with slipping more deeply into poverty. The messy relationship between the U.S. and Venezuela has a bit to do with the perception of social programs Hugo Chavez has implemented in order bridge this wealth gap (Eeek! Smells like Castro!), but the worldview of wealthy North Americans makes us a target for theft and aggression. Despite all of the media reports and politics working against us, we were somewhat protected by our purpose and the atmosphere we created for ourselves and the people we were with; an atmosphere of play and celebration of fun and love. Some of the places where we clowned were considered dangerous. Even some of our Venezuelans clowns felt very uncomfortable about going into these barrios (slums) where there is violence and gang influence. Barrios are typically neighborhoods of shacks built into the side of the mountains in and around Caracas. Barrio clowning was very intense, but simple gestures of friendliness and silliness go a long way to bulding bridges, mutual respect and understanding. It was an important experience/experiment not only for those of us from the U.S. but also for our Venezuelan hosts who maybe now have a deeper understanding of the change that is possible through clowning; how funny simple interactions defuse tense situations and provide a context for more positive social interactions.
On this trip, our clown “gigs” were usually in hospitals although we have clowned in all kinds of situations. Location and need usually give direction to our visits. The rationale behind taking mostly college students or student age people on these missions is to provide an alternative to the run-of-the-mill CancunSpring Break trip (although clowns in Cancun might be interesting!). We, as young people, are not generally thought of as having humanitarian service in mind on a Spring Break adventure, but for those of us who do, we have an incredibly fun, powerful learning opportunity to take from, and much energy and passion for social change to give to a clown trip.