Education is clearly a high priority for the Administration, both for Internationals and local people. Indeed, the Asayish (local police) sit together every week to read philosophy together as part of their work.
We were invited to observe at one of the local Academies. Every day different people would come in to give presentations to the students about social history, theories, the society, emotion, personality. The students lived, cleaned and discussed together. Each evening there would be a criticism and self-criticism session. The Responsible for the Academy, Mamoste Yaser, would answer questions and give talks at the daily sessions.
“I criticize Andrew because he ate all the bananas, leaving none for anyone else!”: “If one of our friends is particularly excited to eat bananas one day then we are happy, because we love our friends. There is no problem, we just get more bananas the next day. We are not equal, we are free”.
“I criticize Xuja because he asked more than his fair share of questions after the presentation today, leaving an un-equal time for others”: “If one of our friends is particularly excited about a topic then we are happy, because we love our friends. There is no problem, we can talk more later and tomorrow.”
“I criticize Tekos as she has not done her fair share of cleaning in the cleaning period today”: “I have noticed that some of you are working especially when you know others are looking. This is not a good way. We should never measure our friends. If one of our friends does not seem to be joining in, then we should ask ourselves why? Maybe they are upset or shy, or maybe we have done something to exclude them.”
Some days we would travel from house to house in a continuous chain of tea and work. Taking a friend to the doctors, delivering a gas bottle, teaching some English to someones children, helping fix a laptop, … All with absolutely no concept of reciprocation. Those were very good days, free from the endless oppressive mathematics of equality and reciprocity.
The Teal Diary 