NOTE: This guest post was written by Morgan McMichen. Morgan is a graduate student at the Seton Hall School of Diplomacy and International Relations. Her specializations are in International Organizations and Global Negotiations and Conflict Management. Morgan’s interests are the function of international institutions in a global society and negotiation as a means of deterring conflict among multinational actors.
– April 6, 2017
“The mind and body are not separate. What affects one affects the other” –Author Unknown
“Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live”-Jim Rohn
“Music has no borders, no race or color, no limits of country, no ethnicity. Music makes the people come together. Dance it, dance all.”- Pope Benedict XVI
Observing #WorldHealthDay at the United Nations, one might wonder about the relationship between mental and physical health and world peace. Sure, it is implicit that both mental and physical health are a good thing, but do they really have an important role in bringing about sustainability and unity in the world? The presenters for “The Role of Fitness in Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Depression” would answer this question with a unanimous “yes”. The distinguished panelists included Werner Obermeyer-Deputy Executive Director of the #WHO, Dr. Stephen Josephson-Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Tara Tamny-Young-Pediatric Neuropsychologist, Toni-Michelle Rubio-#ZUMBA instructor and Founder of #M2E, Cynthia Zottarelli-Auguste-Capoierista and Medical Anthropologist, and Luis Pinheiro-Professor of Capoeira.
DPI Officer Hawa Diallo opened up the meeting by reminding us of the Rwandan Genocide. She said that after the end of this horrific atrocity, one of the most important things the children needed was a futbol stadium so that they could play and enjoy themselves. That is because during exercise, the body releases endorphins and chemicals such as dopamine that make us happy and relaxed. Exercising distracts us from our problems and lowers our stress level. It also gives us energy when we feel weak. These are but a few examples given by the doctor panelists of the positive effects that exercise has on not only our physical, but also our mental health. The importance of the futbol stadium in the Rwandan case can be found in post-apartheid South Africa, post-Balkan conflict, post-Sierra Leone conflict, and many other conflict zones as well as in areas of extreme poverty. Providing opportunities for communal exercise in the face of impoverishment and atrocity benefits the individual, community, and country as a whole.
Toni-Michelle Rubio talked about her organization Move to Empower (#M2E) and how her group was able to help women in remote villages in Kenya to unite and work together. Spread apart from the masses in Kenya, the women in these villages were isolated to a point where they felt they could not reach out to other women in their village. Toni’s Group was able to bring the women together and offer a #ZUMBA class to them. The women enjoyed the class together, began talking to one another, and showed a continued interest. The class made such an impact that Toni decided to train these women to become instructors themselves to teach outside of the village and be able to bring home an income. Her group is now reaching out to other parts of the world to offer the same opportunity. Here women were brought together in leisure, their communal ties strengthened, and they came to benefit economically.
Exercise benefits our all-around health. It can benefit us economically. It can also teach us about history and overcoming past grievances. Both representatives of #Capoeira mentioned the historical significance of the dance/martial arts combination. It was born in the dark times of African slavery in Brazil. Masked as a dance, it was a way to teach defense to other slaves. Capoeira, a #UNESCO “intangible cultural heritage” art form still carries its African roots, which can be heard with the music that accompanies the martial art. Professor Pinheiro told us that with #Capoeira, we learn history and culture, but also language and how to play and instrument. These are all great stimulators of cognitive and physical growth. Through #Capoeira, practitioners can remember the past and gain from the fruits of an art that was born in a time of darkness and turned into an instrument of light.
The last portion of the #WorldHealthDay celebration included a fitness event comprised of #Capoeira, #ZUMBA, and #Bootcamp. This was the most exciting part of all. Participants ranged in age, nationality, gender, and creed. We were all brought together in a dopamine-rich, endorphin-sparking physical movement where smiles were the only epidemic we could not fight. And this brings me to my own personal testament of how physical movement, music, and dance can translate to unity.
My appreciation of diversity and culture has led me to be a student of Diplomacy and International Relations. Aside from language-music and dance has been my favorite way to explore other cultures. As licensed #ZUMBA instructor since 2011, I have done #ZUMBA all over the world from Kansas City to Marrakech to Bratislava. One of my fondest memories in all the years I’ve been involved with #ZUMBA took place in a somewhat remote area of Morocco. I was studying abroad in Spain when a few of us took an excursion to Morocco. This was my first time setting foot on African soil and on any Arab land. Towards the end of our trip we all decided to have a “chill night” outside with the locals. I still remember the peace I felt as all of us were sitting around enjoying hookah outside our hotel with both locals and people of different nationalities. I decided to turn on some music and get everyone dancing. I remember a person in my group nicely discouraging me, this being a new land and they were not sure what the reaction might be. But, trusting my gut, and believing in the people around me, I proceeded to lead a #ZUMBA class on the barren grass, my hair covered with a scarf and my speaker blaring Spanish music. People began to join and the next thing I knew, I had the entire crowd dancing together as one-without bias, without division. I have seen with my own eyes how the universal language of music and dance can offer a peaceful space for all. So back to the question of fitness and world peace. I believe fitness improves our mental and physical health both in times of joy and times of need. It also unites us in our universal race-human.