In the Babemba tribe of South Africa, when a person acts irresponsibly or unjustly, he is placed in the center of the village, alone and unfettered. All work ceases, and every man, woman and child in the village gathers in a large circle around the accused. Then each person in the tribe, regardless of age, begins to talk out loud to the accused, one at a time, about all the good things he has done in his lifetime. Every incident that can be recalled with any detail and accuracy is recounted. All his positive attributes, good deeds, strengths and kindness are recited carefully and at length. The tribal ceremony does not cease until everyone is drained of every positive comment s/he can muster about the person in question. At the end, the tribal circle is broken, a joyous celebration takes place, and the person symbolically and literally is welcomed back into the tribe.

While the tradition above should be understood within the peculiar cultural and social context of the tribe and is in no way an indication that such a practice could be easily initiated everywhere, it still reveals an important lesson in the power of reframing. By intentionally focusing on the person’s positive attributes, a reality different from the “problem person” is created. The tradition seems to indicate that in the process the person is also transformed.