Augustine Ankiah (Uncle Moses): A Champion and Community Stalwart!:31-08-1926 to 11-02-2012

On the 11th of February, 2012 at the estimated hour of 12pm, Uncle Augustine Ankiah Moses took his final walk to eternal freedom as he passed away. Uncle Moses had been hospitalised on the 30th of January, 2012 at Chris Hani Bharagwanath Hospital for an emergency hernia operation, which lead to several other complications. A combination of tricky medical procedures, frailty, and old age finally caused this strong, determined, community stalwart to take his last breath and journey into his much awaited life after.

Augustine Ankiah was well known in and amongst the broader community of KZN, more specifically Chatsworth. His voluntary work and service for organizations like Child Welfare, FOSA, SANCA and the Red Cross, collectively amounting to 4 decades of service, is exactly the social proof that solidifies the passionate activism and determination of this honourable champion and community stalwart.

Known to many as Christian Uncle or Uncle Moses, Augustine Ankiah was a man of faith. His purpose, passion, and approach to life were anchored by his study of biblical scripture, and his sincere commitment to following the person, life and teachings of Jesus Christ. He served the Baptist Mission, formerly known as the Indian Baptist mission as Chairperson with distinction. Christian Uncle had a desire to see the development of the Church, Christian living, and purpose driven faith.

Psalm 23, a biblical text and well known scripture was one of Uncle Moses’ favourite readings.
Psalm 23: A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

This beautiful scripture served as a personal comfort, and steadfast reminder of the important matters in life. Psalm 23 was a reading that caused Uncle Moses to reflect and introspect. In the latter years, days, and moments of his life Psalm 23 encouraged his desire to “Dwell in the House of the Lord forever”. Uncle Moses believed that his life after certified earthly death would bring him into the presence of God.

We will remember our father, grandfather, great grandfather, family member, friend, champion, and beloved community stalwart for his:

Tough Love: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Used the terminology tough love, derived from his reading of the gospel of Mathew 10:16, “Be wise as a serpent and gentle hearted as a dove”. Augustine Ankiah was a disciplinarian, and was tough on the people he loved. However if we were only to remember this stalwart for his iron clad tendency we would be sorely mistaken. His toughness was balanced with a serious dose of love. It was his tough love that allowed him to go about his love for his family, community, and his country. It is tough love that brought him full circle to be cared for, washed and fed by his dear children. It is tough love that brought him to a place of saying the words I love you.

Social Change: If you were blessed to be part of the daily devotional time at the Augustine family home in Chatsworth, you would have experienced an hour filled with reading of the “Daily Bread”, Biblical reflection, and prayer. More specifically you would be captured by Augustine Ankiah’s closing prayer. In his prayer he remembered his family members and extended family members by name, their children and their children’s children. He would press on to pray for family friends, their children, and their children’s children. Lastly Uncle Moses would prayer for South Africa, ministers, councillors and the President. His life of service and his activism to see a better South Africa was immersed in a life of prayer. His faith based communication with God propelled his social action for positive change.

A closing word:
We will love you and miss you Papa,
But we celebrate your life and your laughter
We will remember the cane shots on the buttock
But also your sincere love solid as a rock
You are now in rest and complete peace
But we must take up the path you journeyed with ease
To fulfil the call of service and faith
That you championed always
Hamba Kahle Papa, our champion and stalwart
God be with you till we meet again!

Rev. Seth Naicker (grandson of Augustine Ankiah-Uncle Moses).

Considering our workplaces!

Where is your workplace? How does it feel? How does it smell? What are the aesthetics, and layout and design of your workplace?

Workplaces vary from high tech to low tech! and even onto no tech environments. Workplaces take the shape of: corporate plush, educational mush, hospital slush, building rush, gardening wush, and domestic push.

Where ever we are at offering our skills, services, and talent in exchange for financial or monetary gain, these places and spaces are our workplaces of life.

The make up and feel of our 21st century workplaces, are advised and encouraged to be places that inspire, motivate and incentivize people to be the best they can be.

Excellence as a value is strategically explored in concern of capital gain, but is further explored for the human capital gain. People who are inspired by their work and inspired to deliver their work, will positively affect the bottom line production or monetary forecasts of any company, industry and institution.

The workplaces of our everyday world require social actors and igniters who have the ability to facilitate and regulate a dynamic and inspirational workplace environment.

How can we take positive steps toward the development of a healthy and inspirational workplace culture?
Will we identify and encourage ambassadors and champions, who have the skill, ability and knowledge to bring about healthy workplaces?

Consider your workplace today and be the change you require in your workplaces' arrange!

Seth Naicker.

The love factor in a world fractured by conflict

A simple exercise called “sharing the love” or as I like to call it “the love factor” has inspired my work and been consistently setting the right tone in workshops and learning spaces all over South Africa in 2011. Working together with my trusted friends and colleagues within the Young&Able network and consortium of trainers, we have seen firsthand how an experiential learning warm up exercise brings the right “flavour to savour” into our training, workshop and consulting spaces.

In the South African landscape 17 years into our democracy conflict has continued to plague our social circles, in and amongst the expansive cultural diversity of our land. Everyday learning, working, playing, and living spaces are filled with social crashes having the potential to lead to volcanic social eruptions.

In many cases the conflict that underpins people’s everyday existence has lead to actions which result in a culture of greater conflict. Economic challenges on the work front have brought about increased stress, and conflict on the home front and vice versa. In the professional working places mismanagement of conflict and the rage or conflicted-ness of people has lead to actions of violence, and in the worst case scenario even death. In the political arena South African’s have seen a rise in national and local political disputes that have brought about criticism, demise and intense feelings of discontentment with the state of our nation. Conflict is all around us.

Slaikeu and Hasson (1998) explain, “One corporate attorney told us that he viewed the dollars spent on litigation as the clearest waste of money that his organization ever encountered. These expenditures served only to “resolve” matters that usually did not stay resolved, and the money spent was irretrievable- it did not accrue to the bottom line, and it did not help the business grow”(1998, pg. 14).
Conflict management systems, and people who can facilitate dialogue and discussion to curb the need for litigation and disciplinary hearings is most strategic in a context where conflict is rife. Conflict engagement and management must become a skill and at best a craft to ensure that our social spaces are reformed and transformed for the health, wealth and sanity of our people.

“The love factor”, has been an amazing exercise to set the tone for truthful, transparent and deep dialogue. What intervention can we think through or be inspired to test in narrowing the gaps, or degrees of separation that exist between people, based on their differences, disputes and conflict? What can you and I do to bring understanding and sober reflection of conflict within our community, and family spaces? What preconceived ideas will I hold lightly to reduce the stereotyping and demising of people in my every world? How can I share and spread the love?
Inspiring and motivating social interventions must be considered to mobilize a movement of value based learning e.g. respect, dignity, honesty, and courtesy etc., values that bring change and propel change in our social, work, play , and community spaces of life. Conflict need not be the end of us, we can forge new beginnings and realize inspired resolve in the midst of our ruckus, conflict and chaos!


Reference: Slaikeu, K. A. and Hasson, R. H. (1998) Controlling the costs of conflict: How to design a system for your organization. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Seth Naicker
seth@indiAfrique.co.za/
seth@youngable.com