Creating a place and space for authentic dialogue and transformational conversation

To be in a place of equal voicing, where all present are on an equal playing field is not the everyday real life situation! I have been honoured to design, develop, and deliver by way of facilitating experiences of conversation and dialogue over the last 3 years of my consulting, and community change, and transformation work. As I reflect on my journey upon returning from the states where I studied and worked at Bethel University from 2004 to 2009, even in the states I was afforded the blessing to operate projects and programs that ultimately encouraged, and set the tone for conversation, dialogue, and people coming together. During my work at Bethel University my flagship project was project "Heita South Africa", which primarily focussed on providing participants the opportunity to engage in experiential learning through conversation and dialogue that would enrich learning in reconciliation, diversity, justice and inclusivity. In August 2009, having returned to South Africa I was honoured to consult and deliver work for streetfootballworld, and the Football for Hope movement of FIFA. Here my role was operational, but still anchored to engaging people in conversation and dialogue to mobilize our Football for Hope movement 2010. In October of 2010, I was honoured to serve the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation in designing, developing and delivering the youth focussed non racialism dialogues, and the inaugural youth festival of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation 2011. My work involved project management and project execution to ensure that we brought together a diverse grouping of youth and community leaders in 3 series of dialogues to further explore the learning and understanding on non racialism. In July 2011, I was contracted by the Salvation Army South Africa to deliver their focussed engagement as an organization and a Church on Reconciliation. I was honoured to design, and develop the content, experiential learning, and delivered with a team of 9 other skilled and motivated facilitators a worthy crucial, critical, and courageous conversation. People shared deeply in an open forum of their personal and organizational struggles, and even if nothing changed dramatically, several participants described the relief they experienced by merely having their voice heard. In September 2011, I was contracted to Young&Able to consult for the Gordon Institute of Business Science and the centre for Leadership and Dialogue. Here I served as the project lead on project Qiniso (truth) dialogues. Our focus to bring together a cross sector of leaders, and so called mover and shakers to consider the critical questions we should be asking as South Africans as it relates to our democracy and our future. We delivered 5 series of dialogues that inspired people through experiential learning, conversation and engagement of the other. In November 2011, I was contracted again to Young&Able as a transformation and diversity connoisseur on a contract for Transnet Freight Rail, on a campaign to bring about an experiential learning conversation to aid employees across South Africa in the area of conflict engagement. Participants shared personal and professional hurts and trials, and there were those who described the conversation as a saving grace. In March 2012, I was honoured to facilitate the Heartlines Comes to Town community dialogues for the community of Veesplaas in the Eastern Cape. Our key focus to develop a social compact as participants from different sectors of the community to engage in conversation, dialogue and experiential learning that would spark the flame for social innovation and community change. Also In March 2012, I was honoured to lead facilitate the Columba 1400 SA leadership academy, that was customized to have adult learners from the corporate space, together with teachers and students from the high school space, work through a week long journey of value based conversation to explore leadership and living life to our full potential. In June 2012, I began a conversation with the Hervormde Kerk Brackenhurst Congregation “Seester Gemeente”, our conversations turned into a 2 series conversation for their leadership team, a broader group of small group leaders, as well as a transformational preaching series, where I coached and critically analyzed the minister’s message of a 6 series of messages, designed to address 40 days in the word. It was an honour to look into Rick Warren’s series that was contextualized for an Afrikaner Christian community by Rev. Gys Els, and to bring along a theology of reconciliation and transformation that would encourage, inspire and challenge the community. In September 2012, I was afforded the opportunity to deliver a pro bono consult for the Johannesburg Roads Agency, hosted by MMC Rehana Moosajee. This conversation was focussed on change and transformation. Our conversation was enriched by the participation of a diverse grouping of community leaders, staff and leadership of the JRA. I was honoured to show case my offering, and consulting services, but more especially I was motivated by the deep conversation and the desire people have to be in a place and space that allows for critical learning, and learning that encourages and mobilises positive change and transformation. Also in September 2012, I was honoured to serve on the Heartlines team of designers, and facilitators for the inter faith dialogue that was ultimately hosted by Brand South Africa. This dialogue engagement was focussed on building relationships and allowing for people from different faith traditions to come together to consider the possibilities of partnering in light of addressing the social issues within our current democracy. My focus the social issues of racism, xenophobia, and the need for continued reonciliation conversation and activism! As I look back and take a moment to reflect on the last 3 years being back home in South Africa, it has been an honour to be of service in a great diversity of systems, organizations, communities, and people of a rich diversity of culture, language, religion, nationality, age, ethnicity/race, gender, class, and physical abilities. It is my hope to “Get up in faith, community, and purpose, as I pursue the New Year. "2013", I declare will be a year of a greater sense of belief, belonging, and becoming for myself, our family, our community, and the people I am honoured to engage with in authentic dialogue and transformational conversation!

Building a non-racial society through multi-racialism, anti-racism & reconciliation!

To build a non racial society we ought to be recognizing the social construct of racism, and acknowledging that racism in its passive and active forms are still plaguing our society. Apartheid, slavery. Colonialism and post colonialism has taught us the social techniques to recognize people based on their outer appearance, their color, their hair, their sound and accent. From recognition and acknowledgment that we are a racialized society, we ought to propel the opportunity for people to become anti-racist or an anti-racism agents, who are required in the everyday practice of living for, or toward the dream of realizing a non-racial society. Multi-racialism I believe also has a role, for the journey that we embark toward non-racialism cannot be realized when we have no focus on building a multi-racial/multiethnic/multicultural society. Moving from a racist apartheid South Africa requires us to be in spaces and places where multi-racial/ethic/cultural peoples are able to live, work and be in with comfort. Journeying towards non-racialism requires people to stumble through the chaos of a multi-racial society being true to our difference, as we journey on into a place where our difference grows dim in the luminous darkness of our social engagement and enrichment of our diversity unrestrained. Being a student and life long learner of reconciliation. I would suggest that a reconciliation framework, ideology and way of being is strategically the selected underpinning approach upon which a non-racial society is anchored and built.

A reflection on the 11th of July, 2012: 49th anniversary of the arrest of the Rivonia Trialists: who are the voices that are silenced?

On the 11th of July, 1963 Ahmed Kathrada together with 9 of his close confidants and comrades were arrested by the police of the Apartheid Government. After a raid by security police at Lilliesleaf farm in July 1963, the police arrested many prominent leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) and uMkhonto weSizwe (MK). Amongst them were, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, Rusty Bernstein, Dennis Goldberg, James Kantor, Andrew Mlangeni, Elias Motsoaledi, Raymond Mhlaba and Bob Hepple. i Uncle Kathy and his conscious crew were charged with sabotage and attempting to violently overthrow the South African government. At the conclusion of the Rivonia trial in the Pretoria Supreme Court, Justice Quartus de Wet sentenced eight of the accused to life imprisonment. Among the accused were Nelson Mandela, the central figure in the trial, along with Dennis Goldberg, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, Andrew Mlangeni, Elias Motsoaledi and Raymond Mhlaba.ii The 11th of July, 2012 marks the 49th anniversary of that arrest, personal and communal trials and hardships that were ensured by our honourable uncle Kathy and his equally honourable comrades. These leaders’ lives, have been a whirlwind of activism, advocacy, and pursuit of justice as they counted the cost, and made the sacrifice in solidarity with the majority of our marginalized South Africans. Uncle Kathy however, in his humble and honest way always reminds us that his struggle is equal and parallel to the liberation struggle of all our beloved people in South Africa, and associated global comrades who have stood in solidarity and in critical consciousness for the rights of the marginalized in South Africa. Making the stand in solidarity for the marginalized has been a struggle continued throughout the Apartheid Regime, and is continued for the rights of those of our beloved people who even today, bear the brunt of marginalization within our young South African democracy. Forty nine years following the Liliesleaf Farm arrest, nineteen years of life outside prison, and only eighteen years into our democracy uncle Kathy continues to press on in his hope, belief and dream for a non racial, just and democratic society. John Robbie ,702 talk radio host interviewed Mr. Ahmed Kathrada together with his fellow Rivonia trialist Dennis Goldbergiii , their reflections in conversation as comrades, friends and activists for human rights shined through as they spoke of their experiences during a very stressful and torturous time in South Africa. In October, 2010 I had the amazing opportunity to come into conversation with Neeshan Balton the current CEO of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation (AKF). Our conversation turned into an opportunity for me to serve AKF in a consulting capacity as director of Youth services. My mandate was to conceptualize the inaugural youth festival of the foundation and to deliver three non racialism dialogues for youth. During this time I was able to meet uncle Kathy, as well as work closely with him in conversation during our non racialism dialogues. Uncle Kathy became the keynote speaker, as I formulated questions to draw out the understandings and wisdom of Mr Kathrada concerning non racialism. One specific part of Uncle Kathy’s reflective, and personal sharing approach really struck me deeply; it has to do with the absence of children, and his longing to hear the voices of children. Over the months since my direct work with Uncle Kathy and AKF, I find myself reflecting on the voices that are not present, or possibly the voices that are silenced in my life, my family, and my community. I have wondered about my role as a father and whether I encourage the voices of my three beautiful children to be proclaimed with strength and assertiveness. I have had to reflect on my role as a husband and whether I am cognizant of the voice of my wife- her wisdom and insights. I have had to consider my role as a youth mentor, and whether I am hindering the voices of the generation of young people that I am called to serve. In every facet, and arena of my life there are places and spaces where I can do more by taking time to listen and take active participation in listening. I can do more to consider the voices that are not present, and consider the voices that are required for the wholeness of my humanity. Uncle Kathy in a more recent correspondence concerning the absence of the voices of children states, “I try to make up for the deprivation in jail. You may recall; in jail I literally saw at close quarters, and held a child for the first time after 20 years! Yes 20 years. I had reached a state where I wanted to hear even a child's cry”iv. Drawing from the deep consideration of our honourable leader I acknowledge and declare that my humanity is more whole when the voices and even the cry of children, youth, elders , my wife, my children, friends, family and beloved community are part, parcel, and proclaimed in my everyday life so I can be the whole person I ought to be! Forty nine years later post the Lieliesleaf Farm arrest and post the Rivonia Trial, the following questions must be considered:  Who are the voices that are silenced?  Are people present but have no voice?  When will the voices and cry of the marginalized be acknowledged and granted reparation?  Whose voice is not at the table?  Whose voice has been excluded?  Who is the person or the people that I need to hear from for my humanity to be made whole?  Who is the voice or are the voices that are silent? i http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/rivonia-trialists-are-charged-sabotage-and-attempting-violently-overthrow-state ii http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/eight-eleven-accused-rivonia-trial-sentenced-life-prison iii http://t.co/ixTHX8nq iv Sat 2012/07/07 10:10 PM, correspondence