Good evening fellow SAWIPers of the class of 2009, our present members of the board of directors, our special guests who are the much valued friends of SAWIP, and a special greeting to the Ambasador Mr Wrft and Mrs Wrfit…
Water Walkers-a speech
September 12th, 2009 by musaToday, tomorrow and everyday from here on…
August 22nd, 2009 by FazlinThe idea that my trip to Washington ended on the 27th of July - the day I got on the plane back to SA - left me the minute I landed in SA.
The flight back home was filled with mixed emotions. I was sooo sad to leave DC, to leave behind my great host family, [...]
To the host families
August 20th, 2009 by emmaI think a moment just has to be taken to say the warmest, most appreciative and loving thank you to our host families who have taken us into their hearts and homes. Many of us had the chance to really experience the true American culture and American family (if there is such a thing.) And [...]
home
August 19th, 2009 by ziyandaThey say that home is where the heart is. I don’t think I have quite ever believed that until now.
It has been almost a month since we left Washington DC to come home to our lives, loved ones and our beloved country. As much as I knew I was going to miss DC, my host [...]
thank you and thank you again…
July 30th, 2009 by ziyandaThe incredible summer that ended all too soon could not have been possible without the hard work of some truly amazing people, so again, I want to say thank you on behalf of the SAWIP class of 2009. SAWIP would not be the organization and indeed the family that it is today without the hard [...]
Farewell Speech
July 26th, 2009 by ayandaIt is so amazing to see the leaders of our countries gathered together in this small venue, drafting policies in their minds, planning the future of their countries and engaging in issues that affect their people. I must say that I am fortunate to be amongst the next presidents, ministers, MP’s, businessmen and women, religious [...]
The Meaning
July 23rd, 2009 by musaToday I bid farewell to all those I have worked with at the World Bank. Soon, I will be bidding farewell to all the non-South Africans I have met here in the US. I then go to the beginning, having had a foretaste of possibilities.
From John Scrimgeour to Rholihlahla Mandela
July 22nd, 2009 by SabeloWe search for them, but we never find them. We look for them, but we never see them. We hear them, but we never listen to them. They are everywhere around us, only if we stopped to realize them. They come not in fancy suits and big ties, they come not in shiny, pointy shoes [...]
A Pauper and a President
July 22nd, 2009 by petrusToday is the last day at our internships and I can confidently say that never would I have imagined how much one can learn in six weeks time. First, hearing that I’m interning at Habitat for Humanity, I saw a picture of me building houses out in the needy areas of DC. A day before work [...]
DC…
July 22nd, 2009 by nadineWashington, DC has been such an awesome experience. Wprds cannot describe the emotions, smells and thoughts that I’ve experienced.
The Metro, the busy roads, the formalities and the conversations in and around the USA have been enriching and have also exceeded my understanding of the American peope. People here are very friendly and have a keen [...]
NBCSL
July 22nd, 2009 by nadineMy internship is at the National Black Caucus for State Legislators. This is a non-partisan organisation that was started in 1977 to increase the presence of black people on Capitol Hill. Today many of the government officials on The Hill are proud memebers of the NBCSL and continue to be the voice for their constituents [...]
South Africa-Reconciliation Map Uncovered Through Friendship
July 17th, 2009 by musaI was not writing because even though I had the experience ongoing daily, when I blog it really has to be something gushing out of the deepest part of me, something that speaks, because it has to speak to me before it speaks to someone else.
Ten days and counting!
July 17th, 2009 by samanthaAs the final stretch of DC is starting to come to an end I’m beginning to evaluate all that this experience has meant to me.
Whilst initially I looked at the program as an opportunity to determine my postgraduate path, meet new people, engage with young leaders in South Africa and gain incredible work experience - [...]
Congressional Forum
July 16th, 2009 by nadineA few nights ago the SAWIP team of 2009 had the opportunity to speak about our beloved country, SOUTH AFRICA. Our speakers were Emma, Sabelo, Fazlin, Petrus and Lebuso and they all did a stunning job.
Standing in the Capitol Building thousands of kilometres away from home and listening to these voices representing the more [...]
Congressional Forum Speech - by Fazlin Fransman
July 15th, 2009 by Fazlin“Leaders we admire do not place themselves at the center, they place others there. They do not seek the attention of people, they give it to us.” James Kouzes
In a small town, surrounded by mountains, populated by a people who call themselves “Coloured”. I have found many such leaders…
“Coloured” a term given to a sector [...]
Congressional Forum : A Humbling experience
July 15th, 2009 by FazlinThe anticiapation which filled me in the days leading up to the congressional forum was paralysing.
Writing the speech, preping with my fellow sawipers and shutting myself in my room for hours, to make sure I get it just right, could not erase the nauseating feeling at the pit of my stomach, that constatly threatened to [...]
LEADERSHIP AND CARVING A WAY FORWARD
July 15th, 2009 by lebusaGood evening ladies and Gentlemen, Congressmen and Congresswomen alike, Congressman Payne, The SAWIP board members present here today, Ambassador Perry from the CCA, Mr. and Mrs. Greene, and all my friends from both SAWIP and WIP
Perhaps I should commence by reflecting on a brief history of myself.
I come from a small and welcoming town [...]
Stories on the Hill
July 15th, 2009 by petrusLast night, July 14, the SAWIP Congressional Forum took place on Capitol Hill. It was an amazing night. We as South Africans,in a tightly packed room, had been given the opportunity to share our stories with people from all over the world. I believe that our stories was a pristene representation of the different backgrounds we come from. There [...]
Special Edition: the New York Weekender
July 14th, 2009 by ziyanda“Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today… I wanna wake up in a city, that doesnt sleep And find I’m king of the hill - top of the heap” -Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York’
The energy that was in the air on the morning of Thursday, the 9th of July was nothing short of electric. [...]
council for a community of democracies
July 14th, 2009 by ayandaFrom Tuesdays to Fridays, I wake up at 6:30, do my bed, take a shower, have breakfast, dress up for work, shout at nick “hurry up we will be late for work”. Every day is another exciting day for me. Knowing that I will meet someone important, knowing that I will learn new things everyday [...]
