The South Africa-Washington Internship Program

Twelve Quality Teachers

Uhuru — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 22:40:38 +0000

Upon my arrival in Cape Town my friends and family have been asking me about my best experience during my time in Washington. The SAWIP Congressional Forum stands out for me as my best experience. I was deeply moved by the sincere stories of our five speaks; Gillion, Melvyn, Rikus, Masana and Khaya. They not only proudly represented the SAWIP team of 2010 but South Africa at large.

The Congressional Forum does not stand in isolation as a single experience but is part of the “learning journey” that I have been privileged to be a part of. The SAWIP experience has provided me an opportunity to interact closely with extraordinary young leaders.

Gillion has taught me about the importance of networking in order to create global partnerships. I have learnt that there is no need to limit your potential because of your age, race or citizenship. I applaud his passion for developing the youth in the periphery of our society.

Tara made me realize that the arts require people with business insight in order to make them profitable and to create a livelihood for artists. Her passion for the arts is inspiring.

Lungelo taught me it is possible to maintain an athletic body through innovative techniques such as rowing. Lu challenged me to learn from the stories of ordinary people through conversations.

Melvyn gave me insight into the identity of the “new South African”. The new South African recognizes his rich heritage of Uganda but embraces the symbols and people of South Africa.

Banele and Nomfundo taught me that laughter, enthusiasm and smiling are essential ingredients to creating harmony within a team. Banele made me realize it is possible to be dynamic and be passionate about a vast array of interests and still pursue them with excellence. Nomfundo taught me the value of conveying complex idea’s in a simple way through her amazing writing and oratory.

Sabeeha taught me it is important to embrace your culture without necessarily imposing your values upon others. I learnt that tolerance and assertiveness are not mutually exclusive.

Bryony further entrenched the value and importance of honest and open relationships. She made me realize that frank and honest conversations add value to friendships.
Khanya has inspired me to wipe the dust of the Black Book. I learnt that we are not products of our circumstances but that we are responsible for our own destiny.

Masana made me realize that in order to wholestically contribute to the Africa we must not only know her but feel her too. The challenge for me is to understand how to feel her because I feel I’m still looking at the continent through a glass.

Rikus taught me that Afrikaners are not only legitimate citizens of South Africa but also fellow Africans. I learned it is important to recognize the past but not to allow it to determine your character.

Sibs taught me that entrepreneurship can play a pivotal role in the economic development of Africa. I also learnt about the importance of developing and maintaining an entrepreneur’s network with entrepreneurs from all over the world.

These lessons through my journey with the SAWIP team will serve me well in my future. I look forward to continue learning and developing quality friendships.

Beautiful Gift.

Sibusiso — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:02:01 +0000

Washington was an incredible experience. Working at the Corporate Council on Africa gave me an understanding of the potential that Africa has. During my time at CCA, I had the opportunity to meet incredible people from all walks of life. One of the main highlights of my internship was attending a FICCI ( The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) conference at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. I had the opportunity to meet highly successful entrepreneurs, business executives and government officials. The advice I took from some of the people I met that day has been invaluable. One of the other amazing experiences about being in DC was spending 5 weeks living with a completely new family. Initially, it felt really strange having to adjust to being part of a new family, but within a few days i honestly began to feel as if my host parents, we really my new parents. Although we did not spend as much as we had hoped together, we managed to create some really good memories together. One other aspect of the program that is unforgettable was the incredible speakers that we had a chance to listen to and later meet. I have never learnt so much in such a short space of time. I find my self spending time reading through some of the notes I took down from those talks.
One thing that I’ve began to realise about the experience that myself and the other South Africans have had was that it was all a gift to us. Certain individuals had created this program to help empower young people who are passionate about South Africa. I can not even begin to express how grateful I am to have been part of it. They did not have to do it, but they did. The people who initiated the program and the people to continue to make it a success have given of themselves for a cause greater than just themselves. In the same manner, I believe that our calling is pass on the wisdom, experience, knowledge and networks that we gained this summeras a gift to other young South Africans who are passionate about this country. The spirit of selflessness is what created programs such as SAWIP and the spirit of selflessness has the potential to transform the world as we know it.

And a farewell to all

Banele — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:47:37 +0000

Five weeks later and I must say I started missing home like never before. Then Friday came along and I realized what a blessing it was to be in that position. Being with all the WIPers and a few of the NSLers I took a moment to acknowledge and appreciate the people I met on that trip. By the end of the night I was starting to wonder if I really did want to go home after all.

A great time spent with great people (who I am pplanning to see again if I can gather the finances). Thanks again to all the people who made thing happen; It really did change my life.

But Let That Peace Begin With Me.

Bryony — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 14:24:23 +0000

Scientists are claiming that the recent findings in Africa prove that humanity started in Africa. My ancestors on my father’s side fled France in the 17th century to escape violent religious persecution. They took refuge in various parts of the world, including the Cape. They were uneducated and poor. Our branch of the family for the next 250 years was never able to escape from this circle of poverty. It was only my grandfather that finally helped break the cycle of poverty when he left the farm where he and his father worked as labourers at 16. He joined the air-force (he lied about his age) and at 17 years of age went up north to join the allies in the Second World War. My father was the first person in the Matthee family to obtain a high school diploma and then to go to university.

For 320 years the Matthees have known nothing else but Africa. So I guess if one was to believe the scientists about the origins of humanity – one could claim that when the Matthees arrived in the Cape in the 17th century they were simply returning home.

Good evening ladies and gentleman.

My name is Bryony Lindiwe Matthee. Now you may notice that my full name is compromised of three different languages. My one name is Lindiwe, which means, “The one waited for”. My parents took this at two levels - firstly, a daughter after two sons and thus one waited for, and at a deeper level, they were waiting for a SA where I could grow up in a non racial SA where as Martin Luther King put it I “was judged on the content of my heart rather than the colour of my skin”. When a child is born in South Africa the parents have to tick a box classifying the child as either, white, black, coloured, Indian, Asian or other. When I was born my parents crossed out these classifications and wrote the words “human being” on my birth certificate.
But I can proudly say that according to my birth certificate, I am no race, but am simply classified as a human being.

One of my struggles as a “white” South African is a sense of identity. I grew up in a small town in the Eastern Cape – Grahamstown. My parents had brought me up not to see race but rather the person behind the physical. I was surrounded by the Xhosa culture and had as many black friends as I did white. But I never saw their colour and their never saw mine. However, as I became older and left my childhood behind, I was confronted by racial tensions and categorizations. I am now often labeled by my fellow South African as being British because I am proficient in the English language or European because of the colour of my skin. My family has lived in South Africa for over 320 years. This country and this continent is the only place I know as home. To be denied my African identity by my fellow brothers and sisters is a struggle I deal with everyday.

This struggle was what first drew me to the SAWIP program.

When I first met Kevin Sullivan on the day after we had arrived in DC, he asked me something very important that I haven’t managed to get out of my head.
He asked me - why was I here?

I honestly couldn’t answer him – I didn’t know why I was here. I knew what had originally drawn me to the program, but now that I had arrived, I didn’t know what I wanted out of this opportunity. Everyone around me seemed so sure about their purpose on this program. I felt like I was yet to find my own. But I can confidently say that after spending 5 weeks from home with 14 amazing people (my fellow sawipers) I was inspired, my visions of the world transformed and that I was shown that I was more than what I perceived myself to be.
So why am I here?

To be put as simply as words will allow:
I am here to learn to love my African brothers and sisters better. And I am here to teach that no matter your race, gender, class, culture, religion, geography or history, all human being’s should be allowed the same human rights.

(I would now like to thank some people for providing the platform and opportunity to us as the SAWIP class of 2010. Now I don’t want one to look at this as just a list of names, because if it weren’t for these people (and I know I speak for the entire team) we would not be standing here quite literally, but also having experienced growth emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.)

To the SAWIP DC board members:
Kevin Sullivan
Frank Cantrel
Misha Charles
Holly Hassett
Tom Woods
Alycia Kellman
Carol Wheeler
Hugh O’ Hara
Declan Heery
Bryan Sims
Florence Prioleau

Executive Board members in SA:
To the Currin family back home – thank you for getting us here today.

SAWIP Advisory Board members:
Albert Maartens
Simon Barber
Stephen Hayes
Ambassador Robert Perry
Ambassador Priscilla Clapp
Elizabeth Sandza
Broderick Johnson
Dr. Lynn Jennings

People who have met with us:
Susan Lund (from McKinsey)
Agnes Dasewicz and her staff from Grassroots Business Fund
Sandra Taylor
Phyllis Slade-Martin
Johnathan Cahn
Errol and Barbara De Montille

People who have worked endless hours behind the scene to make the summer special:
Ellen Motley (our office manager)
Megan Farrell and the WIP MTs
Terry Eason
Jean Scrimgeour and the entire Scrimgeour family – this team is forever indebted to you for what you have done for us.

Darias Jonker, Cecile Heppes and all of our supporters within the SA Embassy
the S.African Consul-General in New York, Ms. Fikile Magubane, and Cedric Crowley (plus all of the staff at the SA Mission to the UN)
Congressman Donald Payne; his Chief of Staff Laverne Alexander; Darlene Murray; Noelle LuSane.

To my host mother, Laurie: thank you for sharing your home with me, for being my mother away from home. But most importantly I thank you for accepting me as me. For listening to my stories and never questioning my legitimacy as a South African.

SAWIP has allowed me to rediscover what truly makes me an African and my responsibilities to my African family across the borders. It has been said that Africa will only find peace once it is at peace with itself. Thus I ask my fellow sawipers to find this peace, because it is only when one finds peace within oneself, can we truly find peace in one another. Thus through your actions and thoughts I challenge and encourage you to continuously pray:

God Bless Africa,
Guard Our Children,
Guide Our Leaders,
And Give Us Peace,
But Let That Peace Begin With Me.

I am white; and I am AN AFRICAN

Mattheus — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 17:07:04 +0000

My Speech for the Congressional Forum:

Goeienaand Dames en Here.

According to my passport I am Mattheus Hendrikus Wessels, born on November 18th 1987. A white male and a South African citizen. More than 300 years ago Johannes Wessels set sail from the Netherlands to Cape Town, South Africa. He may have been Dutch, but I am not. I am an Afrikaner, with Afrikaans, the youngest language in the world, as my home language. A lot of people only think about Apartheid when you talk about the Afrikaners. There are, however, much more to the Afrikaners than policies of racial segregation. Being a white Afrikaans male in the post-Apartheid South Africa, I am posed with a number of questions, and I have to deal with my forefathers’ mistakes that they have made in the past. I was not involved with Apartheid, but I do see the consequences thereof. People easily brag with the success’ of their forefathers, but when it comes to mistakes - they rearrange the family tree as they see fit. There seems to be two trends within Afrikaner circles; people either denounce their Afrikaner past and try to find a new identity without roots, or they denounce the New South Africa and live in the ways of the past – hoping that they will one day have a state of their own. I do not find myself following one of those trends. I believe that one cannot live without acknowledging where you come from. I will rather admit to the history in my blood, than suffer from historical amnesia. I carry my grandfather’s name Mattheus, with pride, although he was a member of the Broederbond, an underground Afrikaner Organization which covertly controlled much of the public and private spheres of South Africa during Apartheid. The actions in which my grandfather was involved, was not as popular history may have it, actions to cripple the opportunities of the black South Africans, but it was to help the poor whites in South Africa.

When I was 13 years old, I decided to leave the town I grew up in, to attend boarding school, hoping to escape the claws of conservatism that drained my soul. Not very much changed when I left for boarding school. I was still faced with an array of issues regarding identity and the future of Afrikaners in the country – and I realized that I can pave a path. It is time for Afrikaners to accept Africa, and for Africa to accept Afrikaners. It is more than citizenship; it is about belonging to the earth, and sharing with all the people inhabiting those fertile lands of a country and continent alive with cultures and possibilities.

Yesterday my mother - who was very paranoid during the 1994 transition period (she was the one that stocked our house with tin-food because she was scared that a civil war will break out), texted me to and said: “Tell all the people there that we are proud of our country, and that we are trumpeting out vuvuzelas”.
Afrikaans is an authentic African language, and in a way the Afrikaners can be seen as the white tribe of Africa. I believe that I can still hold on to my Afrikaner heritage, and be a South African. SAWIP has given me the opportunity to be myself within a multi-cultural group of South Africans.

I may be white, and I know that white boys can’t dance – but I still feel the rhythm of the African drum. I may be classified as European, but I share more with the black people on my team than with most white Europeans. I may not speak with clicks, but I speak with the African spirit within my voice.

I am Mattheus Hendrikus Wessels, a 22 year old white male with a South African passport.

AND I AM AN AFRICAN.

SAWIP Congressional Forum Speech 2010

Masana — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:34:42 +0000

Many people speak of knowing Africa – they know her leaders, the ones that are valiant and brave but have disappeared; but they also know her leaders that have watered her soil with blood hardship and tears. They know of her mountains that rise above the land indignantly but with power. They know of her hills that roll over the land like cooling waves of green, of granite, of sand and of soil. They know of her planes, that lay low and still; and of her rivers that do not snake through her but gently caress her face as tears in overflow. There are people who know of Africa and her people – the hungry people, emaciated from wars and crimes against humanity. They know of her people – the intellectuals that challenged the notions that Africans were subhuman. They know of her economic policy, her laws, her booming markets, her animals and her vegetation, her religions, her superstitions, her sunsets and her sunrises. They even know of her cries. However, like an art critic before a portrait, they know her well – in every technical sense of the word; but they cannot feel her through the glass.
Good evening, congressmen and women, distinguished guests, parents, and Irish friends. A most heartfelt greeting to the future leaders of the country, SAWIP class 2010. I hope that in standing here as a representative of your visions of our country that I do justice to the embodiment of what it means to be African. My name is Masana Mulaudzi, I am 21.999999 years old studying African Studies at the University of Cape Town. Presently, I am one of very few South Africans studying the African Studies degree, let alone the only African. When I told my mother I was going to study African Studies as my postgraduate degree, there was an awkward silence that fell in the room that sounded something like this. South Africa is a currently a land where young people pursue careers that are guaranteed to help them financially. Most young black people are either first or second generation university graduates and have the onus of supporting their siblings and families financially. Therefore the majority of people that enter university are studying chartered accountancy, law or engineering. With a 40% unemployment rate and a shortage of professionals in our country, why did I study African Studies?
Moonira Kahn, the director of student affairs at the University of Cape Town said this week that “If what we are learning can’t change what’s happening outside, we are learning nothing.” Currently there is a disinterest among young people to study our continent. The belief is that being African is a qualification that makes you an expert on Africa. Although the university system well equips students to deal with macroeconomics shifts, the construction of infrastructure and the ways to politically garner support, it does not teach you to deal with the difficult questions of inferiority complexes, discouragement, xenophobia and racial tensions in Africa. We are taught that strong institutions consolidate equality in the land, but we forget that sometimes these institutions are made of people who struggle to place themselves historically, socially and mostly psychologically.
A few days ago when we were in New York we walked past some oil and acrylic paintings on canvas. I came across one in particular that pulled a few subconscious chords in my heart and I expressed this to the painter, Boubakary Konsiembo, from Cote D’Ivoire. He told me that he was ecstatic to hear someone say that of his artworks. This because he usually came across people who knew the artworks would complement their couches, their walls etc but they did not feel the paintings. What he said to me of knowing and feeling was to me a very key aspect of African Studies and why I chose to study it. I too, had known of Africa but in the removed sense – almost as a spectator to what was happening in the land. My university degree in politics, philosophy and economics exposed me to Machiavelli, Locke and the American founding fathers. In economics, I was taught of liberalism and its pros, the Bretton Woods system and the evils of government intervention. In philosophy I learnt of Plato and Socrates, of Kant and of Descartes. I thought, and to a certain degree I was a rational agent, I wanted to maximise my utility and my altruistic behaviour was in itself a form of selfishness. All of these foreign concepts made their home in my head, and I was in the discourse that knew what was wrong with Africa – corruption, starvation, poverty, inequality, cult personalities – the list was long and tiresome and I knew the taught solutions to it. However, I also felt, and I even now as I say this to you, I feel, Africa. I felt her in my belly, in my feet and in my heart. I felt her pulse through me to move beyond being a mere feeling of heated passion – I developed a conviction about my land, my home.
I too had seen the images of the very real sufferings of African people. The images clad on the UN walls when we went on the tour last week once again served to stir the feeling in my heart – it is no longer enough to know about Africa – we must feel for her.
However, most will agree that feelings are not the wheels of the car – they are merely the petrol (or gas if you are American) that makes the car run. It is knowledge that is instrumental to making the car useful. Some people will know of Africa and some will feel for Africa. I am studying African Studies because I needed both. I cannot claim to love that which is unknown to me. An uninformed feeling towards anything is merely infatuation. During my time of primary and secondary schooling my history classes exposed me to Jan Van Reibeek, the reason the small town I grew up in was called Blyvooruitsig and the great trek of the Afrikaaner nation across South Africa. Whilst Afrikaans history is a true part of the South African story – with 11 official languages and a hybrid not just of colour, but of culture – the education system left so much to be desired in the young African mind. Being the one of four Venda (which is my culture) people in my school, there was a disjuncture between my skin colour and my history – which portrayed me as somewhat removed from important historical events. Even in the tales of Shaka Zulu, no mention was made of the people that made little contact with the settler population until apartheid history. I found that even in Apartheid history, however, I was not informed of Albert Luthuli, Steve Biko, Beyers Naude and Mamphele Ramphele. On television in a post apartheid South Africa, I was confronted with images of long flowing brunette and orange hair and soap operas like “Days of our Lives.” This was my generation in the making. What then is a little brown child meant to grasp to in her imagination? At age 6, I found myself lying in bed and dreaming that I was white – albeit with one caveat – my long flowing locks – was in the dream as it was in reality – a beige towel that my mother had me use when I went to bath.
In who I was I existed outside of neutrality. I was looking for myself, for my people. I needed heroes and their feats of courage that embraced me on the same playing field. People to show me that even with my dark pigmentation, it was possible as an African, not just to succeed, but to excel. Once the individual takes a hold of himself/herself and embraces their personal possibilities, anything becomes possible for their homelands. This year, reading Steve Biko, who only had Bantu education, made me think that logic and rationality are not necessarily bound to something I could never have. Neither were the solutions to African problems exclusively found in institutions that would have been the western world. I thought “wow,” imagine the possibilities for Africa if we could all think this, with an intolerance for injustice and inequality. And then I thought, wow, an African thought this way. But then I was like, “flip – I am an African!” I can think like this too!
You see African studies is not just about unearthing the past or igniting social reform counter to popular models of globalization, modernization and liberalism. And it is not meant to be racially charged. It is the first step in reaching past what the past 500 years have said of our history and who we are – and into a place of acceptance. It is in making peace with what was so that we as future leaders can pave the way for our continent to hold her head up high with integrity. But it is more than just reading Nkrumah, Nyerere, Biko, Senghor, Du Bois, Siyonke… no it is far more than that… It is a call to action, to ignite within us the feelings that bring change based on a knowledge of self. Amandla. Thank you.

(I must add a disclaimer to this speech that is important. When I first started writing, my mother said something to me that was already on my heart - that I should humble myself before the Lord and in praying seek His heart for what He would have me say. Although some don’t believe, as a believer I give all the credit and thanks to God for using me as a vessel to share this… Thank you.)

Building a tower

Khaya — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:31:18 +0000

BUILDING A TOWER!
In a watershed moment of the American leadership history on November 4, 2008, U.S.President Barack Obama in hias acceptance speech said “I was never the likeliest candidate for the office, we did not start with much money, and our campaign was built by working women and man who dug into little savings they had to give dollars to this cause” However as we know Obama`s team shattered records in raising funds because the Obama team knew that leadership is like building a tower and the secret behind the art of building a tower is unity for a noble vision.
Historians have it on records that Babylon was the first city to be built after the gigantic flood. In the aftermath of the flood citizens of Babylon conceived a noble vision of building a highest tower on earth and yes as the books of history bares testimony the Babylonians achieved in a short moment of history what others could not achieve in a long moment of history as the longest tower on earth was built. Babylonians achieved what others could not achieve not because they possessed an inherent leadership strength that others did not possess .They achieved because they knew what others did not know. They knew that leadership is not walking in front of people but it is about walking with the people, it is not about working for the people but it is about working with the people and most importantly they knew that the best leader is the one who has learned how to be a good follower! In a classic book about ‘THE POWER OF SOCIAL NETWORKS’ the scholar N. Christakis and J.Fowler concerning the city of Babylon and the building of the tower by invoking the bible tells us that the Babylonians were united in their mission to build a tower “the book of genesis states that humanity was united and God said behold, behold the people are one, they speak in one language that is why they will achieve anything they imagine to do”(Fowler,J:2010 p287).
Whether you are a spiritual convict ,atheist or an agnostic citizen of the world the biblical story of how citizens of the great city of Babylon builded a tower centuries back remains a strong metaphor for the meaning of leadership in the 21st century. As demonstrated by the people of ancient Babylon the true strength of leadership is not individual based but it is based on the willingness of citizens to be united behind a common vision. The long overdue UN millennium development goals will not be achieved as long as the human race is divided between the powerful and the powerless. It is only by unity behind a common vision that both the powerful and powerless states can realize the UN millennium goals.
It is with in this context that in my duration of leadership curriculum here at DC I have developed a deep sense of appreciation towards the relationship between(South Africans) SAWIP and (Irish).We would not be here if the foumders of SAWIP and WIP did not realise the need to unite behind a common leadership vision.As an intern at the Council for the Community of Democracy,my best moment came in a form of a paradox during my second day at work, after we had a lengthy informal discusion with my supervisor Mr Bob and his acolydes about the leadersip role of intellectuals in the world.In the midst of highly qulified people i was entrusted with the responsibility of representing CCD at the Woodraw Wilson International center for scholars.As i hoisted the flag of CCD and SAWIP among great scholars during the session,i realised that best days are still ahead, but it is difficult to imagine them without a single member of SAWIP.

Most importantly as we continue with our leadersip plans with intergrity,openmindedness and selfnesness i realised that we too are building a tower! Yes we are building a tower ,it might not be long as the one builded in ancient Babylon but ours will be a beter world for humanity,that is the kind of tower we are building.

SAWIP Congressional Forum 2010

Sabeeha — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:06:53 +0000

I have always been proud to be a South African. The passion I have for my country, my people and this land that is South Africa is unwavering and fierce. To see my fellow young people of South Africa, my fellow SAWIP team members, articulate this passion with such courage, sincerity and uncompromising love for South Africa truly humbled me, and no doubt moved each member of the audience that they addressed today at the SAWIP Congressional Forum at the US Capital Building. Their words reached not just our ears, but went straight to our hearts.

The Congressional Forum has long been a highlight for the South African interns in Washington DC. It is a chance for us to share our journeys and life experiences with congressmdn, work supervisors, SAWIP board members, our Irish counterparts from the WIP program, and those individuals who are interested in SAWIP. It is an opportunity to inform others about what makes South Africa such a unique country, and one that so often leaves an indelible mark both those who live here and those who visit.

Today’s speakers came from diverse backgrounds, all speaking to the multi-cultural heritage that characterizes South Africa. Gillion, Melvyn, Rikus, Masana and Khaya made not just the SAWIP team proud, but were true symbols of the potential and leadership that continues to prevail in South Africa.

Melvyn spoke of his Ugandan roots, and how his upbringing was not confined to or defined by one racial group, or one cultural or ethnic background. His story for me affirmed the value and importance of education in developing a nation because it was the means by which his family and he himself developed and continue to develop. I am immensely proud of his commitment to achievement and excellence, using education as a driving force to achieve his goals.

Rikus articulated what I believe is an important issue in South Africa: the feelings of a young Afrikaner man. He did not deny his family’s roots and history; he did not seek to make excuses. Rikus to me is an individual who so fully embraces his culture and his heritage, but more so he epitomizes the fact that we should not be ashamed to embrace our identity, to explore it and to acknowledge it-whatever this identity might be. I loved the fact that he refuses to have “historical amnesia” but rather actively chooses to be a proudly South African man with Afrikaner heritage, who sees his identity as much as a South African as he does as an Afrikaner.

Words are a powerful tool that can stir emotions and heighten them to the point of action. Masana’s words were that powerful to me. They have inspired and galvanized me to be more than just passionate, but to be actively passionate. Her eloquence in articulating her desire to know and feel Africa, the continent and people that she loves so dearly and her choice to pursue African studies (despite the societal pressure to do something that has a predefined job structure) made me realize that I have a long way to go in learning about South Africa, in learning about my own heritage . I am proud, humbled and privileged to have been there to have heard her words, her passion, and her sincerity and have it reach the depths of my desire to make a difference.

Speaking about one’s life is not always the easiest task, and I commend Khaya for his courage and his poise in sharing his life story with us. I will not be verbose in my description of how appreciative and moved I am- Khaya’s speech simply put, was an illustration of the power of belief in one’s destiny and one’s right to chase after dreams and aspirations in changing the course of your trajectory in life. He reinforced for me that South Africa is truly a place that is defined by the resilience of its people, and is a place where social inequalities and ills do not always predetermine your life’s course. South Africa is alive with possibilities, embodied by amazing individuals like Khaya.

Our MC for the night and fellow SAWIP teammate was Gillion. He shared with us his heritage and what it is like to come from a diverse cultural background. He candidly shared with us his experiences with inequality in South Africa and provided unique insights into his view on what was the task for hand for us as youth in South Africa to make a difference and change. Gillion represents the power of one, where he truly has taken steps to achieve the change he wants to see in South Africa.

It would not suffice to say that the 2010 SAWIP Congressional Forum was a success, as this would simply define it as static achievement. It was so much more than just listening to speeches, it was an education on what passion for one’s country can do, it was an initiation of dialogue into what can we do to make a change, it was so many moments that humbled and inspired and touched each person in a unique way. The SAWIP team has a lot to be proud of, and those people who represented the team and South Africa today, should be commended on a well articulated expression of the potential that we possess as South African future leaders of tomorrow to start making a change from today.

Ray’s the Steaks: SAWIP trip to Anacostia

Sabeeha — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 05:03:20 +0000

The Washington DC that I have become acquainted with is a picture of a thriving, developed nation. A generally efficient public transport system, clean streets, picturesque buildings- essentially the DC I have gotten to know is only one facet to a diverse city, one that also faces battles with inequality, HIV/ Aids, inadequate education systems and crime. The dinner that the SAWIP team (along with our honorary South African WIPer) at Ray’s the Steaks in Anacostia was to me an important journey to have taken.

Anacostia is one of the less developed areas in DC, and walking from the metro station to the restaurant made you realise the disparity between the DC we have come to know and the reality of DC for most people. The contrast between the areas surrounding the metro station itself at the Anacostia stop and the stations we generally get off at was enough for me to realise that I had not enlightened or informed myself fully about the issues that many people in DC face. I felt as though I had come here too late, that I had become somewhat complacent in my view of DC.

The speaker invited to our dinner at Ray’s the Steaks, Phyllis Slade-Martin, was an amazing woman who candidly shared with us her insights on race relations in the US. She was frank and open in relating her experiences growing up and having gone to segregated schools, and her experiences with racism. It was interesting for me to parallel the Black consciousness movement in the US with that of the South African black consciousness movement, and I was able to see the contrasts and similarities in the expressions and backgrounds to the black consciousness movement between our countries. The discussion reaffirmed my belief that open, frank discussions about race relations and the underlying racial issues in the context of our past as well as how these issues continue to affect us in some way or another as modern day youth, is an important tool to truly make progress and reconcile our pasts and present.

I must re-iterate that I feel as though my visit to Anacostia came far too late. My ignorance, and more so my complacency in my knowledge of DC and the dynamics and issues of its people, makes me feel as though I have not really fulfilled my obligation to truly get to know DC life. I am galvanized to learn more. My ignorance will no longer be a complacent bliss. Not only have I become more cognisant of the fact that my current DC realities are merely one layer of complex city, but I have learnt an invaluable lesson in learning that failing to better inform myself is simply losing out on an opportunity to enrich and enliven my experiences in life. I definitely will go forward with a greater sense of curiosity.

“Something Larger Than yourself”

Masana — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:19:10 +0000

When we met at the White House with the National Security Council someone said something that really struck me. Michael Strautmantis, Chief of Staff to the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Engagement said the following four words, “something larger than yourself” in reference to encouraging Americans to think beyond their neighbourhoods and communities and looking at the global arena that people from all over the world engage in. Later that yesterday evening, we met with Sandra Taylor – CEO of Sustainable Business International – and in discussion she mentioned unfair expectations that the international community has on America but regardless, the amazing ability the American government has had in affecting change in society. Finally, my supervisor from Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, John Heffernan (Director of Speak Truth to Power) asked me this morning what the final outcomes were of this SAWI-program. I shrugged and said “to make world changers.”

In retrospect, that answer did not require a shrug. Sitting amongst the team over the past five weeks has truly been challenging. I say challenging and not amazing because I find in that challenge that I have grown to realise my weaknesses and how being in a team of people with different strengths I am able to rely on them and be reliable. Beyond mere team dynamics, there is an underlying hope that we all have for Africa (not just South Africa). I see it when we speak about the future and in how our dreams are not laden with aspirations for posh cars or political power. Instead there is an integrity amongst the team that makes me believe that even if subconsciously we are working towards a goal that is larger than we are. What I appreciate most about this desire is that it does not require us to be perfect – which, if I speak for myself, I am far from. Instead the prerequisite is that we be both hopeful and dedicated in our pursuit of excellence for Africa.

I think that as young people we are so open to set the standard of the society we want to see, although we might not live to see it. Most of the students who were from the liberation movements died for a freedom they never tasted. When I think of my younger sister who started high school this year, and all the young boys and girls in South African prisons or even in the suburbs , the villages, the farms – all of them – when I think of them I am encouraged to see something larger than myself. Many people think that political and economic liberation are our greatest struggles, but to me, that something bigger is an internal struggle. A struggle to find peace with history, laying aside grudges against those who once oppressed, and asking for forgiveness from those we once oppressed – person to person. I also dream of a wholeness when Wanga, my little sister, can be proud to be African. When she can know where she came from and even as her generation approaches “perfection” that she would be in tireless pursuit of justice, of love and of peace!

This is something bigger than ourselves and it is found in our un-orchestrated conversation when no one is looking. When we travel from events at 11pm in the evening and we serve each other in listening. It is found in our observant eyes that take in information with caution in pursuit of the truth. Some may call us idealists for dreaming but I earnestly look forward to the day when people can say of the administrations of Africa that they have contributed selflessly to the world. When we are not just receiving but we too are giving. It has already started and it is unstoppable… in every area of life! So next time someone asks me what the desired outcome of SAWIP is – I will say more boldly from my personal experiences that it is where South Africa’s future leaders meet for conversation.