On visiting the Solms-Delta farm yesterday, we were taken through a journey of the farms history by a very inspiring woman, Marcia. She had the courage to share her life experience on the farm with us and how she found herself to be talented, motivated and encouraged enough to change her circumstances.

 

 

If you have read any of my previous blogs, you should know by now that I take a very personal perspective when it comes to these wonderful communities that we are being exposed to through SAWIP. I always think of my own life and how I can learn from these extraordinary individuals who have not forgotten their social responsibility towards their community in the process of empowering themselves.

 

 

Marcia stayed on the farm for 21 years, out of her class of 4 Matriculants, she was the only one who passed and had a Matric Ball. She described that day as bitter-sweet because she drove past her classmates, and they were sitting along the road as she was dressed up and on her way to her matric ball. She felt pleased with herself that she was able to persevere and make it that far, however, she was deeply saddened by the fact that her classmates could not make their education a priority.

 

 

This story brought something very relative to mind. The fact that we all might be afforded the same opportunities and one might take more away from it than the other. In Marcia's case, her classmates received the same education as she did, however, they did not possess the same drive as she did. She also said that she had the advantage of loving, supportive and encouraging parents. I feel that this has always been my advantage.

 

 

I have a mother that does not expect any more from me than for me to stay away from drug abuse, alcoholism and, her biggest fear, falling pregnant before I have a career. So far I have done good. She always told me to steer away from the stigma that is attached to colored girls, that all they are good for is reproduction. I am of course not saying this to step on any toes but my mother really felt this way. She told my sister and I: 'once you have a child, your life is over, is that really all you want for yourself? I see so much more for you.' She made us believe that we are capable of greatness and all we see in our community is not what we should be striving for. We should be reaching for the moon and one day make our way back home to teach others that they are capable of such greatness too. Marcia highlighted today how important this self belief and faith from loved ones are.

 

 

The burning question today was whether or not the fact that the farm owners are giving their workers so many things such as housing, water, electricity and education for their children. I asked Marcia whether or not this was to the detriment of the workers and their families. She answered me very wisely saying that they have earned what they are receiving today through the hardships they faced previously. Yes, we have struggled and we look back and are thankful for those times as they have made us stronger, wiser, determined and ambitious. We would, however, not want our people to have to face those hardships forever.

 

 

Education for their children is the most important investment for this community and I feel that it should be for all communities. It is so important for them that the farm owners gave them DSTV! This was of course shocking for me as I see it as a luxury that only a fortunate few can afford and I couldn't understand the link it had to educating the children. The CEO explained this logic to us very simply. He said that if the kids were to go to the outside world beyond their homestead, they would have seen enough things on tv to avoid them from having intense culture shock. The television holds a wealth of social knowledge that he wants the kids of the community to be exposed to and benefit from.

 

 

So all these benefits are afforded to the farm workers and their families, and like Marcia, I feel that the farm owners sincerely had the best interest of their community at heart. The huge investment that they have placed in the youth of the community is commendable. Yes, we do not know what they will do with it but that is up to them. This is the case in many communities. Youth are afforded equal opportunities but it still depends on them whether they want to take full advantage of it and develop themselves.

 

Cami

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 30 8 4277 14.0

I’m part of a pretty awkward generation. With long hair, skinny jeans and ear piercings, you’ll be forgiven for mistaking the sex of a member of Generation Y. There’s no real “cool” anymore. The hipster (it kind of means cool, but it's different) trend has morphed from its established identity as anything that isn’t mainstream to pretty much anything goes. For example, a pair of Nikes won’t be cool if you got them at the Nike Factory Store but the same pair is the epitome of hipster if they were bought at the local thrift shop.

 

The generation seems to adore anything that is either extreme in its contrast or that is entirely comfortable in its plainness. Your hairstyle will be cool if you spent the better part of your Friday afternoon getting your product to produce and perfecting that Dapper Dan look or, perplexingly, if you put no effort into it at all.

 

Gen Y is in limbo between retro and recent. You’re cool if you drive a 1984 Volkswagen Beetle but also if you’re the owner of the latest GTI. By all means get an iPhone as long as you get a cover that makes it look like a cassette. The quintessence of technology is a MacBook, but please hide it in a case that makes it look like a 1970’s encyclopaedia. Live in a modern penthouse apartment but remember to have your walls adorned with images of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and James Dean.

 

It’s because of this identity crisis that the current generation is often written off as a bunch of tweeting twerps that haven’t read any pages outside of Facebook. A recent article in Time magazine went as far as describing the latest generation as narcissistic and lazy.

 

While I sometimes find it challenging not to share these sentiments, I do believe that, for all its oddities, it is this generation that will transform South Africa both economically and socially. You don’t have to look far to find stories of innovation and dedication that cannot but inspire – and this doesn’t even refer to the inspiring stories of SAWIP team members. All over South Africa young leaders are taking ownership of the social inequalities that they’ve inherited and are taking steps to address them.

 

A group of UCT students recently decided that they weren’t reaching enough students through their tutoring business. The solution? A programme that can be accessed online that presents learners with questions related to their respective subjects that are designed not only to test their knowledge, but also to give their schoolteachers insight into the areas of the subject that the learner doesn’t understand. The programme has been developed and financed by students and their business has sold around 50 licenses to schools in the Western Cape.

 

Some Stellenbosch students decided a few years ago to form an organisation known as The Dead Parrots. The organisation simply seeks to promote critical dialogue amongst students at Stellenbosch University. Their events on campus have compelled students to re-evaluate their position on various issues including race and gender equality. Most recently they hosted a book launch of radio personality Eusebius McKaiser.

 

The New Hope Summit, an initiative pushed by Stellenbosch students a few years ago, is currently running in Muizenberg. The Summit is a meeting of student leaders from Universities, Universities of Technology and FET Colleges in the Western Cape where topics such as transformation and expanding the reach of education are discussed and strategies formulated. This year the summit is focusing on a bill of student rights that will hopefully improve tertiary education in the Western Cape.

 

These initiatives have all been launched to serve a perceived need in society and all have been run in the spirit of making our country better for all who live in it. Most importantly all of these initiatives have sprung out of the minds of some exceptional members of Generation Y.

 

Somewhere between creating monotonous electronic music and deciding it’s OK for guys to wear pants two sizes too small, Generation Y has decided to take on some of the problems facing our country. The youth of South Africa have announced that they have accepted their role in rebuilding South Africa and shown that they are not just going along for the ride but leading the way. I have hope for my generation.

 

So not many people are going to enjoy this particular blog but bear with me. I want to ask whoever is reading this blog one question.

WHO ON EARTH IS CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS???

I’m being dead serious about this. I ask this question because until a couple days ago I had no idea who this man was or what his relevance to my life was as well. As many people who do know him can imagine this is really awkward for me. As my fellow SAWIP group members, either stared in awe of this man or had even gone to the extent of reading his book and quoting it. All I could think of was who is this man and how is he relevant to me?

It’s a question that I have come to realize many South Africans as well as Americans would have a similar view or answer to. In fact millions of people across the world probably share the same view.  I had never heard of the man until I entered SAWIP. So when heading into a meeting with a man many seem to consider as a legend, I was filled with a sort of anxiousness one gets when heading into the unknown. I knew that he was important but my mind couldn’t comprehend just how important he was.

As we waited patiently for him to enter the room an intern decided it would be best watching a video about the congressman’s life. That was probably the single worst thing he could have done to me at that point in time. He set up a 3^rd party image of a man I had not yet met which would completely set the benchmark for him. I must admit (and here’s the part people won’t like) while others where in awe I sat there perplexed wondering what was so amazing. He had moments of brilliance that I know I can definitely applaud, but in general a lot of what he said was . . . well . . . nothing new to me.

I’m being very candid about this because it is something that I am personally grappling with right now. I know I should be in awe of him, especially because of all the personal sacrifices he made but I can’t seem to draw it out of me. I can’t seem to put him on the pedestal of Walter Sisulu, Joe Slovo, Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Suzman, Oliver Tambo, Albertina Sisulu, Robert Sobukwe, Steve Biko and the list can go on and on. As I was grappling with why I couldn’t put him on that pedestal I realized it was because I could not relate to him. I couldn’t realize that what he fought for was exactly what all my personal heroes fought for.  Fighting for the chance to be equal in front of the law and society.

It made me wonder how many other people around the world fought for something quite similar and I don’t know about them. How many other people in the world were beaten to a bloody pulp that I don’t know about? So this blog is dedicated to all those who have ever stood up against an unjust system and haven’t been recognized. All those who have once given up their lives fighting for what they truly believe in and who’s sacrifices made this planet a better place. This blog is to remind all those reading it to acknowledge the sacrifices made by these people and celebrate their lives and contributions regardless of how big or how small it may be.

So for me the question still stands. Who is Congressman John Lewis?  I’m not going to pretend to believe and he instrumentally changed the way I see the world. He still (even after meeting him) remains a person that I don’t seem to relate to. A person who I can’t say directly affected my life. A man, who has no sacred place in my heart. He remains solely in my mind as a freedom fighter in a land far from my own.

It’s that last part that I will probably take away from my meeting him. He remains a person who fought for freedom regardless of the peril that laded before him. I can respect those who are freedom fighters regardless of their country or origin. Because when you fight for what’s right, you deserve respect.

So who is Congressman John Lewis to me?

Not a legend, not a man of who has completely changed my life, not a man I would notice walking down the street, not a man who will make me gawk in his presence. Congressman Lewis me is a simple freedom fighter. The greatest breed of humans this planet will ever have.

Follow @kgotsi22

 

 

Ask any frustrated mother: the youth loves to question everything. We still have the vigour and arrogance not to accept reactions or circumstances at face value. We love to challenge outcomes and roadmap responsibility for these conclusions.

It is no different for the youth leaders of South Africa. When the team of fifteen students from the South Africa Washington International Program met with a representative of the UN for a briefing, we heard that our country “bowed to no one”. We heard tales of implied International power, of a symbolic significance that gave South Africa a special influence among nations.

Yet the supposed disregard of the African Union and South Africa’s efforts in Libya by the UN was burning at the back of several of our students’ minds. It is with this ambiguity of opinions that we met with three delegates of South Africa’s Permanent Mission to the UN.

Our panel consisted of Dr. Jongi Klaas, first secretary and representative on terrorism issues for the Security Council; Mr. Tshimangadzo Jeremiah Murongwana, first secretary and a member of the Third Committee, specialising in children and armed conflicts and Dr. Dire David Tladi, legal adviser to the Mission and member of the Sixth Committee.

For a youth starved for answers, this panel represented some of the best resources and leaders the country had to offer us. To the credit of the panel, they opened by telling us they would answer all our questions to the extent of what is in their power. Throughout the conversation the panel allowed us liberties in our robust and sometimes critical conversation, never once patronizing us based on our youth.

Dr. Tladi opened the session with a description of the finer structural machinery of the UN. The discussion on the veto power structure in the Security Council naturally led to questions regarding Security Council reform and the division of world powers regarding the issue. The validity of an African claim for a permanent seat was debated, focussing on the disproportionate and non-permanent representation of a continent that houses an alleged 70 percent of all conflicts put before the Security Council. Dr. Tladi also spoke on the differentiation between the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal court, followed by a discussion on the seemingly selective prosecution of Africans in the ICC.

Issues regarding international conflicts were addressed to Dr. Klaas, who spoke very eloquently on the unrest in the Maghreb region, as well as the application of Palestine to become an UN member state. He also addressed a very interesting question posed by a student, inquiring if he observes South Africa’s influence growing in the international community, but dwindling in Africa. The status of LGBT rights in Africa was discussed by Mr. Murongwana, who spoke of the patterns of violence and policy reform briefly.

The session was ended by a frank discussion on the ambiguity of South Africa’s undersigning of Resolution 1973 for Libya, only to criticise the UN and western powers for interfering in a regional conflict. The students posed questions on the undermining of the AU by these actions.

This panel discussion was about more than just literal questions and answers. It was about leaders investing time in the next generation to inform our global perspectives. They acknowledged our need for a platform where we could engage with institutions like the UN to understand the structural delicacies that result in the conclusions we live with everyday, as well as  having our leaders authoritatively answer our questions and hear our voices.

The South Africa Washington International Program would like to thank our panel members, for setting such a hopeful precedent for youth engagement by our leaders.

 

 

Good evening distinguished guests. Firstly, allow me to introduce myself: I am Edyth Parker, proud member of the SAWIP 2012 team. I had my generation Y membership card stamped on the 7th of September 1992, which confirms me as a current member of the controversial and much debated “youth of South Africa”. You might know our club by our other names: the "lost generation", "the young and the restless", "an appalling waste of human potential" or "a potential source of serious social instability."

You might also know us by the defining features of our club: unemployment and apathy. According to the National Treasury 42% of my South African peers below the age of 30 years are unemployed and not in institutions of education. In a country with a legacy of transformation through youth involvement and activism, these declining statistics frighten me.

Because employment is not only a means to generate an income. My unemployed peers are not being granted a platform to contribute economically to South Africa, which is psychologically, socially and spiritually disempowering. They are granted no social standing, leaving them vulnerable and discouraged from agency. They are not being equipped as independent or innovative citizens, as employment would have moulded them to be survavilists in a market economy. The psycologically disempowered are being moulded as a burden on our government, dependent on social grants and promises from politicians. In ten years the beneficiaries of state social grants have increased from 3.5 million to 15.1 million. Our youth has lost the belief in our power, in the traditional or political sense.

Which results in our second alleged defining characteristic: apathy. We are not engaging in the democratic channels of the country, because our needs are not being prioritised. The registered youth voters fell by 22% before the 2008 elections. Non-participatory democracy leads to a whole generation not being represented in political institutions by the vote. And again, the youth’s voice is not heard.

The portrait I’ve painted of the generation Y club is a bleak one, a confusing and greyscale Goya. Allow me to switch brushes and try painting a new, brighter face for our youth.

I am an undergraduate student at the University of the Western Cape, pursuing a degree in biotechnology. I was raised in a middle class neighbourhood, where all the children ate crustless sandwiches from Spiderman lunch boxes while playing on the well-maintained gym equipment. As I matured, I yearned for more exposure, more influences to assimilate and base my ethos and vision on. So I choose to attend a University historically associated with a demographic different from my upbringing.

It is here I met Aliyah, the beautiful face of a positive and promising youth.

 

The professor of my biology seminar informed the class that several students had approached him, three weeks before the exams, to tell him they could not fund their own textbooks. These youth were disenfranchised from education by the lack of resources. Aliyah took up their plight. She approached me and a few other students, asking if we would be willing to contribute towards textbooks for our peers.

But she did not merely ask us to hand over money. She mobilised the students in need, together with some of our peers to make bracelets, which we would then sell for profit. The money collected would be used to procure textbooks for the students who assisted in making the bracelets.

You see: Our youth is not necessarily apathetic. It is true that participation in formal politics by the youth is perhaps less frequent than the mass mobilisation of the previous generation, that characterized the breaking point in the Anti-Apartheid struggle. But the youth of SA are very much involved in more informal politics, or the addressing of public socio-economic issues at a community service level. The youth of South Africa is actively committed to addressing the needs in their communities; they have just lost faith in formal politics to meet these immediate needs.  The issue that faces our youth is not apathy; it is estrangement from the political system.

But ladies and gentleman, this is not a dead end for youth development. Youth involvement in these unconventional politics of community commitment and service plays a great role in the holistic development of our youth. In their capacity as community servants, youth learn about leadership skills and social connections. Youth also acquire skills that enhance employability such as the recent voluntary construction of houses for the department of human settlements by 150 youths. Those youth are now skilled. They have a chance to procure employment and have thus won the battle against hopelessness

The informal politics of community service enhances the social capital of the youth; it fights of the frustration of feeling powerless in the face of your community’s problems by giving us tangible results. Hopefully the civic knowledge our youth will attain as community servants will also instil in them a civic responsibility that will translate to participation in formal politics as well.

I do not think Aliyah realised the genius of her scheme. At the practical level, she was addressed a socio-economic need by supplying textbooks. But she was also teaching my classmates how they could use entrepreneurship to create opportunities, all the while reminding their peers what our civic responsibilities were. She was even participating in skills transfer with these youths!

Our youth is not apathetic; we’re just unconventional, as all South Africans are. Incomprehensibly high unemployment rates have disempowered the youth economically and politically. So we have sought other means to meet the needs of their communities. I believe encouraging youth volunteer culture in South Africa allows communities to harness the vigour of the youth in solving problems; I believe it gives the youth back their voice and social status. It allows for personal growth and capacity development, enhancing the social capital of a nation of youths that was once described as “unemployable”.

I am extremely proud to be a South African youth, part of a generation that is not lost; we are just finding our feet in our own way.