Mayihlome ... Bobby Godsell (Part 1 - NDP)

Robert "Bobby" Godsell is a South African businessman and the former CEO of South African Gold Mining Company AngloGold Ashanti. He was the Non-Executive Chairman of Eskom from 2008-2009 and was appointed to the National Planning Commission of South Africa by South African President Jacob Zuma on 30 April 2010. Bobby serves as Chairman of Business Leadership South Africa. He has been described as "a visionary, that has done much to shape the destiny of the South African labour relations landscape" (Russel Edey)

The iStart2 Team is honoured to have had him on our show this week. We chatted about the Vision 2030 for South Africa and his views on the hot topic of the National Development Plan. We also played music by some of his favourite South African artists, Sibongile Khumalo (Mayihlome) and Abdullah Ibrahim (Earth Bird). To listen to a podcast of the show, just click "play":




Next week: HIGH-profile business and political leaders have signed up to be patrons of a new Citizens Movement, which is meant to promote good values, community work and philanthropy. Businessman Bobby Godsell and former trade unionist James Motlatsi are the "conveners" of the movement. Next week we chat to Bobby Godsell about what we can do to make South Africa a better place.
 
iStart2 sign the Citizens Charter by going to http://www.citizens.za.com  

Tune in next week  @18h30 on Radio Today. Listen on Radio Today 1485 AM, dstv Audio Channel 169 or worldwide on www.1485.org.za.
Don't forget to Like our facebook page if you are interested to follow the unfolding of the iStart2 journey (Top left) :-)

Outside silence ... Dr Reon Brand

Dr Reon Brand is the perfect iStart2 ambassador. Not only is he an expert on sustainability issues, but he is also a remarkable artist. Reon is Senior Director, Future Directions at Philips Design in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. His primary role is to work with multiple Philips stakeholders to explore future directions for the Philips Strategic Company Innovation program.

 
Dr Brand was born in Cape Town, South Africa and graduated with a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Cape Town. We chat about future sustainability - or what he calls "regeneration" and his art, which takes inspiration from Picasso and Dali amongst others in a vibrant display of passion and creativity. Reon shares some of his expectations about a future world, lessons learnt from his work in China and he offers personal insights into his world as an artist.

To listen to the show, which was recorded in the Amstel Hotel, Amsterdam in the Netherlands, just click play:






In our next show we are privileged to have one of South Africa's most prominent business leaders our country has produced, in the studio. Our topic: South Africa in 2030.  Don't forget to Like our facebook page if you are interested to follow the unfolding of the iStart2 journey (Top left) :-)

Tune in @18h30 on Radio Today. Listen on Radio Today 1485 AM, dstv Audio Channel 169 or worldwide on www.1485.org.za.

WakaWaka ... This light for Africa ... Maurits Groen

1.5 billion people around the world - a quarter of humanity - have no access to electricity, and hundreds of millions more face regular blackouts. The effects of this energy poverty are enormous. Lacking power and light severely reduces the quality of life. Kerosene lamps are widely used for lighting, yet they are very inefficient, dangerous and expensive, and have extensive health and environmental drawbacks

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Maurits Groen, Anthony Droppert and Camille van Gestel

In Haarlem, close to Amsterdam,  we chatted about sharing the sun. Maurits Groen, Anthony Droppert and Camille van Gestel spoke to me about sustainable solutions for our planet ... the successful 'Buy one, give one' crowdfunding of the WakaWaka Power Light last January, has resulted in over 12.000 solar lights for Haitians living off-grid! We are taking hands ... this light for Africa ... waka waka... 

To listen to the interview, click play:



Become part of the iStart2 tribe by "Liking" our iStart2 facebook page and join our movement. Let's take hands to create a more sustainable world.

Join me every Monday at 18h30 (SA Time) and listen to the show on Radio Today 1485 am in Jo'burg, catch us nationally on DSTV Audio Channel 169 or worldwide on www.1485.org.za.

Radio Today. Radio that delivers!

A silent show ... Karin Hougaard

left foot
no sound
right foot

no ground
looking down
on an alien sky
left foot no sound
right foot no ground
looking down on an alien sky

a silent show

screaming stars
dancing dust
a deceitful red moon ...
 

Encore to thoughtful words, beautiful music and a powerful performance by Karin Hougaard in her show Alien Sky. What a privilege to have had a personal and up close chat to Karin at the end of her visit to South Africa. We chatted about her recent Alien Sky shows, play some of her new songs, find out about her passion for the environment and look at what the future holds. An honour to partner with Karin on the iStart2 initiative.

Karin is a trendsetting, multi award-winning South African singer-songwriter. Since her debut as teen singing sensation in the 1980’s, she has released 10 groundbreaking albums and is included on various compilations. As actress Ms. Hougaard has performed in various stage plays in Europe and South Africa and appeared in innumerable television programs and talk shows. Over and above her music and acting career - Karin has had various one-woman art shows featuring her paintings and graphic works. She has published a book of Afrikaans poetry and her writing is included in an anthology of short stories by critically acclaimed South African authors.

To listen to a podcast of the interview just click "play" below:



Become part of the iStart2 tribe by "Liking" our iStart2 facebook page and join our movement. Let's take hands to create a more sustainable world.

Join me every Monday at 18h30 (SA Time) and listen to the show on Radio Today 1485 am in Jo'burg, catch us nationally on DSTV Audio Channel 169 or worldwide on www.1485.org.za.

Radio Today. Radio that delivers!

Smile Warrior ... Abel Pienaar

Our guest, Dr Abel Pienaar, is co-founder and director of SES, the Centre for Contemporary Spirituality. He studied under Thich Nhat Hanh (Zen Buddhist, France) and learnt from the Dalai Lama, Fr. Thomas Keating, Bishop John Selby Spong, Kobus Krüger en Ken Wilber. To Abel free flow of information and access to different ideas is very important. Even more important is the freedom to decide for yourself, without censorship, how you actually want to live your life. Abel writes a weekly column in the Rapport Newspaper.
 

Some of the interesting questions in my discussion with Abel: Why did he leave the NG kerk? What really happened at the "Woordfees" in Stellenbosch? How does he see the concept of "heaven and hell" ? Why are people reluctant to take hands across religious barriers? How can we build bridges across those barriers that divide us?  Click below to listen to a podcast of the show.



Congratulations to the winner of our lucky draw competition. Dexter Pienaar. ( No relation to Abel! ) He wins  two tickets to Karin Hougaard's show, Alien Sky, in the Atterbury theatre on Friday night.  He writes:

How I, Dexter Pienaar, make this world more sustainable:

Being a student studying food science and nutrition I have seen time and over again how big companies readily exchange quality of ingredients for profit. This usually has an impact on the environment as these cheaper ingredients are produced in large quantities and are subject to genetic modification, pesticides and growth hormones. I am however not condoning these methods/substances but in these dire times with increasing food prices, I have made my own vegetable garden and herb garden.

I love cooking and having a herb garden in the backyard is so much more convenient than having to drive to your local fruit and vegetable store. Having your own vegetable garden makes this world so much more sustainable. We can all grow our own food believe it or not. We have all been brainwashed to believe that everything we need has to be bought in shiny wrapping and packaging. When you grow your own fruits and vegetables you immediately eliminate the “plastic factor” i.e. The packaging you would have had to remove before chopping up your cabbage for dinner. A lot less harmful pesticides are used, it’s much more convenient for yourself, you enrich the soil and save a lot of money every month.

I make this world more sustainable by producing my own food and refusing to believe that I have to buy everything from a store. - D Pienaar.

Become part of the iStart2 tribe by "Liking" our iStart2 facebook page and join our movement. Let's take hands to create a more sustainable world.

Join me every Monday at 18h30 (SA Time) and listen to the show on Radio Today 1485 am in Jo'burg, catch us nationally on DSTV Audio Channel 169 or worldwide on www.1485.org.za.

Radio Today. Radio that delivers!