I am an African ... Thabo Mbeki

On Sunday 8 May 2016 The Thabo Mbeki Foundation hosted an event to commemorate the former president’s “I am an African” speech. It also marked the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution. We join the dialogue on the iStart2 Show this week.

Seipati Kau, Executive Head: Private Office of Executive Mayor 

thanking President Mbeki on behalf of the City of Tshwane

Thabo Mbeki focussed on some pertinent issues:

His “I am an African” speech:
 “I would still say whatever our problems today, tomorrow will be better.”

The Constitution:
"The Constitution whose adoption we celebrate constitutes an unequivocal statement that we refuse to accept that our Africanness shall be defined by our race, colour, gender of historical origins… It provides the opportunity to enable each one and all to state their views, promote them, strive for their implementation in the process of governance without fear that a contrary view will be met with repression. It creates a law-governed society which shall be inimical to arbitrary rule.”

On Societal Engagement:
“A lot of our people are not familiar with what this Constitution says. The consequence is that we sit in government and do something that is wrong and even unconstitutional. Mmusi [Maimane] will say it is incorrect and so will the judges. But where is the rest of society?”

“Let’s have this national dialogue. The people must speak.”

Thabo Mbeki made a call to South Africans to get to know the Constitution better and also had some advice for the current leadership. We listen to excerpts from his speech on the iStart2 Show and discuss the importance of the Constitution in ensuring the sustainability of our Country. Ntsako Mkhabela joins us in studio.

To listen to the show, just click play below:



Thought of the Day:

Join our conversation and let's make a difference in building a sustainable South Africa for all the people of our beautiful country.

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Read more here.

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iStart2 Believe Again ... Ntsiki Mazwai

She's powerful. She's hot. Often politically "incorrect". She has a stage presence that rocks the audience. She is also very kind and full of jokes when not writing open letters to view her strong opinions as a woman's activist, poet and musician.

On Thursday we join our Sustainability Hero of the Week, President Thabo Mbeki. 

It's been twenty years since he made his iconic 'I am an African' speech. The highly-regarded address was delivered on the day South Africa formally adopted the Constitution. To mark the event, President Mbeki and his foundation hosted a public meeting at Freedom Park in Tshwane on Sunday 8 May 2016.

We join the conversation and chat about the relevance of the Constitution 20 years after. Tune in to the iStart2 Show on Thursday at 17h30 to listen to the show. 

Keitu Gwangwa & Pierre du Toit host the iStart2 Show on Thursdays at 17h30. Radio Today broadcasts on 1485 MW (AM) in greater Johannesburg and countrywide on ‪#‎DStv‬ audio channel 869. Radio Today also streams globally on www.1485.org.za.

Desperation to Destiny ... Dr Stanley Arumugam

"The book, Desperation to Destiny is about a journey that we all undertake as human beings. It is about that space in time when we really come to a difficult time in our lives. The key message is that it is a good place. Pay attention to that place that you are in. It is actually a holy place. Don't escape it, embrace it," says Stanley Arumugam on the iStart2 Show. "You need to make a decision on where you want to go."

We chatted to Stanley about his role as Senior Head - Governance, Leadership & Accountability at ActionAid International and his views on sustainability issues affecting our people. "Things like climate change has a significant impact on people and especially the poor." Stan is of the opinion that we have a middle class that is quite disinterested in what is happening and his hope lies in asking people to rethink the question of what it means to be a good a neighbour. He further believes that the ancient wisdom of servant leadership is still very applicable. 

"I believe in South Africa and the magic and diversity we have in our people. iStart2 hope for the country" - Stanley Arumugam 

To get in touch with Stanley email him at stanley.arumugam@gmail.com and to listen to the interview, just click play:



Thought of the Day:

In the words of David Whyte:

Despair is a necessary and seasonal state of repair, a temporary healing absence, an internal physiological and psychological winter when our previous forms of participation in the world take a rest; it is a loss of horizon, it is the place we go when we do not want to be found in the same way anymore. We give up hope when certain particular wishes are no longer able to come true and despair is the time in which we both endure and heal, even when we have not yet found the new form of hope.

We take the first steps out of despair by taking on its full weight and coming fully to ground in our wish not to be here. We let our bodies and we let our world breathe again. In that place, strangely, despair cannot do anything but change into something else, into some other season, as it was meant to do, from the beginning. Despair is a difficult, beautiful necessity, a binding understanding between human beings caught in a fierce and difficult world where half of our experience is mediated by loss, but it is a season, a wave form passing through the body, not a prison surrounding us. A season left to itself will always move, however slowly, under its own patience, power and volition.

‘DESPAIR’ From CONSOLATIONS:
The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words.
© David Whyte and Many Rivers Press 2015
Available http://davidwhyte.stores.yahoo.net/newbook.html

Sustainability Conversations ... do you Start2?

Snippets of sustainability news around the world, challenges we face in South Africa, interesting projects and a dash of Art ...

Start  Close in ...

Take that step you don't want to take ... iStart2 ...
 

Is the signing of the historic Paris climate deal on Earth Day 22 April 2016 by 175 nations just symbolic?

(Photo: Mary Altaffer, AP)

Echoes from the Valley ...

PJ Powers on the iStart2 Show

Scribbles on the Cave Wall ...

View from the Edge

On Thursday we chat to our Sustainability Hero of the Week, Dr Stanley Arumugam.  We chat about his new book, Desperation to Destiny, his views on the biggest sustainability challenges we face as a society and what they are doing  in their company ActionAid International to create a more sustainable world.  Tune in to the iStart2 Show on Thursday at 17h30 to listen to the show. 

Dr Stanley Arumugam 

is the Senior Head - Governance, Leadership & Accountability 

at ActionAid International

Keitu Gwangwa & Pierre du Toit host the iStart2 Show on Thursdays at 17h30. Radio Today broadcasts on 1485 MW (AM) in greater Johannesburg and countrywide on ‪#‎DStv‬ audio channel 869. Radio Today also streams globally on www.1485.org.za.

"I'm sweating like hell.
So help me, if I hear someone tell me it's the humidity one more time..."
"Actually it is not the humidity, it's humanity."

...........................................

Red Song ... Keorapetse Kgositsile

"Poetry has been an integral part of the struggle. Nineteen-ninety-four was not the end of the struggle. Human existence on this planet is a struggle and might always be. And perhaps without that life might have been ridiculously boring and not worth living," says Professor Keorapetse Kgositsile on the iStart2 Show. 

Born in 1938, Keorapetse ‘Willie’ Kgositsile left South Africa in 1961 and lived in exile in the United States and returned to South Africa in 1990. The recipient of many poetry awards; amongst others, inaugurated as the South African Poet Laureate and the National Order of Ikhamanga Silver (OIS) for excellent achievements in the field of literature.

Keorapetse Kgositsile asks some pertinent questions: "Do we have the material basis for transformation? Is there a capitalist society anywhere on this planet with a human face? Why don't we have arts and culture as part of the curriculum of the education system?" He believes that the responsibility for creating a sustainable world lies in accepting that this responsibility belongs to all of us. "South African literature does not need me as much as I need it. We must do what we do with humility and respect. I am just a contributor to an ongoing process"

Thank you to our icon of South African poetry for sharing his story, for reciting his poem Red Song in his own voice and for sharing his wisdom and advice on creating a sustainable world through the arts.

To listen to the full interview and Vusi Mahlasela's rendition of Red Song, just click play below:




Thought of the Day:

Video of the week:

Vusi Mahlasela's Red Song from the poem by Keorapetse Kgositsile:

Hope you've had an inspiring Freedom Day this week! We wish you a restful Worker's Day and a safe long weekend ahead! Have fun!

- The iStart2 Team

Making Magic On the Mountain - 23 April 2016

This is a fable which tells the story of an imaginary tribe living on Magic Mountain in a land of milk and honey. The tribe faced several challenges in our quest to acquire the magical diamonds at the top of the mountain.

It all happened one Saturday night when the moon was full. The tribe decided to gather their community and started talking and singing about the issues affecting their beautiful land ... 

It was very unfortunate that some skerminkels have infiltrated their beautiful land and were taking big bites out of the food source. 

The elders in the community shared tales of a long forgotten time when tribe members lived close to nature, when food was in abundance, when people cared about each other and lived in peace with one another ... 

It was a joyous evening full of fun and laughter. Ancient sounds of a long forgotten time connected our souls as we listened to the stories and music of the past and the future. 

The tribe realized that when we focus on creating a sustainable world, when we let it sing from every village and every town, from every city and every country, that we will then be able to join hands and leave sustainable footprints for our children. 

Is this what the crack in the universe is all about? 

Thank you to everyone who played their part in making this evening such a memorable experience.

We love you all and it was wonderful working together.
Let's get to the diamonds at the top of the mountain.

iStart2Sing from the mountain side ...

The Past meets the Future ... Coenie de Villiers

Coenie de Villiers, renowned South African singer and songwriter joined us on the iStart2 Radio Show this week. We chatted about his future, sustainability of artists and the upcoming show in Centurion this weekend. Pops Mohamed also popped in to share information on a special guest who will be performing at the show.

The full interview is on the podcast down below, but here are some short highlights of our discussion with Coenie. He shares his views on:

The Horizon:
"I get up in the morning and say: What does the universe have to offer?"

Our Biggest challenge:
"We are not listening to each other".

Achievements:
"I would like to do anything that I could to create a South Africa where we see fellow South Africans and respect them"

Indigenous Music:
"I listen to an immense amount of indigenous and African music and Pops's work which I respect very deeply. It touches me. Pops really is an idol for me. Very excited and a little bit nervous about working with Pops. If we can move the world as artists we can create a better world for all of us. No judgement!"
 
A message to our leadership:
"It would be incredible to see more opportunity for musicians across the board. Invest money in projects that show the rest of South Africa that we love each other and love working together".

Artists:
"Creating art and doing what you believe you should be doing is a steep order. The big challenge for artists is to create decent stuff".

"I often think that musicians can teach the lessons the politicians fail to show. Musicians and artists and writers can unite people by creating great works that make people listen and learn and not judge." 

A message to our people:
"Support local art. Support live shows. Go to the show that we are going to have. Listen a little bit outside your comfort zone. It's an opportuntiy people should grab. There's amazing stuff and people waiting to be discovered."

The iStart2 Show this weekend:
"It is a show about music, warmth, humanity ... and about creating a better world for all of us. I really hope people come and it's a fantastic opportunity to hear new musicians. It's going to be so special. You will hear artists you have never heard before."

Come and smell the catbush, the kambro ... listen to the kora, kalimba and mouthbow .... see something unique ... hear the sounds of the Kalahari ... experience the past and meet the future!

To listen to the full interview with Coenie, just click play below:



Thought of the Day: (Coenie's favourite quote)

A unique experience awaits you in Centurion! Join us on our journey to create a more sustainable South Africa.

Book tickets for the show here