Blog
Latest INSIGHTSSchool Principals: Frontline Workers in the Battle Against Covid-19
Another crisis is taking deep root in our country. This crisis will far out-live the Coronavirus pandemic and its impact will be devastating. Thus far our rightful focus has been on frontline workers and frontline issues; health, public safety, policing, nutrition and...
Becoming an anti-racist
Some years back I realised to my horror that I was a racist. The world through brown eyes Perhaps I should start several years before that, when my wife and I adopted Lolly – a black child. As I began to see the world through her brown eyes, I realised how blind I had...
Turning Challenges into Possibilities: A Process for change
A revolution of thought Several moons ago, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus discovered something rather disappointing to the 16th Century ego. Up until that point it was believed that the Earth not the Sun, was the centre of the universe. Mr Copernicus disagreed. He...
Racism in Schools: A step-by-step approach
#yousilenceweamplify In the wake of the brutal murder of George Floyd, racism is back on the table globally. In South Africa, school learners and alumni have given voice to their stories of racism in our country’s elite schools under the hashtag You Silence We...
Covid-19: Do for one what you wish you could do for all
We are now deep in the bowels of lockdown phase 2. Phase 1 was all about denial; tearing around the place exercising, homeworking, cooking, feeding, cleaning, meditating, Zooming/Skyping/Teaming, giving, writing, responding, watching, listening, reading. On and on we...
Changing our language – building our nation
Many of us wish to contribute to our country, help confront our many societal challenges and make a positive difference. This is often expressed sincerely in words like: “I want to give back” or “I want to repay my privilege.” I have chewed on these words for over a...
Rewriting the South African story – One sentence at a time
I read a great quote recently that speaks powerfully of the role South Africans can play in creating the future reality we want for our country. It said simply: “You are just one sentence away from changing the story.” It seemed to echo another commonly articulated...
Bottling the Hope and Unity of the Rugby World Cup
We did it – now what? With the euphoria of our magnificent Rugby World Cup victory in Japan beginning to level off, we are beginning to change our focus and ask some powerful questions: How can we sustain the unity that #RWC2019 created? How can we maintain the...
Let’s also say #impartofthesolution
Whether you like the #imstaying campaign or not, it is doing a significant job of giving a section of the population a much-needed shot in the arm. Given the vast numbers of people lending their voice to the movement (650 000 and counting), there is a huge opportunity...
South Africa: Igniting Hope – SA will not fail
In her latest column in City Press entitled “There is Hope for SA”, Professor Thuli Madonsela gives us a host of reasons why we should be hopeful. She cites her recent Social Justice Summit in which a broad community of powerful stakeholders ratified her social...
Let’s Be Whole-Makers and Bring Unity – Not Religious and Bring Division
If we replaced the words used to describe our faith i.e. Christian/Muslim/Jewish/Hindu/Atheist etc, with the words “Whole-makers” – I think it would have a profound impact on the world. This is not a new idea; disciples, scholars and mystics of all faith traditions...
Don’t Turn and Look Away – Stand and See, and Act
As I get older, I find it increasingly difficult not to turn and look the other way. I find it harder and harder to bear witness to the suffering of people and creatures and our planet: The decimation of forests, the poaching of endangered animals, the neglect and...
