Ladies and gentlemen,

The South Africa Washington International Program is rooted in three principals, namely leadership, service and professional exposure. In the spirit of these pillars, the team was tasked to develop and execute a community service project, specifically concerning youth development.

Inspiration is an accumulation of events and influences. For the SAWIP team of 2012, the motivation for our community service project was a process, pooling insight and awareness we had collected from our individual paths, as well as our SAWIP and team guided journey.

We drew our inspiration from many sources. The young man at Mamma Viviane’s Iliso Societal Care whose poetry spoke of the escape education had afforded him; witnessing the transformative energy of hope and care at Butterfly House, seeing the accessibility of authority in the United States, and experiencing how civil cooperation and communication is used to guide and prioritise government intervention.

The SAWIP team is a brave and inspired bunch, deciding to merge three projects into one. We decided to refurbish the library of Marian RC High School, as well as hosting skills development workshops and an educational forum on government accountability measures.

For our library project, the team set out to create an environment conducive to learning outside of the classroom at Marian High School, a secondary school located in the community of Bishops Lavis. The underdeveloped area is vulnerable to socio-economic problems such as crime, gangsterism, drugs and inequality. The team wished to provide positive stimuli to the students surrounded by these negative social elements, and believe that reading is not only a research tool, but also a means to cultivate creativity and critical thinking.

After many phone calls, road trips and cans of wood polish, the library was opened to the evident delight of the students. The library at Marian High had previously been disorganised and under resourced. It is now a beautiful and stimulating environment filled with fiction and non-fiction, which the team hopes will inspire both a reading culture as well one of academic exploration.

As young South Africans, the team is also hyperaware of the unemployment crisis facing our peers. 42% of our fellow young South Africans are unemployed, of which 66% have no previous work experience. To address the large skills shortage that cripples our youth, the team decided to host a series of skills development workshops, to equip the school students and the community with the basic skills needed to empower themselves, which they would not normally have access to.

We presented the attendees with informed facilitators and interactive workshops, through which they could learn how to compile a C.V., create a business plan, and obtain more information on applying to tertiary education institutions.

The attendees were given educational packets on the subject matter and encouraged to participate actively in the sessions. The engagement was robust, with students expressing opinions and making further inquiries to the facilitators. The admissions workshop was especially rewarding to the students. It was about more than just paperwork. The students who attended this session were inspired to plan, dream and work towards attending a tertiary institute of education. The level of enthusiasm once again shows the youth hunger for the transformative power of education, and the dynamic hope that accompanies it.

Our third project was the government accountability forum. The aim of this is project was to reemphasise the importance of civil society in the development of our country. The team identified the lack of accountability as a factor affecting the efficiency of governance in South Africa. This was a recurrent theme from our Washington D.C. experience, where we came to realise the power of a culture of accessible government. The team collaborated with the local ward councillor, Ms Asa Abrahams, to organise a non-political forum where community members could voice their concerns or comments on the community.

We wanted to emphasize that the community must communicate with the local government, as they can best identify and prioritise the concerns of their area. For this partnership to be successful, dual accountability is required. The citizens in the community must actively be involved in problem resolution and advocacy, and the government must communicate their plans to the community and allow and include citizens’ contribution.

Community members submitted their comments to team members who noted and compiled them into a document. This was then used as a basis for a community dialogue later on the same day. Ms. Abrahams had identified a lack of knowledge regarding the responsibilities of the different spheres of government as a difficulty affecting her interaction with her constituents. The forum was thus introduced with an educational session on the structure of government, after which the floor was opened to representatives of the ward councillor’s office, as she could unfortunately not attend due to a death in the family.

The result was a robust dialogue emerging around issues such as security, communal activities and service delivery. Community leaders spoke passionately about issues, and later commented that they enjoyed having a non-political platform. After the event, the conflicting parties met and had further discussion, an indication that the event was successful in stimulating dialogue for problem resolution and inspiring a culture of community meeting. The compiled document of the community’s concerns is on file with the ward councillor, where we have encouraged the community to follow up on the processes used to address these concerns.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I believe the community service project of the SAWIP Team of 2012 was an inspired project. Our six month journey has been one of exploration, exposure, explanation and an explosion of our world views. We discovered (or re-discovered) the importance of education and skills development in addressing unemployment, the transformative energy that hope gives an individual as well as the power of persistence and passion. I believe we have applied this knowledge in our project, to holistically develop the students of Marian RC High School and to empower the members of the Bishops Lavis community.

And I believe we have been holistically developed by our project as well.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen…

My name is Saif Islam, and it is an honour and privilege for me to stand before you as a representative of the SAWIP Class of 2012. I would first like to thank my team mates for allowing me to speak on behalf of our team.

My friends and family often ask me, “What was the greatest experience of your SAWIP journey?” And they are shocked when I tell them that it was not meeting influential people, going to Washington DC, or visiting the United Nations. Those were once-in-a-lifetime experiences that I will always cherish. But to me the greatest experience was being in a group of 15 extraordinary young people, and learning from one another. Our shared experiences shaped our journey – whether they were heights of achievement, times of trial or moments of laughter.

Every team has its defining moments. Our team is no different. Tonight I would like to talk about two of our defining moments. The first one was in 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC, where the Newseum is located. It’s a museum about news, and we went there to attend a session on Freedom of Expression. Our facilitator, a lovely and welcoming lady, started the session by talking about The First Amendment. Five minutes into her presentation, she said, “In the United States we have freedom of expression, but you might have some interesting experiences to share.” I still don’t know what she meant by “interesting experiences”, but we as a team felt a sense of self-righteousness or American Exceptionalism in those comments, even though it’s very unlikely that was what she intended.

From that moment onwards, we respectfully made it clear that even though we admire the tradition of liberty that exists in the United States, our own constitution – and its emphasis on human dignity – is equally important. Even though we admire how the United States created a system for individuals to prosper and grow, our desire to create a society in the spirit of Ubuntu is also worthwhile. On that day in Washington DC, we came to the realisation that even though we are a new democracy, we have a lot to contribute to the world. The Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, admitted as much when she came to South Africa and said, “I’ve often heard it said that African problems need African solutions. Well, I’m here to say that some of our global problems need African solutions too.”

If our first defining moment was talking the talk in an affluent part of Washington DC, our second defining moment was walking the walk in a debilitating part of Cape Town. Edyth spoke before me about our community service project in Lavistown, an area where the legacy of apartheid is more visible than signs of human dignity. We will never claim that we changed the lives of those who live there. But that day was still a defining experience because instead of discussing grand theories and poverty stats in a board room, we chose to act. We acted on behalf of the school learner who doesn’t have access to a library, the unemployed father who cannot apply for a job for not having a CV, the mother who lost her son to gangsterism, the grandfather who wants a drug-free environment for his grandchildren…

Being part of this amazing SAWIP team convinced me that young people are truly capable of making tangible differences. In the very beginning of our journey, I wrote a blog titled “What to Expect from the Class of 2012”, where I said:

“There are challenges that lie ahead. How will we respond to those challenges? How will we rise to the occasions? Although I have only known my teammates for over a month, I’m not fazed by those questions.

I know Daniel will always remain calm under pressure. Nondu’s open-mindedness will expose us to endless possibilities. Kwadwo can articulate even the most complex of ideas. Carel’s innovative thinking will take us to the next level.

Phiwe’s genuineness will make us reflect, and remain accountable to ourselves. I know Makhosazana will listen – a special ability we often underestimate. Jason will embody servant leadership in any situation, and extend his help. Thamsanqa will always prepare 120%. Edyth will be resourceful even when we have run out of ideas.

Shannon will push himself beyond his limits. Parveen will accomplish whatever task she has set her mind on. Zola will never give up. Allie will ask the most probing questions, and keep our feet on the ground. Kgotsi can sum up all the different views in a room, and come up with a coherent argument for everyone to follow…”

We have come a long way, and set a high standard by leading, serving and overcoming our challenges as a team. But before we congratulate ourselves for a job well done, let’s bear in mind that the mission is not complete. In the words of Nelson Mandela, “After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb”. Our SAWIP journey might be coming to an end, but the journey to change South Africa has only begun.

Eighteen years into democracy, there is no doubt that we made enormous progress in many areas. But recent events such as the Limpopo textbook crisis, or the tragedy in Marikana, show that we still have a long way to go. Our society is still divided. Our people still suffer from extreme poverty. Our challenges are more complex than ever. But despite these obstacles, there is something incredibly powerful that unites us all, whether we live in Claremont, Khayelitsha or the Cape Flats. That powerful unifying force is our unique history, our special narrative, our moral position in the world because of what happened in 1994.

What we need in this country is a new kind of liberation, a paradigm shift. A realisation that young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow – they must lead today. It was this realisation that inspired several members of SAWIP family to form a youth movement called InkuluFreeHeid – short name for Inkululeko Freedom Vryheid. It is a movement that is dedicated to deepening our freedom. Next year we will visit schools, universities and communities around the country to start a national dialogue about our democracy. Our goal is to encourage young people to not only contribute to public discourse, where we are underrepresented, but also hold our leaders accountable by participating in the 2014 national election. The Class of 2012 sincerely believes that with strong faith, firm commitment and ethical leadership, we can take this country forward. That is why, my fellow team mates, instead of saying “Goodbye” to you, I’ll just say: “Let’s get to work!”

Last but not least, on behalf of the Class of 2012, I must convey a special thanks to the SAWIP board, management, sponsors, internship hosts and host families in Washington DC, for this once in a lifetime opportunity. As clichéd as it sounds, you have changed our lives forever, and we will always be grateful.

Thank you.

To my most incredible team,

Tonight our SAWIP journey together ends and I thought it would be fitting if my final blog post were an open letter to you.

What now feels like a lifetime ago, I started this SAWIP journey unsure what I would actually learn from it, but knowing that I strongly identified with the goals of the program. 6 months later, I have learnt and done so much that it is actually difficult to describe or quantify how SAWIP has changed parts of my life. But one of the most profound impacts of my SAWIP journey was, undoubtedly, the 14 of you.

The word ‘diverse’ is tossed around a lot in South African nationalist rhetoric – so much so that it has begun to lose its meaning. However, for me our team invigorated the word ‘diverse’. I don’t mean it in a racial way, although obviously we are a racially diverse group. And I am not referring to socio-economic backgrounds, fields of study or culture. We are a diverse group because our thinking is diverse.

Never before have I been with a single group of people in so many different scenarios, where it is revealed how differently people think. We all think in such different ways; we present our thoughts in totally different ways too. And that is one of the most valuable ‘lessons’ I have taken out of SAWIP.

The way you think inspires me; the fact that we have a common goal yet so many thoughts as to how to get there is both a challenge and a privilege.

If I were to isolate a lesson I’ve learnt from each of you, it would be the following:

Fiwiwa – You can’t classify Ubuntu. It’s not a commodity, it’s a feeling. And it’s the feeling you have when Phiwe is around.

ThamsanKa (In an American accent) – there are always at least two things

Zola – silence and contemplation are important

Kgotsi – humility

Saif – Passion, patience and commitment

Edy – Anything – and I mean absolutely anything – can prompt a disgusting story about something scientific, or a baboon.

Nondu – the importance of nurturing. And SAwag.

Shannon – hope is infectious

Makhosazana – the significance of a name

Kwadwo – Gay Pride in New York was a good life decision

Carel – meetings are run on time with the tapping of a watch

Daniel – White boys can dance

Jason – true gentlemen exist

Parveen – Dancing on the Brooklyn Bridge at midnight, to no music, under a full moon – that’s what life is about.

I feel honoured to have worked with each one of you, and to be your friend. Thinking back to our final night in DC, I leave you, my lovely team, with this:

“Tonight

We are young

So let’s set the world on fire

We can burn brighter than the sun”

So much love to each of you. Thank you for this incredible journey.

Alli

By now my lovely team knows that I adore art and photography. I spent almost all of my free time in DC and New York in art galleries and observing art in public spaces. When I was deciding what to blog about in the last week of the program, I looked through some of my photos taken of art and realised that many of the works symbolise much of our SAWIP journey. This blog contains some of those photos. The beauty of art is that it is all up for interpretation, so please interpret away. For me, many of these photos allow unique insight into my experience of SAWIP in an indirect way.

Much to my dismay the SAWIP team of 2012 graduates today. It feels like just the other day that we were all dolled up, ready to go to orientation camp, ever so excited about the journey ahead. I am most grateful. I have often written blogs expressing my gratitude to the stakeholders of SAWIP for the great contribution that they have made in our lives but I have seldom given thanks to the people who made this experience a truly remarkable one; the SAWIP 2012 team.

Coming from a fairly disintegrated family I am very familiar with the statement, “Where there is no friction there is no movement”. This was an expression that was used whenever conflict arose and people needed to justify their inability to control their emotions, “Where there is no friction, there is no movement”. Naturally, as kids, we grew up believing that it was absolutely necessary to fight in order for us to know that we were growing closer as siblings. You see, I do not deal very well with conflict, I never have, and I hope I never do. I am an intrinsically peaceful person; my soul pants after peace, just as the deer pants for the water brooks. Given the choice between keeping quite and laughing, I always choose to laugh. Given the choice between sitting and dancing, I always choose to dance. Given the choice between unrest and peace, I always choose peace. Thank you SAWIP 2012 for giving me the most valuable elements on earth- peace, laughter, love and music to dance. Together, we dismissed this distorted notion about forming relationships, we learnt to always focus on the main thing, and that is living lives that would be of value to others. We learnt to disagree in a constructive manner, we proved that movement does not have to mean that there must be friction, and we learnt that our differences do not have to push us apart.

I love each and every single one of you and I hope that this is not the end, I hope that we will continue to live our live together, sharing epic moments, laughing because nothing provides better healing.

The Intelligent Moemish (Phiwe and Kwadwo)

Moemish is a bit of a colloquial term used to describe silly moments or actions. Many have been tempted to describe such moments or actions as stupid or foolish, but I completely disagree, because I can tell you now that there was absolutely nothing stupid or foolish about the moemishes in SAWIP. This is to the two guys who made my SAWIP experience an exceedingly fun one. Of course, I was always at the center of the moemish cadre and will probably walk away with the moemish award at the end of it all, but nonetheless, I would like to formally thank Phiwe and Kwadwo for making sure that I received my daily dose of laughter at every single corner of the SAWIP experience. Everyone knew that with you (us) around, there would never be a dull moment. I truly value you.

Phiwe, thank you for willingly taking the role of a big brother in my life, I spent much of my SAWIP experience with you; moaning about life, trying to get a green card in DC, eating my food with you, laughing at Kwadwo in secret, laughing at life’s great sense of humor. You are an incredible individual and a true embodiment of Ubuntu.

Kwadwo, we shared many heart-felt discussions, dreaming about the future, conceptualizing our emotions, encouraging one another. Ironically, we spent even more time laughing at ourselves and dancing up a storm at those SAWIP receptions. You are an incredibly bright young man- I have often marveled at your immense sense of wisdom and knowledge. You inspire me to reach for the stars.

The movers and the Shakers (Kgosti and Carel)

I am pretty sure that most people understand that apart from not submitting our blogs on time, and not always being punctual, there was nothing mediocre about the SAWIP team. Whatever we did, we did with utmost dedication and excellence, even if it was just finishing up a bottle of wine; we made sure that every drop was put to good use. This is obviously no surprise because we had these two in our group. Kgotsi and Carel, thank you so much for stretching us as a team, thank you for always teaching us to think far beyond the ordinary and never to limit ourselves. You remain two very brilliant people in my life.

Carel, we may not have spent a lot of time together but I learnt so much from you. Your ability to take any random idea an flip it upside down, turn it inside out and tear it apart has always been a source of fascination for me. You taught me to really stretch my imagination, because ‘anything is possible'. Thank you.

Kgosti, I enjoyed being in the same group as you. We shared many mundane moments, talking about the mundane parts of life, and yet, it was always an honor to watch you dissect our ideologies and push us to move beyond the boundaries in our thinking. You are a star.

The gurus (Alli, Makhosazana and Edy)

Perhaps my biggest issue in this team was not that I was such a moemish, but rather the fact that I was surrounded by such superlative women all the time. You ladies really put me to shame with your all encompassing knowledge (lol). I am honored to have been counted amongst you. Thank you for always providing the facts and figures, sharing your wisdom and offering your talents. Above all, thank you for providing that sisterly love and kindness.

Alli, you have been a remarkable friend to me and I will forever be grateful to SAWIP for bringing us together. Our friendship has gone beyond the numerous sushi sagas in DC and I value you so much. Apart from teaching us to take more interest in history and to always be accurate, thank you for being the voice of the team. You helped us (especially me) speak our minds.

Ma-kho-sa-za-na, ‘with five syllables’, as you know, we as a team are in awe of you. You have accomplished so much at such a young age and you continue to serve as an inspiration to all those around you. Thank you for the good times spent exploring DC (in an organized manner). You helped me learn how to use maps, plan my day, and map out my route before actually leaving the house. You will always be dear to me.

Edy, I still have not figured out where you store all that knowledge, you literally came into my life and became that girl who knew something about EVERYTHING. You are incredibly smart and I have loved getting to know you. Thank you for the many ‘gossip’ sessions we had ranting about our ‘high school’ friend drama and just being typical girls. Your spirit sparkles with love and acceptence.

The SAWagers (Daniel and Zola)

SAWag is a term that was coined by the 2012 team in order to conceptualize what the team stood for- a group of young people who were passionate about bringing change to their country, dedicated to expressing love and hope to their fellow mankind and not afraid to tackle any challenges put before them. Most important to this meaning, however, is the fact that these young people oozed a sense of charm and personality. They were the epitome of ‘cool’, as well as role models in their community. Zola and Daniel were most pertinent to this term. All you need to need is to check out our pictures and you will see who shines the most in this team. Day in, day out, Zola and Daniel dripped with SAWag, striking poses like no other, but most importantly, caring like no other.

Daniel, you are such a cool human being! You do not even have to try, it just comes naturally. You proved to us that ‘white’ boys can dance and your humility brought us all together. Thank you for reminding us all to live. Thank you for being a teacher in our country, you are a glimmer of hope to those who have given up in our education system.

Zola, you dress well and represent SAWIP well J, but the thing that shines brighter than your clothes is your heart. Your sense if empathy is what kept our group on the ground all the time. Without sounding cliché, you capture the heart of 'our people'. In every circumstance, you always looked for the answer that was best for the many who would never be afforded the privileges that we were. Keep shining boet, just like the stars across the sky.

The whips (Saif and Thami)

As a team, we were perhaps a bit too social, needless to say that in most cases we needed Saif and Thami to keep us in order. From being punctual to getting the community service off the ground, typing out reports, and communicating with one another, thank you so much for always pushing us to do our bests.

Saif, I grew rather fond of you during our SAWIP experience. You are a remarkable individual with enormous potential. Thank you for standing as a leader in our group. Thank you for never shying away from responsibility and for always being sensible. You stay true to your beliefs and I respect you for that.

Thami, you are a great leader because you expect nothing less than excellent from yourself. From you, we learnt to do things properly and in a timely fashion. You taught us to be professional at all times, never to give up, and to give our all. Thank you.

The anchor (Parveen)

Parveen, the most interesting individual in the group. Famous for her outstanding entrepreneurial skills as well as her inimitable sense of expression, Parveen kept us well entertained all the time.

Parveen, Thank you for helping us stay grounded. Your loyalty and maturity is what kept us glued us together. I have so much respect for you because of this. You have a beautiful heart and I look forward to spending more years getting to know you and learning from you.

The guys who 'contributed more than words can ever explain' (Shannon and Jason)

Whilst it would seem that I 'forgot' to pay tribute to your exceptional presence in my life as well as this team in general, I will have you know that the impact you made was certainly long lasting and unforgettable. You are both very strong individuals. Thank you for always helping us remain calm and for always exuding such peach and love at all times.

Shannon, you have such an incredible story and resilient nature. You taught me to always stay strong and never to give up on my dreams. Wherever I go, I will always be reminded of your strength and character. Thank you.

Jason, I would obviously be lying if I said that I have ever met a guy as sweet as you. You are a true gentleman Thank you for always being willing to lend an ear. Yes, you treated me like a teddy bear :) but that was part of the deal. I am going to miss you so, so much.

Where there is no friction, there can be love, acceptance, growth and joy.

Thank you SAWIP 2012, you hold a very special place in my heart.

“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. It is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” - Winston Churchill

After our last SAWIP debrief we all walked away feeling the same appreciation, joy and sadness as we did upon leaving Washington D.C. just a little over two months ago. It was amazing hearing from everyone what their highlights were, there was a huge sense of appreciation and humbleness in the room as our time together as a team drew to a close. In all honesty I still can’t fully comprehend the fact that I went through this incredible experience. If someone had told me a year ago I would be a part of this program and be the person I am today, I surely would have laughed at them. But here I am and fascinated by the amount of growth that I went through. What was most inspirational was the letters we received from management. These letters were from ourselves to ourselves written at the start of the program on orientation camp. Upon receiving it most of us had long forgotten what we wrote down, but as some of us read it, we could not help but be moved to tears by our own words.

I really felt that I grew immensely in the last six months and this letter genuinely affirmed that. This is the first paragraph I wrote down in the letter to myself and before I had passed my undergraduate degree;

“I want you to know that you did it, you broke the pattern, raised your standards and reached the highest mark of your young academic and personal career. Right now I still feel a little insecure and unconfident, but you will have acquired the confidence and positive attitude to make a change.”

These words accurately reflect my experience and growth on SAWIP. We all have grown so much. If I just look at some of my team mates and compare how they were the first time we met on selection camp to the people they are now, it’s a significant difference. We love to say that we are so different than we were, but I would like to say we are more the same than we have ever been. We are more our true selves than we ever were before, all that changed is the opinions and stigmas of others, we carried around with us, has fallen away and we have revealed unto ourselves who we truly are. It’s absolutely impossible to put into words the impact SAWIP has had on all our lives. I hope that these blogs, although they don’t do justice to it, will to some extent convey how we have grown.

Thank you once again to everyone who has made this a memorable experience.

“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die for having left undone.” - Pablo Picasso

These words hold new meaning for me. I believe in living each day as if it were your last, because it just might be. This is just a short blog to remind us to live today and enjoy the moment.

A few days ago I was in an accident that potentially could have claimed my life. Miraculously I walked away with no serious injuries. Reflecting on the accident made me realise how short and unpredictable life really is. I often felt that because I am still young, I still had time; time to fool around and enjoy being a student and being irresponsible. But through this accident I realised how wrong I am. Time is such a precious commodity that should not be taken for granted, because regardless of how young you are, time is never on your side.

As young people, we often set our sights on the future, planning and creating a vision for ourselves. This is all wonderful, but I want to emphasise a lesson I learnt the hard way; that life is about TODAY. We shouldn’t think or plan so far ahead of ourselves that we forget we are alive today and to live in the moment, right now. It’s easy to lose sight of who we are when we focus too hard on the future. We can easily neglect ourselves in this way and forget to enjoy life where we are right now. Each day is a gift and we should make the best of it, we don’t call it the “Present” for nothing.

I first came across Zanele Muholi’s work when I was wandering through the San Francisco MoMA museum in August last year. The museum was exhibiting a diverse photography collection of five international photographers entitled Faces of our Time; part of this exhibition included Muholi’s Faces and Phases. As a South African very far away from home, I was so thrilled that a South African artist was being exhibited, I bounded gleefully to the third floor. I remembered vaguely hearing about Muholi once, but I did not know the magnitude of the photographs that I would see.

Zanele Muholi is a young South African artist and activist, born in Umlazi, KZN. She describes her work as “Mapping and Archiving A Visual History of Black Lesbians in post-Apartheid South Africa”. Her work explores queer black identity in post-apartheid South Africa; not only is her subject matter fascinating, her work is incredible.

I had the recent privilege of seeing Muholi’s work again recently at the Stevenson gallery in Cape Town. This exhibition, entitled Mo(u)rning was raw, emotional, confrontational and fascinating. It focused on hate crimes perpetrated against LGBT people in South Africa, of which there are many. It was as much a journalistic expose as it was an exhibition of art; it had value from both perspectives. Her photographs show a level of intimacy and beauty in the unconventional that is exceptionally rare. She also told an untold story – that of black lesbians in South Africa who are abused, ‘correctively raped’ and killed because their lesbianism challenges traditional patriarchy. And that of gender queer people who are treated similarly because they defy conventional understandings of gender. For me, Muholi’s work highlights the contradictions and challenges inherent in the intersection of race, class, gender, sexual orientation and the expression of sexuality.

Zanele Muholi is something of a rock star in the lesbian community and she is increasingly rocking the art world. Young people like Muholi, who tackle issues and confront some of the most dire and seemingly insoluble problems in South Africa, are the ones who will drive this country to a different space. I am privileged to know many young South Africans who have this attitude – particularly on the SAWIP team. This fills me with hope.

I would strongly advise all of you to see Zanele Muholi’s work if the opportunity arises. More on http://www.zanelemuholi.com.

A core element of SAWIP was expressed through individual and team projects, on Saturday 8^th September 2012 at Marian High School in Cape Town South Africa. Reflecting on the orientation camp held in March 2012, the SAWIP 2012 team was informed that as a team towards the end of the 6 month program they should be able to put together their own community service project. They felt that the vision of SAWIP needed to be highlighted in their community service project. SAWIP’s vision- is of a South Africa with strong leaders who have a global perspective, who serve others with humility and integrity and in so doing inspire future generations to do the same. As a team they hold their communities and education close to their hearts. The team is passionate about empowering youth and giving back to the very communities they come from and being the seed of hope, leadership and positive change.

8^th September the SAWIP team of 2012 went out to do their community service project. This was held in Lavis Town, Cape Town at a girls’ school-Marian High School. The SAWIP 2012 team used their skills gained from various avenues and from the SAWIP events over the last 5 months. After much reflection on the SAWIP journey and engagement in Washington DC, debates, research, and many proposals the team drew on each others strengths and networks. They sourced help among themselves, community leaders and businesses. The process and planning building up to the community service project is aligned to SAWIP's beliefs and values being encouragement of personal and professional development through rigorous community service and outreach. 8^th September marked the 2012 SAWIP team’s community service project, the event started at 9am till 3pm at Marian high school. The team presented and opened a well stocked school library and reading room. They went on to deliver workshops for CV’s and business plan writing. Experts, prominent business women and men and team members from various universities and higher education training institutions informed the school learners and members of the community about furthering their education and how apply to these institutions and get funding as well. These community leaders together with the SAWIP team of 2012 also ran the skills development workshops offered on the day. According to research done in the community, often people do not pursue further education due to a lack of funding, understanding, guidance and poverty. We dispelled these barriers and instilled a positive mind-set in all those who attended our event. We showed them how to apply for funding and what is required to gain access into institutions of higher education. The culmination of the event took place in a form of an accountability discussion with people from Lavis town community where Marian high school is situated. Their thoughts, issues, pleas and suggestions were handed over to their local ward councilor. The SAWIP team and management, guests, learners of Marian high school and community enjoyed refreshing snacks and everyone was given lunch as the event ended. The team felt their community service project was the platform for them to be the seeds of difference in their communities and in their country South Africa. This brings us to the mission of SAWIP “successfully address transformation challenges in our post-conflict society in order to strengthen a sustainable, efficient democracy with active citizens”.

On the 5^th of August 2012, the SAWIP Team attended a presentation by Ruenda Loots who is a project coordinator in the sustainability department of the Stellenbosch School of Public Leadership, and who has a deep passion for conserving our natural environment. The presentation title was “One Plant: Many Futures”.

In Ruenda’s presentation, a part that interested me a lot was the discussion on the global polycrisis. The way in which I understand it is that the global polycrisis is a combination of key challenges that the earth faces in the 21^st century. These challenges are global warming, oil peak, material flows, inequality, urban poverty, food security and ecosystem degradation. A sentence that Ruenda said during the presentation and that got many of us thinking was that “We only have one earth…if we don’t take care of it; we will destroy ourselves and other organisms”. This was quite a scary thought to think about, and the reality is that more damage to the earth, than any other time in history, has been done in the last forty years and humans have been the cause.

Looking at all the global polycrisis challenges, one can notice that money is the root of the majority of problem: Global warming- large factories release dangerous fumes into the air during production of goods to be sold for profit, Material flows- we abstract natural resources and plants from the earth to manufacture products to sell to growing consumer demand, Inequality- our countries have capitalist economies which benefit the rich and systematically excludes the poor, Urban poverty- many people are moving to cities to find employment in order to make an income to support their families, and Ecosystem degradation- land is becoming non-farmable due to being contaminated by chemicals and waste released into nature by mines and factories during their production processes.

In the world we are living in, we all need money to survive, but it seems that we human beings have become so money hungry (greedy) that we aim to make maximum profit at whatever the cost is to nature and to our fellow human beings. Thinking about the recent incident at Marikana, Lonmin mine, here in South Africa; perceived inequality was one of the major contributing factors that encouraged the workers to strike for better wages. In a book I am currently reading, The Spirit Level- Why Equality is Better for Everyone by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Picket, it is said that ”Almost all problems which are more common at the bottom of the social ladder are common in more unequal societies.” These problems include violence and poor health.

Solutions to the global polycrisis challenges are complex and can never be easy to formulate, and overcoming them will require cooperation between governments, private sector, and most importantly, civil society. No country on earth is immune to the global polycrisis problems; therefore this means that we as the human race need to collectively start thinking of innovations for increased environmental sustainability and work towards creating economic structures that are more inclusive of everyone. In Ruenda’s words, “We only have one earth…if we don’t take care of it; we will destroy ourselves and other organisms”.

In one of our early dialogue session after returning from Washington, we were fortunate to meet Janine, one of South Africa’s soulful and inspirational singers.

Born on the Cape Flats, Janine has grown up being exposed to many challenges and has experienced many of them herself. Janine has been raised in an area that is filled with crime, gangsterism, and drug abuse. Lucky for her, she was born by principled and deeply loving parents, who strived to provide all they could for Janine and her brother.

From a very young age, Janine noticed all the wrong and the difficult circumstances that people in her community were living in. At the age of 12, she started to experience frustration as many people around her never seemed to understand her when she tried to explain the dire living conditions in her society. With a dream and vision of a better living environment, Janine then turned to poetry to try and tell the story of her community, her family and her own personal issues.

Because of a musical influence at home- parents liking blues music and her brother a hip hop lover, Janine soon started to express her thoughts about the challenges faced by the Cape Flats community through music. Being home trained and without any formal study of music, Janine began using music for social change and has joined and supported many local NGO’s, to encourage young people to have a positive attitude in life, and to express themselves in any art form they are passionate about.

Today, Janine’s stage name is Blaq Pearl. What makes this phenomenal musician special is how she has come to realize and has established her true identity as a Khoisan and not a coloured. This resulted in her shaving all her hair and dressing in authentic African wear.

Showing us her wisdom, during the dialogue session, Janine shared a story of how one is viewed a ‘better class’ when the person speaks English to the teller at her local supermarket; when one speaks Afrikaans (home language), they are viewed as ‘lower class’. Janine urged us not to look down on our culture and language, and to be proud of who we are and where we come from, no matter where we are. Janine Van Rooy is truly an phenomenal African woman and an inspiration for a

As a continent, Europe currently is the largest economy on Earth and the richest region as measured by assets. And as for Africa, with its 54 fully recognized sovereign states, it is one of the world’s most populous continents, with more than 1 billion people. The continents economy is forecasted to grow by more than 10% yearly for the next 10 years.

As we have seen over the past few years, the 2008 financial crisis in the U.S lead to an economic crisis within the European Union (EU). In December 2008, EU leaders met and agreed on a €200bn- stimulus plan to help boost European growth following the global financial crisis but this did not help since Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland and Greece could not reduce their budget deficits. After these countries reported a sovereign-debt crisis, and sending shock waves throughout the Eurozone, the continents leadership stood apart about best solution and a way forward. Looking at the European Union, what lessons can Africa learn from it about forming an economic union, building strong economies and forming unified leadership?

Having struggled to free itself from colonialism, Africa is seeking to create a new image: grow the African economy through global trade, and most importantly, through intra-Africa trade, with Africa’s trading blocs playing a key role.

The Eurozone debt crisis can teach Africa significant lessons about increasing trade with Africa itself. The European integration model can be used by Africa in establishing a one currency continent. Currently there are great speculations on formation within Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to allow access and usage of the same currency. The South African Rand in Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia is an example of this type of slow currency integration.

Some of the significant things that have made the European integration a success are the treaties, laws and regulations that govern the economic union. For Africa to create laws and regulations that promote free trade between its countries, key trading blocs like the African Union, SADC, Community of West African States, Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa, and Southern African Customs Union will have to constructively collaborate with each other to review and establish new rules and regulations that will encourage increased trading within Africa. Cooperation between these trading blocs must also ensure that African countries minimizes raising household and government debt levels, trade imbalances, structural systems problem, and monetary policy inflexibility, which were the major causes of the current EU economic meltdown.

To ensure that intra-regional trade is beneficial, African countries will have to focus on exporting products that gives comparative advantage. For example, countries such as Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Congo are principle exporters of copper and diamonds, and thus can increase the export of these goods to other countries.

Africa is still a large exporter of agricultural products and imports many of its manufactured products. The growth of the continent can be better achieved through diversified economic structures. Though it is in a recession, the European economy is still strong, diversified and have competitive industrial structures its manufacturing sector represents 1 out of every 4 private-sector jobs

To increase trade between African countries, for primarily economic and social development, regional economic integration of free trade must be established between the countries. The African Union, working with all the continents six key trading blocs, must spearhead Africa’s development and integration. Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa is playing a crucial role in interconnecting, integrating and transforming Africa’s infrastructure in transport, energy, ICT, and transboundary water networks. The programme will spend close to $80 billion by 2020 in developing Africa’s infrastructure. Just like within the Eurozone, African leaders are struggling with regional integration for supporting the continents economic development.

With great lessons that can be learnt from the success and mistakes of the EU, to unleash intra-African trade and for Africa to take its rightful place in the global arena, the continent needs strong political leadership and policies. Africa is the least integrated continent in the world, with low levels of intraregional economic exchanges and the smallest share of global trade. Africa’s governments and heads of state need to serve as champions. They must set the tone, keep the momentum alive and provide critical national leadership by working together and showing an unwavering commitment to integrated policies, projects and goals that will take Africa to the next level.

A life story is a story filled with both happy and sad or painful memories. It gives one a wonderful feeling remembering all the good moments of the past; the painful memories are never pleasant to think about though and often bring tears to one’s eyes. Well, with the good and the bad, here is my life story.

My name is Thamsanqa Tembani. I was born 9 December 1989, at Red Cross hospital, in Cape Town. I am the only child of my mother, Nosipho Gladys Tembani. For the first two and a half years of my life, I grew up with an aunt of my father, at NY 150 Gugulethu (in Cape Town). When I was three years old, my mother took me to Transkei, in the Eastern Cape (E.C), to live with my grandmother in a village in Cofimvaba, named Qitsi.

I spent two years living in the small and rural village of eQitsi. Though I can’t remember much from this period of my life, things that I do remember is the love and care I always received from grandmother, and how she always made my favourite meal, mpokoqo. One thing she always shouted me for was that I always came back home dirty, after playing with other children. Growing up in Transkei, a boy has to take out cattle, sheep and goats for grazing in the field and bring them back home in the evening for milking. Though I cannot clearly remember doing this, with my love for animals and farming, I am sure I accompanied my elder cousins when they did this chore. When I was five years old, I moved to a small town in E.C named Tarkastad, where my mother worked as a teacher.

In Tarkastad I lived with mother and three cousins, in Zola Township. I started crèche in 1995 and in 1997 I went to Tarkastad High School (has classes from grade 1 to grade 12), where I started grade one. I studied at the school up to grade 2 and then I moved to Cape Town and studied grade 3 and 4 at Chapel in Woodstock. After two years of living without mother, I missed her, and I went back to Tarkastad and finished the rest of my schooling there.

Though Tarkastad is a small town, divided into a town and a township, it exposed me to many of life’s realities. Because I went to a ‘white’ crèche and a model c school in town, I had many white friends. As I visited many of my white friend’s homes in town, I realised how they had everything and how people living in the township were struggling to survive. One thing I also realised from my friends homes is that they lived with both their parents; many of the homes in the township were headed by single mothers, and this was the case in my home.

Seeing that my friends had fathers in their homes, I started to wonder where was mine. I remember asking mother and her reply was simply that he is not here and he does not care about us. At the time, mother said this in a light-hearted manner, and it never really bothered or hurt me. As I grew up and matured, the words stuck with me and they started to hurt. Time passed and I got to know that my father lives in Cape Town and is a manager at Edgars (clothing) store. Growing up I thought he could not live with us because he was struggling financially, but after I got to know what work he does, I realised that he is just a man who could not take responsibility for his own actions and that he had fathered many kids before and after I was born. Till today, I have never received a call or had any visit from the man who is my father.

Growing up in Tarkastad with mother and many cousins, it was always difficult to make ends meet on a small teacher’s salary. Mother was the only provider for everything and she always strived to ensure that we had everything we needed. Because she wanted to see our family educated, mother took the children of other family members who were struggling and educated them.

Though we never had everything, growing up with many people at home, there was never a dull moment. The house was always filled with fun, laughter and love. Mother has been and still is the backbone of our family.

In my 6 weeks in Washington D.C., I interned at WorldWatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet Portfolio. This is an environmental research institute, that focuses on food security and agricultural research. During my internship, I researched many technological and agricultural innovations looking to address food security and malnutrition, of which the Plantagon Vertical Farm is by far my favourite:

By 2050, Earth’s population will grow to 9 billion, according to the United Nations. This population growth, coupled with a rabid global urbanization rate, is increasing the pressure on urban areas’ infrastructure and services. Cities will need to find ways to adapt to absorb their new populations, who may become vulnerable to poverty and food and water shortages. One movement that looks to address urban poverty and food insecurity is vertical urban farming, and the Plantagon greenhouse in Sweden is one of the latest examples of this innovation.

Plantagon officially broke ground on their vertical greenhouse in Linköping in 2012. The Plantagon Greenhouse Project aims to develop a sustainable vertical farm that can function by using excess heat and waste from the nearby industries for energy and fertilizer. For this, Plantagon has three different vertical farm models: the integrated greenhouse, the parasite, and the stand- by Text-Enhance">alone greenhouse.

The integrated greenhouse is not just a greenhouse. In this model, there will be a façade system of panels on the exterior of the building that will host the cultivation boxes for the crops. The building itself will be used for other industrial purposes as by Text-Enhance">well as urban farming, maximizing land productivity. The façade system will have a conveyor belt that moves each plant in and out of sunlight as the cultivation boxes are carried downward floor by floor.

These boxes or pots will be fitted with an ebb-and-flow irrigation mechanism as well as nutrient reservoirs. The crops will grow as they slowly move down the conveyor belt, arriving mature and ready for harvesting in the basement levels. Harvesting will be done using an automatic harvesting machine, after which the pots will be reused for a new generation of crops. The parasite model was created as a façade or exterior system that could be attached to existing buildings.

The stand-alone greenhouse model will be constructed purely for the purpose of urban agriculture. One design for this model consists of a glass sphere with a helix-shaped transport ramp at its core. As with the integrated system, thousands of planting boxes will be slowly rotating downward toward a harvesting machine. The spherical nature of the greenhouse was designed to maximize the access to light for optimal crop growth, even in winter seasons.

Critics of the design say the unusual shape will increase construction cost, but Plantagon has justified the design by estimating that the Plantagon stand-alone greenhouse will yield three times the amount of crops a traditional vertical urban farm of the same size could.

Smaller versions of the greenhouse will commit to over-the-counter sales, while the larger greenhouses will have lower per-product costs and will most likely trade with grocery stores and restaurants. Plantagon believes these farms will be sustainable on their profit alone. In a growing world with limited space, efficient, easy-to-use and inexpensive innovations in urban agriculture—like the greenhouses designed by Plantagon—can be an important way to address food security and poverty in urban settings.

In this blog I will be looking back at my first few days in America, expressing the thoughts and emotions that were going through my head and heart on my arrival in the United States, as well as my thoughts about the American people and the American culture.

We arrived in the United States of America on Thursday morning on June 14^th 2012 around 9am after an 18 hour long flight. One would expect a person to be tired after such a long flight, but not the SAWIPers, the excitement was just too much for any of us to be tired. For some of us, it was the first time to be on the American soil and to others like myself, the first time leaving the African soil. As you can imagine, from exiting the flight, I was already busy looking around trying to familiarise myself with the American infrastructure, trying to compare whether it is as good looking in reality as it is on the television screen. I can safely say, I was not disappointed.

When we arrived at the airport, our host families were already waiting for us. We have heard they are very nice people and we could also pick that up from interacting with them via email. We were welcomed with the most humble and highest hospitality. I met my host mother, Joyce Scwartz, at the airport, her smile alone ensured me that I was welcomed not only in her country but also in her home. I have always viewed the people of South Africa as the nicest people in the world even though I have never been in any other country before, however after spending a month and a half in America I have come to realise that South Africa has a competition as far as hospitality and Ubuntu is concerned.

The SAWIP management team set the tone very high from the first day; we hit the ground running when we arrived In Washington, on our first day, without any proper rest we were taken on a five hour tour around DC. This made me realise that there was a lot of work to be done in so little time. I personally enjoyed the tour as I got an opportunity to learn more about the history of America and got to see the White House beyond the television screen. I got lost on my way home from the tour as I was still unfamiliar with the transportation system, I think getting lost was not an unexpected event given the fact that I had only been in Washington for only 4hours. I was fortunate enough to receive some assistance from people around the streets of Washington, the keenness to help me from the people came as a shock to me because they showed me “Ubuntu” something that i thought didn’t exist anywhere in the world but South Africa, it made me realise how much we often think we are different as people but the actual truth is that we are all the same. As Nelson Mandela puts it “deep down in every human heart there is gratitude and caring”.

The kindness that I was showed by strangers in America, people who were willing to assist me find my way home and to work whenever I was lost made me realise that before I am an African, a South African and a Xhosa, I am a human being. Similarly, before the people of America were Americans and before they were white or black, they were human beings. This made me think of our inter-connectedness as human beings, as much as we are so different and unique, we are also the same. Spending a month and a half with an American family, people I did not know, total strangers to my eyes, on top of that, it was a white family and it was my first time staying with a white family. I thought to myself, I do not know these people, they are white and I am black and therefore we will never understand each other, how am I going to survive this? As if things were not complicated enough for me, there were also other students one from Ireland and two from the Middle East staying with the Schwartz. The power of my imagination failed to paint a picture of how such a diverse group were going to survive together in the same household for a full month and a half.

After only a day spent with the Schwarz, I was shocked to discover how wrong I was. They were the most welcoming and loving people I have ever met, after only a week with them, I found myself forgetting about my biological parents for a moment, who I left back home in South Africa because the love and care I received from the Schwarz, made me feel at home, they made me feel like their own child. After spending a few days getting to know my two host sisters, Sheila and Or( from Ireland and Israel respectively) and my host brother Dia from Palestine, I could not believe how much we had in common, coming from four different countries and raised in totally different environments, we still found ourselves having so much in common. Why? The answer is because we are all human beings. I also came to realise that, regardless of where you come from, there are three universal values that all human beings posses and are raised with. The first is love, second is respect and the third value is care. As human beings, these are the values that we all possess, values based on our inborn human qualities.

The family life that I was exposed to in America is one of the elements that made my SAWIP experience a memorable one. I also had the privilege of enjoying the American Independence day on July 4^th; the day was spent through what is known as a braai in South Africa, but termed a “barbeque” in America. The day was spent at one of the host family’s homes; there was the Washington Ireland Program, and the New Story Leadership students spending the day with us. We had the honour of reading the declaration of Independence in our diverse accents with the American people present on the day. This was one of my highlights of the SAWIP experience; I sat there observing how happy everyone was and how wonderful they were interacting with each other in their diversity. I knew right there at that very moment that Ubuntu is not only a South African value, but is a value that exists in each one of us by virtue of being human and it is not something that we need to dig deep down to find, it is always there.

The family of diversity

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Ubuntu exists all over the world and I have the images to prove it

If these images do not paint a picture vivid enough to express and illustrate our inter-connectedness as human beings, then I do not know what does.

Decided to run for UCT SRC under the banner of SASCO UCT. Wrote up this manifesto for the SASCO candidates and thought I should share. The South African Students Congress UCT: Progress over Points The South African Students Congress remains committed to the needs of students and remain a stalwart for continuity for a progressive and transformative student governance system. The Student Representative Council should remain steadfast in its search for long term solutions to that emerge from continuity from within its structures. UCT represents a microcosm of society that SASCO believes should always remain transparent, inclusive and adequately progress all students regardless of class, background or race from 1st year to their eventual graduation. We believe the university should not solely be viewed as a world class research university but we should encourage our students to be a world class undergraduate university. From the state of lecture theatres, lecturer performance, residence facilities and services and various other university utilities; SASCO will always remain committed to their constant evaluation and scrutinization to ensure students obtain their value for money. Challenging academic exclusion through enhancing academic excellence, bringing down the threat of financial exclusion and protecting and enhancing transformation objectives of the university remain SASCO’s responsibility to all students in the University

A team can merely be a group of people working towards a goal. Members of this team need not even be motivated by the goal. Their motivation can be individualistic incentive or dutifulness. Every individual can merely do her/his job, dispassionate about a goal that might not even be common to all.

Or a team could be the SAWIP Team of 2012; A team I have been honoured enough to be a part of.

The SAWIP team of 2012 was and is more than just a team. We were a group of people united by a common vision. Our thought processes, opinions, backgrounds, motivations and actions were not common to all. Yet the underlying love and dedication we hold for the development and potential of our country and people united our diversity and encouraged us to collectively work, plan and dream.

Our diversity also encouraged some robust dialogue. The multi-disciplinary nature of the team, as well as the range of personalities, allowed us to use every opportunity for peer-education. We were forced to consider every argument from a range of angles and interpretations, leading to a holistic understanding and problem resolution approach.

We did clash, but constructively. We challenged each other’s opinions not to be contrary, but to gain an understanding of what factors guided someone’s choice or mindset. And the spirit of camaraderie and respect always prevailed, keeping the peace between 15 powerful personalities.

And yet, this could all just describe the merger of some of the finest leaders of our generation. But the SAWIP team of 2012 transcended being merely a functional unit.

We became friends. To satisfy the nerd in me: a fellowship.

The team treated each other with respect, acceptance and care. We had the nurturing mothers and protective older brothers. In such a stressful, fast paced environment we managed to support one another, giving pep talks and allowing venting sessions. Friendship and laughter reined in our free times spent together, with discussion ranging from visionary to trivial.

I have grown to respect and love every member of my team. They have given this weird 20-year old geek a lifetime of wisdom, experience, laughter, critical thinking and acceptance. More than ever, I know my voice and I know my vision, thanks to my team.

And on a sentimental note: for us to hold on to all we learnt from SAWIP, we must hold on to one another. Professionally, I would be as blessed as to one day work with this team and network again, for the development of our country. And on a personal note, I would be as blessed as to remain friends with my team for the rest of my days. They have played a major role in my professional and personal development and for that, I will always respect and love you guys.

And attend your weddings.

When your mother is a journalist and your sister and best friend are media studies students, a healthy appreciation for freedom of speech is socialized into your DNA. As a South African, the bombardment of the protection of information bill, the media tribunal and the Spear saga keeps this debate and appreciation alive and hale.

But the recent violent riots and protest spurred by the amateur anti-Islam film "Innocence of Muslims" makes me question the absoluteness of freedom of speech.

Freedom of speech protects the right to advocate your beliefs, no matter their ethical interpretation, if they do not violate the rights of others. Under this right, people are allowed to advocate certain immoral beliefs freely, if they do not slander or do harm to others.

The film Innocence of Muslims depicts the life of the prophet Muhammad, portraying him as a child abuser and womanizer. The 14-minute length “film” is filled with such Islamophobic propaganda, mocking the Prophet Muhammad as a fraud.

This film is clearly more than just offensive and immoral – it is irresponsibly hateful. But when does freedom of speech transcend into the incitement of violence?

For this classification to be legally valid, the material must encourage the partaker to commit a violent act towards another party. If Charles Manson writes a manifesto, encouraging his followers to take up arms and start an apocalyptic race war, that is incitement to violence. Unfortunately, it does not restrict the use of hateful provocation by parties that leads to retaliation.

Upholders of this argument state that parties cannot be held responsible for the irrational reaction of others, and that any material could elicit a retaliatory response. Individuals could decide to take offence at Richard Dawkin’s denouncement of creationism. If they violently attack him, was he inciting violence by merely speaking against their opinions? Is this a misapplication of “incitement of violence”, or does the provocation justify retribution?

No, it does not.

But neither is it responsible or fair to provoke an already volatile environment. It is reckless to wield your right to freedom of speech by slandering a sensitive issue, which is known to incite a passionate or divisive response. Hate speech is not a constructive form of social criticism, especially where religion is concerned.

I am an advocate of freedom of speech and expression. I will, however, never condone the abuse of this right in sensitive environments which can lead to violence. Volatile issues should be treated with the necessary sensitivity, respect and diplomacy.

American schools, embassies and citizens have globally been under attack since the film went viral. Four American were killed in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. The free speech of a select few Americans has incited the violence of protesters, across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Most of the countries with the severest riots are countries that have far more suppressive environment than the United States, with more restrictions on freedom of speech and expression. The difficulty is to emphasize that this act of hate was by individuals, and does not represent the view of the United States’ government or populace at large. Most of thee countries do not have a culture of free speech, so acknowledging the right of people to speak in hateful opposition to their beliefs is incomprehensible.

We have seen this level of outrage before, in the response to Salman Rushdie’s work, as well as the publishing of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in Denmark and the burning of the Quran. When we know the potential or precedent for violence our actions provoke, I believe it is our responsibility to weigh the consequences against our need to express ourselves freely.

If it had been a factual film, documenting the civil war in Syria, it is another matter. But this film was a personal attack by a group of individuals. The filmmakers were not critically analysing the Prophet Muhammad’s legacy. They did not intend to explore any relevant theme, or deliver social criticism. The nature and motivation of the film does not warrant protection as freedom of speech. It is hateful, irresponsible and should be condemned as such by all, along with the violence of the retaliation.

If we are to advocate harmony and peace, we need to condemn both the act and the response.