Ladies and gentleman, SAWIP Board, ED’s Brian and Jaya, Sally, University representatives, SAWIP management, SAWIP Alumni, fellow Team members and friends of SAWIP, good evening. I am Jessica Breakey and team member of the SAWIP 2013 class.

Ones SAWIP journey is like a storybook, each chapter filled with different lessons, growth, experience, emotion, opportunity and exposure. Granted every individual has a different story, and may experience everything to a different degree, yet our SAWIP journey, our SAWIP story has undoubtedly meant something to all of us. That’s the question isn’t it- what has SAWIP meant to me? What has SAWIP meant to us as the 2013 team- because our story, our journey- is a shared one.

I am still shocked that my team decided I would speak at the graduation, Maybe it’s their sense of humor as , it is no secret that I cry every time I have to speak about what SAWIP, and what my team, has meant to me.

Just like a storybook, let me start from the first chapter.

Any SAWIP journey really begins from the selection camp, the perfect environment for insecurity complexes and pseudo leadership styles to flourish. I remember phoning my mom after the selection camp, crying, assuring her that there was definitely no way I was going to make it and although I would definitely apply again next year- it made me sad, because every team is different but I knew that I fit into this one… even though we are undoubtedly a team of misfits.

But to me, and I know to many of us, that has been the core foundation of our SAWIP journey, the people whom we shared our journeys with-the team. A team that became friends, family and now… a community.

Anna- Marie who unfortunately couldn’t be here tonight always speaks about the importance of community and building communities, especially as young people. I know that if she was speaking tonight she would talk about how happy she is to have found, and belong to this community of young South Africans.

To me, that’s one of the major strengths of the SAWIP program as a whole, its ability to build communities from scratch. The program and its curriculum are structured in such a way that it’s not just about what you learn but rather who you share that learning with. More than that, it’s about learning from each other.

If you ask any alumni, they will always say that there is a huge amount of personal growth that occurs over the 6-month program. That is undeniable, you take a group of 17 young South Africans- place them in one of the biggest decision making hubs of the world- and growth is expected. I expected it- I was excited by it. I wanted ‘personal growth’- who doesn’t? But I wasn’t expecting to gain it in the way I did. I wasn’t expecting my team to be my major source of growth.

I came into this program with a severe insecurity complex, determined to learn as much as possible from these brilliant individuals in my team. Determined to leave being different, knowing more, understanding more, having a greater focus, more direction.

Instead, I learnt that all these brilliant people whom I wanted to learn so much from, had questions of their own, questions they were not afraid to ask, questions I didn’t even know should or could be asked.

So, I learnt how to ask questions. But more than that- I learnt how to ask the right questions and I learnt that SAWIP was the perfect platform to doubt things, to question things…. And to be utterly confused and find your way, that it was more than just accepted, it was encouraged.

Like any narrative, my team are the main characters in my story- The pages of my storybook are filled with them- and everything we learnt and experienced TOGETHER.

It was not about seeing the Whitehouse for the first time but rather seeing Lwamba’s face when she saw the Whitehouse for the first time.

It was not about running through the streets of New York City in the rain but rather that I was running alongside Mario- who was leaping over the puddles.

When I googled ‘How to write a graduation speech’- one of the helpful tips was to find an inspiring theme and center the speech around that theme. I think it is obvious that my team is the theme and I dedicate this speech to them because they inspire me- so much.

As young leaders, we may not save the world or solve any major crisis (or we might) but we will never stop asking questions and we will never stop trying to contribute positively towards our communities and towards our country. I know for sure, as a team of young people we have never been so ready and so excited to contribute.

As I look back on the beautiful story we have written together, I must remind my team that, like our country, our final chapter has not yet been written yet. It is up to us to finish our journey. I know as we move forward our stories will forever be intertwined.

But the SAWIP journey- our story will always be one I hold very close to my heart and I know that long after this speech is done we will continue to build on to our community.

To end off, I would like to quote, my fellow Team member, Mario Meyer- “My team have been a source of support, joy, inspiration, and occasional strife. I am a better person, because we have shared this experience together”.

Thank you.

I was busy searching for an Image of Mandela to attach to my blog and I stumbled upon this video. I had never seen it before but thought it was so wonderful I had to share it.

A few weeks ago I went to the Newseum with a few of my team mates- WHAT AN AMAZING PLACE (I think I will refrain from talking too much about the Newseum because it deserves an entire blog dedicated to it).

Moving on, the walls of the Newseum are decorated with beautiful “quotes”. Profound statements, questions and phrases line the walls of the 6 floor building. I was with Mario, who is a self confessed “quote” addict and I watched as he marveled at the words on the walls.

Although admittedly caught up in the moment and jotting a few of them down, I thought afterwards that the nature of “quoting” people and having a favourite “quote” is quite strange. Are all statements timeless? And should we keep recycling the same “quotes”.

I then began to think of the stagnant nature of “quoting” and how every student who has taken public speaking quotes a political or public figure from 50 or more years ago and Facebook statuses are constant regurgitations of the same phrases. So I wanted to change things up a bit- listed below are a few new “quotes” from a new generation of thinkers and speakers. The people we should be “quoting”:

It’s perfectly understandable that human beings process information differently.

I learnt a while back that having expectations for what we may learn is a good thing but in truth the greatest lessons are the ones we’re least expecting

Elroy Bell

The central question in our quest to secure a better future should be, ‘Why are even a few young people apathetic?’ You’d think being born into a country so hopeful and alive with possibility would be enough to create a sense of seriousness and willingness to engage with the inherited challenges.

Often times, when life gets overwhelming I try to bring it back to thebasics. At the end of the day life is about life. No matter where the emphasis is placed I think for most people the main aim of life is life itself: making life better, creating life, ensuring a favourable afterlife and so on

Lwamba Chisaka

We can get lost in beautiful rhetoric, notions of grandeur, dreams about the corners of the globe, and revelations about the future and so sometimes fail to acknowledge the powerful and simple things that are our actual drivers.

To learn from others requires humbleness, but I don't believe humbleness can be learned. It is a by-product of the experiences we have and all we can do to engage more is to put ourselves in situations where we can experience new people, places, ways of thinking.

Matt Chennels

Be strong and overcome your circumstances. Once you succeed that way, you will value your success.

Zizi Pae

I listened to the words of my peers in the same way as I listen to the wisest words of those heroes, past and present, who we often find ourselves quoting. Then for a moment, I stopped and wondered if it was possible that for some of these heroes it had perhaps also not all made sense when they were young and part of a ‘South African youth identity’ that is distinctive and revered today.

Cara Mazetti Claassen

I am tempered to say that world which I used to read about in our toilet is the world that I am experiencing now, how can I ever be the same again? These are life altering experiences

This idea of teaching us how to think, rather than what to think, will enable a generation that is creative and innovative

Cecil Lwana

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

Phillip van der Merwe

We are a team. We are a community. We are a family. We stick together and we've got each others backs. We are one.

We don’t grow in retreat, but through endurance. Change isn't fixed by crying, worrying, or mental tread milling. Change is won by victors not victims; and that choice is ours.Change is awkward - at first. Change is a muscle that develops to abundantly enjoy the dynamics of the life set before us. Change calls own strength beyond anyone of us. Change pushes you to do your personal best. Change draws out those poised for a new way. Change isn't for chickens. Change does have casualties of those defeated. Change will cause us to churn or to learn. Change changes the speed of time. Time is so slow for the reluctant, and yet it is a whirlwind for those who embrace it. Change is more fun to do than to be done to.

Timothy Taylor

If you can succeed in life and emulate that approach in sport you will be a champion. Conversely, if you can succeed in sport and emulate it in life you will be a success in whatever way you choose to measure it.

We need leaders who are willing to say that they are against inequality no matter and even despite their race, culture, heritage and dare I say it religion. Hiding behind any of these while knowing the wrongfulness of the act isn't leadership, it's cowardice. Until you are prepared to make that step, you are no more free than any of the others.

Wiaan Visser

Being the helping hand brings more blessing to your life and we are the ones who choose what life we want.

Olwethu Ngwanya

"Xolani bantu baseMzansi Afrika. Iqhawe maliphumle ngoxolo. Thina masiqhube phambili kunye. (South Africans, be at peace. Madiba our hero must rest. Let us move forward together!)

Siba Magadla

The individual’s role is important, especially once a certain degree of exposure and access to information is reached

I believe that I form part of a culture that transcends the colour of our skin and tongue we speak to our grandmothers, that culture is marked by the intent to make a difference, to continue fighting for freedom, to have compassion and be open to hear one another’s stories.

Anna-Marie Muller

You need to be able to instill confidence without reaching arrogance. You need to inculcate virtue and humility without exposing weakness. And you need to strengthen democracy by creating a culture of appreciation for diversity, upholding Mandela's legacy of resolving conflict through reconciliation with the aim of making human solidarity our way of life.

Cammille Fredericks

Our individual actions and contribution may seem small, but they are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. Our individual and concerted actions and contribution send forth a tiny ripple of hope that, combined with other ripples of hope, can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression, suffering, and injustice.

Listening imparts a great deal of respect. When one listens with authenticity, presence, and unreserved attention one makes an instant impression, and builds a solid bridge for lasting connection and potential collaboration. Who can resist being around someone who suspends his/her thoughts and judgement in order to value yours?

Mario Meyer

DC has been interesting to me for a number of reasons; I have had many realisations whilst here, on a broad spectrum of things. Something that has stood out for me is the notion that, as much as the world tries to enforce it, we are actually not so different.

“Are you from Africa?” A question that I have been asked so many times.

It’s this sense that the ‘mighty’ West has everything sorted out. That Africa is lagging behind in all sectors and that Africa should be given compassion and pity.

It did not take long before the inequality and divisions within the Great US of A became evident to me, before the cracks within American society became clear and before it was obvious that South Africa is actually not as different as the players from both sides often like to pretend. This is not an American bashing blog; it has no negative intentions, but is rather an attempt to draw parallels between the two nations, often

Growing up, reading books and watching movies (mostly made in Hollywood) this idea of “The American Dream” is lamented into the minds of many South Africans, and many people from around the world. That America is a golden land, with infinite opportunities, no poverty, no crime, no inequality and no division- a utopia of some sort.

It is as though the US have been portrayed as a moral compass, upholding liberty, dignity and freedom for all and that the rest of the world would do well to follow.

We often talk about homophobia, racism and classism within the South African context. We refer to the ‘education crisis’ like it is a uniquely South African problem. I am not suggesting that the problems the US and SA face are on the same level, far from it.

I am however suggesting that some of our focus areas align.

The US may not have extreme or absolute poverty amongst the majority of their population, yet there is still poverty and just like South Africa it is predominately divided along a racial line. The “slums” or “dodgey areas” are predominately black areas. It is in these areas where the highest HIV and crime rates prevail. It is also in these areas where there is the most drug use. Already, disease, poverty, drugs and crime become ‘racialised’ spheres’.

Race still is a huge part of this society, no matter how much people try to ignore it. Constantly, people have advised the SAWIP team to watch what we say in public areas, suggesting we should refrain from talking about race and religion on the metro.

My issue with this ‘ignore and it will go away’ approach to life is the following- how can you tend to a gaping wound within society if you constantly choose to ignore it?

(side note: As I write this blog, all the interns in my office are feeling pretty passionately about this subject and a slight argument seems to have erupted).

This presence of the “haves” and the “have nots” (just like in South Africa) is only perpetuated by the education system. Recently I attended The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce gala evening with the wonderful Mr. Glen Ackerman. I was seated next to a couple that was busy deciding on where they should move so that their children could attend a good school.

Prior to this, I had no idea that the education system in many US states is funded by either property or income tax. This seemed absurd to me, surely this is the most evident way to perpetuate a cycle of inequality.

Those that live in the poorest areas or “slums” (I keep hearing that word) are usually classified as minority groups. Here, there is crime, drugs and poor education. Yet, no one is encouraged to speak about this.

The whole point of this blog was not to point out America’s failures (because it is definitely not a failed state) but rather to acknowledge that South Africans should stop thinking about ourselves as the lonely outlier with a terrifying history. We should stop judging ourselves so heavily.

The history of the US is also not rainbow coloured and dripping with honey. Every country faces issues, every citizen trying to grapple with some current problem within their society.

A large part of the SAWIP DC experience has placed an enormous emphasis on networking and the importance of it. Every person we meet stresses this, the SAWIP management team stresses this and my team stresses this. (All the stressing makes networking very stressful for me).

A few weeks ago at a reception held for us and our host families at Nandos, Simon Barber- from Brand SA- asked me the big question “What made you want to do SAWIP?” I started to rattle off some emotional and (what I thought) was an inspiring response about the community it formed and how I wanted to be part of such a transforming process. Simon retorted by stating that the most important thing about SAWIP, and any kind of program similar to SAWIP, is that of forming connections and gaining contacts (aka networking)

It was, and is still, a very interesting concept for me- this art of networking. The Do’s and the Don’ts of making good and lasting impressions.

Here are some of the basic, and slightly amateur, techniques I have picked up along the way-

• · Make eye contact and have a ‘not too firm, not too soft’ handshake
• · Repeat the name of the person you are meeting and state your name twice. E.g. Hello, Nice to meet you TIM, I am JESSICA, JESSICA BREAKEY.
• · Spark the conversation with something different (to generate interest)
• · Smile and laugh occasionally whilst casually slipping in a joke or two
• · And here it is- the MOST important part of any networking opportunity, something that one should NEVER, EVER forget… the sneaky business card swap!

The whole idea of networking is a bit overwhelming and has resulted in some shoddy looking business cards on my part (partly due to anxious sweaty palms and partly due to nervous fist clenches). The sweaty palms have also resulted in some rather awkward handshakes. The US ambassador to Argentina, for example, shook my hand and then proceeded to rather dramatically wipe his hand along the seam of his pants.

However, it is possible to recover from such a traumatising experience and gain ones credibility back rather easily in such a conversation if you just remember to be witty. People love wit and teeth. Therefore, the way I see it, if you crack a minimum of two jokes, smile a lot and make at least one spectacularly profound statement – you’re all good!

It all sounds rather fun doesn’t it? The tricky part is yet to come though. Networking becomes drastically more uncomfortable when the person you have made an active decision to talk to is going on about something you genuinely do not understand, at all.

This happened rather recently when someone tried to talk to me about market shares and their value, or something that sounded like that. Anyone who knows me will know this was a rather terrifying experience. It didn’t take long before my palms started leaking and my fingers started clenching. I do not remember much of my response, although I think I said the words “innovation”, “growth” and (for some unbeknown reason) “expenditure” in there at least three times each.

That’s the thing though isn’t it- networking can be tricky because often, no matter how important or marvelous the person is, you just do not have anything in common with them. It is here where I go a little bit deeper and question the necessity of networking just for the sake of networking.

Is it right that we see an important person and lunge at them just because there is the smallest possibility that they may help us get ahead? Or should we rather wait for someone whose interests are exactly in line with ours so that we can get maximum benefit out of the conversation, or this wasting the possibility of a future opportunity?

OR (and here is the option that schmoozers wont enjoy)

…. Should we give the same amount of interest and attention to everybody we meet. Surely if we expect to learn a lot from someone who is considered ‘important’ in society we could learn just as much, if not more from someone considered less important. What I am trying to say, in a rather round a bout way, is that the art of networking, at its purest, most uncorrupt form should be applied to everyone we meet along our journey and shouldn’t be promoted as this pretentious and exclusive exercise.

Good evening, my name is Jessica Breakey and I am in the middle of an identity crisis, trying desperately to figure out what it means to be “Jessica”- a white, English speaking, female studying film, politics and sociology in the complex, post 1994 South African society.

Let me tell you my story.

I grew up in a happy white middle class neighborhood in Johannesburg, I had two parents who were married, a man and a woman, I attended a private school and I matriculated with one black person in a grade of 125. This strange little bubble- was my South Africa.

Definitely not the most beautiful or inspiring South African story.

Uncertain of exactly where I belong, I stand here unable to talk about my upbringing in rural eastern cape, I don’t know how it feels to live in severe poverty, I cannot quote my grandmothers favourite phrase in Zulu or Afrikaans and I do not really identify with any particularly rich culture or heritage.

I always ask myself, if my South African Identity is rooted in the past- because the colour of my skin is associated with privilege, the language I speak doesn't really make me feel like an African, or because I was born into an apartheid state.

Or is it trying to spring into the future. Is my South African identity what I believe in, what I hope for, what I invision for my country.

I think the challenge is trying to single out what connects us to each other as South Africans when our individual stories are so unique.

SAWIP is a program that allows us to explore our South African climate and the challenges our nation is facing as we try become problem solvers, of both the social, economic and environmental nature.

However, SAWIP is more than that.

SAWIP is a program that allows you to explore the TYPE of person that can solve these problems and then identify this within ourselves.

It is the kind of program that gets a film and sociology major such as myself thinking about inter regional trade, social entrepreneurship and the growth of the African economy in the next 15 years.

I can’t stand here, in a foreign land, away from the aching hearts of South Africa and not mention Madiba- a fundamental part of the South African brand and a key component of many South African identities, something we are all proud to associate ourselves with.

It is not specifically the man himself, although a remarkable human being, but rather all that Mandela symbolizes; the promise and potential that reside in the heart of our beloved South Africa.

Recognising all that South Africa is, and all that it could be.

The legacy of Madiba forms part of each of our South African stories. His story and the story he chose to write for South Africa is imbedded deeply within all of our narratives.

On our SAWIP selection camp we had a group discussion on our South African stories. It was a beautiful evening as we all shared what we thought connected us as individuals to our country.

I enjoyed listening. I enjoyed hearing Zizi telling us about the complexities of the doek or Camille speaking about the huge impact her community has had on her life, although I felt so much apart of everyone's story. I was unsure of mine.

SAWIP has broadened my horizons, but an interesting thing has happened, through my time so far in the US I have realized there is an international sense of Africa rising. Now it's time for us to go back and carry that through.

It is this hope and promise that my SAWIP team carries. It is within this team of diversely cultured people, from different parts of the country, with different interests, strengths and passions where I feel the most connected to South Africa. It is when I am with them that I feel like there is a common South African identity and even here, far away from home, I feel endless amounts of hope for the country we have briefly left behind.

The hope of our home.

To me, personally SAWIP has been everything. It is through SAWIP that I have found my place in South Africa, that I have been able to find my purpose. It's helped me through my Identity crisis, because now SAWIP and my team are undeniably a huge part of me, and why I love my country. I now have a SAWIP chapter to my story and a SAWIP component of my identity.

Because right now, at this time, with these people- even though I am standing in New York City- I am a South African and just like my country, my story is not over.

Expectation is a vital component of any life experience, in the weeks leading up to the DC portion of the SAWIP experience we all began to develop many ideas of what to expect on arrival and throughout our time in D.C. Often the expectations of the team align itself as our individual vision and goals become shared.

Whilst many of our expectations are mutual, others differ (immensely) based on the different individuals within the team.

An example of the most basic shared expectation would be the expectation of both personal and professional growth whilst in DC.

An example of a unique expectation is evident in Lwamba’s extreme disappointment every time she turns a corner and Obama isn’t there to “Welcome his African sister to ‘Merica”.

It is not a bad thing to have expectations; it creates an environment where excitement and appreciation can build and where we are given time to focus on our desired outcomes, identifying exactly what it is we want to achieve.

Yet there are also many faults that lie within the foundations of having expectations. Expectations can be very limiting; they can narrow our experience instead of extending our opportunity for true growth. Often our expectations do not recognise time and so we set ourselves up to be disappointed if we have not experienced everything we had hoped in the first few hours.

Our expectations can also be limiting because sometimes the experience far surpasses anything we thought we would ever get the opportunity to see, hear and just be involved in.

Our experiences are drawn from many different sources; sometimes the expectation and the source differ. Essentially the SAWIP team is all on the same journey, yet we are all having different experiences. For some of us, it is the deep connection with our host parents or the amazing opportunities that present themselves at our internships. For others it is the team sessions or the one on one with our fellow teammates. For me, it is every second. From meeting the most wonderful and inspiring individuals to my morning walk to work past the White House.

Our expectations of people are also interesting to consider. Often, our most valuable or thought provoking discussions do not stem from those whom we expected to learn the most. This proves that like experiences, people should never be discounted. The most meaningful and transforming moments could be in the most unexpected place, being communicated by the most unexpected person.

It is not only my expectations I need to balance, but the expectations placed on me by both my team and the program. As important as it is to look inward it is also essential to look outward and show gratitude to all those that played a role in shaping my expectations and those that are currently contributing towards my experience.

I think the SAWIP experience is about taking it all in, learning to balance the expected and the unexpected as they fly at us, full speed. Making the most of every emotion felt, whether elation or deep personal reflection. There is no wasted experience, no experience that doesn’t contribute towards our growth, our knowledge and help build us as the people we all expect to return to South Africa.

So far SAWIP has not been what I had expected. It has been more, much more. I have been challenged more than I thought. I have never felt so inferior and at the same time I have never felt so empowered. I have never felt such an urgency to learn. I have reached levels of happiness and excitement that previously I had only experienced a few times.

This journey is really something special and so far SAWIP is everything.

The only expectation I now take with me every day is to truly take in each moment regardless of where it is, who I am with or how humid it is in Washington D.C.

This week SAWIP visited the Holocaust Center in Cape Town.

This is a challenging blog for me to write because the experience so deeply moved me that I feel it would be wrong to not write about, however it also touched me so profoundly that I am left with few words. Thus, presenting the challenge of wanting to write about something but not really knowing what to say.

Perhaps that’s what my blog should be about, not words or motives or ideas but rather the concept of allowing ourselves to feel and remember that we are human.

The SAWIP 2013 team is collectively a very critical group of people. I say that not in a negative way because I often think it is one of our strengths; the emphasis we place on ‘critical thought’. We are constantly questioning, evaluating, discussing and engaging, always led by our words and our thoughts, always trying to rationalise and debunk.

The past two days at the Holocaust center reminded me that it is important to allow ourselves to occasionally be guided by our hearts and not our heads. That although we should always think deeply and often critically we must never lose our humanity. We must never stop feeling.

No matter how much thought we put into an idea, our contribution to society will be so much more powerful if we remember that our emotions carry so much meaning. We don’t just learn from lectures and books but we learn from our sorrow and pain. We learn from moments of joy and elation and we learn from the times of trial.

The SAWIP team had the absolute honour and privilege of hearing the story of Holocaust survivor, Miriam Lichterman. The encounter will definitely be something I never forget, an experience I will always treasure. I am not sure what or how to write about Miriam just yet. Maybe one day I will gain a clarity of thought that will allow me to decipher the magnitude of all the lessons she taught and the wisdom she shared.

What I do know is that her story made me feel.

It made me feel sad.

It made me feel heartbroken.

It made me feel angry.

It made me feel inspired.

It made me feel full of hope.

It made me feel human.

Below is a link to the poem Hands by Sarah Kay. I know this poem has been shared on the SAWIP blogs page before but I feel there is a strong correlation between the message I am trying to share and that of the poet. There is more to life than what we sometimes assume.

We live in a complex and multifaceted world where the emphasis is often on what is tangible, material and ‘worthy’.

But there is more.

There is touch and emotion and humanity and love, such things should be embraced, used and never taken for granted.

We must always remember this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn0zAUVkCgE

So far our blogs have been a space where we have been allowed to reflect on our self, our team, our passions, views and the vision we each hold for South Africa. I find reading the blogs an immensely rewarding experience in itself. I love reading about my team, each of us on our own journey, all-looking for our ‘how’.

It is no secret that SAWIP facilitates a process of rapid growth and encourages an environment where asking questions is supported but also expected from us.

It won’t take you more than a quick browse through our first blogs to understand the intense process of self-reflection that many members of the team are undergoing. However there is also a process of external reflection that SAWIP ignites, a reflection on the circumstances we are facing as a nation with a focus on HOW such circumstances can be dealt with and, in many instances, overcome.

Towards the end of last year, students running for the Student Representative Council at UCT underwent a series of ‘interrogations’ where they were expected to answer questions based on their campaign. The student’s collective response to the candidates and almost every promise made was an echoing “BUT HOW?”

This notion of ‘how’ stuck with me and I have been desperately searching for ‘my how’ ever since.

You’re passionate about improving health care in South Africa- but how?

You want to challenge student apathy- but how?

You want to change the way men view and treat women in our society- but how?

There are of course the generic and widely accepted answers to many of these questions. The challenge lies in finding YOUR how and not simply accepting the ‘how’ that others have so confidently presented.

The phrase “nothing new under the sun”, meaning that everything has been done already and even at our most creative and original we are only reinventing the wheel, is one that has been accepted by many. It is becoming increasingly difficult within our contemporary society to find new answers or ways of approaching things that people have been trying to ‘solve’ for years. We need to approach things differently and (in the same vein as my previous blog) more creatively.

I do not agree with the sentiment that ‘talk is cheap’ and ‘taking action’ is the hard part because often I think it is incredibly difficult to talk about many of the issues that confront us. We should value conversation and discussion in all circumstances because it takes a deep level of understanding and a collection of many different perspectives to gain enough insight to ensure that when we act we do so in a truly meaningful way.

There are many of these ‘how’ people walking amongst us. People from all over the age spectrum that have come up with creative and original ways in which they can make valid contributions. Their ‘how’s’ are rooted in practicality but limited by nothing other than their personal visions.

Many of my SAWIP teammates are ‘how’ people and it is hard for me to hide my frustration and jealousy as I am still in search of mine. I don’t know if it is something you actively look for or if your ‘how’ somehow leaps into your subconscious.

I can think of no program or process more appropriate than SAWIP to help me find ‘my how’.

A blog is a written representation of a thought process, an idea or an opinion. It allows for a space where sharing and thinking can take place. If you are going to read my blogs you need to understand that my mind is constantly in conflict with itself as I try to make some sort of sense out of the world in which we live (an impossible task really).

Side note: This is incredibly challenging when you are in a team with 14 very intelligent and opinionated people who each carry a great amount of passion and knowledge on a variety of issues.

The reason that I mention this is so you understand that my blogs may not represent a 100% confident opinion as much as they represent ideas or questions SAWIP has managed to place in my confused young mind.

Moving on from this is the idea of a political imagination and more specifically the idea that our new ‘political elite’ may not embody such an imagination. On Freedom day, the SAWIP team was lucky enough to attend a lecture on South Africa's political history. Although many of us had heard the stories before, it is impossible not to take something of great value out each time.

During our lecture something that became increasingly evident to me was the innovation of those in the resistance and the constant focus on what our society should be moving towards. Although exercised in plurality, there was an originality of thought that existed as those involved in the struggle focused on the future and the potential within ‘our tomorrow’. They held onto their goals closely, always consulting with their imagination and approaching issues with a great amount of creativity.

It was not just the commitment exercised when striving forwards that stood out but rather HOW they chose to strive and the ways in which they always tried to build and create even though they were trying to tear down an unjust regime.

Recently I read that the political elite in a post conflict society lose their ‘political imagination’, meaning they tend to focus on the prevention of such a conflict arising again. It was assumed that an ‘elite’ who held a strong focus for the past would lose individual initiative and innovation thus not making any significant progress.

It is not crazy to suggest that this has happened in South Africa, that apartheid has dominated the minds of our political elite and our “youth” (yes, sorry Cara). We are trying desperately hard to avoid a repetition of apartheid or anything bearing a slight resemblance that we have allowed it to control our minds, so much so that we battle to think beyond it. Perhaps we do remember too much and bring it up too often and that by doing so we are preventing any sort of true and meaningful nation building from occurring. Perhaps we have invested too heavily in a process of prevention rather than creation.

I believe this flows into the idea of race and specifically talking about issues of race in our country. I've had this conversation many times with the SAWIP team, debating whether dialogue on such issues is a tool that creates greater division or rather promotes a sense of greater mutual understanding.

For me personally, this is something really interesting to consider. I am someone that places a great amount of importance in talking about our past. I advocate for discourse on many issues that are directly related to our past because I feel it is impossible to ignore and doing so will only increase both the inequality and tension in our society.

Recently someone informed me of the inaccuracy of the term ‘a post apartheid state’ and that I should rather employ the term ‘a post 1994 state’. To say that we live in something ‘post-apartheid’ is to assume that the legacy of such a state no longer affects us, both socially and economically and therefore there is complete equality. Perhaps we shouldn’t even call it ‘our past’ because it is presently affecting a great deal of our country.

However, maybe focusing on the past really is limiting the imagination we need if we want to be involved in the social problem solving that our country is so desperate for. Maybe allowing ourselves to concentrate so heavily on a ‘pre 1994’ South Africa has stripped us of the creativity and innovation that could bring huge amounts of change.

One could argue that finding the balance is important. Forcing ourselves to think simultaneously about our past and our future is the answer. You know how it goes “learn from your past” or something like that.

One could also argue against that.

All I know is that in 2013, as South Africans we need to be fully utilizing our imaginations. We need to be equipped with vast amounts of creativity and innovation as we prepare to answer the “HOW” question.

How can we make South Africa better?

The challenge I face with writing a ‘reflective blog’ is that there is so much to reflect on, so much to write about, so much to consider, that trying to refine my thoughts and create some sort of clear focus is near impossible for me (almost as impossible as trying to make a square whilst blindfolded).

Since my SAWIP journey began, I have been confronted with so many questions, whilst realising that I actually know very little, I have grown increasingly motivated to find the answers.

My questions range from “Why is Mario so elegant?” to the slightly more challenging notions of identity and “where I fit in as a white South African female?”. Not forgetting the hard and complex questions on how we should be tackling and viewing issues such as race, education and gender in our post-1994 South African society.

I think it is fitting that my first blog focus on a question that encompasses almost every other question I pose, the BIG question if you will. “Why do we care?”

During orientation camp Lwamba and I spoke about the feeling of being totally consumed by the challenges facing South Africa. This truly resonated with me, as I am sure it will with all of my teammates. This feeling is so powerful that it is almost crippling. It is a strange combination of feeling ready and willing to march straight into the trials that lie ahead whilst simultaneously feeling helpless to the immensity of such issues.

It is without hesitation that the word ‘passion’ comes to mind when I think of why a group of 15 individuals care so much (and boy, do they care) about the future of this country. The roots of such passion may differ, for some it is a result of personal backgrounds, families, and communities, whilst others find their passion despite their circumstances. For many their passion stems from a place of dissatisfaction with today or rather a vision of hope for a better tomorrow.

When such social issues consume us, our focus soon starts to shift to the potential to overcome these challenges. We start to rather acknowledge the challenges but instead allow ourselves to be consumed by the potential for positive impact (if I may use such a cliché). It is clear that as a team we have allowed ourselves to be consumed, it has become impossible for us to sit in a car together or share a meal without human rights abuses or anti rape campaigns naturally finding their way into our conversation.

This blog is not a tool intended to separate the SAWIP team from the larger South African ‘youth’ but rather act as a 15-person example in which I emphasise that collectively WE DO CARE. Constantly, we are being brushed aside as the (a)pathetic youth (I must admit I have also done this) but I think it would be a great injustice, to all of South Arica, if we do not recognise the potential of our youth.

I see it and it excites me.

Like I said earlier, I do not know all the answers, in fact I am not sure I know any, but I will keep asking the questions and instead of turning to google I will turn to my team. I have a hunch the answers to many of my questions lie with them. Just like the solutions to many of South Africa’s problems lie within our generation. A youth I view as capable despite constantly being devalued.

You’ll see.