I am privileged enough to be a part of a team like nothing I ever imagined before and one that is without a doubt like no other before.

After a six month journey that now sees us charging down the home straight I regard all fourteen of you as companions who will always be the most integral part of a big chapter in my life. You will forever be irreplaceable and invaluable all through the love, dedication, enthusiasm and passion you have been able to show and give me.

It has been beyond amazing being able to watch and share SAWIP guide and mould you into responsible, professional and exceptional people. This in itself is something that we can never truly thank SAWIP enough for, no matter how hard we tried.

That said, I feel that we have built a special bond and nothing more than holding onto that bound and growing it further for the greater good will give greater thanks. This bound was formed and kept together through various and more importantly genuine qualities which you all possess such as, love, determination, respect, patience (a lot of that with me I might add), passion, enthusiasm, compassion, humour...

It is these qualities which you all posses that make SAWIP arguably the most effective and elite Leadership and Community Service Programme in South Africa. In all honesty I only say arguably so as not to be arrogant or obnoxious. I hope that deep down inside you all believe it and are proud, because the only reason that it is, is through being able to continually draw in individuals such as yourselves.

Aristotle once said “What we do in life echoes in eternity.” Even though we have only been privileged and honoured enough to be under the SAWIP wing for only six months. I can convincingly say that presently and in future the impact that you and SAWIP have on my and many other people’s lives has and will continue to echoe in eternity.

The Constitutional Court is now at a point where it has shown that it playing a continued growing and vital role in the realisation of socio – economic rights. This is comforting in that it depicts how the provisions made for socio – economic rights in the Constitution are becoming more and more living and this leads to a solid constitutional framework within which to address challenges to the realisation and protection of socio – economic rights.

Issues of poverty and access to socio – economic rights needs to be more of a priority for the state of the goals of the constitution will not be realised and socio – economic rights will not be fully granted to all citizens of South Africa. There is a need for a more proactive and progressive nature of developing socio – economic policies and distributing socio – economic resources adequately.

South Africa has a number of various groups who remain vulnerable and disadvantaged and do not yet enjoy the benefits of adequate access to socio – economic rights, it is evident that in order to achieve and advance real equality in society the State needs to constantly take progressive steps that will result in the full access to and enjoyment of fully exercising socio – economic rights.

As a nation we need to understand why we have a constitution, where it comes from and why it takes the specific form that it does. We need to be reminded of a time when the constitution was not a given source of law. We need to understand the hopes and aspirations of the drafters of this unique document as well as the hopes and aspirations of society at large that influenced the drafters at the time.

The ending of apartheid led to an exuberant feeling of freedom, constitutionalism, change and positivity. Negotiations were conducted in light of this, and this helped foster the personal relations between many of the opposing negotiators and helped forge the ultimate prize of the negotiations, the Constitution.

Negotiations were fiercely contested, and the Constitution is the product of these contests; as such it can be argued to represent fully the needs of the country. Why then should the Constitution ever be altered? Should the Constitutional Court be reviewed? As an aside, how many of the constitutional drafters/negotiators are still involved in politics, and in what role?

In light of the fact that that our democracy has reached the age of majority (18 years) this year, many feel it appropriate to take a grown up and critical look at it. If South Africa set off on a transformative journey at the onset of our constitutional dispensation, then certainly we have yet to arrive at our destination. Of course, this is not necessarily an indication of failure. It has been suggested that if viewed as a permanent ideal rather than a temporary event, transformation is a journey that has no destination.

The glue of the South African Constitution is the equality clause. Equality is at the heart of the new South African constitutional dispensation.

The importance placed on equality as a right for all South Africans stems directly from the principles and values encompassed in the Preamble of the South African Constitution. Particularly that we as South Africans as a starting point to embracing democracy need to “recognise the injustices of the past” and “heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights…”

In essence what this means is that in the South African context the purpose of democratic transformation is to ultimately create a society based on social justice and in order to achieve that equality serves as a cornerstone from which that will be created and maintained.

Therefore the challenge for us all in the new constitutional dispensation is to constantly aim at achieving this. As a golden rule this needs to be reflected in our approach and endeavours in life.

On Friday the 13^th of July 2012 I formed part of the team that lead the team discussion. The discussion focused on youth unemployment as well as youth entrepreneurship in South Africa.

The following material was provided to stimulate the discussion:

Unemployment- South Africa's Youth Unemployment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j3oLoDWAMA (3:55)

- South Africa's 'ticking timebomb'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo94GQDBfWg (2:38)

Entrepreneurship: - Entrepreneurs- the new heroes of South Africa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcBP9ZC7YKw (3:55)

We were privileged enough to be joined by one of our board members Karin Strydom (SAWIP Board Member) as well as Harvey (Friend of SAWIP).

Two hours of meaningful engagement the question was wrapped up by the following question; What do we have going for us, as a nation that counts for us?

*Here are snippets of some of the responses:

Alli – “… the fact that we are where we are in 18 years…”

Jason – “we are desperate for change and success… passion for positive change…

Shannon – “…young nation and we have all the potential in the world.”

Saif – “…platforms for all the young with energy needed for change, unifying platforms…”

Thami – “… we need ‘fighters for employment’ engaging with each other…”

ED – “culture of community…”

Daniel – “... we have the infrastructure to get ahead.”

Thuli – “… we are very aware of issues and we need to act more on them…”

Harvey – “Significant amount of opportunities…”

Karin – “… how to make best for South Africa is not about ourselves… Rope the Board in and build a big SAWIP community…”

Dinika – “thinking of the whole… tackling conflict head on…”

Parveen – “unity and energy… we can do it…”

What do the eyes around us look like?

I stand here before you representing a family, Ndinisa, a clan, Ndlamba, a small village, eMagalakangqa, a university, University of Cape Town, a country, South Africa, an amazing leadership, professional development and community service programme, SAWIP and most importantly at this very moment in time, the youth.

By the time I was in high school I had pretty much already identified at that age things that I was passionate about but I don’t know that anybody ever told me that I had the power to make the difference in my country, continent and the world.

Having been raised in two vastly different realities I have always been the kind of person who is thinking, what can I do and knowing that a countless number of people have wondered that and eventually found things, has always been encouraging to me.

Unlike then, I now know that even from a very young age there is a lot that can be done. Day by day SAWIP is helping to open up our eyes to that, so I think that it is fair and good that we are receiving that message at a critical time in our lives and that of our developing nation.

I have always preferred to focus on what I have gained as opposed to what I have never had. The beauty of growing up in the Transkei was that I was able to gain those lessons within adversity. For example that question from my teenage years, what can I do?

In time I realised that this was the most meaningful question I have ever asked myself.

There is a book called “Locked in a room full of open doors” by Ernest T Campbell. His theme indicates that people can still be prisoners within when all the doors without have been opened. Simply because no reduction of constraints outside can guarantee freedom within the individual.

Within this room full of open doors I constantly find myself sitting in a chair. I am too afraid to get up and get out of that chair because I fear what it is going to look like on the other side, maybe I fear what possibility is, instead I rather sit while the silence and solitude systematically severs my will, sanctioning and seducing me to submit to the environment, attitude, belief and expectations of the mass majority.

I subscribe to the school of thought that there is a light deep down inside all of us, my point of departure lies in the belief that it is dimming. Some of us prefer for it to dim.

We need to make sure that this light, that starts off as a candle goes from being a candle to a bonfire, from a bonfire into a towering inferno. More often than not, at home, like all the members of the SAWIP 2012 team, I meet, see and hear of young people who have a light inside that is burning so brightly that you don’t know how to turn the volume down. It is your job, your duty, your responsibility to share that light with as many people as you possibly can.

We need to remind those who are failing us, our country, continent and world that we have been naturally infused with the promise of potential and possess every bit of ability to push that into a reality where we can passionately pursue whatever purpose or divine destiny that we want. The truth of the matter is that it is up to each one of us to be able to do what it takes to stay out of your own way.

It goes back to sitting in that chair in a room full of open doors. That chair that holds us down, that chair that keeps us alone, that chair that does not give us the audacity and boldness to do whatever it is we were born to do

Time has been waiting for the South African youth to once again get up, it is time for us to get out that chair, and stop making excuses that are compromising the integrity of who we are, compromising the integrity of who we were born to be, compromising the integrity, character and accountability that we have in order to manifest our greatness into society.

Great moments are born from great opportunity and that is exactly what the youth of South Africa have, that is what our heritage has earned for us, but here is the thing, we only have one lifetime. Let us never ever forget that this is our time. We were all meant to be here.

We need to show appreciation by humbly showing those who have laid the foundations and paved the way by leaving their foot prints, that unlike them we do not need a Nelson Mandela, we need a united youth who will make sure that he echoes in eternity.

We need to depend on our power by the ability to make other people powerful. Being in the South African Consulate in New York City I would like to urge the “powers” that be to awaken possibility in us the youth.

Ben Zander formulated the concept of leadership being the art of possibility. From this I can say that you will know you are doing an effective job when you look into our eyes and if our eyes are shining then you know you are doing a proper job, our eyes are clearly not shinning as bright as they should. In the words of Ben Zander you need to ask yourself “who am I being that my children’s eyes are not shining?”

We can all ask ourselves who are we being and what do the eyes around us look like?

Dialogue 1: Active Citizenship: Realising Africa’s Full Potential

I prefer to refer to the people of South Africa rather than speak of citizens or citizenship. For me ‘the people of South Africa’ encompasses everyone who forms a part of our beautiful nation. It also represents the rainbow nation and our global links more accurately. My thinking emanates from the first line of the Preamble of our Constitution which states: “We, the people of South Africa”. This also ties in with promoting the spirit of Ubuntu which to a large extent has been lost in a countless number of texts rather than live in us and through us as the people of South Africa. I fear that the same will happen with the principles and values of our constitution. It is important that I stress this is in no ways an attempt to find fault in the notion of active citizenship. At times it is often easy to overlook the basic solutions in redressing complex issues. Might that not be the case here?

As such I feel we need to go back to the drawing board and resuscitate our Constitutional principles and values. We need to ignite that desire and sense of urgency to build a nation where the moral fibre reflects active citizenship and thus assimilating it into a natural way of life for us all. Our Constitution provides us with the perfect framework to do so and urges us to all play our part. We easily forget that we have inherited the responsibility of being active citizens through the birth of the new constitutional dispensation. It highlights the need for participatory democracy and participatory social change and development. This inheritance is clearly evident in the Preamble of our Constitution which states “…heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights;…” I love the idea of South Africans being active citizens for the greater good of our country, continent and the world. I believe that contrary to popular belief the struggle continues and our ‘new struggle’ lies in unlocking each other’s potential. We are a nation with all the potential in the world and I have all the faith in the world that it will all be realised one day. That remains interesting but pretty much unimportant until all the people of South Africa realise this and we all live our lives with that belief entrenched in our minds and hearts. "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" (Lord bless Africa)