Some last reflections from our trip to Robben Island last weekend [1]: Before i even look at my notes, what stands out to me was the depth of conversation - i barely knew anyone that we went with, so mostly new friends or people i had met once or twice before and yet we dived in to some deep conversations that happened so naturally. Probably because we all knew why we were there, but none [...]
i think this is a helpful thing to explain. Comment threads on the internet can be a dangerous and frightening place. Okay, that is probably not a necessary thing to explain. Because either you don't participate in comment threads, or you have before and are very likely to know this. The anonymity one gets when one can hide behind a 'Guest' or 'Pseudonym' poster often gives people the bravado most of them would not have [...]
During our weekend at Robben Island, there were many moments or phrases that stood out in terms of being quick "Aha!" flashes of inspiration and here are some of the ones i captured: "Man's potential for justice makes democracy possibly Man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary." [Njongonkulu Ndungane] # "The Church is so silent these days. The voice of the church is very important. The voice of the youth is very important. God's word of [...]
...by the time you read this post, you'll be gone... So in response to my post directed at my white friends in South Africa and Americaland with regards to race-related things, i got a rather strong sounding response from a guy called John. Which i thought it might be quite fun to respond to: The reason I write you off as another white “Arts-degree” imbecile: You compare the history and economics and politics and sociology [...]
i am almost overwhelmed by the amount of posts i have been discovering or people have been linking me to when it comes to race. What has been amazing has been so many of them have been so incredibly good. i imagine there are a lot of people who see 'Anothe ace post by Brett Fish' and roll their eyes or reach for the unsubscribe. But i am confident that there are enough people following [...]
Continuing my thoughts and reflections on a weekend spent at Robben Island, i want to remember some of the things that Archbishop Emeritus Njongonkulu Ndungane [who was after Desmond Tutu as Archbishop] shared with us about his time on the island. We were privileged to get to spend most of a day with this quiet and humble man and hear some stories and thoughts as we walked around the island, visited the jail cells, planted an [...]
One of the most moving times of the whole weekend was actually right near the beginning, when after arriving at Robben Island, and dropping our stuff off at our rooms, we met together for introductions. We had to go around the room and introduce ourselves and say why we were there. i had the task of following my incredibly gifted wife who has such a powerful way with words that she immediately won over the [...]
i never particularly wanted to go to Robben Island. in fact, to be honest, for a time i particularly didn't want to go to Robben Island. Something about growing up in a not too politicized environment perhaps and then later not really seeing the point or perhaps thinking it was a 'flavour of the month' kind of vibe with everyone going and it being such a touristy thing. But then somewhere along the line [maybe [...]
oh wow, what to leave out this week... there has been a lot of goodness and just importance flying around the internet... i don't expect you to read all these things but at the very least, please scroll down and pick one thing you missed and then if you enjoy it please SHARE it with your social media people - some important stuff to get eyes on this week: MOST INSPIRING: Abundance > Scarcity: As the [...]
This morning i was browsing Facebook and i came upon a status from my friend Nkosivumile Gola [who has written a number of posts for this blog] that read like this: The land question is very personal, the land includes my whole being it is the very me. The land question is very emotional its not an intellectual talk. I don't have a nice way of saying we want the land, I can't smile when [...]