apartheid : Brett Fish

Taboo Topics: Race – The Panel – Questions from you about Race-related things – Q2: Being 'over' apartheid?

QUESTION 2: [Graeme Broster] I don't believe we can even begin to discuss issues of race, reconciliation etc before we begin to discuss and answer the issue of identity. Not sure if it's clear but give it some thought Race panel question: When, if ever, will it be OK to be "over" apartheid? If possible put a number of years to your answer. [Brett: Hot question i know but i followed it up with Graeme to [...]

By brettfish|2014-06-01T22:21:37+02:00June 1st, 2014|challenging thorts, inspire-ations, life, pain and Hope, Taboo Topics, thorts of other people|0 Comments

Taboo Topics: Race – The Panel – Questions from you about Race-related things – Q2: Being ‘over’ apartheid?

QUESTION 2: [Graeme Broster] I don't believe we can even begin to discuss issues of race, reconciliation etc before we begin to discuss and answer the issue of identity. Not sure if it's clear but give it some thought Race panel question: When, if ever, will it be OK to be "over" apartheid? If possible put a number of years to your answer. [Brett: Hot question i know but i followed it up with Graeme to [...]

By brettfish|2014-06-01T22:21:37+02:00June 1st, 2014|challenging thorts, inspire-ations, life, pain and Hope, Taboo Topics, thorts of other people|2 Comments

Taboo Topics: Race – The Panel – Questions from you about Race-related things – Q1: Framing our Identity?

A short while ago i introduced this panel to you made up of friends of mine from South Africa who are from a variety of different race groups/backgrounds and then invited you to ask any race-related questions you might have. The opinions of the members of the panel are in no way expected to represent the thoughts, feelings and ideas of a whole race group or culture, nor are they anticipated to be complete expositions [...]

By brettfish|2014-05-30T12:55:27+02:00May 30th, 2014|challenging thorts, change the world, inspire-ations, pain and Hope, people, thorts of other people|0 Comments

Taboo Topics: Race – What makes a person? – Meet Kevin Lloyd James Lok

What makes a person? What makes me, me? For me I’ve struggled with identity for my entire Life – one of the biggest struggles I’ve had over my identity is the one over ‘race’ (now many would consider it strange for a white guy to struggle with identity over race and don’t get me wrong – I’ve never thought I am not white) the reasons being that I was brought up (My mom assisted [...]

By brettfish|2014-05-16T08:03:47+02:00May 16th, 2014|change the world, friends and enemas, pain and Hope, shtupidt people, Taboo Topics, thorts of other people|0 Comments

Taboo Topics: Race – White Guilt – Meet Noloyiso Lange

I woke up on election day, my thumbs ready to be inked and itching to say something to challenge people to get up and vote seeing as a friend of mine had just expressed disinterest in politics and thus voting itself. As I lay in bed contemplating if it would be better to sleep the morning away and vote later, my brother sent me a message; a speech allegedly delivered by PW Botha in 1985. [...]

By brettfish|2014-05-11T22:30:11+02:00May 11th, 2014|friends and enemas, pain and Hope, people, Taboo Topics, thorts of other people|0 Comments

Taboo Topics: Race – What I would love my white friends to hear – Meet John Scheepers

One of the most insidious forms of racism or paternalism is to take the voice of another away from them. I do not intend to speak for black people in this post and so rob them of their own dignity and humanity. You see, I am white and so I can only ever speak as a white male. While I can resist speaking for another I can choose to speak with another so adding strength [...]

By brettfish|2014-05-06T16:51:15+02:00May 6th, 2014|change the world, friends and enemas, inspire-ations, pain and Hope, shtupidt people, thorts of other people|0 Comments

Taboo Topics: Race – What I would love my white friends to hear

i don't know if this is the right place to begin this conversation on race, but it is a place and so will hopefully get the ball rolling and then we can see where it goes from there. i think we would be foolish to believe that this conversation will be easy or comfortable all the way through - i am hoping we will be able to get to a place where people can be [...]

By brettfish|2014-04-10T07:32:03+02:00April 10th, 2014|challenging thorts, change the world, friends and enemas, pain and Hope, people, thorts of other people|0 Comments

i benefit from apartheid

a short while ago two South Africans sparked an international discussion about racism, guilt and responsibility when they printed and distributed forty t-shirts with the slogan 'I benefited from apartheid' written on them: well-known political satirist Jonathan Shapiro [aka Zapiro] came up with this minimalistic but powerful cartoon which expressed his take on the matter: are they right? yes, for sure, i definitely [...]

By brettfish|2013-01-09T03:19:44+02:00January 9th, 2013|challenging thorts, change the world, life|11 Comments

not cheese but hope

This article first appeared in The Mercury on 27 June 2011 [and arrived in my inbox this morning] Hope n. the feeling that events will turn out for the best. I recently attended a small birthday party and Hope showed up. I wasn’t necessarily expecting her to be there, but that’s Hope for you; she always arrives when you least expect her. She appeared suddenly and silently. It was almost as if she ‘spirited’ into [...]

By brettfish|2011-06-28T13:16:17+02:00June 28th, 2011|challenging thorts, change the world, inspire-ations, thorts of other people|1 Comment

lausanne reflections: part united church

this week the third lausanne congress for world evangelication is happening in cape town - 4200 delegates from around the world representing church leaders, academics, theologians, marketplace people as well as men, women as well as old, young - convening for a week to discuss relevant issues facing the church - things like globalisation, pluralism, multi-faith society, relevance, integrity, response to poverty, trafficking etc etc - it is an incredible time and i am so [...]