There is a new group on Facebook that i am a part of called Conversations for a Just South Africa. At the moment there are around 1500 people in the group and climbing every day. Which may not seem super exciting to many people when a group like #ImStaying arrived on the scene just a couple of weeks ago and is on the way to 500 000 people. Conversations is not a group that [...]
This has been an interesting week which started with the explosion that was #ImStaying bursting on to the scene. In response to what was happening in the group and some feelings of uncomfortable that a growing number of people were having, i made this Facebook Live video sharing my thoughts. Then i wrote a piece called 'The Rise and Flaw of #ImStaying' which has been my most visited post of the year and which [...]
This past week has seen a meteoric rise in the interest and participation in the Facebook Group #ImStaying. The group describes themselves in this way: This group is dedicated to the South African women and men of all races and all religions, who remain loyal to South Africa. This group is to honour all those who still believe that we as a nation can turn things around. To all those who choose to stay [...]
What [South] African stories are your children reading?A while back i compiled a list of super amazing books for young children from suggestions made by a lot of my friends, with a specific focus on South African and African stories. While it may not be imperative that your children ONLY read books from this country and continent, i think you are definitely missing out if they are not reading any. And there are some REALLY [...]
What does it mean to be real men? We are continuing on with our journey towards 40 Tips for Men... 40 Tips for Men: Tip #16 Be slow to the mic. Picture this: There is a conference or book launch or some form of meeting happening in South Africa. Afterwards, there is a time of Q & A. Without knowing anything about the meeting, describe as best you can, the first five people who [...]
When last did you tip the petrol attendant well? i was hanging out with my mate Wayne yesterday [lots of great stories begin with that very line!] and we got to talking. He told me about something a mutual friend of ours [the incredible Linda Martindale] had told him a while back... "Always fill your car at the same petrol station. Preferably with the same person. And tip them well." The most valuable tip [...]
A new Prayer of Lament Yesterday i was invited to attend another prayer vigil at the Clareinch Post Office where a man killed Uyinene Mrwetyana. This time it was in my role as a volunteer with the Peace Justice Witnesses which i haven't done since #FeesMustFall days probably about two years ago. It turns out we weren't really needed because nothing out of the ordinary happened, but i felt privileged to be able to [...]
Continuing with the next 5 in our series of #40TipsForMen: 40 Tips for Men: Tip #11 Be aware of a potential need to step towards. My friend Janet really caught my attention this past week when she used the word 'hyper-vigilant' when she described how women in South Africa always need to be on the alert. One of the ways we men can help make the world a safer place is by increasing our [...]
Jess Hill's Mission to understand Abusive Men What's Rape Anxiety? This woman explained it to her favourite men and they were shocked. Relax Ladies. Don't be so Uptight. You know you want it. How to be a Woman in the 21st Century Twitter trending Hashtag 'Men are Trash' proof that men centre themselves on feminist issues. Eusebius McKaiser wrote a piece titled 'The Chain between Words and Violence' 'Why we're not working today' by [...]
Her name is Uyinene Mrwetyana. Or is it was? Already? Has it changed from an 'is' to a 'was' in just the few hours since they found her beaten and broken body? i didn't know her except for the missing posters all over social media and it didn't take long for that deep-knotted feeling in my gut to emerge. It feels like it's too late. We would have heard something by now. But you [...]
