Very much so good! Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device -----Original Message----- From: Babalwa Ntabeni <[email protected]> Sender: [email protected] Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:50:08 To: <[email protected]> Reply-To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [YCLSA Discussion] Youth are leaders of today, not just tomorrow!
the speech is so good and relevant given the current circumstances On Mon, Jun 21, 2010 at 9:57 AM, Thembela Gazi <[email protected]> wrote: > On 6/19/10, Castro Ngobese <[email protected]> wrote: > > Youth are leaders of today, not just tomorrow JOEL NETSHITENZHE | > > JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA > > > > *Keynote address by Joel Netshitenzhe executive director of the > Mapungubwe > > Institute (Mistra), at the 200 Young South Africans You Must Take to > Lunch > > gathering on June 8 2010* > > > > I should take this opportunity to congratulate the *Mail & Guardian* for > a > > welcome initiative, in a systematic and creative manner, to raise the > public > > prominence of what should, in any country, be the pride of a nation. By > > profiling young talent on an annual basis in this manner, [the] *Mail & > > Guardian* not only reminds us of the talent that our nation possesses; > but > > it also affirms the enduring conviction that South Africa is bound to > > achieve even greater things. > > > > Xstrata, similarly, should be commended for partnering [the] *Mail and > > Guardian* in investing in the future. > > > > As to why I deserve this honour to have "brunch" with you -- when others > > would break the bank to take you out to lunch -- I leave to [the] *Mail & > > Guardian* and Xstrata to explain. > > > > When the invitation first hit my screen, I naturally had to ask myself, > who > > are these Young South Africans and -- wet behind the ears as they should > be > > -- what is it that I can teach them about life! I then took the trouble > to > > page through previous editions of *Mail & Guardian*. Lo and behold, it > > emerged that most of you have, in barely three decades of your lives, > > achieved more than what I can hope to attain in a lifetime. > > > > And so, I have stepped off my pedestal and come rather to seek advice. > > > > The central question that I will pose in this discussion is: what should > be > > done to ensure that young South Africans in general break free of the > > psychology of marginalisation? > > > > As you may not expect, I do not have answers to this question; and > attached > > to it, I will pose a few riddles that you must help unlock for all South > > Africans. These issues arose in my mind because I noticed that we tend to > > refer to young talent in years gone by simply as "great figures"; and yet > > when it comes to such talent in the present, the qualification, "great > young > > South Africans" comes into play. > > > > It then struck me, casting one's mind to the past, that: > > > > - John Langalibalele Dube, who became the first president of the ANC > at > > the age of 41, had already attained laudable achievements such as > setting > > up > > the legendary Ohlange High School at 30; > > - Sol Plaatjie became the first secretary general of the ANC at 35 and > > already in his 20s, he was a renowned writer and editor; and > > - by the time Charlotte Maxeke led the anti-pass campaign in 1913 at > 39 > > years of age, she had emerged as South Africa's first woman BSc > graduate, > > as > > an organiser of the Women's Mite Missionary Society and established a > > training college in Evaton. > > > > To these South African geniuses of social organisation, we can add the > > feats, for instance, of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who, when he died in 1791 > at > > 35 had become, arguably, one of the greatest musicians of all time; or > > Phillip Tabane of Malombo fame who started making an impression in South > > African jazz as barely a teenager ... Or Steve "Kalamazoo" Mokone who, at > 17 > > made football history as the first black player to play in a professional > > European league; or our current captain, Aaron Mokoena who debuted in > Bafana > > Bafana at 18 and became captain at 23 years of age. We can add Dr Chris > > Barnard who at 32 had acquired his doctorate in medicine and set out to > > start experiments that led to the first human heart transplant ... or > > even Isaac > > Newton <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton> and his work on > > mathematical calculus at 23, who was described by one senior expert at > > Cambridge Trinity College then as "a fellow of our College, and very > young > > ... but of an extraordinary genius and proficiency in these things". > > > > And how about Fidel Castro and Che Guevarra, for their exploits in their > > twenties in liberating Cuba; Karl Marx who by the age of 30, together > with > > Friedrich Engels, had written many books on human development and social > > organisation, including the *Communist Manifesto*; or Moses Kotane who > > became general secretary of the Communist Party of South Africa at 34 > years > > of age! > > > > It is not so much the ideology or the detailed pursuits of these > luminaries > > that matters, but our marvel at the relative youth at which they made an > > indelible mark -- at domestic and international levels -- variously on > our > > history, the history of their countries and on human civilisation. > > Critically, most of them persisted in excellence long after their first > > achievements > > > > And so, the condescension that we of greyer hair and emptier scalps tend > to > > evince towards you is as much artificial as it is pretentious. It is an > > ageism that can be a convenient tool of social control -- some rule that > > there are the deserving -- to whom it is decreed by sheer dint of age > that > > they should lead. What we do not realise though is that this has its > > corollary: treat mature youth like children and they will behave as such! > > They will say anything and do anything, proceeding from the perspective > that > > someone else will clean up after them. > > > > In my view, a critical first step in ridding our society of the scourge > of > > what has been referred to as "youth marginalisation" is that society > should > > disabuse itself of the psychology of ageism. > > > > Without this, we deprive the nation of that explosive blend of youth and > > ability that makes works of genius possible. Similarly, young people in > our > > society should liberate themselves from this mindset. Without this, you > > deprive yourselves of the opportunity of responsibility, of taking the > > cudgels as responsible frontline adventurers in the advancement of the > human > > condition. > > > > It is in this context that I take this opportunity to congratulate you, > for > > your successes and/or prominence in sport, science, business, politics, > > information technology, media and other fields. Your exploits should be a > > harbinger of greater things to come, the beginning of journeys at the end > of > > which you will be able to say: I gave the best that my faculties could > > muster, and left a trail that will lead to a better South Africa, a > better > > Africa and a better world! > > > > There is no doubt in my mind -- and to this I can add empirical evidence > -- > > that running like golden thread in the making of real and enduring > > excellence is education: both academic and the ability to draw critical > > lessons from the hard knocks of the university of life. Research on > income > > dynamics and social mobility points clearly to the truism, for instance, > > that levels of household income, creativity and endurance in > > entrepreneurship, and the possibility to break the gender glass ceiling, > all > > depend critically on the level of education that individuals have > acquired. > > > > Annually, the media and society at large become fascinated with matric > > results, and quite correctly they also focus on the achievements of > schools > > such as Mbilwi and Ivory Park Secondary Schools that are able to excel > > despite the odds. But we fail to track, for instance, the life > trajectories > > of the students from such schools who burn the midnight oil to attain > good > > passes: that is, their progression through university and in the world of > > work, and how this changes the social condition of their families. In as > > much as we should celebrate extraordinary excellence, we should also pay > > attention to achievements which are made the more significant by the > > qualitative impact that they make on families and communities. > > > > In this regard, my message is as simple as it is obvious and quite > correctly > > overstated: education, this great liberator and great leveller, deserves > our > > undivided attention as a nation. > > > > Beyond the formal knowledge and possible social returns that attach to > > education, is the observation, perhaps somewhat exaggerated, by Friedrich > > Hegel in his *Philosophy of Right*, that "[e]ducation is the art of > making > > men ethical ... [H]abit is part of ethical life as it is of philosophic > > thought also, since such thought demands that mind be trained against > > capricious fancies, and that these be destroyed and overcome to leave the > > way clear for rational thinking". To the extent that Hegel's notion of > > education can be broadened to include the various centres of imparting > > knowledge in the broader sense -- including the family, the community and > > society at large -- there is something quite instructive in his > reasoning. > > > > Let me preface the other riddles that I wish to cite, for further > > reflection, by indicating that we are in the process, with a few > colleagues, > > of setting up a research institute, the Mapungubwe Institute for > Strategic > > Reflection (Mistra). We do hope that, working with young researchers, we > > will start the process of intense reflection on some of these questions. > > > > The first among the riddles that you should apply your minds to is the > fate > > of civilisations. Why is it that the Mapungubwe civilisation graced our > > shores and yet disappeared into oblivion, only to be "discovered" by > > accident? Why is it that the dynasties of the Han rose and fell, and yet > > rise again today like a phoenix from the ashes? And are there lessons > that > > we can derive from this about the reasons behind success and failure, as > we > > seek to build the civilisation of national democracy? > > > > The second riddle pertains to the conduct of politics in the current age > in > > our country, especially at local government level. How do we interpret > the > > imperatives of intra-party and wider democracy and their relationship to > > poverty: the fact that this can present an opportunity for genuine > > people-driven development; but also, on the other hand, the reality that > > poverty can generate the kind of political conduct that destabilises > > communities and even development projects, as streetwise local > politicians > > seek to displace one another in pursuit of personal advancement! > > > > The third riddle pertains to finding a growth path that is premised on > the > > improvement of people's quality of life. Where are the young economists > who, > > instead of debating their ideological likes and dislikes about > > macroeconomics, can unlock the interrelationships among the exchange rate > of > > the currency, inflation, levels of investment, interest rates and > savings; > > and the appropriate balances that we should pursue under different > > conditions, to move to a higher trajectory of growth? > > > > Today, youth unemployment stands at about double the rate of unemployment > > across society. Many young people have never known the pain, the joy and > the > > responsibility of earning an income. Close on three-quarters of the > > unemployed are between the ages of 15 and 34. This, we all know, is at > the > > root of many of our social maladies, including crime and the rate of HIV > > infection; and it is clearly unsustainable. What are the interventions > > required decisively to deal with this social and economic challenge; and > how > > do we navigate the self-interest of organised labour which opposes > proposals > > such as an employment subsidy? > > > > The fourth riddle, related to the third, is about the pursuit of common > > purpose among South Africans. We all have a broad common idea about where > we > > want our country to be, as elaborated in those lofty words in our > > Constitution. Leaders in all sectors, I presume, know that the national > > democratic society that we seek to create would redound to the benefit of > > all. I also presume that they do know that to attain those ideals will > > require hard work and sacrifice. > > > > Yet how do we deal with an approach to social dialogue in our country > which > > is premised on each sector demanding its pound of flesh, without regard > to > > the hard choices that have to be made in different phases of our > development > > trajectory? > > > > How do we narrow the divide between the gilded mansions and the craggy > > shacks -- in terms of income, access to health, education and other > > opportunities; and the asset base? > > > > All of us, including the young South Africans that everyone would like to > > take to lunch, are keenly aware that our nation cannot sustain the levels > of > > inequality obtaining in our society. But in our race to the top, we tend > to > > avert our eyes when confronted with the reality of abject poverty, > > preoccupied as we are with competition among ourselves in the stakes of > > conspicuous consumption. > > > > This brings us to the fifth South African riddle: the issue of race, and > how > > racism is compounded by corruption both in the public and private > sectors. > > In this regard, I wish to reiterate an observation made at a seminar on > > non-racialism organised by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation a few months > ago. > > This is that hindering the building of non-racialism is, for instance, > the > > conduct of BEE frontmen and women. For, in the mind of those dishing out > the > > largesse is the thought, ‘"f I can buy him or her, s/he should be of a > lower > > order as a human being". Thus the community and the race to which such > front > > people belong become the butt of jokes in bars, and at dinner tables and > > golf courses. > > > > Inversely, this also becomes a convenient excuse on the part of some in > the > > white community from dealing with the obligations of the 1994 settlement. > > The warped rationalisation that takes root is: let's critique from the > > sidelines; let's exaggerate the weaknesses; we can't make common cause > with > > "them"; we can't sacrifice for the common good because "they" are > corrupt. > > > > This attitude, and the radical rhetoric used by some black leaders to > mask > > greed and ostentation, feed into one another: white spiritual emigration > and > > a pretentious African nationalism of convenient victimhood are two sides > of > > the same coin. > > > > The last riddle pertains to the confidence of our nation to do good > things > > to better our condition and contribute to the endeavours of humanity > simply > > because we can -- not in order to solicit praise from anyone. This has > been > > referred to in some discourse as the "catwalk syndrome". And so in our > > communication, when we upgrade our infrastructure to meet our economic > and > > social needs; and when we prepare for what should be one of the most > > successful Fifa World Cup tournaments ever; it is not simply because we > can > > do it in line with our commitments to the football family and to our own > > society. Rather it is "to show the world" that South Africa is also > capable > > of doing good things. What is it in our psyche that feeds this "also-ran" > > attitude to life -- and how do we liberate ourselves from it? For, when > > other nations sense that we crave their approval for everything we do, > they > > will naturally exercise their right to extend such approval and to > withhold > > it when it suits them rather than us. > > > > I should also make the observation, in relation to football, that > enduring > > success depends on systematic planning and application. The national team > > coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, put it succinctly when he said: "The > World > > Cup will leave a legacy for this country that is unique ... You're going > to > > have the best stadiums ... But we are still lacking in grassroots > > [organisation] and hopefully all the money from the World Cup can be used > to > > help develop young players. Without this, we're not going to catch up > with > > the big powers in Africa". (The *Citizen*, June 6 2010) > > > > Our team does hold out the promise to do well in the 2010 Fifa World Cup > > tournament. But Parreira is warning us now that this should not be a > > flash-in-the-pan occurrence. I'm quite certain that similar sentiments > were > > expressed after the 1996 African Cup of Nations victory. Yet little was > done > > to build the structures and systems required for ongoing success. Why did > > the nation allow this to happen -- and shall we allow the same farce to > play > > itself out going forward? > > > > These then are just a few of the issues that I believe should occupy the > > minds of young South Africans in the current environment. The answers to > > these and other questions should come from you. Otherwise, the successes > > that we celebrate today will be nothing more than an act of revelling in > the > > extraordinariness of an ordinary existence. We will improve our > individual > > condition of life. We will, in the midst of poverty and inequality, > surround > > ourselves with walls and barbed wire. But we will forever live > exasperated > > lives of insecurity. For, the wretched of the earth will breach these > > defences as they demand their place under the South African sun. > > > > This becomes even more critical as the nation knuckles down to develop a > > common vision and strategic plan about where we should be in 15 to 20 > years. > > That future belongs to you, more than anyone else. And we thus hope that > the > > voice of the youth will be heard more forcefully than ever before, as we > > elaborate the trajectory towards a national democratic society in which > you > > and your children will live. > > > > And so, my message is a simple one. South Africa stands at the cusp of > > decision. Whether we tip in the direction of faster progress depends to a > > large measure on whether we unlock the talent of the nation’s youth. To > > achieve this, we need to harness that cocktail of youth and ability that > > makes works of genius possible. > > > > It is in this context that I have come to seek your advice. And I do so, > > firmly in the conviction that you are South African leaders not just of > > tomorrow; but leaders of today in your own right! > > > > -- > > You are subscribed. This footer can help you. > > Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply > to > > this message. > > You can visit the group WEB SITE at > > http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery > > options, pages, files and membership. > > To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email > [email protected] . > > You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to > > put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail > to > > this address (repeat): [email protected] . > > > > -- > You are subscribed. 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