South Africa’s high level of inequalities, poverties, and unemployment is difficult to process. We are already in the third decade of democracy yet confronted with a poverty rate of approximately 55% and a 34% unemployment rate. I have often felt that something is missing in the debates on understanding and addressing these development challenges….
Working as a consultant for travel safety, health and security, I have the privilege of preparing business leaders to fulfil their duty of care towards their team. As I consult and teach and train, the norms of 2019 continue in similar ways, but there are now two further considerations…
During the pandemic, many of us found it difficult to maintain fruitful relationships with friends – and sometimes even family members. Lack of face-to-face contact diminished our enjoyment of one another’s company and, in some cases, caused us to draw back from interacting altogether….
In a previous post I described a few of the unexpected responses to the pandemic we’ve experienced here in Australia. We were left with the question, Are there responses to the pandemic that are unambiguously outward looking: focused both on the wellbeing of others and that look forward hopefully to the maintenance and strengthening of relationships?…
One story from early on in the pandemic illustrates what a profound difference a strong, shared purpose and open, trusting communication can make to collaborative relationships. As the world watched people dying in makeshift hospitals in Italy it became clear that what could make the difference between life and death was the availability of mechanical ventilators….
Back in March 2020, as the world was coming to terms with the implications of the new virus, people here in Australia responded in some unexpected ways. Toilet paper disappeared rapidly from supermarket shelves. Crowds flocked to Bondi Beach in contravention of clear public health orders. And at the same time, there was a growing call for all of us to exercise social responsibility…