By Michael Baillie
The idea of individualism is not new. What is new, however, is the importance and prestige attached to one's individuality. We are constantly told to embrace it and to relish in our uniqueness. It's a message pumped out by the m...
There are two main points that really get my goat about the current Ukweshwama debacle (Ukweshwama, for those who don't know, is a traditional Zulu ceremony involving the ritualistic slaying of a bull). The first is the unbridled cruelty to the anima...
I am often one to criticise the media for generating unwarranted fears. I see the swine flu "epidemic" as one clear example of media hype being larger than the real problem. South Africa is perceived to be one of the most violent countries in the wor...
We live in a world where marketing your message is critical, whether you're selling a commercial product or sanctuary. Even the most inherently good messages can be lost when shrouded with layers of extremism and contrast.
The idealist in me hates...
"The purpose of engagement," said Kate Philip to a small but packed lecture theatre at UCT's Hiddingh Campus this weekend "is to change the world, a world that is shaped by power. Power itself is not random, it is organised, and therefore to tackle f...
I have had a few cathartic experiences living in this beautiful country of ours. One of them was in 1989 sitting in a room full of fellow students debating issues which to us at the time were very important for our organisation, AIESEC. We were gathe...
Loaded Minds is a concept expressed by a band, Spirit of the West, about the increasing violent responses and calls for violence that has ingrained violence as a viable response. It is the same thinking that claims that it is acceptable that the cost...
I was watching the debates on the upcoming election in the Western Cape recently. A large piece of the debate referred to what was deemed a "housing crisis". I hear similar things being said around Durban and indeed all over South Africa.
I make ...
“My father and them trekked with a donkey cart”, Floors explained. “It was a long distance to cover in that way and some families had it very hard. Somebody's wife went into labour and they stopped at a farm. But the farmer wanted to know nothi...
We are now in the midst of the 16 days of activism against violence against women and girls, an annual event in South Africa and throughout the world. It is important to remind communities that violence against women and girls is abhorrent and that s...
