By Devan Moonsamy CEO of The ICHAF Training Institute Do we truly understand what racism and sexism are? Do we truly understand why it is offensive, and why it should end? The word offensive has been overused in the context of discrimination. It feels like it has a weak meaning. What is this offence caused? We need to go deeper. Racism and sexism cause pain. That is something we seem to miss in all this mess of accusations and flaring tempers. Discrimination tells the target that they are not good enough simply because of certain physical features, but which do not fully define who they are in any case. Certainly, our gender, race and colour do determine some things about us – and we should all be proud of the positive aspects of our heritage. However, it is extremely hurtful when these features are used as an excuse for ‘less than’ treatment. Racism and sexism lead to anger. People want to get even, often more than even, because it is not the first time they have faced such treatment and the pain and frustration has built up inside them. It is thus a case sometimes of the straw that broke the camel’s back. Racist or sexist remarks and acts of discrimination tell the victim that they are inferior and will never be anything other than what the racist or sexist defines them as. This is ‘offensive’, yes, but let’s forget about that word for now. Let’s focus on the fact rather that it causes immense pain, sometimes long-term or life-long distress which, while people may hide very well for a time, is no less a reality. It damages a person’s and even an entire population’s sense of self-worth, and it oppresses them. It may force them to accept a lower position, which there is no valid reason for them to occupy, at least until they fight back and reclaim equality. What has happened about the allegations of sexism at the African Union Commission? Institutionalised or politically sanctioned racism and sexism are out. However, there is a subtle . . .
#RunningDry: People in 50 countries go the distance for water saving
#RunningDry community joins with Mina Guli on marathon 100 NEW YORK, February 11, 2019. International water activist, Mina Guli’s #RunningDry movement came full circle on Monday 11 February, 100 days after Mina kicked off by running the New York Marathon. Having initially started as a solo campaign for Mina to run 100 marathons in 100 consecutive days around the world to raise awareness for the global water crisis, the campaign turned into a movement after marathon 62 when Mina fractured her femur and was no longer able to continue on her own. Thousands of people from more than 44 countries across all 7 continents banded together to cover the distance for Mina, logging a collective distance equal to the distance from the North to South Pole, whilst at the same time pledging to do what they can to save water. The sport of running was used as a way to highlight water issues around the world. “Over the past 100 days we have seen first-hand the enormous impact on families, communities and economies when taps run dry. But we have also had the privilege of meeting incredible water heroes around the world who are 100 percent committed to helping save our most precious resource,” says Mina Guli. Starting with the New York City Marathon on the 4th of November 2018, Mina ran a marathon every day, while travelling to run across Europe (UK, France, Italy), Uzbekistan, India, China, Hong Kong, Dubai, the Middle East (Jordan, Palestine, Israel), and South Africa where an acute fracture was identified in her femur. She then went on to Australia before heading back to the USA to finish the 100-day journey back where she started in New York. “When I broke my leg in Cape Town someone told me an old African proverb – if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together – which perfectly sums up the #RunningDry movement,” says Mina. “Together we have created a movement for change - people around the world stepping up for water saving, and committing to . . .
Sandes To Run The 11th Annual Tarawera Ultra Marathon In New Zealand
Ryan Sandes will be lining up with the some of the world’s best ultra-marathon trail runners for the 11th annual 102km Tarawera Ultramarathon in New Zealand on the 9th of February. Known as one of the most competitive races in the ultra-running world, Ryan will be using this race as part of Western States preparations. “Tarawera is a great early season race to be taking part in, especially as a lead up to Western States which is my focus race for the first part of 2019,” explains Ryan. “The conditions at the race are fast and runnable throughout, which is very similar to Western States, so it will give me a goof idea of where I am with my overall strength and fitness!” The 102km route, which is based in Rotorua, New Zealand, sees 2000 athletes traversing through sites of cultural significance to the native Maori’s including 7 lakes, forests, waterfalls and what has been described as the most stunning scenery imaginable. After completing the Great Himalaya Trail FKT with running partner and friend, Ryno Griesel last year, Sandes explains that the rest of his racing season for 2018 didn’t go according to plan. “I really enjoyed Tarawera in 2016, and I am hoping that running it again this year can help me to mentally be on the “right-foot” for Western States,” says Ryan. The race has attracted many of the worlds’ top trail running elites including Americans Cody Reed and Tim Freriks and Brit, Harry Jones, to mention a few. The 2019 Tarawera Ultra forms part of the Ultra Trail World Tour and is also a qualifier for both Western States and Ultra Trail Mont Blanc. To follow Ryan live on race day (Saturday 09 February 2019) please make sure to follow his social media pages: Facebook - @Ryan.Nicholas.Sandes Twitter - @RyanSandes Instagram - @RyanSandes www.ryansandes.com CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. . . .
100 Marathons in 1 day: Ask for 100 and get 10 000 – global community responds to call for action on water.
Mina Guli’s #RunningDry movement sees people from all over the world completing more than 200 marathons on Sunday 27 January 2019 to raise awareness for the global water crisis! AUSTRALIA, January 29, 2019. On Sunday 27 January 2019, thousands of people across the world laced up their running shoes to help Mina Guli reach the target of collectively running and walking more than 100 marathons in 1 day to raise awareness for the global water crisis. As of midnight on the 27th of January 251 marathons had been logged, which is an incredible distance of 10 629.3km. People logged marathons from 44 different countries and territories - from Antarctica to Sweden, Mexico to Japan, Australia to Serbia and everywhere in between. “I’m blown away by people’s passion for water, and their commitment and willingness to step up to this challenge,” says Mina Guli. “I have always believed in the power of the people to change the world. On Sunday we saw that happen. I’m inspired for our future and the future of our planet. Together we truly can make a difference in how we see and think about water.” Mina originally set out to run 100 marathons in 100 consecutive days around the world, before having to readjust her vision upon breaking her femur at marathon number 62. The global community have rallied around her, logging marathons for her on social media every day since then. Since announcing her injury on the 5th of January, collectively more than 22 747.4km have been logged, including Sunday’s mammoth effort.” “We had distances from 1km to over 50km, in temperatures from -15 degrees Celsius to over 40 degrees Celsius,” says Mina. “We had people running in deserts, snow and in forests. We had people running by rivers and others by oceans and waterways. Some ran in cities and on tracks. Some ran in groups and others on their own. But every single one of them donated their miles on Sunday to support our campaign and help drive global water awareness. Every step and every . . .
100 Marathons in 1 day: #RunningDry now a global movement to raise awareness for the world’s water crisis!
Severe injury turns #RunningDry from a campaign into a movement as community rallies to run marathons and raise awareness about global water crisis with 100 marathons in 1 day CAPE TOWN, January 22, 2019. Mina Guli’s vision for her 100 marathons in 100 days #RunningDry campaign was simple: to make saving water famous. Just over 2 weeks after announcing her injury on social media and completing 62 marathons in 62 days, this vision has become a reality with #RunningDry becoming a worldwide movement. “The support I have received from around the world has been so humbling - and so inspiring,” says Mina. “I found out yesterday that my original injuries to my femur have become substantially worse!” The global running and water communities have rallied around Mina and undertaken to complete the remaining marathons for her. They have already logged more than 8500 km of donated kilometres, which has seen #RunningDry trending on Twitter. “#RunningDry is about using the sport of running to get people around the world to pay attention to the water crisis happening around us,” explains Mina. “I will honestly be forever grateful to every single person, young or old, walker or runner, for taking time out of their lives to help raise awareness for the global water crisis that we are facing,” says Mina. “I have always said that I want to make saving water so famous that it’s no longer the right thing to do, but the only thing to do. That dream is now becoming a reality!” On Sunday 27 January, the #RunningDry community will attempt 100 marathons in 1 day - worldwide. 100 marathons in 1 day for 1 reason: water. To take part, supporters will simply run or walk a marathon (or part of a marathon) and log their distance on social media with the hashtag #RunningDry. The marathons will be taking place all over the world, linked together by #RunningDry. Supporters are encouraged to share water facts (available on Mina’s website) and invite their friends to join. To date, the . . .
Critical Analysis of Racial Segregation at Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke
By Devan Moonsamy CEO of The ICHAF Training Institute The first term of school this year has not gotten off to the best start for some children and their parents. At Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke in North West Province, a teacher has been suspended over racial segregation of children in a class. A photo was sent to parents by WhatsApp by the teacher which clearly shows a large group of white children seated together, and a few black children separated from the group at another desk. That’s a red flag, and a political protest was held outside the school. But is this what people so quickly assume it to be? A number of explanations have surfaced. Firstly, this is simply the work of a racist teacher showing preference to the white children. Schweizer-Reneke is a town said to have deep racial divisions, and some say the teacher was even doing the right thing because of these tensions and because integration takes time. Secondly, that the black children were new at the school and could not speak Afrikaans or English. Why this was in fact necessary was not made clear by the school. One reason could be that the children required a different teaching intervention which the teacher planned to give them in a small group setting. Separating learners according to needs in this way is a common practice and seems to make sense. However, it is strange that the children who are said to need special attention are placed at the back of the class in the corner. Was it necessary to make them feel even more excluded in this way? It just doesn’t add up. MEC Sello Lehari who went in to address the situation has rejected this excuse and is investigating further. Thirdly, it has been said that the children were allowed to sit where they wanted, and so the seating arrangements were their choice. This last reason is somewhat plausible because we do all tend towards ‘birds of a feather’ habits, and perhaps more so for young children in such a setting. But it would still seem . . .
Mina Guli Sidelined by Fractured Femur After Marathon #62
Injury forces changes to campaign as #RunningDry continues to raise awareness about global water crisis CAPE TOWN, January 07, 2019. Water advocate and ultra runner Mina Guli has halted her challenge to run 100 marathons in 100 days around the world to raise awareness about the global water crisis. After doctors discovered a stress fracture to her right femur earlier this month, Mina continued the campaign, walking a further three marathons in South Africa to complete marathon #62. However, the injury has worsened and Mina will now need to take a break from her daily marathons to recover from injury. Marathon #62 ended in tears with Mina no longer able to put any weight onto her right leg. After consulting with local experts at the Christian Barnard Memorial Hospital and her international medical team, it was discovered that the 48-year-old now has multiple stress fractures in her right femur. “I have broken the largest bone in my body trying to complete my #RunningDry campaign,” says a very tearful Mina. “If it were up to me, I would still be out there walking, despite it now taking more than 12 hours to complete 42.2km. However, my team and I need to prioritize my health and taking a short time out will allow us to continue the #RunningDry campaign and to focus on some of the important water stories that need to be told.” Mina was met at the hospital by friend and mentor, Lewis Pugh, who strongly advised Mina that she cannot jeopardise her next 38 years of campaigning for the global water crisis for the next 38 days of this campaign. Mina’s team stepped in to complete marathon #63 on Saturday, January 5 in Cape Town, with podiatrist Brock Healy, physiotherapist Elena Hobson, photographer Kelvin Trautman and cinematographer Jared Paisley each taking turns running parts of the 42.2km for her. But true to her stubborn, gritty nature, Mina has vowed that she will lace up her shoes again in order to finish the #RunningDry campaign in the allotted 100 . . .
Runner Mina Guli Arrives in South Africa to Highlight the Global Water Crisis
100 MARATHONS IN 100 DAYS: RUNNER MINA GULI ARRIVES IN SOUTH AFRICA TO HIGHLIGHT THE GLOBAL WATER CRISIS World Faces 40 Percent Shortage of Water by 2030 - #RunningDry Campaign Raises Awareness, Urges Change SOUTH AFRICA, January 2, 2019. Water advocate and ultra-runner Mina Guli has arrived in South Africa as part of her #RunningDry 100 Marathons in 100 Days campaign to highlight the global water crisis. In an unexpected turn of events and after some ongoing pain in her right leg, Mina walked herself to a doctor’s appointment and subsequent MRI scan, where it was discovered that she has sustained a stress fracture to her right femur. While this would cause most people to sit back and put their feet up, Mina has pledged to continue her #RunningDry campaign at a slightly slower pace of a walk in order to further highlight how critical the global water crisis really is! “With the current water crisis every drop of counts, and now every step I take towards finishing this campaign will help highlight that,” says Mina Guli. “The world is facing a projected 40% shortfall between supply and demand for water by 2030 – just 11 short years from now! If I give up now, it’s almost like giving up on striving towards a solution to this problem and I just can’t do it.” So instead of being out on the roads for roughly 5 hours every day, Mina will now be completing each marathon every day in approximately 9hours – all this whilst still travelling around the world spreading the water message. Upon arriving in SA, Mina headed straight to Beaufort West after hearing about their dire water situation. “Visiting the town of Beaufort West has been very confronting, to see the effects of what living with no water in the flesh, makes me even more determined to finish my #RunningDry campaign and help change the way we think about water,” explains Mina. “We simply cannot take water for granted, water is life, it is critical, we need to respect and value it!” Mina started her . . .
Land ‘Reform’ Ends Badly Without Intensive Training and Meticulous Planning
Land ‘Reform’ Ends Badly Without Intensive Training and Meticulous Planning. By Devan Moonsamy CEO of The ICHAF Training Institute Will it work or will we be worse off? The financial exclusion is a global problem with over 1 billion having no access to formal financial systems. But what does ‘formal financial system exclusion’ mean exactly? If people are choosing to hide their money under the mattress rather than bank it, it is perhaps understandable. Many governments have used socialist arguments to seize control of banks. This never goes well, and people lose their savings and investments. The banks are then very poorly run, bank staff are laid off or don’t get paid, and the institution ends up closing, at least to public access. This is likely the way forward for South Africa in the long term since the government has taken serious steps to end private ownership of land. Recent developments may seem like a benign concession intended to help the poor, but history has shown over the past 200 and more years that these government policies always leave the poor in a worse off position. Government officials’ greed knows no bounds in such situations. Access to citizens’ banking system is a massive risk, and it is inevitably next on the agenda once land expropriation has been perpetrated. The people of Russia and other Slavic nations, and many African nations struggle to this day because of these exact types of policies. Recently, Venezuela has tried to warn South Africans not to proceed with land expropriation because it leads to economic hardships, but politicians are about to get access to our land, and there seems to be nothing we can do to stop them. If they can change our Constitution once in this way, we can expect that politicians with divisive agendas will continue to do so, and we are on a road to losing more of our hard-won rights. International community has tried to warn us but politicians are deaf In 2009, Venezuela began what South Africa . . .
What Support Is There For LGBTQI People In The Workplace?
LGBTQI people face exclusion and discrimination in the workplace. People who are less advantaged socioeconomically are most at risk of poor treatment and marginalisation, and a different sexual and/or gender orientation to the majority exacerbates this. At the level of individual companies in South Africa, there is insufficient, if any, formal and specialised workplace support for LGBTQI people. Informally, some co-workers and employers do provide support and show acceptance in the workplace and don’t show favouritism according to sexual orientation and gender. However, overall, there is little effective support, and it is too easy for a recruiter or employer to simply ignore certain candidates who apply for work or promotion on the basis of demographic factors. There are at least two organisations making headway, however. The Shambhala Organisation promotes and supports LGBT business leaders specifically. Shambhala invests in LGBT owned and managed high-potential businesses. These investments are combined with mentorship and support towards meeting business objectives. We need dedicated business chambers for and active in the LGBTQI community. We need several focusing on each group because the issues faced by the various members in the community are not the same. Transgender people face a different fight in the workplace compared to people who are homo- or bisexual, for example. Nevertheless, it is great news that Africa’s first business network for LGBTI+ people was launched in 2016. The network has offices in Johannesburg and is called PLUS the LGBTI+ Business Network. It is an ‘African trust that advances equality and freedom in southern Africa, with a particular focus on sexual orientation and gender identity.’ PLUS champions, promotes, supports and empowers South African LGBTI+ business owners and entrepreneurs with opportunities for learning, networking and conducting business for prosperity. PLUS aims to redress structural and economic injustices of the . . .
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