Walking Together- The time is now

In 2009 a group of concerned citizens assembled to talk about the future of South Africa. Their discussion produced three possible scenarios for the future of South Africa. These are called the Dinokeng Scenarios. http://www.dinokengscenarios.co.za There is only one scenario that most South Africans want to see and that is the one called WALK TOGETHER. This is a scenario of active citizen engagement with a government that is effective and that listens. So what does it mean to be an active citizen? It means that you need to be responsible, honest and look around your own centre of influence and try and make a difference. This may be in your community, your work or in some part of society where you can engage and be involved in positive change. ACTIVE is a doing word so requires action and engagement. It is so easy to sit on the side-line and criticise but it is only when you are involved that you will truly understand how this can change both your perceptions as well of those you are engaging with. For me personally my role in WALK TOGETHER is in the world of parenting and early childhood. We have 5.5 million children in our country under the age of 5. The first 5 years of life define and mould the future of a child and the health of our Nation will need citizens who use as much of their potential as possible and at the same time are able to complete formal education with confidence so that they too will become productive citizens 20 years from now. I am involved in BrainBoosters to help influence as many parents, caregivers, CEO’s and government leaders to take this challenge seriously. Each of us has children in our area of influence. It starts with your own children, those connected to you via employees and then further into the community you live in. There is no citizen who cannot bring about change in this arena, even if it is only one child. www.brainboosters.co.za The second part of the WALK TOGETHER scenario is a government that is effective and listens. I am encouraged that the government is in consultation on an ECD policy and programme for every child in our beautiful country. There are many people who are engaging in this conversation and hopefully the future will look brighter for all our children. Your responsibility is to make sure you get out and vote on the 7th May. Your voice and cross are needed to ensure that we hold our leaders accountable. Dinokeng is called a place of rivers… all our pasts have flowed together to meet at this place and time, and all our futures will flow from here.