Nation-building

The purpose of nation-building is to: “inculcate a feeling of belonging and with it, accountability and responsible behaviour.” (National Planning Commission, Republic of South Africa). At the time this statement was fashioned, Nelson Mandela held the reins of government. South Africa was returning from an abyss of deadly strife and everyone had apprehensions about the future.

While none would claim a perfect outcome, there is no denying that the declaration of intent made a positive impact on South Africa and the world. A key point of emphasis is

The gift of gratitude

 As I write this article, Valentine’s Day is on the horizon. It signals a time to pause and reflect on the need to express love and think about those, who to us, deserve our love. It is an act of gratitude. Never mind the fact that it has become commercialized and there are some prescribed rituals, which if not displayed, can cause disappointment.

In Barbados, there is a pall cast upon this commemoration because of widespread concern about the effects of

Authentic Leadership

At times when we are deciding about key investments, each of us instinctively wants to be assured that the object of our investment is the “real deal”. The bigger the investment the greater the concern about authenticity. Most definitions of “authentic” include: genuine, undisputed origin, worthy of trust, verified, accurate and reliable. As these elements are verifiably present, our conviction to act is

We can do it!

United States President, Barack Obama is well-known as an inspirational speaker and leader. His State of the Union message, delivered on January 28^th, received global media coverage. The consensus is that this was another inspirational tour de force, not just for Americans but many others who have been undergoing hard times.

It doesn’t matter that there are differences about the policies, programmes and political agenda; at one point or another, your heart was stirred