Making the world a better place

AS a platteland Zululander I always enjoy a visit to Egoli and revel in the vibe and bustle of this incredible city which is the gateway to our country.

Last week, however, I experienced a different kind of vibe which put me on such a high I was ready to conquer the world.

The occasion was the handing over of a resolution to the United Nations to prevent the willful destruction of enclosed wildlife in war situations.

The international Earth Organisation, initiated by Zululander Lawrence Anthony as a result of his historical rescue of the animals in the Baghdad zoo, teamed up with the international Miss Earth Organisation beauty pageant in their ‘Walk for Wildlife’ at the Johannesburg Zoo. The participants were entrants ranging in age from 18-26 from all walks of life.

Some are students and some are employed. One girl is doing her BSc in property management, another is working on the Stock Exchange and another owns her own packing company – so they certainly are from diverse backgrounds. Over the past weeks the girls have been involved in several projects as part of the adjudication that saw them qualify through to the semi-finals.

They were involved with tree planting and environmental workshops in several schools. They will also travel to the Kruger National Park for environmental experiences and then to Cape Town to learn about marine conservation.

All this to enable them to do their own projects in the months to follow. One of the endeavours was their invaluable involvement with some previously disadvantaged schools, and the children were there to add their signatures to the resolution.

A significant highlight of the day was the presence of four participating schools – Matiwane Combined School, Mondeor High, Prestige College and Emfundisweni Primary.

Here I got a glimpse of what the true youth of South Africa could be like. These scholars were well spoken, neatly dressed, well mannered and above all, enthusiastic and friendly. They are post-1994 and in conversation with the older ones, it was clear that they were well versed regarding the happenings in our country.

However, they were looking for positive, untainted leadership and not interested in the world-weary apartheid laden baggage of most of our older politicians. They seem to look to the present and the future rather than to the past, and more to the ‘what can be done’ than ‘who is to blame for inadequacies’.

A sentiment which inspires positive hope for this country. Charming guest of honour, Mujahid Alam the United Nations Liaison for Africa, expressed his intense delight at the concept of protecting wildlife entrapped in war zones and stressed to the scholars that the future of our world rested in their hands as protectors of the planet.
All in all a wonderful day stressing the goodness of life which can prevail when ordinary human beings reach out in communication to each other to make the world a better place for all.