Managing Monday with Alan Paton – Take 2
This is a second look at some of the thoughts of South African author, human rights advocate, Christian thinker, and educator, Alan Paton (1903-1988), who is best know for his book Cry, the Beloved Country. It’s a haunting book on the tragedy of race relations in South Africa, and one which shaped much of my thinking during my late teenage years. I still remember the opening two sentences of the book – perhaps because the countryside remains etched in my memory… There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they...
Read MoreManaging Monday with Gustavo Gutierrez
Born in Lima, Peru, Roman Catholic Priest Gustavo Gutierrez (1928-) is regarded as one of the founders of liberation theology. His work is thought provoking and challenging, and it is certainly worth taking time to reflect on some of his insights… There is no true commitment to solidarity with the poor if one sees them merely as people passively waiting for help… The goal is not to become the ‘voice of the voiceless’… but rather to ensure that in some way those without a voice find one. Gustavo Gutierrez We live post socialist, post capitalist, post...
Read MoreManaging Monday with Jimmy Carter – take 3
Jimmy Carter (1924- ) served as the 39th President of the USA from 1977-1981. He is unusual in that most commentators consider him to have been more influential and effective in his post presidency years than he was while president, a view reinforced by his being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, more than 20 years after he was ousted from office. Known for his strong Christian commitment, this is our third and final look at some of this insights… God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these...
Read MoreArtificial Intelligence, the Future of Work and What it Means to be Human…
Have you ever asked at what point technology will have so advanced that the input of humans into life’s tasks will rarely be required? And what does that mean for the future of work? And what does it say about what it means to be human? A personal anecdote. My family and I had recently arrived in New Zealand from South Africa. In the South Africa we left, the rubbish was collected by a van which rode down each street, the driver being supported by a team of four runners. Those runners would divide into teams of two, one for each side of the road. One would pick up the bag of rubbish and...
Read MoreReligious Freedom: Freedom for what?
The topic of religious freedom has been getting a fair amount of air time lately – and validly so. The often bitter debate over gay marriage has led to the fear of enforced conformity of opinion, with non-compliance seeing a quick accusation of (and possible prosecution for) hate speech or something similar. Baptists (the denomination I am aligned with) were some of the early champions of religious liberty. Having been persecuted for their religious convictions (sometimes being drowned with the cry, “If they want water, they shall have it”), they were deeply conscious of how much...
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