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© 2017 South Africa - The Good News Can History ‘learn’ us?History can teach us, and give us hope! by Stephen Mulholland* The father of modern economics, Adam Smith, once remarked that there’s a ‘great deal of ruin in a nation,’ by which he meant that it takes an awful lot of bungling by political leaders to bring down a powerful and prosperous state. History records a famous exchange between Smith and Sir John Sinclair followed the British surrender at Saratoga. The two battles of Saratoga were fought eighteen days apart in the autumn of 1777, and were turning points in the American Revolution.
On September 19th, 1777, British General Sir John Burgoyne achieved a small, but costly victory over American forces led by Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold, prompting Sir John to remark: ‘If we go on at this rate, the nation must be ruined.’ He was referring, of course, to Britain. To which Smith replied: ‘Be assured young friend, that there is a great deal of ruin in a nation’. More than three centuries later Smith’s wisdom holds. One has only to look at the recovery, from military destruction to modern prosperity, of the likes of Germany and Japan generously assisted, of course, by their conquerors, the USA. Who’s Doing the Thinking?Despite the uncertainty that surrounds us, there is a lot of serious thinking going on! I am a subscriber to the CDE reports, they more than demonstrate the enormous concern that thinking South Africans have for the challenges that confront us. Here are a few examples:- Youth Unemployment: An agenda for Action The Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) launched a new series of reports on South Africa’s crisis of youth unemployment in Johannesburg on 16 August 2017. The launch event was attended by 250 leaders in business, government, civil society and the media. Ann Bernstein presented CDE’s key findings and recommendations at the event chaired by CDE Board member, Reuel Khoza, former chairman of Nedbank. Other speakers included Mcebisi Jonas, former deputy finance minister; Malose Kekana, chairman of the Belelani Group; Sello Hatang, CEO, Nelson Mandela Foundation; Action Setaka, Activate!; Bishop Ziphozihle Siwa, president of the SA Council of Churches, and Arno Schaefer, head of co operation at the Delegation of the European Union to South Africa. Youth unemployment is the country’s most pressing socio-economic crisis. South Africa’s economic strategy has not produced the growth or employment that we desperately need. There are numerous initiatives to address the challenge but they have had only limited impact on the vast numbers of young people without work. The two new policy reports are: Imagine if Each Listed Corporate Adopted a School?Developing environments where special needs learners can thrive Nearly three-quarters of South African children living with disabilities are currently not in school.* As we observe Child Health Month this August, Adopt-a-School Foundation (AAS) urges all stakeholders to work together to develop strategies to support and educate these marginalised learners. “Schools in disadvantaged communities face many challenges. They are very seldom able to sufficiently accommodate learners with special needs,” says Steven Lebere, Executive Director of Adopt-a-School. “As a result, most of these children simply never enter the formal schooling system, even though many of them are very bright and would thrive in the right environment,” continues Lebere. Not surprisingly South Africans living with disabilities suffer from the lowest educational attainment of any group in the population. A quarter of severely disabled South Africans have no formal education, and just 5% attain any form of higher education.** Where “special” schools for learners with disabilities do exist, they are often severely under- resourced. The Thembelihle Cerebral Palsy Care Centre in the Emjindini Township in Barberton, Mpumalanga was one facility facing such challenges. Since 2010, the centre had housed 30 young learners with severe disabilities in what was little more than a wooden shack. The learners depended entirely on the unwavering dedication of a single carer – Ma Ennie. THIS WEEK'S FAST FACTConnected: Over the past five years the number of internet users in South Africa has more than doubled from 8.6 million users in 2012 to an expected 22.5 million by the end of 2017. (Source:www.Eighty20.co.za) GOOD DEEDS - CORPORATEUPLIFTING THE TOWNSHIP ECONOMY MASSMART LAUNCHES URBAN BOOKSHELF PROJECT
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