www.mensa.org.za
The Chronicle January 2016
1 The Chronicle, January 2016
In this issue Contacts and Committee
2
Jan-Feb events
3
Mensa.org and SIG information
4
Pretoria Kick-Off
6
What's on in the Mensa world?
8
Mad2Run
9
A New Mensa Post!
11
Leadership Exchange Ambassador Program 2016
12
Mensa International Photographer of the Year
17
Mensa International Scholarship Program Winner
19
A good question from one of Mensa SA members
21
Mensa Contacts and Committee SimonĂŠ Deyzel-O'Brian Amanda Horn Annette Badenhorst Yvonne Steyn Schalkwyk van der Merwe Donna Stephen
National Chairperson PR & Membership National Secretary National Administrator National Treasurer Editor
chairperson@mensa.org.za marketing@mensa.org.za secretary@mensa.org.za admin@mensa.org.za treasurer@mensa.org.za st.donna@gmail.com
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Hi Mensa South Africa This will be my last issue at the helm of the Chronicle. I will not be residing in South Africa for the next few years, and the editor of the national 'zine has to be based within our sunny shores. So if anyone has a New Year's resolution to volunteer more, or to get more involved in community organizations or somesuch, here is your chance to make a contribution. Currently, the size of the publication is limited by the amount of time one volunteer editor has to devote to sourcing and compiling the publication. Since the last issue one member has volunteered help on design, significantly reducing the workload on one person to get the issue published. I see no reason why there can't be an editor, a sub-editor or editorial assistant and a designer. That's the structure that any decent publication needs and if we have more than one volunteer to take the publication forward it can become bigger and better. Anyone interested in volunteering as editor, sub-editor, designer of the Chronicle, please send your details to myself, Yvonne, Amanda or SimonĂŠ. Au revoir, Donna
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JANUARY - FEBRUARY
EVENTS
http://www.mensa.org.za/events.html
2016 Events Saturday, 23 January 13:00 Mensa Pta: Project Water Drop Sunday, 24 January 17:00 Mensa KZN: Barn swallows excursion Friday, 29 January 17:00 Mensa Helderberg: Social SIG - picnic concert Saturday, 30 January 11:00 Mensa Pta: 2016 kick-off function and beer-tasting Saturday, 6 February 10:00 Mensa SA - JOHANNESBURG TESTING Wednesday, 17 February 19:00 Mensa Helderberg: Speaker evening Casper Labuschagne Thursday, 18 February 18:30 Mensa Jhb: Speaker evening
Saturday, 20 February 09:30 Mensa SA - HELDERBERG TESTING 10:00 Mensa SA - PRETORIA TESTING 19:00 Mensa KZN: Book SIG Thursday, 3 March 19:00 Mensa KZN: Gourmet SIG Saturday, 5 March 09:45 Mensa SA - DURBAN TESTING 10:00 Mensa SA - JOHANNESBURG TESTING 14:00 Mensa KZN: Board games afternoon Wednesday, 16 March 19:00 Mensa Helderberg: Speaker evening Saturday, 19 March 10:00 Mensa SA - PRETORIA TESTING Saturday, 2 April 10:00 Mensa SA - JOHANNESBURG TESTING Saturday, 9 April 09:30 Mensa SA - HELDERBERG TESTING Wednesday, 20 April 19:00 Mensa Helderberg: Speaker evening Saturday, 23 April 10:00 Mensa SA - PRETORIA TESTING 4
The Chronicle, January 2016
MENSA.ORG & SIGS
Mensa Facebook Page users post calls for forming new Sigs on the Page, so join the page and subscribe to page updates if you are looking to join a SIG or want to use social media to keep in touch. If you want to form one of your own SIG, it's also a good place to put out the call. SIGs, please send your info to marketing@mensa.org.za and any contact information you want to share with everyone.
All contact details and social media details will be listed here. (See the Pretoria Kick-off notice on the next page)
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Mensa Pretoria 2016 Year Kick-Off Function and Beer Tasting
Best wishes for a terrific 2016! May the year ahead be filled to the brim with pleasant surprises, laughter and good fortune. Speaking of all things pleasant, we would like to invite you to Mensa Pretoria’s Annual Year Kick-Off Function and Beer Tasting. What better way than to ease into the New Year with good food, good company and a lekker kuier? Throw in an ice cold pint of beer, and you have the recipe for a really good time! The details of our Year Kick-Off Function are as follows:
DATE: Saturday, 30 January 2016
TIME: 11:00 – 15:00
VENUE: Round Table Pretoria Community Centre; 19 26 Avenue, Menlo Park (GPS Co-ordinates: S25.776929;
th
E28.266893). Directions to the venue are given at the end of this e-mail. For a map to the venue, go tohttps://www.google.co.za/maps/place/Community+Center+Round+Table/@25.7764459,28.2641445,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x1e9560ef3c41338f:0x74be319064243ae3!6m1!1e1?hl=en
CONCEPT: Beer tasting in the late morning, followed by a lunch in the form of a catered braai. Mensa Pretoria will contribute towards your access fee to the Community Centre, as well as the beer tasting, braaied meat and salads. BraaiBoy will once again take care of the braai and salads. Lunch will consist of a chop, boerewors and roll, chicken sosatie, pap, gravy and salad. For kids under 12 lunch will be a Boerie Roll, pap, gravy and salad. The
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venue has a cash bar, so no own alcohol or drinks are allowed onto the premises.
ENTERTAINMENT: Our January speaker will talk about the History of Beer and will conduct a tasting of four of South African Breweries’ products. For the little ones we have again organized a jumping castle.
COSTS: For paid-up Mensa-members, as well as their spouses/partners/significant others and children, the costs will be R60.00 per adult and R25.00 per child under 12 years. Mensa Pretoria will sponsor the remainder of the costs, which will include access to the Community Centre, food and entertainment. If you would like to bring along more friends, they are welcome to join, but would have to book at the full price of R125.00 per adult and R50.00 per child under 12 years of age. Please note that booking is essential – you will not be able to gain access to the event without your booking having been confirmed.
WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING ALONG: The venue will provide glassware, cutlery, crockery, chairs and tables. Mensa Pretoria will provide the beer and glasses for the beer tasting. Please bring along some cash for the cash bar, as you are not allowed to bring own alcohol or drinks onto the premises. Also, please remember your booking confirmation,
HOW TO BOOK: Please forward the following to events.pta@mensa.org.za:
o
Name, surname and membership number
o
Name(s) of your +1 and additional guests (if applicable) – please confirm if they are guest/partner/spouse/child/parent etc
o
If your +1 or guest is not an adult, please specify the age of the child
o
Any special dietary requirements – we will try to accommodate as far as possible
o
Proof of payment (banking details are cited below)
BANKING DETAILS FOR MENSA PRETORIA: Mensa Pretoria First National Bank (Lynnwood 406-branch) Branch code: 250 655 Account number: 510 300 53626 Ref: "Kickoff" and your name/membership number
Please forward your details or proof of payment to events.pta@mensa.org.za
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WONDERING WHAT’S ON IN THE MENSA WORLD?
Log into the International website at
www.mensa.org for the calendar of national events. You can also read or download copies of many national journals and the Mensa World Journal.
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MAD2RUN 2016
around for an “emergency braai”. Over a few too many beers he was able to convince his mates that they needed to do something meaningful in their lives. With an existing family connection to the MAD Leadership Foundation™, Shaun found a great cause to put all of the team’s efforts towards. And so, MAD2Run was born! After months upon months of running training, planning, a NPO registration and a comedy the evening, he first run took place in 2014, with the team raising R 250 000 for the MAD Leadership Foundation™. Due to the success of the initiative and the support garnered, this could not have been a once off event. And so a new batch of motivated runners took to the road in 2015, and raised a further R 275 000! MAD2Run is an annual fund raising event in support of the MAD Leadership Foundation™. The event is a 7-day long relay-style run from Johannesburg to Cape Town (1500km), with 12 runners who embrace this adventure. The forthcoming run will take place from the 18th March 2016 – 26th March 2016.
This project was initiated in 2012, when Shaun Raaff decided that it was time be proactive and make a positive contribution to his much loved country, South Africa. After watching an inspirational talk given by Braam Malherbe (who ran across the great wall of China in aid of the charity Miles for Smiles). He got home, rather emotional, and immediately sent out an email to all of his friends and invited them
Now it is time for the next group of MAD2Run runners to take the proverbial baton – Team’16 as they are affectionately known, has been chosen!
They are: Shea Farrell, Andrew Chouler, Brad Spies, Gina Bergh, Thulani Masilela, Jen Volkwyn, Jonathan Oldnall, Luke Riding, Matthew Daniel, Rob Christian, Simon Fraser-King, Annika Brouwer.
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The team was selected based on shared values, a mutual commitment to the cause as well as an endless supply of GEES!
website www.mad2run.co.za; check out their Facebook page:
You can also be a part of all the training, preparation and various fundraising efforts, you can find more information on their
http://www.facebook.com/MAD2Run; or follow them on twitter @MAD2Run
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Note from Ed: Repeating this as I think it is still open...
A New Mensa Post!
International Communications Officer The purpose is to bring together the several strands of communications within Mensa but also in respect of presenting a positive image of Mensa to the outside world. The person would be responsible for coordinating and advising on Mensa’s message across all media and including the creation of more dynamic content on the Mensa International web site. Do you have these skills? The International Communications Officer is expected to have professional experience in the field of Public Relations or media and to be proficient in written and spoken English, the official language of Mensa International. He or she will be required to play an active role in promoting the message and ‘brand’ of Mensa in the international arena across all relevant media, so expertise with the use of social media and strong IT skills are also required. Can you also volunteer a large chunk of your time? If interested, please write to the Director of Administration, admin-mil@mensa.org, copied to the Executive Director,
MensaInternational@mensa.org for more details or go to the members’ section of www.mensa.org.
“Reprinted from Mensa World Journal, issue #035, December 2015, Editor Kate Nacard”
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Leadership Exchange Ambassador Program 2016 Share and gain knowledge with volunteers all over the world
Applications open mid January Any member worldwide can apply Choose between:
LEAP Talks
LEAP Projects
The original set up: A group of LEAPers will travel to international gatherings to present on leadership experience and best practices that have helped their own Mensas grow. Previous contributions can be found here: www.animusm.com/leap. Best practice reports are thus available to Mensa groups all over the world. Participants will receive travel allowances from Mensa International.
The second LEAP track is open for innovation: Volunteers can apply with their own ideas to exchange knowledge between Mensa groups. With limited budget inventiveness is needed. Tell us what you want to do, how much money your project will require and what the benefits would be. We look forward to your ideas!
All LEAP information can be found on the LEAP page on mensa.org Make sure your application is supported by your National Board; DIMs need to get support from the Director of Development Questions can be asked to the LEAP Committee using leapcomm@mensa.org Innovative ideas, success stories and a great international network: LEAP helps national Mensas grow by exchanging leadership experiences and best practices with other national groups ‌
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Leadership Exchange Ambassador Program 2016 Information for Applicants
AIM OF THE PROGRAM Different Mensas develop independently of each other; why not profit more from the Mensa international context and wisdom? The Leadership Exchange Ambassador Program aims to organize leadership development in a transnational structure characterized by learning, sharing of experiences, ideas and existing leadership programs, networking and building transnational relationships. The participants of today will be successful Mensa leaders of the future; this is a program to support the next generation of leaders! We help them to develop an international network and get in touch with other Mensa groups. Any Mensa member can apply, the status of your Mensa organisation is of no importance. DIMs (Direct International Members) are also invited. If you are or have been on the International Board of Directors, you are an experienced Mensa leader. This program is not for you; it will be beneficial for others who have not had your experience. The LEAP Committee (LEAPcomm) requires a nomination from the national board or for DIMs by the International Director of Development.
LEAP IN A NUTSHELL A group of LEAPers will travel to international gatherings to present workshops on leadership experience and best practices that have helped their own Mensa grow. Best practice reports from LEAP participants will then be available to Mensa groups all over the world. Participants will receive travel allowances from Mensa International. Videos and reports of previous contributions can be found on https://www.mensa.org/leadership-exchange-ambassador-program-leap and on www.animusm.com/leap.
FINANCIAL ASPECTS LEAP participants will get an individual budget to cover travel costs and 4 hotel nights at one or two international gatherings (see application form I). The program covers registration fees as well. The events to which the LEAPers can be sent in 2016: American Mensa’s Annual Gathering in San Diego or EMAG in Krakow (Poland). It is possible a National Board is asked to aid their candidate financially.
HOW TO BE NOMINATED, HOW TO APPLY 1. The nomination process in every country is up to the board of each National Mensa. 2. Members of all National Mensas may participate (FNMs, PNMs, and ENMs) including DIMs. 3. Applicants must be nominated by their national board, DIM’s by the International Director of Development. 4. Application forms can be submitted by the applicant or by the national board. 5. Applicants must use the LEAP 2016 Application Form in full, see page 4. 6. All materials – do not leave out any - should be forwarded by e-mail only. 7. Applications/Nominations must be submitted by 15 March 2016 to leapcomm@mensa.org.
SELECTION PROCESS The candidates whose application form and other materials were received by the deadline will be considered along the following criteria: 1. Candidate needs to be officially nominated by his or her national Mensa (for DIMs - by the International Director-Development).
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2. Candidate has been active in a certain field in a national Mensa and has some achievements, judged by material sent in. 3. Candidate expects that participation in LEAP will help them with their personal development and involvement in Mensa at the national or international level. 4. Candidate develops and is able to present a topic related to leadership and development in Mensa groups to Mensa audiences. 5. The topic transfers knowledge to other volunteers. 6. Candidate has participated in at least one major international event to show interest in international cooperation. 7. Candidate needs to be fluent in the English language. 8. Candidate should submit a description/profile/CV (maximum 2 pages). 9. Candidate should submit a 5-minute YouTube video, introducing his or herself and their presentation topic. Send us the link to the YouTube video. If this is your first YouTube publication, please see: - Video creation: http://support.google.com/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=57409, - Video upload: http://support.google.com/youtube/bin/topic.py?hl=en&topic=2888648&rd=1)
REQUIREMENTS OF PARTICIPANTS 1. Candidate is asked to communicate and form a group sense with the other LEAPers. 2. Candidate is asked to attend the other LEAP presentations. 3. During the paid for hotel stay LEAP candidate is asked to follow or to participate in other talks/workshops held at the event to gain as much information possible to take back home. A candidate should not be going on a sightseeing trip or attending any other private outing during this period. 4. Candidate is asked to transfer their presentation or project information in an individual report. 5. Candidate is asked to transfer this knowledge in written form to their national publication, the International Journal and in other forms, e.g., seminars, discussions, podcasts, films or other creative means on their own and, if feasible, to other Mensa groups. 6. Candidate should be aware of cultural differences or have experience in cross-cultural learning or business. 7. LEAP Talks candidate should be aware that their presentation/workshop may be recorded for storage on the LEAP page on Mensa.org and animusM.com. 8. Final reimbursement will be only paid if the criteria from 1-5 are met.
DECISION PROCESS LEAPcomm will select the participants based on the criteria listed above, the Application Form filled out by the candidate, the YouTube video and all material send in. Note: We know that no one can match ALL criteria and that will be taken into consideration. NEW IN 2016 – A SUPPORT GROUP! If you would like to get some insights about LEAP from ex-LEAPers, get some help with choosing the right topic or with any aspect about your application you can contact our LEAP support group by sending email to: LEAPsupport@mensa.org. It can be useful to contact them if you are not sure whether LEAP is for you or you have any doubts or need encouragement. They were successful, so their experience and knowledge may be really useful to you. However, opinions of the LEAP support group are their private opinions, and they are not binding. For any questions about the LEAP application form or LEAP selection process, you can contact the committee by sending email to LEAPcomm@mensa.org.
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TIME LINE LEAP track 2016 January (first two weeks)
From January 15 March 15
Until March 31 Until April 1 Until April 8
April 9-10 (that weekend) From April 10
April 30 June - September Before mid October
October
October onwards
Distribution of information to Chairmen/Presidents of National Mensas. Simultaneous distribution through social media channels and Mensa.org. National Mensas officially nominate candidates. Deadline for receipt of official nominations along with relevant material for each candidate as noted in the Nomination Form. Review of applicants / decision by LEAPcomm on participants. Applicants and national boards are informed of LEAPcomm’s decision. LEAP Talks: Participants work on their (short) introductions of their talk and themselves for the event programs. Participants decide on what they need for their talk (pc/ notebook,video projectors, flip charts, etc.). Participants need to send in a picture. Kick-off with LEAPcomm & participants: online meeting to get acquainted. (organized by LEAPcomm) Participants work on their presentations and exchange details about the events they are going to attend. Support available from LEAPcomm. Travel plans finalized. Participation. Participants send individual reports (LEAP evaluation, best practice report) to leapcomm@mensa.org. Participants write articles on their gained knowledge for their national publication and the Mensa World Journal. Participants transfer their gained knowledge in other forms, e.g., seminars, discussions, podcasts, films or other creative means on their own and, if feasible, to other Mensa groups.
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Leadership Exchange Ambassador Program 2016
Application Form By 15 March 2016, please send this form and all other material by e-mail to:
leapcomm@mensa.org Nomination by national board of Mensa (country) /committee/International Director of Development Contact person regarding your nomination (name): … E-mail (contact person): … See below a list of the documents that need to be attached. What do you want to achieve in the program and for Mensa? (Attach another sheet if needed) … Which topic(s) will you be able to provide in a talk/seminar/workshop (name them and give an explanation of why you may be an expert)? (Use all the space you need.) … Which topics are of interest for your National Mensa? (Use all the space you need.) … How do you see yourself in Mensa in 5 years? In the future, how will you utilize skills gained during LEAP such as giving presentations in neighbouring countries, organizing workshops on Mensa leadership, spreading the idea of LEAP to others? (Use your imagination as to how you will capitalize on your LEAP experience) If you have applied for LEAP before and you were unsuccessful, how have you progressed since then?
Please estimate your travel costs (round trip flight, train, bus, transfer costs*): (Use travel sites such as www.expedia.com)
US AG: San Diego, California June 29 – July 3
AMG: Kraków, Poland, August 10 to 14
Hometown + Country (e.g. Tokyo, Japan) Personal automobile costs at £0.33 per mile or £0.22 per km.
Flight: £ Train: £ Bus: £ Transfer costs: £ Total: £ Flight: £ Train: £ Bus: £ Transfer costs: £ Total: £ … £
* Transfer costs are those costs made to get to and from an airport or a train station. Please attach the following documents to your e-mail as well: Description from the nominating board (for DIM-candidates of the International Director of Development): How does the candidate meet the criteria mentioned above? Description/profile/CV of the candidate (maximum 2 pages). Link to YouTube video (contact leapcomm@mensa.org, if you need help with this item).
The LEAP Committee wishes you good luck with your application!
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Mensa International Photographer of the Year
1st place: Nelleke Boonstra (Mensa The Netherlands) A race against the melting point This year, fifteen countries submitted entries. The judging panel constituted three members: Professor Zarko Drincic, Malvin Mayer, and Bibiana Balanyi. The chairman of the panel, Professor Drincic, from the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, presented one of his own valuable paintings to the winner.
1st Place Nelleke Boonstra (The Netherlands) A race against the melting point 2nd Place Balazs Zoltan Sz眉gyi (Hungary) Unexpected Call 3rd Place Krzysztof Sk贸rka (Poland) Respect your time 17 The Chronicle, January 2016
2nd Place: Balazs Zoltan Szügyi (Hungary) Unexpected Call
“Reprinted from Mensa World Journal, issue #036, January 2016, Editor Kate Nacard”
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Mensa International Scholarship Program Winner The Mensa International Scholarship program provides funds for international students enrolled at accredited colleges or universities in a country other than the United States. Eligibility is limited to Mensa members. These scholarships are awarded on the basis of an essay that describes the applicant’s career, vocational, and/or academic goals along with information that shows how the applicant intends to achieve the stated goal. Below is the winning essay of Andrea Luppi (pictured at right) from Italy.
What fascinates me most about intelligence is that it can study itself. Thanks to our intelligence, we have probed oceanic depths and outer space. Yet, our brain is still the greatest mystery of all. Although our knowledge of the brain has advanced enormously in the last century, most of its functioning still remains uncharted territory. In particular, the very existence of consciousness and thought is so puzzling that philosophy and neuroscience need to work together, in order to find an answer. I believe philosophy has to address the question of what the mind is, before the neural sciences can successfully explain how it arises from the brain. At the same time, philosophy itself is entirely based on thought. Therefore,
awareness and intelligence. While at high school, I established that the best way to achieve my goal of investigating the human mind was by studying Experimental Psychology and Philosophy at Oxford University, which is at the forefront of research in both disciplines. This required top grades at school, but also proficiency in English (which is not my native language). Eventually my hard work towards fulfilling these requirements was rewarded, and Oxford offered me a place. I now have the privilege to study alongside world-leading academics, and I am committed to making the most of it – which resulted in a prize and a merit-based scholarship at the end of my first year.
I expect that by increasing our understanding of the processes that underlie thought, we will also be able to shed new light on the core questions of philosophy. In fact, research is already being undertaken in this direction, for instance regarding the neural bases of moral judgments. Hence, I believe that philosophy and the neural sciences can each benefit from the other. I aspire to be part of this exciting collaborative effort: in particular, I am interested in the higher cognitive functions, which include conscious
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As for the future, after graduating from Oxford I intend to pursue a Master’s degree in philosophy with a component of research. This is because I would like to gain in-depth knowledge in ethics and philosophy of mind, in order to relate them to the subsequent neuroscientific research that I will be carrying out. In particular, after the Master’s degree I intend to go on with doctoral research at the Consciousness and Cognition Lab in Cambridge, where the state of transition between wake and sleep (and vice-versa) is currently being investigated. The rationale for this is a belief that by understanding the processes that lead us to naturally lose and re-gain consciousness every day, we can develop valuable insight into how consciousness arises in the first place.
Consequently, I also intend to apply for a research internship at the Consciousness and Cognition Lab to work there for the summer. This would allow me to acquire hands-on experience on how scientific research is conducted in this area, as well as boosting my chances of being admitted to graduate study (and possibly securing a scholarship). Finally, after the PhD I expect to remain in academia and pursue further research on the higher cognitive functions, exploring thought and consciousness from a philosophical aswe ll as a neuroscientific point of view. Ideally, I would also like to broaden public knowledge of both neuroscience and philosophy.
“Reprinted from Mensa World Journal, issue #036, January 2016, Editor Kate Nacard”
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A good question from one of Mensa SA members:
Shelter from the storm?
Despite all our carefully-placed veils and shrouds and just plain obstinate ability to not see something we really don’t want to, the writing is clearly on the wall. The world is in jeopardy. Probably the worst peril it has faced since humans became the dominant species upon it. We are racing headlong down a path guided by nothing more than chaos theory – an uncharted sequence of cause and effect – like a pinball pinging madly through the demented arcade machine until, inevitably, it drops for the final time through the tiny flippers and into the waiting silence of the abyss. A bit melodramatic? Sure. I’ll give you that. I’m a writer. Melodrama is kind of my thing. But there is a serious question I would like to ask of you, South African Mensans and indeed members of this esteemed society across the globe. As significant an intellectual entity as the organisation and, more importantly, its individual members are, why do I see so little being done to tackle the problems presented directly? With emphatic and well-crafted solutions, or at least guidelines towards a destiny which is less fractious? At this point I’d like to very briefly give you an inkling of a background here. I am not a smart person. I know this very well and I’ve been OK with it for a very long time. As the last child in a family full of
overachievers (Paediatric neurosurgeon, Veterinary science with all possible honours, and a Master of Audiology) I never even tried to compete. Sure I always did well on IQ tests and thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated my time at a school for gifted children in my pre-teen years as a result, but still I (comparatively) barely scraped through with academic full colours and a brace of matric distinctions. Nevertheless being clever was not one of my strong suits. Just ask probably my oldest friend who’ll still talk to me, also by sheer co-incidence (perhaps?) a member of Mensa SA today, and she’ll gladly provide you with all the evidence you might need to prove that I am, actually, an intensely foolish person. And this from a person who still actually quite likes me! Certainly, I am able to find a path through problems with nonchalant ease, often taking routes that others may not have even thought of thinking about. Any problems, whether in a field I know intimately or a subject which may be quite new to me. I can, extremely rapidly, find solutions to almost as if I already knew what the solution was. But that’s not really a measure of intellect in my case, merely a product of a life lived entirely outside of the bounds of normality. Still I’m certain the observation will resonate with many of you. 21
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What I am, however, and have always known I was, is strong. Not through grit or courage or bloody-minded determination, but pure biology and the raw naked numbers of muscle mass. Strong enough to scare myself in the same way that my presence tends to frighten others. However rather than utilise this to exert my will over all and sundry, as many with my own best interests at heart have tried to convince me is my right, I’ve always seen this capacity as more of an obligation than a tool. From a very young age I’ve known that the sole sensible application of this brute strength has been to exercise it only in the protection of those who may lack it. Maybe I read too many superhero comics or something I suppose, but it seems to be one of those answers that’s in my blood. It’s obvious, and absolute. It doesn’t make me unusual, it just makes me me. Now to my point. Extending this same logic, albeit in some ways questionable, to the matter of thought leaders such as all of you, isn’t the application of your formidable intellects to address head on the myriad challenges faced by humanity today more than simply an organisational mandate or interesting sub-topic at polite dinner parties, but an actual obligation to the species? The constant, inherent instability of the global economy. Fixable. The multitendrilled scourge of environmental destruction. Resolvable. The power-driven dementia of those meant to be protecting their own helpless citizens. The incessant swelling of the military-industrial complex despite a child being able to point out that these “peace-keepers” are, in fact, by very definition, “war-makers”. The drastic and blatant bias in supposedly impartial international peace keeping efforts. The entrenched inequality of wealth
distribution on both macro and micro scales. International models of education which in fact do anything but educate. Consumerism slipping comfortably into overdrive. Mindless adulation of the meaningless driven by nothing more than financial gain. The absolute corruption of the “Fourth estate” through the generous application of the almighty dollar. The destruction of the art of communication through the proliferation and trivialization of communication channels. Poverty, starvation, disasters, tragedies unfolding before our eyes at every turn. All of which are solvable. Needless. Yet whenever I so much as mention any sort of concerted effort to do just that, at least on a local but ultimately global scale, there’s nothing but a stone wall of derisive laments – “But what can we actually do as individuals? Nothing of course, which obviously makes it OK not only for me to do nothing, but for me to strongly encourage you to do the same and in fact denigrate you for so much as thinking of trying to do anything!” Should these subjects, the very definitions of intellectual challenges faced by society today, not be the very bread and butter of the intellectually adept? Should we not be required to apply our collective brain power to delivering solutions, and furthermore driving these solutions with every fibre of resource at our disposal? What good are those resources at all if not employed building a better tomorrow – scratch that – any tomorrow at all for not only our own children but each and every single child scattered across this great blue and green globe of ours. Our only one. Simple survival should suggest that such efforts ought to kick in on instinct alone. The will to continue. To outlast. This is not the thinking of an intellectual giant, merely 22
The Chronicle, January 2016
a member of a species who yearns for said species not to go extinct. Decisive and radical redirection must be actively plotted. We often say that history exists for us to learn from our own mistakes, but it seems that in fact history simply provides us with a blueprint for how to mess up again many years later. Besides which history itself is written not by the side which was wrong or right in any conflict, but the side that won. Similarly economic policies which today cause as many seismic ripples as a magnitude 9 underground earthquake would to our seas and, subsequently, shorelines, are at their base upheld by decrepit structures first put in place thousands of years ago, by an industry without the best interests of society at heart nor any inkling of the position we find ourselves in today. Merely adapting these fundamentals to the times is no longer viable. It’s like relying absolutely on a database of for instance known medical ailments and their remedies when the original data capturers for said repository were just a step or two above the level of the humble amoeba. Certainly these same creatures may well have evolved over some time into the highly complex examples of life which the planet is littered with today, but to consider the same evolution of a rules-based system like finance to be the ideal is naïve at best. I must agree to a certain extent with the counter argument that life is chaos. That to exist is to sacrifice control and simply enjoy the ride, see where it takes you. Attempting to shepherd any part of it safely through the valley and securely home is not only futile but goes against the cosmic grain so to speak.
However if highly evolved intellect is to be in any way valued, it surely cannot be simply for the ability to devise new and better ways to amass more inequality in the world. It can only be for the purpose of shepherding as many of those hapless sheep to safety as is possible. Indeed to build that haven of safety in the first place – a shelter from the violence of the storm. Or even a brief reprieve at the very least. And not only for those who share similar qualities, but for all who seek it. Tackling each head of the serpent individually is no longer enough. As climate scientists have at last realised with the threat of climate change, simply eradicating fossil fuel use is not enough. Nor is an immediate, global change of diet to eliminate livestock farming. And nor is the blanket protection of our delicate oceanic ecosystems alone going to do the job. All these facets must be addressed simultaneously and in concert. And despite this challenge literally being a slippery slope to an extinction-level event, still this coordination of effort gets derailed by and mired in international politics and other trivialities like economic considerations. The survival of society at large requires the same kind of approach. A concerted realignment of fundamentals so established they are perceived to be the only options. Undeniably a task which makes the word 'mammoth' seem utterly inadequate, but could there be a challenge more worthy of taking up? And don’t think that someone else, someone more powerful or with more resources or better guidance than you is picking up the slack. They aren’t. But someone probably should… Russell Bennett editor@drivemagazine.co.za 23
The Chronicle, January 2016