Celebrating Humanity

One of the most exciting aspects of being nominated by our clients, as one of the top training companies in South Africa, is that we work in the oft-maligned area of “Diversity Training” and Teambuilding.

When we started the Celebrating Humanity program, our focus was on Diversity Training. And we perceived it as a huge opportunity, to transform teams and build organisations - through respect and unity.

As we have said, many times over, companies embarking upon a “diversity training initiative,” stand at the crossroads of danger and opportunity. Our Guide to Selecting Teambuilding Providers clearly states, that the opportunity lies in uniting the teams and the greatest danger, in the separation of team members by their “differences.”

Our main guiding principle, is:-

“At the level of respect, all people are equal.”

Normally a “diversity training” initiative, is based in the need to reduce at least one of the following:-
• Negativity and Arguing.
• Incessant Gossiping & Backbiting.
• Cross-cultural Clashes.
• Personality Conflicts.
• Silly Time-wasting Workplace Disputes.
• Frustrating time spent in Dispute Mediation, and at the CCMA.
• Unnecessary Labour Lawyers' fees.
• Misunderstandings and Mis-communications.
• Inability to communicate with diverse clients.
• A lack of Professionalism and Accountability.
• Excessive Absenteeism.
• Racism and Prejudice.
• Rankism and Departmentalism.

and/ or to lay the groundwork for improving the (Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) rating of the company/ organisation.

Everyone needs to feel safe.

Whatever the reason for the program, it is essential that it is based in fun and respect, and is totally non-threatening, inclusive and motivational. Everybody wants their place in the sun.

One of the biggest challenges with traditional team-building exercises, is that the focus is often on the needs, talents and abilities, of a core group, within a team. The less young, educated, physically talented, or fit the team member - the more they have to rely upon the “cool group.” And the less they enjoy the experience.

These results are short term and limited.

Involving Diverse Teams

When working with a very diverse group of people, it is critical that the facilitators involve EVERYONE, in a way that is individually important to them, and their existence on the earth. This ensures that each person can, and does contribute.

In the Celebrating Humanity© - Transformational Team-building programs, processes are fun, exciting, non-threatening and most importantly, everyone participates.

Each person adds value to their teams in some way. The process and methodology must show the value of everybody, in the group. Processes need to show at least some of the knowledge, skills and abilities of each person.

We all add to each other

In a public session, a partially literate Zulu-speaking housekeeper, maKhumalo - sat in a team comprising highly-qualified HR professionals. Kevin Turner, who was raised on a rural Midlands farm, spoke excellent Zulu.

He and maKhumalo happily shared and communicated their knowledge on culture and tradition to the team. maKhumalo was the expert on Zulu culture, proverbs, ancestry. She brought great value, as did her team members. And similarly Kevin added to the team with his knowledge of Zulu and his warm humanness.

At the point where the team was asked to put together a Kwaito dance, maKhumalo suddenly stood out head-and-shoulders, above her more skilled and reserved team mates. It was delightful to watch her lead them. And they put on a wonderful 2 minute show, for the other teams.

Here was a wonderful lady, from the depths of rural KwaZulu Natal, and she was the stand-out leader for a group of University-educated Human Resources specialists! The exercise demonstrated, that we are all leaders, that we all bring value, and that we all need to respect and value each other.

Teams that understand, that we add to each other, will be far more secure. Through Transformational Team-building, they will know and experience, that the more diverse the team members, the more chances we have to win - through greater knowledge, skills, wisdom and understanding.

Some ways to involve people.

Some of the ways that we involve our delegates, are through:-
• Workplace Knowledge.
• Background.
• Artistic ability.
• Joke-telling skills.
• Dancing skills.
• Language and greetings.
• Proverbs.
• Body language.
• Cultural knowledge.
• Beliefs.
• Religion.
• Music.
• Traditions.
• Other relevant Skills and Talents.

Diversity does not only mean culture and religion.

At Lake Kariba, we took the top executives of the Bank of Zambia, through a transformational team-build.

Now Zambians have, since the inauguration of Kenneth Kaunda, believed that they are all “Zambians.” “One Zambia, One nation”, was the clarion cry of former President Kaunda’s government. And it has worked!

The Zambians all stood as one. Not black, or white, Losi, Ngoni, Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga or as speakers of any of the over 69 dialects. Just Zambians.

The World, South Africa, companies and organisations could learn a lot form the people of this beautiful country.

Thus, in Zambia - there was no desire to bring “cultural diversity” to the team-build. So we found out about the various skills and abilities of the team members, and involved them all in, in that way. They soon knew, just how much, they added to each other.

And one of the most brilliant dancers, in that small section of the program, was wheelchair-based. He really made the wheelchair dance!

You never know how your team members add to you, until you experience them as humans.

Skills Development

Any team-building/ diversity training program that does not develop skills, is not worth the investment.

Transformational Team-building programs are intended to improve the lives of delegates, by building their personal skills, communication and relationship skills - socially, at the office and at home.

Some of the skills would include:-

• How to learn more easily for your unique Learning Style.
• How your unique Learning Style shapes your Communications Style.
• How to assess the Learning Type of the person/s you are communicating with and get stunningly better results, in your communications.
• The impact of your Communications Style on your relations in all areas of your life.
• Simple and easy, non-judgemental and team-based Personality assessment skills and how to get better results by adjusting your own behaviour.
• Understanding body language from different cultural groups. Making adjustments for far better results, with clients and team members.

In a recent chat, with one of our Celebrating Humanity© facilitator’s wife - she said, “Fazal was amazing in the Free State. He greeted the local people in Sesotho and through body language showed his respect. The people were simply amazing to us.”
We know Fazal well and are certain that he would have used his other, easy-to-use communication skills, to further build the relationships, as he went along on his fishing tour.

Sustainability

It is critical to make sure that the team-build is not a once off injection in the spirit of the team! The program has to include in-house follow up, initially guided by the teambuilding organisation. The Harvest programme ensures sustanability.

Ownership

Another great opportunity to add to this “diversity training,” (now "grown-up" to be Transformational Team-building,) is to ensure that your team owns the change.

In this way, managers and their teams, can drastically reduce the interpersonal war stresses, that once seemed inevitable within teams.

One of the big challenges to “managing” teams, as opposed to “leading” teams, is that most traditional managers still manage people, as if they are their children.

The moment that there is conflict the traditional parent pulls the kids apart. “Stop that Mary! Go to your room Sipho. If you do that again Bavika, I will punish you!

The only difference is that you cannot fire your kids!

Managers/ leaders that spend all of their time “managing diversity,” are in a boiling pot. They will never be able to focus on their time on doing what they are paid to do and will suffer the consequences of unnecessary stress, both physically, emotionally and in their relationships.

The only way to reduce this stress on businesses, clients, teams and their families is to get all team members managing their own behaviour.

All people are leaders.

This is a fact ignored in most teams. I was in a local hardware store, a number of years ago, and chatting to a “Shelf packer.” As we were speaking happily in Zulu, his supervisor marched up and arrogantly demanded that his "underling" go and do his other work. With suppressed anger, my friend bid me farewell and went off, to do his "superiors" bidding.

Little did the young supervisor know, that this same elderly gentleman was the chairman of a number of multi-million Rand development contracts, in his rural village. He could have learnt a lot from him, with a little more respect.

Perhaps this is an extreme example, so let’s take our Kwaito dancer - maKhumalo. She manages the cleaning, laundry, cooking and kids in a suburban home. She runs a home in Mahlabathini, where she is building a new home and she educates her 3 children. She is not only a “Dance leader,” she is an every day leader.

So why not place the leadership of workplace relationships, in the hands of your team members. They may even guide you, as is the example with our young supervisor. He certainly could have used some gentle guidance!

Increase the Ownership and Accountability

A true Transformational Team-build, with the correct amount of time allocated to the process, will dramatically reduce stress through increasing the ownership, accountability and responsibility of each and every team member!

Once your team decides how they will behave around each other, and what is not acceptable behaviour - they own it and can manage it.

With the right clearing processes, constitution and a 1 hour monthly meeting, this peer-driven process ensures that relationship management - is no longer the responsibility of the managers/ supervisors or the board members.

Transformational Team-building - with the commitment, and full participation, of all management and leadership - has the power to transform teams. And we have the evidence to prove it!

Challenges

Some possible challenges to your team-build for diverse teams:-

• Leadership/ management sending only “them,” because “we” don’t need it.

Trying to cut costs by:
• Going for the shortest possible intervention.
• Paying for a once-off intervention.
• Saving on the venue. “Let’s do it in the board room.”
• The program will be interrupted, by “emergency situations. If a team members are not available, the emergency is always resolved quite easily, in their absence.
• Another challenge is that people do not feel respected if the company is not prepared to pay for an upmarket venue.
• Attendance will be poor and no team-build can be successful, without the team.
• Cutting down on the quality and diversity of food and refreshments. Many diabetics, vegans, vegetarians, followers of Shembe, Judaism, Islam and numerous others - are often not properly catered for, during outings or training sessions.
• Utilising service providers who do not dedicate extensive time to understanding your people, your company and your country. (This is often a decision based on cost alone.)

We hope that the following guidelines will help you to select your next teambuilding organisation, with great care. And we will be delighted to hear from you, or just learn how the teambuild worked for your team.

E-mail us for more information on our Celebrating Humanity programmes.

For more free diversity stories and articles.

One of the most exciting aspects of being nominated by our clients, as one of the top training companies in South Africa, is that we work in the oft-maligned area of “Diversity Training” and Teambuilding.

When we started the Celebrating Humanity program, our focus was on Diversity Training. And we perceived it as a huge opportunity, to transform teams and build organisations - through respect and unity.

As we have said, many times over, companies embarking upon a “diversity training initiative,” stand at the crossroads of danger and opportunity. Our Guide to Selecting Teambuilding Providers clearly states, that the opportunity lies in uniting the teams and the greatest danger, in the separation of team members by their “differences.”

Our main guiding principle, is:-

“At the level of respect, all people are equal.”

Normally a “diversity training” initiative, is based in the need to reduce at least one of the following:-
• Negativity and Arguing.
• Incessant Gossiping & Backbiting.
• Cross-cultural Clashes.
• Personality Conflicts.
• Silly Time-wasting Workplace Disputes.
• Frustrating time spent in Dispute Mediation, and at the CCMA.
• Unnecessary Labour Lawyers' fees.
• Misunderstandings and Mis-communications.
• Inability to communicate with diverse clients.
• A lack of Professionalism and Accountability.
• Excessive Absenteeism.
• Racism and Prejudice.
• Rankism and Departmentalism.

and/ or to lay the groundwork for improving the (Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) rating of the company/ organisation.

Everyone needs to feel safe.

Whatever the reason for the program, it is essential that it is based in fun and respect, and is totally non-threatening, inclusive and motivational. Everybody wants their place in the sun.

One of the biggest challenges with traditional team-building exercises, is that the focus is often on the needs, talents and abilities, of a core group, within a team. The less young, educated, physically talented, or fit the team member - the more they have to rely upon the “cool group.” And the less they enjoy the experience.

These results are short term and limited.

Involving Diverse Teams

When working with a very diverse group of people, it is critical that the facilitators involve EVERYONE, in a way that is individually important to them, and their existence on the earth. This ensures that each person can, and does contribute.

In the Celebrating Humanity© - Transformational Team-building programs, processes are fun, exciting, non-threatening and most importantly, everyone participates.

Each person adds value to their teams in some way. The process and methodology must show the value of everybody, in the group. Processes need to show at least some of the knowledge, skills and abilities of each person.

We all add to each other

In a public session, a partially literate Zulu-speaking housekeeper, maKhumalo - sat in a team comprising highly-qualified HR professionals. Kevin Turner, who was raised on a rural Midlands farm, spoke excellent Zulu.

He and maKhumalo happily shared and communicated their knowledge on culture and tradition to the team. maKhumalo was the expert on Zulu culture, proverbs, ancestry. She brought great value, as did her team members. And similarly Kevin added to the team with his knowledge of Zulu and his warm humanness.

At the point where the team was asked to put together a Kwaito dance, maKhumalo suddenly stood out head-and-shoulders, above her more skilled and reserved team mates. It was delightful to watch her lead them. And they put on a wonderful 2 minute show, for the other teams.

Here was a wonderful lady, from the depths of rural KwaZulu Natal, and she was the stand-out leader for a group of University-educated Human Resources specialists! The exercise demonstrated, that we are all leaders, that we all bring value, and that we all need to respect and value each other.

Teams that understand, that we add to each other, will be far more secure. Through Transformational Team-building, they will know and experience, that the more diverse the team members, the more chances we have to win - through greater knowledge, skills, wisdom and understanding.

Some ways to involve people.

Some of the ways that we involve our delegates, are through:-
• Workplace Knowledge.
• Background.
• Artistic ability.
• Joke-telling skills.
• Dancing skills.
• Language and greetings.
• Proverbs.
• Body language.
• Cultural knowledge.
• Beliefs.
• Religion.
• Music.
• Traditions.
• Other relevant Skills and Talents.

Diversity does not only mean culture and religion.

At Lake Kariba, we took the top executives of the Bank of Zambia, through a transformational team-build.

Now Zambians have, since the inauguration of Kenneth Kaunda, believed that they are all “Zambians.” “One Zambia, One nation”, was the clarion cry of former President Kaunda’s government. And it has worked!

The Zambians all stood as one. Not black, or white, Losi, Ngoni, Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga or as speakers of any of the over 69 dialects. Just Zambians.

The World, South Africa, companies and organisations could learn a lot form the people of this beautiful country.

Thus, in Zambia - there was no desire to bring “cultural diversity” to the team-build. So we found out about the various skills and abilities of the team members, and involved them all in, in that way. They soon knew, just how much, they added to each other.

And one of the most brilliant dancers, in that small section of the program, was wheelchair-based. He really made the wheelchair dance!

You never know how your team members add to you, until you experience them as humans.

Skills Development

Any team-building/ diversity training program that does not develop skills, is not worth the investment.

Transformational Team-building programs are intended to improve the lives of delegates, by building their personal skills, communication and relationship skills - socially, at the office and at home.

Some of the skills would include:-

• How to learn more easily for your unique Learning Style.
• How your unique Learning Style shapes your Communications Style.
• How to assess the Learning Type of the person/s you are communicating with and get stunningly better results, in your communications.
• The impact of your Communications Style on your relations in all areas of your life.
• Simple and easy, non-judgemental and team-based Personality assessment skills and how to get better results by adjusting your own behaviour.
• Understanding body language from different cultural groups. Making adjustments for far better results, with clients and team members.

In a recent chat, with one of our Celebrating Humanity© facilitator’s wife - she said, “Fazal was amazing in the Free State. He greeted the local people in Sesotho and through body language showed his respect. The people were simply amazing to us.”
We know Fazal well and are certain that he would have used his other, easy-to-use communication skills, to further build the relationships, as he went along on his fishing tour.

Sustainability

It is critical to make sure that the team-build is not a once off injection in the spirit of the team! The program has to include in-house follow up, initially guided by the teambuilding organisation. The Harvest programme ensures sustanability.

Ownership

Another great opportunity to add to this “diversity training,” (now "grown-up" to be Transformational Team-building,) is to ensure that your team owns the change.

In this way, managers and their teams, can drastically reduce the interpersonal war stresses, that once seemed inevitable within teams.

One of the big challenges to “managing” teams, as opposed to “leading” teams, is that most traditional managers still manage people, as if they are their children.

The moment that there is conflict the traditional parent pulls the kids apart. “Stop that Mary! Go to your room Sipho. If you do that again Bavika, I will punish you!

The only difference is that you cannot fire your kids!

Managers/ leaders that spend all of their time “managing diversity,” are in a boiling pot. They will never be able to focus on their time on doing what they are paid to do and will suffer the consequences of unnecessary stress, both physically, emotionally and in their relationships.

The only way to reduce this stress on businesses, clients, teams and their families is to get all team members managing their own behaviour.

All people are leaders.

This is a fact ignored in most teams. I was in a local hardware store, a number of years ago, and chatting to a “Shelf packer.” As we were speaking happily in Zulu, his supervisor marched up and arrogantly demanded that his "underling" go and do his other work. With suppressed anger, my friend bid me farewell and went off, to do his "superiors" bidding.

Little did the young supervisor know, that this same elderly gentleman was the chairman of a number of multi-million Rand development contracts, in his rural village. He could have learnt a lot from him, with a little more respect.

Perhaps this is an extreme example, so let’s take our Kwaito dancer - maKhumalo. She manages the cleaning, laundry, cooking and kids in a suburban home. She runs a home in Mahlabathini, where she is building a new home and she educates her 3 children. She is not only a “Dance leader,” she is an every day leader.

So why not place the leadership of workplace relationships, in the hands of your team members. They may even guide you, as is the example with our young supervisor. He certainly could have used some gentle guidance!

Increase the Ownership and Accountability

A true Transformational Team-build, with the correct amount of time allocated to the process, will dramatically reduce stress through increasing the ownership, accountability and responsibility of each and every team member!

Once your team decides how they will behave around each other, and what is not acceptable behaviour - they own it and can manage it.

With the right clearing processes, constitution and a 1 hour monthly meeting, this peer-driven process ensures that relationship management - is no longer the responsibility of the managers/ supervisors or the board members.

Transformational Team-building - with the commitment, and full participation, of all management and leadership - has the power to transform teams. And we have the evidence to prove it!

Challenges

Some possible challenges to your team-build for diverse teams:-

• Leadership/ management sending only “them,” because “we” don’t need it.

Trying to cut costs by:
• Going for the shortest possible intervention.
• Paying for a once-off intervention.
• Saving on the venue. “Let’s do it in the board room.”
• The program will be interrupted, by “emergency situations. If a team members are not available, the emergency is always resolved quite easily, in their absence.
• Another challenge is that people do not feel respected if the company is not prepared to pay for an upmarket venue.
• Attendance will be poor and no team-build can be successful, without the team.
• Cutting down on the quality and diversity of food and refreshments. Many diabetics, vegans, vegetarians, followers of Shembe, Judaism, Islam and numerous others - are often not properly catered for, during outings or training sessions.
• Utilising service providers who do not dedicate extensive time to understanding your people, your company and your country. (This is often a decision based on cost alone.)

We hope that the following guidelines will help you to select your next teambuilding organisation, with great care. And we will be delighted to hear from you, or just learn how the teambuild worked for your team.

E-mail us for more information on our Celebrating Humanity programmes.

For more free diversity stories and articles.

Resistance to change is the major reason why changes fail in organizations. This article explores why people resistance to change and offers tips on ways to work with it.

I am a very lucky man. After a very long time as a self-sufficient bachelor, a beautiful lady came into my life and in a moment I was married to her.

I was notoriously slow and fearful in matters of love. Arthie, bless her active spirit, arranged a birthday party for me on my 45^th birthday, bought a ring and on bended knee proposed to me! She then waited for me to set the date for the wedding.

After a brief time she asked me for some time on Valentine’s day - her birthday. I was hoping to take her on a helicopter, a yacht and a train ride on the day. I knew Arthie did not particularly like being up early - so I jokingly said, "Ok. How about 2 hours, between 7 am and 9 am.

On the 13^th we both participated in a fire walk, once more proving the resilience of our relationship. That evening Arthie sent me to the local pub, for a business meeting. Lo and behold, all of my friends were there and I began to put 2 and 2 together! It was my stag party! I felt an amazing rush of excitement - I was getting married the next day!

We arrived early the next morning, at the beautiful Botanic Gardens. I was guided down to the tranquil bird-filled, tree-lined lake to await my beautiful bride. About 30 members of the family and our friends had gathered to witness our wedding. Arthie had arranged for the ceremony to be officiated by a marriage officer. He in turn had gathered as many hymn books as possible and handed them out to our pre-dominantly Hindi guests.

My heart skipped a beat as my beautifully smiling bride appeared, flanked by her family. She glided stunningly towards me in her beautiful white wedding gown. Her image was reflected on the walkway in the pools of rainwater, as she stepped into my life and into my spirit.

The ceremony was incredible and many scenes stand out for me. My mother sang "The best things in life are free." The marriage officer, as a lay pastor, decided to carry out a full Christian ceremony. He even had our families and friends singing Christian hymns! I later found out that he was unsure that I would agree to this "surprise" wedding!

I remember the beautiful birds gliding across the lake and a tiny one-legged bird scrounging for insects as we took our vows. In terms of South African law we had to sign the registration forms under a roof and we all squeezed tightly into a tiny office at the garden’s restaurant to do so.

I will always take with me the special love and beauty of my incredible friend, guide and wife - Arthie.

She is so much to me and to our little boy Lliam. She is a nurturer and a leader. She is a doer and designer. She is humble, yet she is strong. She is firm and yet she is sensitive. She is loving and forgiving. And on top of all this she is a great daughter and daughter-in-law, a marvellous business person, an excellent sister and friend, a teacher and a listener, a shining star and a forward-focussed wunderkind who lives in the now, whilst building her legacy for the future!

One of the greatest leadership lessons that I have learnt from Arthie is that of standing back. I am a very strong person and often I take over when something needs to be done. My way gets results but no-one learns from it. Arthie takes a different tack, she shares some wisdom and leaves others to do complete the task. In this way the work gets done and someone else grows. A prime example is our son Lliam.

When he first began to totter around our home, I went onto Daddy standby. The moment he stumbled, I would rush to catch him. My cool and calm guide said, "He learns by falling. Let him fall."

I struggled against my protecting nature. And now Lliam falls, dusts himself off and carries on at full tilt into his next adventure. When he really hurts himself Arthie is always there for him, but she knows the difference between falling and hurting.

When Lliam picked up a sharp knife, I nearly had a heart attack and Arthie showed him how to use it. When he made a mess, Arthie bought him a small broom and a mop. "I am not going to raise a man so that I have to clean up after him." He is now 2 years and 8 months old and is an accomplished sweeper and mopper and even makes his own peanut butter sandwiches!

Making sandwiches at his age may sound like a great achievement but that is not the half of it. The peanut butter and syrup are on a shelf more than two metres above the ground. The butter is high up in the fridge. Lliam pushes a bar stool to the high places, takes what he needs and makes a perfect sandwich! To top it all he returns each item to it’s rightful place!

And two weeks ago he suddenly began washing the dishes. He kneels on his bar stool at the sink and washes away quite merrily. He then stacks the clean items in the correct places. This all started by being allowed to experience life without being affected by a bigger person taking over the task or by the unreasonable fears of a parent. "Get down! You will hurt yourself." or, "Don’t touch that knife! You will cut yourself."

Standing back takes a lot of courage and selflessness. It is often selfish to take over when helping people and it takes bravery to allow a child to walk down stairs for the first time!

Arthie has taught me that managers create controlled and limited results and that leaders create leaders who create brilliant results. Our little boy is fast becoming a leader who comfortably speaks English and Zulu and greets in 12 languages.

Lliam climbed into his gran’s car recently, released the brake, took it out of gear and "drove" it down our gently inclined driveway until it came to a stop. Arthie and I arrived at the car at the same time. Arthie gently asked, "What are you doing Lliam?"

Our little boy firmly stated, "I drive my car!" And we smiled and kept quiet. Later he told, all who would listen, how he had parked his car. Indeed he had! He then asked for the car keys so that he could reverse the car back to where it came from. We didn’t give him the keys.

Sometimes a leader understands when his student is just too short to reach the pedals or to see over the dashboard!

Lliam is also offered choices. If he is doing something that we are not comfortable with he is offered a choice of other activities. Instead of wresting a knife out of his hand he may be offered a ride on his pushbike, or a paintbrush and paper. No attention is drawn to the knife, which he hands over without fuss, as Arthie draws attention to a fun and safe activity. I was raised with a strong focus on what I did wrong.

Arthie always focusses our son on good activities and praises him on what he does well. Within 1 week of moving out of the diaper stage, Lliam was getting out of bed saying, "Look mommy, I am dry! Yeah! Yeahhhh!" Within a few weeks he is a "dry" baby, who notifies us when he needs the toilet. Arthie’s praise had created pride and she was rewarded with good behaviour - another great lesson for leaders.

Yes! I am a lucky man. Not only has Arthie helped our child to grow, she does that for everyone, including myself. She has taught me that I can "unite or be right." A great lesson for those of us who have "all the answers", or who try to manage every situation. Often when we over control, we lose control and break relationships. She has taught me that very few situations require my input. That I have greater value by allowing people to be and to do.

She is a great speaker and a guiding light in our transformational team-building business, where our focus is on uniting diverse people through their uniquenesses and their actions. She always intuitively knows when to move on to a new process. And if the group needs something special or something different, she knows and makes the change in pace and direction. Arthie is in tune with herself and with people and has saved many failing relationships, with her ability to listen and gently help people move from being victims to becoming leaders.

She has taught me the value of giving and the sheer freedom in personal forgiveness. She has taught me that humanness far out-weighs "winning". She has taught me about the power of "us" and the value of family. She has taught me that the world rewards action and not thought.

And she is so incredibly beautiful in every possible way! Yes! I am indeed a very lucky man!

Brian Moore© - 3 November 2003 - Durban - South Africa.

Arthie and I have since celebrated our love in two more weddings. A native American shamanic wedding - with Australian aboriginal and eastern influencs, and a traditional "over the anvil wedding," in Gretna Green in Scotland.

Lliam is nearly 6 years old and his new brother Kailash, is only 6 month’s old.

I am blessed and delighted with the journey that we are on. We bounce over the rocky patches and pick up a few bruises, but the cocoon of love and happiness is hard to break. And happiness is a choice!

February 2, 2007

Fazal stood before the delegates, at the end of the Celebrating Humanity© session, in Richard’s Bay - South Africa.

The Celebrating Humanity© facilitator’s voice trembled with emotion as he spoke.
“I have been deeply touched, by your giving and humanness. The lengths to which you have gone, to ensure that we have been fed, goes beyond anything that I have ever experienced.” As he spoke, tears and smiles began to fill the room.

Our story begins in Durban - South Africa, during November 2007, and takes us about 200 kms up the North coast.

Our company had been contracted to run a 2 day Celebrating Humanity Harvest© session, over 2 consecutive weekends, for Rennies Shipping Agencies. The negotiations had been finalised in Durban. In order to get the finer details correct, I drove to Richard’s Bay to meet the branch manager - Clint Evans.

We sat down and chatted about his team’s needs, the venue and the make up of our teams. One of the immediate challenges was the fact that there were two people, who had specific dietary requirements - based on their religion. One was Fazal, from our Mthimkhulu International team and another, a member of the RSA team. (We later found out that Fazal was the only one.)

After I left, Clint had his organiser check the various venues and settled on a hotel that promised halaal food.

A week or so later, Fazal and I arrived in Richard’s Bay, to find that the hotel did not serve halaal food, as it served alcohol and pork, on the premises.

The wonderfully humble, Fazal - told me not to worry. He would eat bread and fruit, and that his family had packed some food for him.

During the programme we covered food diversity - as a way to build relationships. And even though Fazal had urged me not to, I told the RSA team about the lack of halaal food for him.

Clint later told me that the hotel team had promised to collect a halaal meal, if their offerings were not acceptable. I asked Fazal to arrange this. And yet, at lunch-time he sat with some bread and fruit. I asked him what the challenge was. “No problem. The hotel did not have transport available. Don’t worry bhaya (brother), I have eaten my full.”

As we all know, food is one of the cornerstones of relationship building. And one of the easiest to mess up.

When I related the story to the team, against Fazal’s wishes, they were shocked. They had done everything they knew how, to get the right thing done. Again Fazal spoke, “Please don’t worry. I am quite used to it. I will bring some home food next week.

During the following week, Clint contacted me. “I have found a small Muslim restaurant in Richard’s bay. I have made contact with them and will bring a menu for Fazal to choose from. They have promised to deliver.”

On the next Saturday, Fazal was given the menu. He spoke to me, and said, “I don’t want to impose, bhaya. They mustn’t worry, we have brought some food from home. And we don’t need much.”

I said to him, “Fazal, this is not your choice. This is their journey. And you know the biggest gift, that you can offer right now, is to receive gracefully.”

“Ok bhaya, sorry”, he said with a gentle smile. He placed his order and we left it at that.

At lunch Fazal and his partner sat together and enjoyed a perfect halaal meal. They were obviously touched, by the actions of this amazing group.

Little did we know that Clint and his team had physically gone to check the local halaal food providers. They had found one perfect place, in a small far-away suburb, collected the menu and brought it to Fazal.

As we drove home, that evening, Fazal spoke at length, of how they had honoured his uniqueness, respected him, his upbringing and his religion. In all of his 46 years, this had never happened.

He has experienced the wonder of the human spirit. And the depth of caring, will stay with him forever.

In this story, we honour the people of Rennies Shipping Agencies - Richards Bay, for the extent to which they have gone, to show their wonderful humanness and respect for humanity. They have brought a great lesson, to us all.

Thank you all!

E-mail us for more information on our Celebrating Humanity programmes. Or simply call +2731 2053668.

Thank you all for an amazing year, at Mthimkhulu International. It has been exciting. It has been wonderful. And working together with you, Arthie and our team has been powerfully educational.

Our transformational teambuilding and diversity training programs have combined perfectly, to make the most incredible workplace diversity transformation program, in the country. And, according to our international and local clients, perhaps the best in the world!

The Celebrating Humanity© program, has simply proven itself to be the most amazing means of bringing humanness and respect, to the workplace.

We have travelled far and wide, to be with our clients. From the Diamond Coast of Namibia, to the Bushveld - of South Africa.

Each client, by their amazing diversities, by their challenges and by their needs seemed different. And yet the underlying need was the same. And that was to create a harmonious, united and respectful working environment.

Our 2 top projects

The most exciting and highly transformational workshops this year, had to be the team-builds for the South African Weather Service (SAWS) and the Department of Foreign Affairs - from Pretoria. Both groups had team members geographically separated, kept apart by their perceptions and through their personalities and communication styles.

The SAWS request was for "diversity training" and the DFA asked for "teambuilding." In both cases we embarked upon the Celebrating Humanity Harvest© program, over 3 days. With follow-up processes - that would last for the entire year.

The timing between the contracts awards and the actual implementation, was very short. And lots of, very exciting, pressure was placed on us to deliver.

SA Weather Services

The SAWS project team members came to Johannesburg - from Pretoria, Cape Town, East London, Durban and other far-flung areas of the country. Initially it seemed, to the SAWS, team that all the problems and challenges of the past, were insurmountable. Their diverse histories and cultures, races and behaviours had conspired to separate this wonderful team of people.

Nevertheless the Mthimkhulu International team, of Arthie and Brian Moore, arrived early at Glenburn Lodge, in order to transform the room and the training environment.

And just as expected, when the SAWS team walked into the room, they were surprised at the festive setting. It was not long, before they were all clapping together, in amazed unison.

Three days later, the team knew themselves and each other better, had developed a code of conduct and had cleared all interpersonal challenges.

SAWS feedback

Their team leader had this to say, “I have to thank you again for the way you brought the human touch into our technical world and for the way you announced your appreciation, for the excellence and contribution of the whole team.”

Another team member said, “One of the good things about the workshop is that all past grievances were cleared away and that we can all start from fresh again.

I have also learned that you must communicate with each individual in a special way as we are all different. This is important if you want to get your message across. “

And yet another said, “I think the most significant change took place within me, in the way I look at people and experience them. The workshop gave me insight into myself, and I saw lots of work there.

Finding out that one’s an ambassador for one’s culture, gave me new insight on how to conduct myself, not only in the workplace, but at home and anywhere where there’s people looking up at one.

The workshop was very enjoyable, fun and everyone was in good spirits, and I enjoyed it very much. I will definitely implement and practice what I have learned.”

SAWS follow up and support

One short month down the line, we met the team in Irene, outside of Pretoria. There was a palpable air of excitement, as we sat down for the first Values Circle Meeting of this group.

Now in a few months, we will meet with the SAWS team again, for another team-build and to assess the changes and transformation of the past year.

The team is excited and raring to meet our facilitators and the team members once again.

We are just as excited, because we have followed the team's progress over the past year and we know that they have done some amazing things, with the foundations that we have laid.

Department of Foreign Affairs

With the Department of Foreign Affairs teambuilding, in July this year, all members of the team were involved. From the former South African Ambassador to Geneva, to the general labourers – all together, all united and all respected as the human beings that they are.

In this transformational team-build, we were fortunate to have 120 people in the room. The excitement, the intense human energy and the level of transformation were incredible. A wonderful team of nine facilitators, worked with this stunning group of people, for three days. They danced, they hula-hooped, they jumped, they shared, they laughed and built friendships & understanding..

The exciting processes during the day were augmented by some amazing fun and social events in the evening, on the first night, they all danced to Bhangra and Kwaito music. On the second night, they danced to Greek music – with Nick the bouzouki player. He was supported by a wonderful singer and entertainer. This team had tons of fun, together.

Agreement and support

At the end of three days, they too had cleared and had agreed to a common code of conduct, that they would jointly manage into the future. Six weeks later, we met again to set the ongoing process into reality.

We will monitor, and support them, as we do with all of our clients.

Feedback

Ambassador Nozipho January-Bardill had this to say, “Many thanks again for the wonderful team building sessions we did with you, your beautiful wife (in all senses of the word) and your splendid team.

All the staff here, are still on a positive high, and it’s been so nice to bump into them and see them smile from ear to ear. They had such fun and learnt so much. May the ancestors bless you all.”

Robert Botha, Head of the Sub-Directorate for Diplomatic Training, wrote, “To say that the time, with you and your group, was life changing would not be an overstatement.”

Namibian diamond fields contract

And wonderful news for our team, is that we have recently been awarded the supervisory teambuilding contract for Namdeb, in the diamond fields of Namibia. The process has been ongoing, since 2005 and we expect to be on site fairly early in the New Year.

We have learnt so much along the way, with this tender process and on our other projects. (From greeting in Oshiwambo, to dancing the electric slide.)

Our Eye-Opener© program continues to delight delegates and this year, we had the 800^th person, from SunCoast Casino, go through a Celebrating Humanity© program. This is the 4^th consecutive year that the casino project has sent team members through this transformational team-building/ diversity program, and we expect to continue into the future.

We all can make a difference

Our interactions with the wonderful human beings in this country, in Africa and around the world have led us to believe that we make a difference. We will always make a difference, as long as we live the core belief, “At the level of respect all people are equal.”

And when we understand that other people add to us and create our humanity, we will grow this country, this continent and this World into a far better place.

Other news and information

The Celebrating Humanity© Harvest, and shorter variants of the program, can be viewed on www.africa-dreams.com, and many of our successful projects can be seen on www.celebrating-humanity-projects.com.

Free stories and articles

For free stories and articles, or please visit our program or projects sites.

Holiday greetings

We wish you all a wonderful and safe festive and spiritual season. May joy, peace, love and light be with you, now and forever.

From the Mthimkhulu Team!

It was 1996 and I was head over heels in love. A love that was only possible in the latter stages of the Apartheid era and the New South Africa.

My girlfriend and soul mate was stunningly beautiful, amazing, somewhat younger than me, from a different culture and religion. I was on a delightful and somewhat belated path to a new life, with my first and only wife.

I spoke to Arthie about our age difference.

Did she understand what could happen in the future? Was she sure that I was who she wanted to be with?

Time hung like wind-blown feathers in the sky as my entire spirit secretly begged that she would say, "Yes!" She answered, "I want to spend the rest of my time with you, my love. Forever and ever!" I was eternally blessed!

Initially, when we went out in public together I would not hold her hand. Yet when we were together in a safe place I did. There were many reasons for this strange behaviour and I had not yet worked them out. Arthie asked me why and I slowly overcame my resistance and began to hold her hand.

Bi-cultural relationships were not very common, at that time in South Africa, and people often had something to say. Some went so far as to point and openly gossip.

Somewhere deep within me a need to save Arthie, from these "racists," began to emanate in my behaviour.

At about this time I began to notice people who were "obviously" judging our relationship, or Arthie.

Thoughts began to rage inside my head. "Who do they think they are?", "What gives them the right to judge us!", "Arthie is as good as any one of you!" One day I even heard an Indian man say, "Typical whites they always take the young pretty ones!" He was lucky to survive my outburst.

It became my mission to "protect" my beautiful Arthie from all and sundry. I now began to walk with her warm hand in mine, looking outwardly for the "judges."

I searched for people who had "something to say." As soon as I noticed a finger pointing in our direction I would point back and loudly ask Arthie, "Do you know those people?" The world was full of racists and I was going to