Posted inEnvironmentHealthLifestyleMedia

Art and mind: Healing arts in public health spaces

By Dr Thirusha Naidu Creativity, like mental illness, is mysterious to most.  It is an inexplicable yet distinctly human attribute. Historically, creatives have been admired, revered, feared, ostracised and persecuted.  From the genius of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity to JK Rowling’s Harry Potter, Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, to ingenious hackers or clever moms who conjure […]

Posted inEqualityHealthLifestyle

How vandalism in public schools widens educational imbalances

By Lehlohonolo Mofokeng The number of vandalised schools in South Africa during the lockdown period stood at 1 577 as at 19 May 2020, according to the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga. Barely 24 hours later, Kwazulu-Natal MEC of Education, Kwazi Mshengu, shared with his social media followers how Covid-19 essential goods were stolen […]

Posted inEnvironmentHealthLifestyle

Now, more than ever, we need Social and Emotional Learning skills interventions

By Dr Gloria Marsay Covid-19 has shown globally that there is a need for people to learn strategies to deal with adversity. Strategies to deal with  anger, anxiety, fear, depression, loneliness, sadness, grief and loss. Elke Van Hoof, professor of health psychology and primary care psychology at Vrije University in Brussels,  wrote an article entitled […]

Posted inEnvironmentHealthLifestyle

Becoming “Hope Providers” during Covid-19: We can either choose anger or courage

    By Dr Gloria Marsay There has been much debate around the concept of hope. There are opinions for and against the thought of whether hope is a strategy or not.  World leaders have expressed their opinions. Barack Obama spoke about embracing hope and change.  Rudy Giuliani disagreed with him and retorted that “change […]

Posted inLifestyle

The Magic of Yo-Yo Ma

I know that I am about to witness something magical, Yo-Yo Ma in concert at Kirstenbosch on February 8, 2020. I have been anticipating this evening, holding onto it like a talisman, ever since I decided to hell with it and booked crazily expensive tickets to see my musical hero. Things to look forward to […]

Posted inBusinessEqualityGeneralHealthLifestyle

Social and emotional skills will improve education and grow our economy

Dr Gloria Marsay People faced with adversities in developing countries struggle to bridge the gap between education and work. A key challenge for 21st century schools involves serving culturally diverse students with appropriate transferable skill domains, i.e. deep human skills and advanced technical skills essential for economic empowerment in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (#4IR), as described […]

Posted inEnvironmentEqualityGeneralHealthLifestyleNews/Politics

Searching for a new political cosmology

This morning my eye caught a report about Brazil’s climate-change denialist, neoconservative president, Jair Bolsonaro — evidently in an attempt to divert attention from his own egregious responsibility for the fires that rage unabated in (what is rapidly ceasing to be) the Amazon rainforest — accusing Leonardo DiCaprio of ‘paying’ non-governmental organisations to set fire […]

Posted inEnvironmentLifestyle

Tasty, very tasty, indeed

Many years ago, while still involved with student politics, I tasted Lipton Ice Tea, the lemon flavour, for the first time. I immediately asked, “Is this available in peach flavour, and is this available in mango flavour?”. I was told that the peach flavour would be released soon. Immediately thereafter, I was asked what I […]