The Legacy project
The fourth “L” is Literati…
Soap boxes
C4L’s monthly “Out of Africa” Bulletin is sent to quite a small circle of “Friends of C4L”. Some stakeholders encouraged C4L to look for a higher platform to speak from. So around 2010 we tried some blogging. We built three silos, most where selected C4L Bulletins were posted to a wider audience.
After that, we tried peddling our influence by media releases. We got some good receptions like the “Voices” section of City Press and a platform called “Voices 360” that syndicated Op-Ed to various media outlets. In Canada, we have contributed a few pieces to Christian Week.
A more stable soap box for us has been BizNews, a platform in South Africa. Some articles were bounced from there to a platform in India. This Op-Ed comment is on-going. Over 150 articles have appeared in the media to date, on 15 media platforms in all (that we know of, possibly more).
The UNEMBEZA Desk
It takes a long time to build a branding. So in 2017 we reached the stage of self-syndication. Media releases are distribted to platforms far and wide on an occasional basis. These are sent under the rubric of the UMEMBEZA Desk at C4L. That is the Zulu word for “conscience”. We add our voice to the “Commentariat” in general. We try to speak from a Christian perspective on the issues.
One recurring theme, but not the only one, is a slogan that C4L has often used:“Performance – without integrity – is not enough”. In other words, it is important to acquire the skills and tools of leadership and management, but unless the leader/manager is ETHICAL, these simply enhance the damage that leaders and managers can do through graft and patronage.
Discarded diamonds
Sadly, some of our best articles were never run by any media platforms. We are very grateful when media platforms make room for what we have to say. After all, in the last analysis, what Leadership is… is Influence.
However we basically “throw away” two out of every three articles submitted on average. So here are ten samples worth reading that were discarded by media editors.
| Document Title | Size | Revision |
|---|---|---|
| Back to the Future – a Conservative Manifesto | 472.00 kB | Jun 29, 2020 |
| # Old Lives Matter | 435.00 kB | Jun 29, 2020 |
| The Time has Come for Capitalism to Re-invent Itself | 426.00 kB | Jun 29, 2020 |
| George Floyd’s Death – a moment with revolutionary potential | 432.00 kB | Jun 29, 2020 |
| Shall We Topple the Pyramids? | 519.00 kB | Jun 29, 2020 |
| Walk With Us | 278.00 kB | Jun 30, 2020 |
| On-line Slave Market in the Gulf | 431.00 kB | Jun 30, 2020 |
| Is Thandi Modise guilty of neglect or negligence? | 532.00 kB | Apr 10, 2022 |
| Constructive Criticism versus the Vanguard Party | 415.00 kB | Jul 02, 2020 |
| Yalta and Caffa | 765.00 kB | Apr 10, 2022 |
| Is NATO’s name fake news? | 755.00 kB | Apr 10, 2022 |
| Human Rights Extemism | 419.00 kB | Apr 10, 2022 |
| The Best Answer to Participatory Socialism | 431.00 kB | Apr 10, 2022 |
Covid Lockdown
At C4L’s twentieth anniversary in 2019, Board members began asking “What is our legacy?” Then suddenly came Covid-19 and in 2020 – lockdown. This presesented an unprecedented opportunity to reflect on C4L’s legacy.
Ironically, C4L had more time to devote to public engagement because of the suspension of direct programming. Out of these factors came the Legacy project – in collaboration with a publisher in Nelspruit.
The book trade is under pressure from technological advances. But each book released by C4L’s Legacy project is available in eBook format as well. All twelve books are available on various digital storefronts, including Amazon.
To find out more on each book on this soap box, visit <https://exlibrischuck.com>