God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

Der letzte Geburtstag

Every story, every way walked, needs a motivation. This video clip tells the story of such a motivation for the organisation HOPE Cape Town in South Africa.

www.hopecapetown.org

Filed under: Africa, HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, HOPE Cape Town Association, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, HOPE Cape Town USA, HOPE Gala Dresden, Networking, Reflection, Society and living environment, South Africa, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

HOPE Gala Dresden

Celebrating life and sustaining this celebration in sharing wealth. Inviting others to do the same is also important. This is what the HOPE Gala in Dresden is all about.

And this is not only done because it is the right thing to do. It is done because giving is receiving. Receiving not only in an altruistic sense, but in understanding the deep-rooted changes our world and societies are going through.

How we act now, will decide the lives and future of the next generations. Never before had human mankind the capacity of understanding this statement so loud and clear. And it seems that instead of listening, people act diametrically. They try to keep what they have, hold, and know now. Anxiety and doomsday prophets, populists and self-proclaimed leaders are in overdrive in our days.

The challenges of today can only be overcome when we think and act globally. The problems we face as human species can only be solved when we understand, how we depend on each other. And that no money of this world and no island creating politics will change this fact.

Solidarity and synergies are needed, compassion and bravery, dedication and determination. And all those we celebrate when joining the HOPE Gala. Because those are the ingredients of a life well lived.

The HOPE Gala is about supporting the work of an NGO. It’s about doing good. It’s about Africa. But it is so much more. It is about being part of people believing in a better tomorrow for all, which only can be achieved together – starting today.

www.hopegala.de

Filed under: General, HIV and AIDS, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, HOPE Gala Dresden, Politics and Society, Reflection, Society and living environment, South Africa, The Nex - Indawo Yethu, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , ,

A memory…

Remembering the Ball of HOPE in Cape Town last May
– what a fantastic evening full of fun and laughter, but also reflection on the hard work, the organization HOPE Cape Town is doing as well as the dedication of the Southern African – German Chamber of Commerce & Industry to support trade and knowledge exchange between the respective countries.

If you have missed it – the next Ball of HOPE in Cape Town @ the Westin will be on the 12th of May 2018. Diarize it and make sure to be part of a great social event. But if you can’t wait and you want to support of HOPE Cape Town sooner – there are always lots of possibilities:

 

The HOPE Gala in Dresden on the 28th of October is happening soon and tickets are available via the HOPE Gala‘s web page.

You can donate towards the good cause securely via this web-page link: HOPE Cape Town South Africa (Donation is tax-deductible)

And did you know that we have also sister organisations:

in Germany HOPE Kapstadt Stiftung Germany and the USA HOPE Cape Town USA which all issue tax-deductible receipts.

Filed under: Africa, HIV and AIDS, HOPE Cape Town Association, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, HOPE Cape Town USA, HOPE Gala Dresden, SA-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry, South Africa, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Challenging times

Times are moving fast and arriving in Dresden attending the 11th HOPE Gala it is time to reflect on all what is happening in the world around us.
In South Africa, times are getting more and more tough – students are trying to force the state into submission of free education with turmoil, violence and militant language – not seeing that their initially good cause is meanwhile compromised for many reasons. President Zuma survived another non-confidence vote as the ANC is still not ready to acknowledge the magnitude of corruption and damage done to the country.
In the USA a womanizer and liar with a very limited world view is elected president via a system which assembles only a shadow of democracy. In Germany right-wing thoughts are popular again and the populist AfD seems to win the hearts and minds of more and more people.
Black and white, simple solutions, believing in simple answers, following a gut feeling of fear and anxiety seems to govern most people in this global village. And the systems holding societies together are fading away in the challenges of today; the vast amount of information available at any given time seems to be so indigestible to most global village inhabitants so that they seek refuge in those mentioned simple answers.
Churches seemed to be too much self-absorbed to have the time to really take note and actively work against this trend of time – when you look to the USA, most Catholic Bishops were so occupied with certain topics that the social Catholic teaching faded away in the judgements given before the elections.

Well, life turns in circles and therefore there is always hope that the wheels are turning again and reason will prevail. There is no need to get lost in desperation, but this is a time to watchfully and carefully observe the situation and to actively try to correct the turns of society and their leadership into a direction towards humanity, charity, tolerance and compassion at heart.

The HOPE Gala in Dresden shows me that people still care, that people still go the extra mile to assist and help and reach out to people far away; those living on the margins of the wealthy  spots in our global village. There is hope as events like this are happening not only in Dresden but also for many good causes around the globe. As long as there are some lights in the darkness of todays social and political developments, as long as there are people not giving up on trying to better all lives instead only their own ones – as long as there is resistance to let go those unfortunate living in the wrong places or born at the wrong times there is a reason to fight for a global village which is compassionate about everybody equally.

I guess we also have to learn to strive a balance between information flows possible and the ability of people to digest those info. Again we have to learn that human minds and brains and hearts have a limited capacity of in-take. And that fear and anxiety are bad advisers when it comes to develop our future as a human family.

As always life goes on and there is light at the end of the tunnel – faith, love and hope remain as the bible tells us rightly.

Filed under: General, Networking, Politics and Society, Reflection, Religion and Ethics, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

Gratefulness and compassion

Sometimes it is time to sit down and simply reflect on the work one is doing day by day – holding in, letting the world stand still for a moment. For me such a moment was after hearing about the Erawan Shrine bombing in Bangkok, one of my favorite places in Bangkok to go and sit for hours and just doing it: sitting there, observing, praying, just “being” in the presence. In our world it seems that even such places are not protected anymore from the madness of sick human minds, and adding the cruelty and abuse of Islam by ISIS, the streams of refugees running away from civil war and dictatorship and corruption, exploitation and diminished chances of living their human rights in Africa it seems that the world is upside down in the moment. And we easily forget that there is also a counter stream, a stream of goodness, a stream of unsung heroes of humanity, decency and compassion.
And we only have to look into our own lives to acknowledge this goodness. Where would we be without the kindness of others, of parents, family members, friends, colleagues, co-workers, yes, when I look at my work with HOPE Cape Town –  sometimes completely strangers who just support what one is doing, a touch of humanity flowing from one to another without having the chance to meet the person in person.
Dresden in Germany is in the moment often in the news for all the wrong reasons – protests showing little signs of humanity but rather ignorance and hostility against refugees. But for me it is countered by all those actions making those running for their lives made feel welcome and of course not to forget the HOPE Gala in Dresden. For 10 years there are people caring for those less fortune in South Africa with incredible efforts, tons of love and compassion. For 10 years people from all over Germany flock to Dresden to enjoy an evening of entertainment and joy and doing good at the same time. It is up to me to choose what I want to see, what stream I want to follow, what I want to support, to cherish, to be grateful for… And I am sure if more and more I see the good in people, more and more I appreciate the bond of goodness and compassion, and more and more I can develop my own compassion and in return strengthen those strengthening me. Does it make sense? Yeap, for me it does and it is the only way to change the world for the better- against all odds.

Filed under: Reflection, , , , , , , , ,

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