We are here today because a man died, but we are also here because of the many who have been murdered, raped, hurt in so many ways.
We are here today to confirm that we, the vast majority in the country, do not do crime.
We are decent citizens and we are using this opportunity to tell our government that we want stronger, consistent action against the scourge of crime.
The message we are sending today is a powerful one. But it is not the only one. This Million Men March is part of a wider moral regeneration programme which has already kicked off. It will give greater impetus to these on-going actions by drawing attention to them.
Our action today says very loudly that we will not stand by idly when matters go wrong. It says that we, each one of us in our individual capacity and through our various organisations, can and will make a difference.
At the International Marketing Council of South Africa we are embarking on a journey this week which essentially says what all of you here are saying by your presence: we can make a difference and we will make a difference.
The IMC, which is the custodian of Brand South Africa, will kick off an inter-active campaign later this week. It will ask South Africans what kind of a country they want to live in, it will feed that information back into society and the campaign will inspire South Africans to take action to make this vision – your vision – a reality.
It is telling South Africans – and this is what all of you here today are also doing – that every single positive act, however insignificant it may seem – can and does make a difference.
The IMC’s call is for all to participate in its Active Citizen Campaign.
This campaign feeds into the broader Movement for Good which appropriately has the slogan “It Starts with you’. It is an umbrella organisation of a network of country-wide organisations that have come together to mobilise South Africans.
The vision of the movement is to inspire and support all South Africans to build the country we want to have by doing the right thing – active citizens don’t do crime, don’t bribe, pay their taxes, don’t litter, treat fellow-human beings with respect, are disciplined in all they do.
Every small act is a bit of positive energy which helps towards getting where we want to be – creating an unstoppable momentum, to get to a tipping point of critical mass that ensures that the groundswell grows into a force to be reckoned with.
“Noka e tlatswa ke dinokana’ – ‘A river swells from little streams,” Remember – it starts with you.
Being here is a good beginning. Now go out and join the Movement for Good.
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