BrandSouthAfrica.com

Johannesburg, 30 November 2011. December 1 is World Aids Day and this year’s global theme highlights the need for leadership and accountability in the effort to minimize the impact of HIV.

The theme for the year, Getting to Zero, will run until 2015 and the UNAIDS has listed 10 goals to be achieved by 2015, and they all focus on reducing HIV transmission, AIDS-related deaths and gender-based violence towards women and girls; and increasing access to ARVs for people living with HIV, developing effective responses in countries with punitive laws that marginalise people living with HIV and establishing equal rights for all.

In line with the UNAIDS goals for 2015, the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign is not only about curbing physical and emotional abuse but also about taking accountability for how we relate with one another.

Through the years there have been numerous theories on how society can help reduce HIV transmission and new infections; however the key to any priority is encouraging active citizenship.

Miller Matola, CEO of Brand South Africa, says the solution to addressing socio-economic challenges is not about placing the responsibility on the shoulders of those with money, political and business power, or with a louder voice but about every citizen being accountable to their community, family and the greater human race.

“It has been shown time and time again that we can no longer just sit on the side-lines hoping that policies, legislation and governments will decide the best course to take in addressing HIV and AIDS. We all need to adopt and develop an attitude of respect towards the rights of others – especially those who are vulnerable; and to encourage collective effort and tolerance towards those who are marginalised and victimised in our communities because they are different,” says Matola.

“HIV affects us all and we cannot continue to look away with the attitude that HIV is not our problem. It affects us all. It impacts our working and labour force, compromises our health system’s capability and cheats our industries out of skills and human resources.”

In order to meet the UNAIDS goals by 2015, to stop gender-based violence and the abuse of society’s most vulnerable and to build a healthier and prosperous world, we all need to work together to get to the point of zero: zero abuse, zero discrimination, zero new infections and zero AIDS related deaths.

How can you play your part and help your country and the world get to the point of zero?

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• Brand South Africa’s Play Your Part is a social movement to get all South Africans to actively think about and begin doing something positive; and to recognise and celebrate those who are already doing something; big or small.  It is aimed at all South Africans, including civil society, government, corporate and non-governmental organisations, etc.  It has been created by the Brand South Africa to inspire, empower and celebrate active citizenship. All South Africans have access to resources that can contribute to a better future for all including time, money, skills or goods. 

For more info, visit www.playyourpart.co.za

Brand South Africa, previously known as the International Marketing Council of South Africa, officially changed its name to best align with its mandate of building South Africa’s nation brand reputation in order to improve its global competitiveness.

Johannesburg, November 2011. Africa’s youth added valuable input into the fight against global warming as part of the Generation Earth: Climate Change Youth Summit which took place at Thaba Ba Tswana on October 25.

The summit saw the arrival and participation of youth around Africa to South African shores, to discuss the issues around climate change and establishing a green economy for future generations. The results of this summit are yet to be seen, but will certainly add value for future generations.

CEO of Brand South Africa, Miller Matola, says with the recent achievements in establishing green sustainability, the Generation Earth summit was an encouraging pledge from the youth because it shows that they want to ensure a better future for those of tomorrow.

Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans as well as its related effects.

In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about 0.8 °C with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades. Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and scientists are more than 90% certain most of it is caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as deforestation and burning fossil fuel.

Deforestation and climate change are intimately connected: Globally, deforestation releases nearly 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, and is responsible for nearly 25 percent of man-made CO2 emissions. The destruction of the world's forests not only harms the communities that depend on them, but increasingly affects us all.

We can all Play Our Part. While the root causes of deforestation vary from region to region, there are some common solutions for everybody around the world.

Communities need seeds, training, and technical support in order to adapt. Starting nurseries and planting trees is part of this process.

Simple ways that you can Play Your Part:

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Do your part to reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables. Buying products with minimal packaging (including the economy size when that makes sense for you) will help to reduce waste. And whenever you can, recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass and aluminum cans.

Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning

Adding insulation to your walls and attic, and installing weather stripping or caulking around doors and windows can lower your heating costs more than 25 percent, by reducing the amount of energy you need to heat and cool your home.

Change a Light Bulb

Wherever practical, replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. CFLs also last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 percent less heat.

Buy Energy-Efficient Products

When it's time to buy a new car, choose one that offers good petrol consumption. Home appliances now come in a range of energy-efficient models, and compact florescent bulbs are designed to provide more natural-looking light while using less energy than standard light bulbs.

Use the "Off" Switch

Save electricity and reduce global warming by turning off lights when you leave a room, and using only as much light as you need. And remember to turn off your television, video player, stereo and computer when you're not using them.

Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can.
You will also cut down on waste production and energy use... another help against global warming.

Reuse your shopping bag

When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop. Waste not only discharges CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, it can also pollute the air, groundwater and soil.

Global warming is urgent! We don't need to wait for governments to find a solution to this problem: each individual can help by adopting a more responsible lifestyle: starting from little, everyday things.

ends

• Brand South Africa’s Play Your Part is a social movement to get all South Africans to actively think about and begin doing something positive; and to recognise and celebrate those who are already doing something; big or small. It is aimed at all South Africans, including civil society, government, corporate and non-governmental organisations, etc.  It has been created by the Brand South Africa to inspire, empower and celebrate active citizenship. All South Africans have access to resources that can contribute to a better future for all including time, money, skills or goods. 

For more info, visit www.playyourpart.co.za

Brand South Africa is inviting suitably qualified and experienced companies to bid on the following tenders.

South Africa is a country that is faced with a number of imbalances and one that stands out is the one between men and women. What is our role in curbing gender violence and what must we do to build our country into a safer place for all who live in it? How can we get a revived interest in addressing abuse and how can we achieve equality between men and women?

Brand South Africa calls on all South Africans to recognise the importance of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign which starts on the 25^thNovember; and to realise the importance of this year’s theme which is “Don’t Look Away”.

Though obvious to all of us, most people choose to look away when they are aware that abuse is taking place in their society.

Besides the historical foundations of such an attitude, where we all choose to adopt a “that’s not my problem” approach to increasing social ills, we are only harming ourselves in the long run.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign is not only about being vocal on abuse for 16 days but about creating awareness around this stain on our country. Increasingly we are inundated by reports of people who are trapped in abusive relationships, daily reports of children being molested, and because of this, we’ve developed a fatigued outlook on the matter.

The first step to curbing abuse is to acknowledge and to encourage those being abused to come out with it and report the matter to the police and the greater public. A “name and shame” approach is necessary in tackling abuse and regardless of the circumstances, or who was angered, abuse must be dismissed as a resort for solutions. This is an attitude that needs to be fostered amongst ourselves and our children. And it is an attitude that needs to be continually encouraged every day – not just for the 16 days.

The second step is to discourage violence as a method of solving differences. South Africa has seen more than enough bloodshed in dispute resolution and needs to become a society that uses smarter tactics to resolving problems.

The third step is for us, as the people of this country, to lead the way in acting against abuse. We need to get our children involved and need to foster relationships of mutual respect between boys and girls. We need to change our methods of instilling discipline and we need to teach and encourage those who are vulnerable a more elevated sense of self-respect.

Play your part by being a mentor to an Aids orphan and other vulnerable children by offering support and encouragement all the time. Encourage healthier relationships between boys and girls by teaching them that equality and choice are both a right and a privilege – that should never be abused. Look around your community and speak up about the gender imbalances and socio-economic challenges that are faced daily.

Once we get everyone to be productive pillars of society, we can also get everyone to engage in ways that are non-violent. And finally, play your part by speaking up when you see abuse; do not look away. And refuse to back down until you see that justice has taken its course.

What can you do, today, no matter how small, to make your country safer for all who live in it?

Brand South Africa’s Play Your Part is a social movement to get all South Africans to actively think about and begin doing something positive; and to recognise and celebrate those who are already doing something; big or small.  It is aimed at all South Africans, including civil society, government, corporate and non-governmental organisations, etc.  It has been created by the Brand South Africa to inspire, empower and celebrate active citizenship. All South Africans have access to resources that can contribute to a better future for all including time, money, skills or goods.

For more info, visit www.playyourpart.co.za

The following vacancy is available:

• Public Relations Officer [PDF]