- This topic is empty.
Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)
-
Posts
-
We live in turbulent, yet interesting times. The demands of our times require creative, innovative, and pioneering thinking, firmly rooted in the proven values of our past. The stronger the storm winds that rage around us become, the better our tent ropes and the sturdier our tent pegs must be anchored.
Our focus does not have to be exclusively on our final destination, because that dream might not be meant to be lived by us during our lifetime. We need to stay on track with our eyes concentrated on the road in front of us. As Joost Strydom often says, “The only thing remotely as sweet as freedom, is the struggle for freedom.”
Total unanimity between all freedom fighters is an unattainable dream. As with the Great Trek and the Boer War, different leaders, ideas, models and visions will come to the fore. The history of the Afrikaner’s freedom movements consists of many more ideas that failed than successes, but it is precisely the hard lessons that are learned from these failures that form the foundations of the successes that follow.
History has taught us that the price of a successful freedom struggle always includes the following three essential ingredients: determination, patience and carefully considered plans. We have to keep in mind what Flip Buys, chairperson of the Solidarity Movement, recently pointed out: “If people cannot do anything about those who are causing the problem, they will fight those who are trying to solve the problem.”
The Solidarity Movement’s well-considered plan that has already been proven to be realistic and practical, is community federalism. This notion refers to the practical execution of the federal principle on community level in the following manner: In a social order, such as for instance a community or nation, the management of a responsibility need to be first awarded to the lowest possible social unit or association that can handle it.
Only when that unit is incapable of living up to that responsibility should it be delegated to a social unit on a higher level. If a town or area can for instance generate its own electricity, they should not be forced to be dependent on an ineffective state monopoly such as Eskom. Community federalism therefore suggests that the greatest possible autonomy and powers should be given to the smallest possible community structure. This will promote effectiveness and accountability and safeguard communities against state decline.
No freedom plan can however be successful without determined, motivated and purposeful people who are willing to implement it. Clear, principled thoughts need to lead to calculated plans, followed by substantial action.
We need to support those who are building a future for our descendants with a foundation of well-considered ideas and proven values, and work hard towards this goal with them. Freedom is a dream for many people, but it is definitely not the responsibility of one person or even a few brave people.
We undoubtedly face widespread injustice in our time, but couldn’t our forefathers have said the same thing? As an Afrikaner, I often ask myself how the sacrifices demanded from us by our fight for freedom today compare with those made by our ancestors in the Boer War, or the French Huguenots, or the Voortrekkers? A dose of sober perspective on the history of the struggles of those who came before us can go a long way towards instilling the right attitude in us, which the challenges of our times demand.
C.J. Langenhoven had the following to say about this matter: “Of the roads I took yesterday, what I think about today with the most joy is the steep incline I had to struggle over, and what I think about with the least joy is the easy downhill slope on which I rolled down.”
At AfriForum we have no doubt that we have to look at our current challenges through a historical perspective. As Edmund Burke observed, we who are alive today are locked into a partnership between those who came before us, and those who are yet to be born. Our generation urgently needs to realise that our actions will ultimately determine our legacy and the impact of our chapter on the further course of history. We have to do what we must, with what we have – because we will not get a second chance.
To learn more about the Solidarity Movement’s plan for the future based on community federalism please watch AfriForum’s latest documentary, called Selfbestuur, which has English subtitles here.
Ernst van Zyl is a Campaigns Officer for strategy and content at AfriForum. Ernst obtained a master’s degree (cum laude) in Political Science at the University of Stellenbosch. He is co-host of the Podlitiek podcast, presents the Afrikaans podcast “In alle Ernst” and has a channel for political commentary and interviews on YouTube. Ernst usually publishes contributions on Twitter and YouTube under his pseudonym Conscious Caracal.
Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.