AAYMCA Statement: Farewell son of Africa

The Africa Alliance of YMCAs today are united in grief as we mourn the loss of a

true African visionary, former South African President, Rolihlahla

“Nelson” Mandela. As a young boxer, Mandela would frequently train at his local

Soweto YMCA. During this time the centre was frequently used for

ANC political meetings, serving as a safe place for discussions which would

ultimately shape Mandela’s young mind, and South Africa’s future.

Decades later, his influence is still felt within those historic walls as youth

continue to visit the centre and shape their own thinking and

development.

Mandela led South Africa through her greatest challenge, ensuring that the

revolutionary end to institutionalised discrimination and repression,

Apartheid, was met with relatively little conflict and welcomed with a determined

spirit of peace and reconciliation.

While the world will feel the loss of such a remarkable man, Africans have lost a

leader who steadfastly worked to prove that the continent is capable

of peaceful conflict resolution through leadership that aspires to moral honesty,

tolerance and acceptance.

Born on 18 July, 1918, to the Madiba clan of Mvezo in the Transkei, Mandela spent

much of his life striving to educate himself and standing in

political opposition to an unjust system. His stand against seemingly insurmountable

prejudice is a cause for which he sacrificed much in the face of

great threat to his life and freedom. Following a conviction for sabotage and

conspiracy to overthrow the government, Mandela spent 27 years in

prison, but throughout this time maintained a strong loyalty to peaceful resistance

and the unconditional repealing of the Apartheid system. Following

his release in 1990, Mandela guided South Africa through her first democratic

elections and stepped in as South Africa’s first African statesman

when he shouldered the presidency in 1994. Perhaps his most significant contribution

to African politics is the implementation of South Africa’s

first constitution which is perceived world-wide as one of the most forward thinking

constitutions in global governance today.

Since then, Mandela has received more than 250 awards, many for his humanitarian

work, including the US Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Soviet

Order of Lenin. His work has been internationally recognised through his awarding of

the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize which he shares with former Apartheid

president F.W. de Klerk.

The contribution Mandela played in African politics will forever stretch far beyond

the current South African landscape. His legacy to Africa is true

leadership that is both thoughtful and honest but does not prize retribution and

corruption. Mandela ensured that the African Renaissance has a

framework for peaceful conflict resolution and that in all things, human rights

becomes a principle of long-lasting social evolution.

We mourn together as Africans, in much the same way that we celebrated together the

achievements that Madiba brought through his actions. We are a

better continent today through his determination, sacrifice and unflinching faith in

an Africa capable of peaceful change.

Nelson Mandela never wavered in his devotion to democracy, equality and learning.

Despite terrible provocation, he never answered racism with racism.

His life has been an inspiration to all who are oppressed and deprived, to all who

are opposed to oppression and deprivation.

Mandela is survived by his wife, Graca Machel, 3 children, Pumla Makaziwe Mandela,

Zenani Dlamini and Zindzi Mandela, 17 grand-children and 14

great-grandchildren.

Our thoughts also go to the extended family of his late former wife Evelyn Mase and

his former wife Winnie Madikizela.

As we mourn our deep loss, let us pledge to ensure that Mandela’s legacy lives

through us and that our children are able to fully appreciate the

freedoms he and his peers fought so hard to attain.

Carlos Sanvee, AAYMCA General Secretary

Sipho Sokhela, South Africa YMCA National General Secretary

The Africa Alliance of YMCAs (AAYMCA) is a leading pan African youth development

network on the continent, representing national movements in 20

countries, 16 of which are very active. The first YMCA in Africa was established in

Liberia in 1881, and the AAYMCA was founded in 1977 as the

umbrella body for all national movements on the continent. www.africaymca.org

ControllingTthe Value Chain – Arla foods

Peder Tuborgh, CEO of Arla foods provides proof that the co-operative model is alive and going global.

 

 

In the wake of the financial crisis and occasionally over-excitable examination of the nature of capitalism, co-operatives have been increasingly talked about. They are the alternative model, but one viewed by most as so alternative as not to be worth exploring.

For those who doubt the robustness and contemporary usefulness of co-ops in a global business world, a visit to the dairy farms of Denmark, Sweden, the UK and Germany might be fruitful. Here they would find that the co-operative cream really does rise to the top. The co-operative model is often used in the dairy industry.

In fact, 70 per cent of the major dairy companies in Europe are co-ops. More than 12,000 dairy farms in Europe are members of the Arla Foods co-operative. Arla is best known for its biggest brands — Lurpak, Arla and Castello. It is a large global business — investing in recent years in Russia, China, the Middle East and Africa — and has been run as a co-operative since its inception in Denmark in the late nineteenth century. It produced 10.4 billion kilograms of milk in 2012, has more than 18,000 employees and its 2012 turnover was some 63,114 billion Danish kroner (£7.2 billion).

Are you overspending and under-saving, just like the rest of the nation?

 “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” – Helen Keller

 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on average American household spends 36.9% of their gross annual income on rent/mortgage and utilities!

 

So let’s do the math…

 

If your annual household income is $50,000, you’ll spend $18,450 on rent and utilities and will have $31,550 to cover all of your other remaining expenses.

How about this one: an average American household spends 5.7% of their annual income on restaurants – not counting regular grocery items. That’s $2,850 a year, or $237.50 per month, based on the $50,000 annual income.

7 Financial Decisions Made in Your 30s That May Haunt You in Your 50s

People often say “life is short” as a justification to do or buy something immediately rather than waiting. But the truth is, life is not short. Life is long. The average life expectancy for an American male is 76.2 years, and 81 years for a female. A thirty-year-old discussing a short life may actually be looking at another 50 long years.

This is good news! And, financially speaking, a long outlook on life is important, because the decisions we make early on have a significant impact on the remainder of our lives. Specifically, these decisions can make or break our retirement plans.

3 PRACTICAL IDEAS TO GET YOU ON THE ROAD TO MORE SECURE RETIREMENT DAYS.

1. Become DEBT-FREE, including mortgage.

Eliminate all of your consumer debt, as well as your mortgage. This will make it much easier for you to retire, even if your retirement years aren’t fully funded. Here are few quick “to do’s” to help you ditch your consumer debt:

A. Stop using plastic until you learn responsible use of credit. Anyone using credit cards should aim at paying each monthly balance in full so no interest accrues. There are free cash management tools available to help you do this, following an envelope budgeting system is a great way to help make sure you always have enough cash to pay the bill in full.

21st Century Jobs: How Much Does It Pay To Be A Twitter Consultant?

Pinterest consultants and Facebook cover designers are among the jobs enjoying a surge thanks to social media

The rise of social media and the internet has brought about a wave of new jobs that didn’t even exist five years ago - and the pay's not bad either. 

The number of Pinterest and Twitter consultants registering for work has surged over the past 12 months, according to online freelancer marketplace PeoplePerHour.

South Africa, 95 years of "critical but stable"

Please find below the press release from the Africa Alliance of YMCAs celebrating
Nelson Mandela's 95th birthday. The content from this press release
is free for distribution but must include the rider and attribution to the Africa
Alliance of YMCAs. Please contact Christine Davis on
news@africaymca.org for more information.

TEXT BEGINS

 

South Africa, 95 years of "critical but stable"

By Christine Davis, Africa Alliance of YMCAs
Over the past month our collective focus in South Africa has turned to the health of
Nelson Mandela with much speculation turning to what the future

5 Smart Money Moves For Couples

Here are 5 practical steps every couple (married or engaged) can take to protect and strengthen their relationship, while implementing sound financial habits.

  

1. Straight money talk

  

Money has been a taboo subject among couples for way too long. It's time to break the silence and start talking. Set aside one night a month for your "money talk." Do it over coffee and dessert, or after your children go to bed so there are no interruptions. Be honest with each other and listen. Use that time to discuss problem areas and possible solutions. Don't waste it on playing the blame game.

4 Totally Depressing Things Workers Say About Retirement

"Too often financial stress and the weight of uncertainty surrounding one's ability to accomplish their goals can cause them to remain inert and unwilling to look truths about their financial future in the eye," says Michael Liersch, director of behavioral finance for Merrill Lynch. "Recognizing that these challenges are in most instances not insurmountable, and admitting to one self that there are behavioral changes that can be made to address them, are simple but critical first steps. From there, even small, positive actions today can have a significant impact on improving near- and longer-term financial wellness."

BY Brian O'Connell

Evaluate Your Business Idea

Knowing the investment of time, money and emotion that goes into starting and building a business, you’d be well advised to follow these steps to get some insight into what lies ahead...

There’s no guarantee that one’s business will succeed – there are so many factors that one has to take into account. However, if you have scrutinised your business idea and put it through a thorough "reality check" before launching into it, your chances of failure are substantially less. Too often, entrepreneurs get caught up in the excitement of a prospective opportunity, and fail to take a step back to work through the finer details. Knowing the investment of time, money and emotion that goes into starting and building a business, you’d be well advised to follow these steps to get some insight into what lies ahead...

Three Things I’ve Learned From Warren Buffett

I’m looking forward to sharing posts from time to time about things I’ve learned in my career at Microsoft and the Gates Foundation. (I also post frequently on my blog.)

Last month, I went to Omaha for the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting. It’s always a lot of fun, and not just because of the ping-pong matches and the newspaper-throwing contest I have with Warren Buffett. It’s also fun because I get to learn from Warren and gain insight into how he thinks.
Here are three things I’ve learned from Warren over the years:

7 Rules Of Life

Rethinking The Responsibility Of Business Leaders

What is the primary responsibility of business leaders today? Is it to make a financial return for their shareholders? Or is it to contribute more broadly to the welfare of employees and society as a whole?

This question has always been important, but it takes on greater significance as we seek to recover from the worst contraction since the Great Depression. How business leaders respond, and how they prioritise different stakeholders, will have a major impact on the speed of recovery.

7 Secrets Wealthy People Know about Amassing and Maintaining a Fortune

Becoming wealthy enough to keep the wolf from your door doesn't mean an end to unwanted callers. For every newly minted billionaire, there are cautionary tales of the well-heeled undone by visits from the the tax man, the loan officer and Uncle Sam himself.

A fortune requires finesse. As well as a willingness to embrace financial exotica, trips to Bermuda and the drive to start your own business--as a survey of FORBES' knowledge of the world's wealthiest people reveals. Below are seven tricks, secrets and maneuvers regularly conducted by those with more than a shekel or two to accumulate and maintain their fortunes.

How the Richest 400 People in America Got So Rich

Yahoo! editors have selected this article as a favorite of 2012. It first appeared on Yahoo! Finance in July and was one of the most popular stories of the month. Readers debated how people really get rich in the U.S., with user One-Eyed Jack commenting that "I would really like to know how many of the 400 were born into millions and how many actually made it on their own." User John replied: "I am a first generation millionaire and also a first generation American. My money came from hard work and smart planning mainly in real estate, but I learned to get by on very little while I was accumulating wealth."

In 1992, the 400th richest person in America made $24 million.

In 2007, the 400th richest person in America made $138 million (or $87 million, inflation-adjusted).
Now, that almost certainly wasn't the same guy. There's a lot of churn at the top of the money pyramid. In all of the 1990s, only 25% of the Fortunate 400 made more than one appearance. But the overall message is the same. The rich keep getting richer.
According to the IRS, which recently released 2009 data from the 400 richest individual income tax returns, the real runaway growth in wealth has come from capital gains. In the last years of the bubble, the "Fortunate 400" made nearly half their income from capital gains (a.k.a.: profit from the rising value of an investment, such as stocks or property) and less than 10% of their income from old-fashioned wages.

The average income of a top-400 earner grew by 650% between 1992 and 2007 to a whopping $344 million. Over that time, the average salary didn't even double. But the average capital gains haul increased by 1,200%. So how do the richest get richer? Not from their wages. From their investments.

Here's a look at the average salary and average capital gains income of a top-400 earner since 1992. Y-axis is labeled in thousands of dollars and all-time highs are noted in the graph.





Three last things:

(1) Who are these people? As Tim Noah explained on our business page, a 2010 study studied the top 0.1 percent, who currently make at least $1.7 million. That's 14-times less than our Fortunate 400 group, but it's the closest we've got. Four in ten in this group were executives, managers, and supervisors at nonfinancial firms. Eighteen percent were financiers. Next came law (7 percent), medicine (6 percent), and real estate (4 percent). My guess is that the top 400 skews toward finance and chief exec even stronger. A lawyer/doctor making $2 million I can imagine. But $24 million?

(2) Capital gains absolutely dictate the wealth of the richest Americans. As Matt O'Brien graphed for us, that's why the income of the top 0.1 percent hugs the S&P so closely.

(3) Remember that as this is happening, the long-term capital gains tax rate has fallen from 28 percent in 1990 to 20 percent for the latter half of the 1990s to 15 percent under George W. Bush.