Imtiaz Sooliman – Interview on the Global Citizen Award

Imtiaz Sooliman
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AI: Summary ©

The speaker describes a disaster response agency in South Africa that provides various projects such as housing, agriculture, and emergency response. They emphasize the importance of unity and calmness between people and encourage them to use their own heart and soul to achieve success in life. The speakers also discuss the need for transparency and honesty in the organization's work, citing the success of their own company and the potential for it to enhance their own countries.

AI: Summary ©

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			It was a Thursday night. I was in
Istanbul. I met a spiritual
		
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			teacher that Thursday night, after
a prayer session, he just looked
		
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			at me in the eye as if he was
connecting somewhere out of the
		
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			world. He said, My son, I'm not
asking you, I'm instructing you to
		
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			form an organization. The name in
Arabic will be what for what we
		
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			feel. Translated into English,
means gift of the givers. And then
		
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			he said something very important.
He said, Whatever you do is done
		
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			through you cannot buy you. It's a
spiritual calling. This is an
		
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			instruction for you for the rest
of your life. So gift of the game
		
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			was born on that night, sixth
August, 1992 in Istanbul.
		
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			Interior.
		
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			Gift of the game was started off
as a disaster response agency,
		
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			with still our primary function,
we'll be specialists in disaster
		
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			response. So disaster this a
complete disaster package. People
		
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			don't either primary health care,
or they do trauma or they do
		
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			certain rescue. We do the whole
package. I don't think any
		
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			organization will understand, and
that's only one aspect disaster
		
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			response. But we do housing
projects in South Africa and in
		
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			disasters. We do agriculture,
provision of water. We probably
		
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			the biggest agency dealing with
travel to South Africa right now.
		
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			We do food parcels, feeding
streams, bursaries, education
		
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			projects. We do sports
development, life skills
		
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			counseling, provision of fee or
wheelchairs management support
		
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			hospitals. We do a range of
different things, and it's
		
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			probably the most complete
organization in the world in terms
		
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			of disaster response and the type
of projects that we do, because
		
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			people then look at us and say,
but what do you really do? You
		
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			know, when they see so many
different types of products, they
		
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			get amazed. And everything that we
do, we design ourselves. The
		
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			housing project that we designed
in Kaiji, Chai, Cape Town and
		
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			Alexandra in Venezuela has been
seen by the big construction
		
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			companies themselves. Came to see
what we did many years previous,
		
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			international guest ambassadors
have come to see that kind of
		
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			project. And then we designed the
world's first containerized,
		
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			private containerized mobile
hospital, the world's
		
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			containerized Primary Health Care
Unit. We designed the world's
		
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			first groundnut, soya, high energy
and protein supplement.
		
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			Our first project was Bosnia. We
got involved in the civil war in
		
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			Bosnia, where there were tons of
refugees coming out from the
		
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			country, and we responded to the
needs of the refugees, and we
		
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			responded to the needs of the
country. And this, I'm proud of
		
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			Africa, because the first
containerized mobile hospital in
		
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			the world was designed by us in
Africa in 1993 and we took it from
		
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			Africa to Europe. And that
hospital was filmed by
		
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			international media, and they said
CNN covered it, and said that this
		
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			South African hospital is
comparable to any of the best
		
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			hospitals in Europe. And when I
went back in 2005 at the
		
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			invitation of the Bosnian
government, the people who are
		
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			still running hospital said that
this South African Hospital has
		
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			given life to 10s of 1000s of
people. Many babies have been born
		
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			here, and so disaster response was
our first intervention. We started
		
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			off building the hospital over a
period of time. You know, we only
		
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			took in things like 10s blankets
and medicines as we evolved. We
		
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			then put in primary health care,
medical teams. Then we came into
		
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			trauma teams, post trauma rehab,
post trauma counselors. Then we
		
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			added search and rescue. We took
in sniffer dogs. We started
		
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			putting up housing projects,
providing water and all the
		
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			medicines and potato we started
building hospitals in the war
		
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			zone. Right now, in Syria, we have
two hospitals running inside the
		
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			war zone that people have tried
bombing it many times, you know,
		
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			and we've survived. And we're
looking at now putting a dead
		
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			hospital in the war zone and
putting a passive orphanage for
		
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			1000 children to teach them, to
support them and also look after
		
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			many refugees, which we are
looking after right now inside
		
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			Syria,
		
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			in this holy place, Muslim holy
place, there Were people of all
		
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			cultures, all religions, all
countries, Jews, Christians,
		
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			Hindus, those who said you don't
believe in any type of deity. You
		
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			know people from America, Russia,
India, Australia, Mexico, Brazil,
		
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			Africa. And I was surprised to see
the harmony between different
		
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			cultures in my holy place. He
looked at me, and I was stunned to
		
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			see this kind of unity and
calmness between people. He asked
		
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			me, What? And this was in August,
19 one. He asked me, What do you
		
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			see? I said, I see people of all
countries, all religions. You come
		
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			here. Said, My son, mankind is one
single nation.
		
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			The God of all mankind is one. We
just call him by different names,
		
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			any teacher, any preacher, any
rabbi, any Shrek, any Imam, any
		
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			pastor who promotes violence,
extremism, terrorism, the king of
		
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			people, confrontation and discord
is not aware of God. Don't found
		
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			him. Any person of preachers,
love, kindness and compassion is a
		
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			man of God following I was
thrilled and amazed at that kind
		
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			of philosophy. I fell in love with
it.
		
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			You will help all people of all
races, of all colors, of all
		
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			classes, of all religions, of all
		
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			cultures, of any geographic
location and of any political
		
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			affiliation, but you will have
them unconditionally. You will not
		
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			expect anything in return, not
even a thank you. Serve the people
		
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			what love but kindness, but
compassion and mercy and remember
		
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			the dignity of men is foremost. So
if someone is down in the ground,
		
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			don't push them down, hold them
and lift them up, to wipe the tear
		
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			from a crying child, to curse the
head of an orphan, to speak words
		
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			of good counsel to a widow. These
are all meritorious acts, to
		
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			provide food for the hungry, water
for the thirsty, and clothe the
		
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			naked. These are all the kind of
things that you will do, and
		
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			remember that whatever you do be
the best at what you do, not for
		
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			ego, but because you're dealing
with human emotion, human feeling,
		
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			human suffering and human life.
		
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			I acknowledge, I look at myself
and I realized the kind of things
		
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			that I have done is not evenly
possible. There has to be a bigger
		
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			hand helping you. There's your
support staff. There has to be a
		
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			team. There has to be people
around you, reassuring. What
		
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			hasn't achieved is not humanly
possible. The amount of time that
		
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			you've done it and the kind of
things that you've done, and he
		
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			always said to me, he said, My
son, he was having 1/3 time for
		
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			yourself, 1/3 for your work, and
1/3 for your family. And every
		
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			time I looked at him and I
laughed, I said, Teacher, that's
		
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			impossible. Four thirds are taken
up by the work because it's so
		
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			busy and so much things to deal
with. But yes, I'm pretty
		
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			satisfied. And what you asked me
to do, and I saw a fruitful and
		
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			mandate after now you
		
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			a teacher passed away in 1999
		
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			but before he passed on, he told
me, my son, in everything that you
		
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			do, he will know the right people
will come to you, and they will
		
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			come from all over the world to
you. You don't have to look for
		
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			money. Money will find you. All
those words came true by
		
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			inspiration. People come, and I
realized that this person is the
		
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			right person. We don't have the
dollar system of advertising. And
		
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			say, please, you got a job? Can
you please come? People will walk
		
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			into my office, and most of my
staff have come that way. Somebody
		
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			came to me and said, Look,
		
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			they came for Sadat to the office
for some counseling or something,
		
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			to the office, and someday the
lady will speak and see what did
		
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			the job. I was working somewhere.
I lost a job. Can you consider me?
		
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			We were growing very slowly? No.
And also very strict about the
		
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			amount of staff they take. And I
look at the person mark and say,
		
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			What? Give the person a chance.
And the person that started to
		
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			date from 1992 to now. So only two
staff that have left for some
		
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			other reason. They moved town and
moved somewhere else. Nobody has
		
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			left. You to figure everybody has
been there. And they work with the
		
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			heart and soul. And I tell him
very clearly when you come here,
		
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			you don't want for money. You work
with your heart and your soul. If
		
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			you can't work with your heart in
your soul. You can get a much
		
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			bigger salary somewhere else,
because we are an NGO. You can get
		
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			much better times, no after hours,
no weekends, you will be much
		
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			happier. And if you come for
money, and whoever comes there now
		
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			in December, when you close, they
say, why have you closed? We're
		
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			not still happy at home. We want
to work
		
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			in the 24 year period in South
African brands. I mean, our money
		
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			is not strong, but in South
African brands, we virtually
		
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			delivered 2 billion rand in eight
to 42 countries, South Africa
		
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			included. And remember, we haven't
gone up to Asmaa. We haven't made
		
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			proposals. We haven't approached
government. We haven't approached
		
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			corporates. We announced, yes,
what we do. And remember this
		
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			largely, 99% of South African
audience, of which 50 million
		
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			people know their means. In this
country, it's very limited amount
		
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			of people who really do have
means. And those limited amount of
		
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			people have sort of carried us
over these 24 years. And all my
		
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			heads off to all of them.
		
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			I'd like to see African NGOs
become self reliant, self
		
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			sufficient. I'd like to see
progress in water. Coming to the
		
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			African continent means water. It
needs agriculture, it needs
		
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			education, it needs
entrepreneurship, it needs
		
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			fighting disease, and it needs
more.
		
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			Of free thinking, to move away
from corruption, to move away from
		
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			conflict drivers conflict, to walk
away from Indonesian conflict
		
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			between different tribes, to be
better understanding, better
		
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			relationship between tribes. And
with that kind of understanding,
		
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			we have probably the biggest
amount of resources in the world,
		
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			in this continent that we can use
for the benefit of upgrading the
		
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			continent. We are not short of
resources. We are short in terms
		
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			of our thinking. And if you change
the mindset the African NGOs, who
		
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			can be advisors to government,
advisors to industry, can bring
		
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			about a massive change in the
thinking, the application and the
		
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			development of the continent. The
skills are there. I mean, Africa's
		
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			biggest export, the medical
people, nurses, doctors,
		
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			accountants, engineers, teachers,
and if everything was such a
		
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			stupid continent, why would the
rest of the world grab them? We
		
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			have them, but there is no
opportunity for people to stay in
		
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			continent and enhance their own
countries. I would like to see all
		
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			the expected to come back and, you
know, and governments to be more
		
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			open and better democracy and
better involvement for dealing and
		
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			we can change. It's not
impossible. We can change the
		
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			lives of 1 billion people on this
project. We almost there,
		
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			in this world that is so polarized
with so much of conflict between
		
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			different cultures and religions,
for everybody to stand together
		
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			say you are my brother and holding
each other's hands and going out.
		
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			And we've achieved that. You know,
when the teams leave South Africa,
		
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			when we respond to a disaster,
when we get to other countries,
		
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			people of all religions get
confused. They cannot understand
		
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			how Christians use Muslims,
Hindus, black, white, Indian can
		
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			stand together as one song that
and everybody is there for each
		
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			and other. When we work in a war
zone or an earthquake or anywhere
		
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			else, understand like one
brotherhood but absolute love and
		
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			encourage everyone respect each
other. We pray to the same God. We
		
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			are the same mission. We are there
to protect each other. We are
		
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			there to work with each other, and
we are there, above all, to serve
		
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			the needs of those people who need
us most, being the refugees or the
		
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			recipients or the victims of a
disaster. And you find people will
		
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			comment. They said, How long do
these 60 or 80 people know each
		
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			other? We'll say they met. Many of
them met each other for the first
		
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			time today. The comment would be,
we would say they know each other
		
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			for 10 years. That's the kind of
harmony we build for each other.
		
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			So that is my greatest
achievement. And many people say,
		
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			if anybody can bring people
together, you guys can.
		
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			They must have integrity. They
must have honesty. They must be
		
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			transparent. They mustn't say
something and do something else.
		
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			And you have to lead by example.
And again, I use my own case. When
		
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			we go to a disaster zone, people
ask my team members,
		
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			nice of you. I'm sure the manager
is very busy at home in this
		
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			country. They say, No, he is a
manager, and they'll see me
		
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			picking up a sack of minutes or
less. They say, he can't be the
		
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			manager. Managers don't come to
disaster zones. They sit in the
		
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			office and they send other people.
So they say, No, they can't do it.
		
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			They are lying. This is not a
manager. And if you want anything
		
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			done, you'll do it first. That's
how the organization grew. I put
		
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			the effects paper in the machine.
I put the paper on the wall. I did
		
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			the delivery. So every aspect of
the organization you cannot be
		
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			every project is designed in ID,
every the mechanics about the IT
		
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			guy, but I know how the people
function. I'll read about it and
		
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			understand something to explain to
me. Yes, I can't go. I've left
		
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			medicine in 94 but everything to
do with medicine, I will learn.
		
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			All the new stuff, the new
technology. I get people to brief
		
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			me, my medical teams advise me,
and I will learn. But in
		
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			everything, I got to set the
example first. When it goes to a
		
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			war zone, I take the highest risk.
I go first alone to see what the
		
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			risks are, what networks we can
build, how I can bring my teams in
		
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			and I come back, it doesn't send
something else to take the risk,
		
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			and the first one in and the last
one out. So you have to get
		
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			integrity. You have to be honest.
You can be transparent. And people
		
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			have to see that there's
sincerity. And you know, in the
		
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			way you operate, they must see the
compassion in you. They must see
		
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			how you respect each other, the
dignity, approval of people,
		
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			everything that we say they have
to see that.
		
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			It means Africa is highly
recognized. To me, this is the
		
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			opportunity to market, to showcase
the continent, because we always
		
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			forgotten people, the Africans, as
I mentioned earlier, can't do
		
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			anything. And there are people,
you know, philanthropists, all of
		
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			the world, who really want to do
for Africa, but they're scared to
		
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			come because they feel they cannot
be trusted. Will it be corruption?
		
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			Will the money disappear? Will the
goods be delivered? Is there
		
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			skills? Are the skills is the
efficiency? Can the job get done
		
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			like the people from the Lord? Is
it possible and being recognized
		
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			by a big company like Emily and
partners, which is globally known,
		
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			which is linked to so many people,
it's like being audited by a big
		
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			company in Europe, you know, and
say, Look, we agree that these
		
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			people's books are clear, you
know, we recommend supporting them
		
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			or giving them money. It's that
kind of stamp. And what the media
		
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			coverage, what the.
		
00:15:00 --> 00:15:03
			Heading of the award by well known
people. It just puts so much of
		
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			faith in other parts of the world,
people to support Africa. Not this
		
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			the gift of the givers and myself,
but to support Africa. So to me,
		
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			this is and that's the first thing
I spoke about. The moment they
		
00:15:15 --> 00:15:18
			said, you know, you want the
global award. I said at last,
		
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			something for Africa, because this
continent needs all the support,
		
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			and we have very honest people in
this in this continent. We just
		
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			need to find it. And you know,
people who can deliver the job I'm
		
00:15:27 --> 00:15:30
			booked in many parts of the of the
continent, in 22 countries, you
		
00:15:30 --> 00:15:34
			know, and we've done things, and
we found people of integrity, and
		
00:15:34 --> 00:15:37
			that's why, how our projects get
done. So yes, it's time asking the
		
00:15:37 --> 00:15:41
			world, please open your eyes and
visit Africa and see we can do
		
00:15:41 --> 00:15:41
			things for you.
		
00:15:46 --> 00:15:50
			That we need to respect religions
and colors across the world. We
		
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			need to respect that people had
their own way of worshiping, their
		
00:15:53 --> 00:15:56
			own way of praying, their own way
of dressing, their own way of
		
00:15:56 --> 00:15:59
			eating. But that doesn't change
the intrinsic personality of a
		
00:15:59 --> 00:16:03
			human being eating in a different
way, dressing a different way,
		
00:16:03 --> 00:16:06
			speaking a different way, doesn't
change your personality and your
		
00:16:06 --> 00:16:09
			human emotion, because we all
bring the same color. We all have
		
00:16:09 --> 00:16:12
			the same pain. Whichever religion
or color or class or many
		
00:16:12 --> 00:16:15
			nationality belong to. If you lose
a four year old child, you feel
		
00:16:15 --> 00:16:19
			the same pain to some in the north
or something in the South. If you
		
00:16:19 --> 00:16:22
			have no food Dhani, you feel in
law the same that you feel in the
		
00:16:22 --> 00:16:25
			south. So we need to understand
and open our minds and not put
		
00:16:25 --> 00:16:29
			people in boxes. We look at the
human being as a human being, and
		
00:16:29 --> 00:16:32
			forget all these different things
that we have always black is
		
00:16:32 --> 00:16:36
			white. Is European, he's American,
he's Jew, he's Christian, he's
		
00:16:36 --> 00:16:40
			Indian, he's Muslim. Now you know,
we are different people. People
		
00:16:40 --> 00:16:44
			within our religions and our
cultures do things which harm the
		
00:16:44 --> 00:16:48
			whole nation and harm an entire
faith group, for that matter, an
		
00:16:48 --> 00:16:50
			entire culture or an entire
government. Don't look at the
		
00:16:50 --> 00:16:54
			actions of one person or a group
of people and say, everybody is
		
00:16:54 --> 00:16:57
			like that. Look at the overall
actions of the whole group, or
		
00:16:57 --> 00:17:01
			study the teachings and the
philosophy philosophies and say,
		
00:17:01 --> 00:17:06
			Look, I just want people bad. When
the banking when the economy
		
00:17:06 --> 00:17:09
			collapsed and work and banking
groups went down, do we say the
		
00:17:09 --> 00:17:13
			whole financial system is corrupt?
When doctors Rob medical aids, do
		
00:17:13 --> 00:17:17
			we say it's very bad to be
doctors, they're all corrupt. When
		
00:17:17 --> 00:17:21
			lawyers take people for a ride in
terms of fraud in the type of
		
00:17:21 --> 00:17:24
			practice. Do they do to be said,
all lawyers worldwide are corrupt.
		
00:17:24 --> 00:17:27
			You don't say that. We said the
one law is corrupt. So we
		
00:17:27 --> 00:17:30
			identify, when it comes to the
business world, a bad accountant,
		
00:17:30 --> 00:17:34
			a bad bank, a bad company, you
know, bad practice of something.
		
00:17:34 --> 00:17:37
			We don't say everybody in the
economy is bad. So why can't we
		
00:17:37 --> 00:17:41
			apply the same law for people
within religion or a group or a
		
00:17:41 --> 00:17:44
			culture or society. If you look
deep enough, you'll find us,
		
00:17:44 --> 00:17:48
			people who care, who have finished
to bring people together. And I've
		
00:17:48 --> 00:17:53
			had that experience from all
countries, there are more people
		
00:17:53 --> 00:17:56
			want to do good and support each
other rather than take people
		
00:17:56 --> 00:18:01
			apart. So have an open mind and do
things but remove stereotypes,
		
00:18:01 --> 00:18:05
			remove prejudice, remove polarized
Thinking, and relook and re
		
00:18:05 --> 00:18:07
			examine and be mindful you.