A single platform to amplify grassroots
and collective movements to celebrate
and acknowledge our Heritage, our South Africaness
We have had a rough 18 months, COVID isolation has impacted every facet of our lives; children at school; workplace security; business operations; social interaction; sport; you name it. And then the riots, looting and destruction in July. Many of us have begun to question who we are, where the country is headed, what the future is. And yet, in and amongst this tragedy we witnessed South Africans pulling together in an extraordinary manner; ordinary folk protecting their towns; people in wheel chairs helping clean up; shops opening six days after being trashed; school choirs singing of hope and as many brave South Africans have proven again and again, the only way to create a community where every South African is served, is to say and do something when we see something wrong happening.
This is us
Standing together, celebrating our successes, acknowledging those who strive for a better South Africa is what many of us do. And, while we must acknowledge and address our systemic challenges we also need a singular counterpoint where the stories of ‘what makes us…. us’ are told. Our narrative needs to spend as much time acknowledging the good as it does confronting the bad
#ThisIsUs intends to do just that, and you are invited!
#ThisIsUs intends to be a platform that will aggregate and amplify the extraordinary contributions that many South Africans are making to the future we want. #ThisIsUs will create an open source, shared platform of understanding so that like-minded people can share their stories in their particular field of endeavour. Hopefully #ThisIsUs will become a carrier of national pride enabling us to re-forge our identity and re-introduce our good will to each other
#ThisIsUs understands that the challenges that lead to scenes of violence and unrest have not gone away. But, unless we seek to address them through sustained positive action, July 2021 will go down as another missed sign of growing discontent with the status quo. As the news cycle moves on, the need to retain South African attention on our challenges grows stronger.
Starting Point: Heritage Day campaign
The 24th of September marks our 27th Heritage day. A day to celebrate the contribution of all South Africans to the building of South Africa. This year we were all reminded of just how far we have to go to heal the divisions of the past; lay foundations for a democratic and open society; improve the quality of life of all citizens; and build a united and democratic South Africa.
To celebrate our heritage this year, we would like all South Africans to think about the heritage we will leave for a future South Africa. Give our children something to inherit, by honouring that responsibility with one positive action hash-tagged ThisIsUs.
Three ways you can support?
As business South Africa
By simply mobilising your business to join the call for positive action this Heritage day. An open challenge to all colleagues, customers, suppliers and competitors.
Volunteer, donate, support local businesses, take pride in where you live and work or any other act of kindness and positivity both big and small. Post and share this activity with the hashtag #ThisIsUs
As creatives in South Africa
What is the legacy we would like to leave for a future South Africa?
Give our youth something to inherit with a poem, track, short film, illustration, or any piece of multi- media content with the central theme –
To our future South Africa,
This is the heritage I wish for you to inherit.
#ThisIsUs
As influencers in South Africa
By leveraging your influence in the call for positive action this Heritage day. An open challenge to all your followers and fellow influencers.
Volunteer, donate, support local businesses, take pride in where you live and work or any other act of kindness and positivity both big and small. Post and share this activity with the hashtag #ThisIsUs
Additional support material
To support the campaign we will be flighting a 30 sec piece from the 15th of September, with print, radio and out of home tospread the message of giving our youth something to inherit this heritage day.
We have also created a basic toolkit of social frames, co brand lockups and assets to use in emailers, across social and communications to amplify the movement.
Download brand and social kits https://www.thisisus.africa/downloads
The way forward
We have built a #ThisIsUs website where your stories will be grouped into categories: (If necessary we may have sub-categories)
- Youth Empowerment
- Economic Inequality
- Social Cohesion
- Education and Health
We are partnering with www.sagoodnews.co.za to populate our website, Please submit your stories of not more than 400 words with one or two low res images and it will get our immediate attention
We in turn will add ‘fast facts’ and our own researched opinion pieces to the site to add value to the narrative
We will create links so that our readers can easily access the movers behind the story as well as to your area of interest.
We want to engage as many voices as possible, we want to be part of creating a portal that connects people who want to make a difference to those who are making a difference, above all we want to create a sense of who we really are and what our future looks like
#ThisIsUs
The momentum is building, if you have a story you wish to share, a passion you wish to tell of, a contribution you wish to make – please contact steuart@sagoodnews.co.za and please bear in mind we don’t do PR!
