City abseiling for the Motherland
1 August 2005
Downtown Johannesburg was brought to a virtual standstill last week as young abseilers rappelled down a 25-metre South African flag on the side of a 20-storey building to join a music concert on the street below.
This was the launch of the Off the Wall campaign by Motherland, an initiative urging young South Africans to take an active part in the future of their country.
Motherland, headed by Kev McKerr, aims to connect the youth of South Africa through an online portal. It preaches pride in South Africa and urges its users not only to be the change they want to see in the world, but also to do something about it.
The Off the Wall concert featured the best of local talent, with a genre-crossing band of ska punks, afro funks and slam poets. The Motherlanders unfurled a banner challenging young South Africans to discover 10 facts about their country, learn another local language and get on with making a difference.
"The cultural revolution has begun," says McKerr. "This kind of collaboration, of cross-over, of cross-pollination, is a small sample of what we have to offer in South Africa.
"It's time we all stood up and took notice."
Visit the Motherland website for youth culture stories, work opportunities, forums, blogs and more.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
