In his stump speech, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, John Edwards, says there are two Americas: ”One America — middle-class America — whose needs Washington has long forgotten; another America — narrow-interest America — whose every wish is Washington’s command.” As the US conventions begin, big business has its eye on both parties; but the poor have the ear of neither.
There are different types of social entrepreneurs: grassroots activists mobilising for social change; relief workers; grantmakers; and even corporate teams who work on social responsibility issues. The value of their work, however, is often undermined because of a number of reasons. They could learn from business about effective accountability and governance, writes Saliem Fakir.
A lean-looking South African team carry a huge burden as they depart on Tuesday for Athens to embark on their fourth Olympic campaign since re-entry into world sport just more than a decade ago. Twelve years down the line, the 106-member team have been labelled as too white and not truly representative of their country’s demographics.
The South African men’s hockey team’s road to the Athens Olympic Games has — to put it mildly — been a rocky one. The inability to gain automatic access via the All Africa Games last October was followed closely by the controversial omissions of the experienced Mike Cullen and Justin King.
South African champion Hezekiel Sepeng and world indoor champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi — both Olympic medal contenders — get together in the 800m on Friday night in Zurich for the first time on European soil this year to feel out their opposition for the two-lap showpiece in Athens.
The defeated Springbok rugby team returned home from their tour down under to a lukewarm reception at Johannesburg International airport on Sunday night. The Boks were greeted by a mere handful of fans in the arrivals hall, despite registering what many had considered ”positive” results over the past three weekends.
The challenge South Africa faces ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup is to build not only stadiums, but a world-class team, bid company CEO Danny Jordaan said on Sunday. On Tuesday an announcement will be made about South African Football Association teams that will visit the cities earmarked to host the matches.
The Premier Soccer League (PSL) season for 2004/05, scheduled from August 7, will start with a full complement of clubs in both the PSL and the Mvelaphanda Golden League, including the recently promoted clubs. PSL CEO Trevor Phillips confirmed the starting date for both leagues at a media briefing on Monday.
The Zimbabwean government has drawn up legislation to curtail the activities of charities, church groups and other non-governmental organisations. Announcing the draft legislation, President Robert Mugabe said NGOs ”must work for the betterment of our country and not against it … We cannot allow them to be conduits or instruments of foreign interference in our national affairs.”
Mark Palios on Sunday resigned as chief executive of the English Football Association, the first head to roll in the scandal over manager Sven-Goran Eriksson’s affair with an FA secretary with whom Palios also had a brief relationship. At first the FA denied the reports of the fling between Eriksson and the 38-year-old former model Faria Alam.