Looking for a specific grant?
Page Tools
December 13, 2010
2009 Annual Report: Blinded by Pessimism or Seeing Possibilities
Voices from South Africa is a collection of digital recordings based on essays that originally appeared in the Mott Foundation’s 2009 Annual Report: Blinded by Pessimism or Seeing Possibilities. The essayists share their reflections on the role and value of the civil society sector in South Africa. The authors are: Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Amanda Cooper, Kwandiwe Kondlo and Charles Villa-Vicencio. All except Tutu read their own essay. The audio series can be downloaded free below or through the iTunes Store.
The recordings are previewed in this 5-minute video.
The Voices from South Africa audio series includes:
- A collection of all four essays. 16:41 minutes [Listen]
- Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. Representing the Desmond Tutu Peace Trust, Tutu shares his thoughts about the selflessness of philanthropy. His words are read by Vuyiswa Sidzumo, director of Mott’s South Africa office in Johannesburg. 3:53 minutes [Listen]
- Amanda Cooper. Cooper, exhibition coordinator at the South Africa Holocaust Centre, discusses why she believes it is possible to be both a realist and an optimist in South Africa. 3:35 minutes [Listen]
- Kwandiwe Kondlo. Professor and chair of African Studies at the University of the Free State, Kondlo describes his version of a healthy civil society. 4:29 minutes [Listen]
- Charles Villa-Vicencio. Founder and current board member of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, Villa-Vicencio ponders whether the nonprofit sector can harness the collective goodwill generated by the 2010 World Cup and use it to generate lasting change. 6:42 minutes [Listen]