A blook for such a time as this

Most people would agree that we live in challenging times. This is true globally [with talk of a world political and economic crisis getting louder], as well as here at home in South Africa, where many are negative and heading for greener pastures.

And not only do we sit in the midst of uncertainty now, but our history is littered with tales of wars, disputes and general discontent. But this is true of almost every country, and having spent my whole life here and seeing so many people fleeing the country for no reason other than to get away, I wish that people could see the opportunities that sit right on our doorstep.

So with that in mind, here it is, the central theme that some brilliant writers have been tasked to work around and play with, along with the guidance of specific topics.

The blook will be about South Africa from the perspective of bloggers [taking into account their different viewpoints] - a positive and constructive look at where SA is today and the opportunities that lie ahead of us. There are many books about SA's history and lots of stories about how SA is struggling today, so I think that for a moment we should stop looking at history and problems, and start looking at the present, the future and some great opportunities.

City Press has an interesting billboard in Johannesburg that tells passers-by something along the lines of "Either you break it, or you build it". This is also true for SA - in the end, it comes down to nation building. I believe it was Augustine that said "I believe in order to know" - an amazing truth that often escapes us. I know that everyone who wants to help build this nation we live in has chosen to believe in its future. I hope that after reading this blook, all of us will see more of its amazing potential!

Certainly, the blook is aimed at the wired community [and could therefore have a slight technology bias], but hopefully it will also reach the eyes and ears of those who don't read blogs very often and mean something to everyone.

For those who missed it, the blook was mentioned on Media Update earlier this week. Many thanks to Pat for taking the time to look at this and include it in there.

Next week I will release the names of the other writers in addition to those already published [it's been an interesting week, for sure] and give some more details about the release.

Oh, and I have to give a quick mention to Nic's unusual approach to writing his blook chapter - you gotta love it!