CEO SleepOut⢠media release:
Brand Ambassadors for The SleepOut⢠Movement Events are selected for the impact that they can make on the lives of the homeless and vulnerable communities. This year they include Dr. Makaziwe Mandela, Patron of The 2018 SleepOut⢠Movement; Dr Brylyne Chitsunge, Pan African Ambassador for Food Security in Africa; Sir Nicholas Wolpe, Founder and CEO of the Liliesleaf Trust; Dr. Baz Dreisinger, Professor of English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City and Founder and Academic Director of the Prison-to-College Pipeline; Alec Hogg, Writer, Broadcaster and Publisher of Biznews.
âWe salute and thank these exceptional people, who use their influence to spread the message of positive social change and for the important part that they play in encouraging business leaders to #RiseToTheChallenge by participating in one of our 2018 SleepOut⢠Movement Events, says Ali Gregg, Founder of The Philanthropic Collection⢠(Pty) Ltd and The CEO SleepOut⢠and responsible for bringing this Event and its affiliated brands to life.
Taking place during July this year The 2018 SleepOut⢠Movement Events embody two Special Chapters, The Nelson Mandela CEO SleepOut⢠â Liliesleaf Edition on the 11th July and The Nelson Mandela Legacy SleepOut⢠â Robben Island Edition on the 18th July, both tributes to Madibaâs lasting legacy in what would have been his centennial year. Events allowing for the broader South African public to become involved include The Nelson Mandela South Africa SleepOutâ˘Â and The Nelson Mandela School SleepOutâ˘Â Events that also take place on Wednesday 18 July 2018 across the country.
“There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return,” declared Nelson Mandela.
Following in the humanitarian footsteps of her father, Dr. Makaziwe Mandela, eldest child of Nelson Mandela, grew up in Soweto, Johannesburg. She holds a BA degree in Social Work from Fort Hare University and a Honours Degree in Sociology from the University of Natal. In 1984, she received a Fulbright Foreign Scholarship and a Fulbright Distinguished Fellowship Award to study at the University of Massachusetts in the US for a Masters in Sociology and a Doctorate in Anthropology.
Dr Brylyne Chitsunge believes, âWe have the ability to satisfy all of the 5 pillars for the sustainable integration of the most vulnerable in our society, the homeless, through the development of sustainable agricultural practices in our communities. These pillars include Shelter, Nutrition, Health, Education and Community Upliftment all of which can be attained.â
Dr Brylyne Chitsunge, the Pan African Ambassador for Food Security in Africa and founder of The Qunu Food Security Project, is a farmer and a tireless advocate for food security through the empowerment of farmers in general and women in particular, not only in her native South Africa but across the continent. For many years, she has been travelling the world to discuss issues such as sustainable agriculture, climate change, and supporting women farmers as a dynamic and inspiring activist. Â She is an internationally acclaimed expert and facilitator on Agriculture and farming in the African context and a 21st century farmer partnering with schools and universities to promote a farming culture.
âThe SleepOut⢠Movement endeavours to enhance the social and moral responsibility of business to be involved in building and creating a more inclusive and transformed Country predicated on the principles that define our liberationâ, believes Sir Nicholas Wolpe.
Sir Nicholas Wolpe is the founder and CEO of the Liliesleaf Trust and the driving force behind the Liliesleaf Legacy Project which has preserved, restored and developed a dynamic immersive interactive exhibit. He has written and delivered numerous papers and talks on the importance of Memory and Legacy and the need to keep memory alive. He was Knighted by the King of Sweden and received a Knighthood of the First Class of the Royal Order of the Polar Star. Liliesleaf today is more than just a historical site that captures, recalls and conveys the stories of a unique and seminal period in South Africaâs struggle for democracy, justice, equality and freedom. It is also a site of memory and a repository of testimonies that will ensure that the memories of a defining period in the struggle will remain forever present.
Prof. Baz Dreisinger, believes, âThe CEO SleepOut⢠Movement makes an important contribution to the lives of many homeless and vulnerable communities but more importantly leaves a lasting impression on those who participate and support The SleepOut⢠Movement events by developing a deep social and philanthropic conscience within them.â
Baz Dreisinger is a professor, journalist, justice worker, film and radio producer, cultural critic and activist. A professor of English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, she is the founder and Academic Director of the Prison-to-College Pipeline program, which offers college courses and reentry planning to incarcerated men throughout New York State, and broadly works to increase access to higher education for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. Her book âIncarceration Nations: A Journey to Justice in Prisons Around the Worldâ offers a radical rethinking of one of Americaâs most devastating exports and national experimentsâthe modern prison systemâand was named a Notable Book of 2016 by the Washington Post; it was also lauded by the New York Times, NPR, the LA Times and many more. Dr. Dreisinger was named a 2017-2018 Global Fulbright Scholar for her work promoting education and restorative justice internationally and is Founding Director of the Incarceration Nations Network (INN), a global network and think tank that supports, instigates and popularises innovative prison reform efforts around the world.
Alec Hogg is the founder and publisher of Biznews.com. A writer, broadcaster and media entrepreneur, he was the overall winner of the Sanlam Financial Reporter of the Year in 1982, aged 23. Thirty years later he was honoured by the Sanlam competition judges with a Lifetime Achievers Award for his introduction of business radio to SA and his creation in 1997 – Moneyweb, an online publishing pioneer. He left Moneyweb in October 2012 and now focuses full-time on Biznews and is a regular keynote business speaker.
Curated by social enterprise The Philanthropic Collection (Pty) Ltd, whose mission is Creating Conscious Capital, The SleepOut⢠Movement aims to spearhead innovation in philanthropy by moving beyond current practices and beliefs, employing business strategies to do good for others.
#RiseToTheChallenge now by visiting The SleepOut⢠Movement – https://theceosleepoutza.co.za.
