Wayne Visser

The Edge

2012-01-31T03:07:00.000-08:00

Written after receiving news that a good friend has suffered a massive stroke and may not recover.

THE EDGE

By Wayne Visser

The world is round

Until we walk right off the edge

Our lives are poised

Forever teetering on a ledge

Endless circles

Round and round

Until it stops

Without a sound

The world is round

A perfect, spinning, sparkling sphere

Our lives are strung

Stitched up with love and glued with fear

Unravelling

Start to end

We fall apart

We lose a friend

The world is round

But it may just as well be flat

Our lives are linked

Forever breaching this and that

No matter what

We reap behind

What counts is how

We sowed our time

Still Pond (poem)

2012-01-31T03:05:00.001-08:00

Written about a spot in the woods near where I live ...

STILL POND

By Wayne Visser

There is a secret place on Hampstead Heath

Where ancient trees surround a pond of peace

Where ducks and moorhens strut and preen

Where a silent heron stands guard, unseen

The seasons lap like tides upon the trees

Budding and blooming and scattering leaves

While the pond breathes its living ebb and flow

From winter’s frost-glass to summer’s fire-glow

I visit there to find my resting place

A calm eye amidst life’s swirling pace

I visit there to renew my earthly bond

To find myself, reflected, in the still pond.

Forty One (poem)

2011-12-18T02:04:00.001-08:00

FORTY ONE

By Wayne Visser

Another bumpy trip around the chunky sun

With far less battles lost than new victories won

I’m far from my old age and yet no longer young

I’ve only just got started – I’m firing forty one

Another funky flip inside my clunky head

With fewer fears to face, yet ever skins to shed

I’m eager to find out what paths still lay ahead

I’m keeping my feet light wherever I may tread

Another chunky chip in my life’s hunky dough

With far less cause to shrink and much more chance to grow

I’m ready to become the star of my own show

I’m sailing on the wind and surfing in the flow

Another monkey trick of clockwork flunky fun

With no less time to waste and such great love to come

I’m gazing at the stars with dreams still left to run

I’ve only just got started – I’m firing forty one

The Tree-keepers (poem)

2011-12-16T01:35:00.000-08:00

THE TREE-KEEPERS

By Wayne Visser

The other day, on Hampstead Heath

While mist lay shrouded like a wreath

I chanced upon some tree-keepers

With leaves above and mulch beneath

Now tree-keepers, I must explain,

Are much the same as bee-keepers –

Though less about the drowsy smoke

And more about the high-slung rope;

Less about the honey wax

And more about the pruning axe;

Less about the buzzing bees

And more about the tufted trees –

So ... not so much, it must be said,

Like bee-keepers at all.

But tree-keepers, I will admit,

Are almost like the chimney-sweepers –

Just less about the charcoal dust

And more about the leafy rust;

Less about the fiery shoots

And more about the twisted roots;

Less about the blackened bricks

And more about the wayward sticks –

So ... not so much, in actual fact,

Like chimney-sweepers at all.

Still, tree-keepers, I’m sure it’s true,

Are pretty much like fire-eaters –

But less about the searing spark

And more about the ailing bark;

Less about the showmanship

And more about the budding slip;

Less about the more absurd

And more about the nesting bird –

So ... not so much, if truth be told,

Like fire-eaters at all.

In actual fact, the tree-keepers

Are nothing like the night-sleepers

Or keyhole-peepers or canyon-leapers;

Not a bit like money cheaters

Or egg-white-beaters or candy-treaters;

Not even like crawly-creepers,

Let alone grim-hooded-reapers –

No ... not so much, despite their rhyme,

Like any –eepers after all.

Rather, those strangers on that day

On Hampstead Heath, I’d have to say,

Were nothing more and nothing less

Than keepers of wise Nature’s way.

I Want To Be A Writer (poem)

2011-11-20T02:37:00.000-08:00

I WANT TO BE A WRITER

By Wayne Visser

‘I want to be a writer, Mom

Is there a secret trick?’

‘The trick, my girl, is just to write

To write through thin and thick.’

‘But what if I get writer’s block

What if the page stays empty?’

‘Then write about what’s in your head

You’ll find that there is plenty’

‘But what if it’s not good enough

And rambles like a letter?’

‘What’s good is in the reader’s eye

Besides, you’ll just get better’

‘I want to be a writer, Mom

But my friends might not agree’

‘When you wake up and want to write

A writer you will be’

Monet's Dream (poem)

2011-11-18T08:18:00.000-08:00

Another Villanelle, inspired while walking in the nearby Hampstead Heath in Autumn (Fall).

MONET’S DREAM

By Wayne Visser

The leaves are falling to the ground

I caught one as it fell today

And Monet’s dream lay all around

I watched it fall without a sound

The green of summer’s gone away

As leaves are falling to the ground

My hands were outstretched, heaven-bound

The leaf was dancing, swish and sway

While Monet’s dream lay all around

It fell with grace, I was spellbound

As if the earth had bowed to pray

And leaves were falling to the ground

It landed soft, my hands closed round

As if I’d caught a golden ray

While Monet’s dream lay all around

Inside me, something lost was found

It touched me more than words can say

While leaves were falling to the ground

And Monet’s dream lay all around

What Dreams May Come (poem)

2011-11-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

WHAT DREAMS MAY COME

By Wayne Visser

What dreams may come

What cosmos reflected

What masks may change

What seasons collected

We dance our love

We follow our vector

We flit our days

We gather our nectar

What dreams may come

What enchanted childness

What far horizon

What enraptured wildness

We roam our plains

We take our life chances

We fix our gaze

We make our bold stances

What dreams may come

What earth-rooted treasures

What friends we make

What sky-varied pleasures

We find our pond

We quench our deep longing

We weave our spell

We let our bright song sing

Villanelle for Justice (poem)

2011-11-10T11:49:00.003-08:00

VILLANELLE FOR JUSTICE

By Wayne Visser

She rages against the fading of light,

Making the world less bitter, less dark:

Her moonlit passion shines out in the night.

When shadows are growing to ominous height;

When justice corrodes and leaves acid marks:

She rages against the fading of light.

Each time that she finds a victim in plight,

She’s looks for a flash of luminous arc:

Her moonlit passion shines out in the night.

When tyrants defend their merciless right;

When gaps still get wider, contrasts more stark:

She rages against the fading of light.

In stormy dark seas where money is might,

Where bankers and landlords feed like a shark:

Her moonlit passion shines out in the night.

Her fire gives me wings, her love gives me flight,

And helps me to face my fears of the dark:

She rages against the fading of light,

Her moonlit passion shines out in the night.

Bee-lieve (new poem)

2011-11-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

BEE-LIEVE

By Wayne Visser

As you nurture new buds and fresh shoots

Don’t let cruel words strangle each blossom

Rather pluck them right out by their roots

And be happy to tangle and toss ‘em

Yes, just leave them behind

(They’re like weeds in your mind)

And believe in yourself –

Bee-lieve.

What the buzz are they bumbling about?

What the fuzz are they mumbling about?

They’re just grumbling and fumbling

And stumbling about;

Their thoughts have no power

Their words have no clout

So believe in yourself –

No doubt.

As you stretch out your wings wide and roam

Through new days that are dark or are sunny

You’re expanding the reach of your home

And besides that, you’re making sweet honey

Yes, I think you will find

You’re the best of your kind

So believe in yourself –

Bee-lieve.

What the chit are they chattering about?

What the flit are they nattering about?

They’re just clattering and battering

And scattering about;

Their looks have no poison

Their deeds turn about

So believe in yourself –

No doubt.

As you fly by from flowers to trees

And you feel that the strain may be showing

Just remember, you’re surfing the breeze

There’s no telling the places you’re going

You’re the dance of new rhymes

You’re the song of our times

So believe in yourself –

Bee-lieve.

Seize the Day: Favourite Inspirational Poems (my new book)

2011-11-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

I'm delighted to announce that my new book of poems is out on Kindle (download the free app to read on PC/any device). Here's the blurb ...

SEIZE THE DAY: FAVOURITE INSPIRATIONAL POEMS

This unique collection brings together inspirational poems by South African poet and writer, Wayne Visser. The anthology includes many old favourites like "Poets Must Be" and "Horrendus Camena", as well as brand new poems like "The Writer" and "Seize the Day":

Sages through the ages wisely say:

Carpe Diem – seize the dawning day!

Oh, would that I could assuage that thirst

But the day conspires to seize me first!

Buy it now for little more than the price of a cup of coffee at:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seize-Day-Favourite-Inspirational-ebook/dp/B0060LLHUA/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1320266601&sr=1-4

Serenity (poem)

2011-10-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

SERENITY

By Wayne Visser

Calm turquoise waters and white tufted skies

Red fiery sea crabs with knobbly stalk eyes

Black sea iguanas with arched horny spines

Blue-footed boobies that plummet and dive

Time drifts and eddies, space sweeps and curls

My body unhinges, my mind gently swirls

Gold crescent beaches and green mangrove trees

Acrobat frigates that twist on the breeze

Sky-dreaming cactuses rise from the ash

Shy silver fishes shimmy and flash

Days stretch and unfurl, nights pulse and pause

My heart finds its rhythm, my soul lifts and soars

Cool soothing drizzle and grey lapping waves

A vigilant pelican watches and preys

Fresh footprints fade as the lunar-tide churns

A white-tipped shark ghosts and glides as it turns

Hopes swell and teeter, dreams froth and spray

Serenity lingers as I go on my way

Galapagos (poem)

2011-10-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

GALAPAGOS

By Wayne Visser

Genesis islands, straddling Hades and Eden

Ancient follies forged in the fiery mists of time

Land of contortion between struggle and freedom

An ode to creation and its ebb-flowing rhyme

Puzzle of the Pacific, of cold blood and fire

A cauldron of species, our map of history

Giant tortoises tread with evolution’s desire

Our past leaves a trail, our future a mystery

Saludo! To Darwin and his unholy treason

Galapagos Diaries 3

2011-10-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

Today was perhaps one of the most blissful of my life. In the morning, I went to Tortuga Bay and spent a few hours sitting on the volcanic rocks overlooking the lagoon, flanked on both sides by marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies. My goal was to photograph the boobies in flight, but ‘doing’ soon dissolved into ‘being’ – a feeling of at-one-ness with nature and contentment in the moment.

En route – a 45 minute walk along the beach – I encountered colonies of marine iguanas, and managed to snap a pelican as it launched to capture a fish in the shallows. I also spotted a white finned reef shark gliding past in the turquoise water, and saw (for the first time) crabs scuttling along the surface of the water between rocks about one metre apart.

I wouldn’t have believed it possible for my day to get any better. However, as I took a water taxi to a nearby beach in the afternoon, I chanced to meet Jacqueline de Roy. Since she is 85 and had several heavy bags, I offered to help carry these to her home nearby. She invited me in and we got talking. What a fascinating life she has read.

She arrived in Galapagos from Belgium with her late husband in the 1950s and never left. At the time, there were only about 150 people loving on the islands (today, the population is about 200,000). They did various things to survive, from farming (bananas) to tour operating and selling crafts (ink sketches on wood, pottery, sculptures and silver jewellery). Along the way, they helped scientists to collect snails, butterflies and moths, and even have several species named after them.

Their daughter, Tui de Roy, ended up becoming a renowned wildlife photographer, with books about Galapagos, the Andes, albatrosses and New Zealand (where she now lives). Needless to say, I was easily tempted into buying some of Angelique’s silver jewellery (iguana and penguin pendants and blue footed boobie and tropic bird earrings), as well as one of her daughter’s spectacular books called ‘Galapagos: Islands Born of Fire’.

The whole encounter was one of those rare, random meetings of strangers who open a window on each other’s lives and part mutually enriched in spirit. It reminds me of Indira and my discovery of Kookaburra Cottage in Australia. These are the golden nuggets we are sometimes lucky to find along life’s dusty pathways – the real treasures of existence.

Galapagos Diaries 2

2011-10-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

Today’s excursion began with a 1 hour bus ride across the island and then a 2.5 hour boat trip out to Bartholomew Island, where we climbed to the top of the volcano and then snorkelled in the bay. The island is entirely volcanic and one of Galapagos’s newest (approximately 1 million years old, versus 5 million for the rest of the archipelago). It is like peering through a tear in the fabric of time, back to the beginning of creation. There are just a few plant species that have managed to gain a foothold on what is otherwise a barren landscape of contorted lava rock (black and rust-coloured) and lava ash. The snorkelling was breathtakingly beautiful and I was lucky enough to see a large school of bright yellow-tailed fish, as well as a sting ray (it is so big! Maybe 1.5 metres across). I also saw small iguanas and exquisite bright red crabs. We had occasional company from frigate birds, sea longs and penguins alongside the boat, and were treated to boobies bomb-diving for fish. All in all, an exciting and relaxing day, worth every bit of the sunburn that I am now suffering with.

Galapagos Diaries 1

2011-10-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

It is 8.30 pm and I am sitting at the ocean front bar of the Sol y Mar hotel in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. My first impression of Galapagos is that the variance of micro climates within a short distance is remarkable, from arid, cactus strewn desert to lush humid forest. On the way from the airport to the hotel, we stopped to see the giant tortoises. What surprised me the most was their abundance. It was almost like stumbling across a herd of cattle or flock of sheep. Their size and ancient features are incredible. Apparently, they live to 120 years and their shells weigh 250 kgs when full grown. We also visited a volcanic cave, with a 300 m tunnel where rivers of lava used to flow. The main town hugs the coastline and I spent many pleasurable minutes mesmerized by the frigates and delighted by the occasional pelican gliding by. I already feel very calm and peaceful here, especially now as I liusten to the waves lapping against the key. Even so, I have finished by Pisco Sour and popcorn, and my pickup is as 6 am, so I will head back to my room for an early night.

Quito notes

2011-10-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

On my flight to Quito from Guayaquil in Ecuador, I watched a really good movie on the plane - directed by Woody Allen, called Midnight in Paris’. It’s about an aspiring writer who gets in touch with his nostalgia through travelling back in time, finally learning to live in and appreciate his present, albeit one in which he is more true to himself and his muse.

Also, I bought some books at the airport that I'm enjoying - Solar, by Ian McEwan, Slow Love, by Dominique Browing, and Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman. This last one is a story told by a boy who recently arrived in London from Ghana. It has echoes of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The workshop in Quito went well. Then I spent some time with a colleague, Maria Sara, visiting the indigenous market, while my friend Roberto went to the service for his father, who passed away a month ago. I managed to find a beautiful tablecloth and authentically traditional bag.

After Roberto's service, he took me to a restaurant overlooking the city. The changing light as the sun set was truly magical, especially as there were storm clouds gathering. After coffee at his brother in law's, we came home and he played some piano and guitar for me. I even had a strum and tried to dredge up my memory of songs I used to play.

I found out a bit about refugees in Ecuador - a few hundred thousand, mainly from Columbia. The law here is very open and welcoming, which also has its own problems. In Columbia, there are apparently about 4 million internally displaced people.

Well, tomorrow I leave at 6.15 am for Galapagos, via Guayaquil. I am looking forward to a few days break, and the wildlife I will hopefully see. I will take lots of photos.

All the Clocks (poem)

2011-09-21T02:46:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's good to embrace the shadow truth ...

ALL THE CLOCKS

By Wayne Visser

All the clocks are running down

All our temples turn to dust

All the seasons wheel around

Say what you will, do what you must

The snowy peaks are set to thaw

Our high ideals will melt and drip

The streams become a waterfall

Erode our empires, bit by bit

All the clocks are running down

All our bridges turn to rust

All that’s lost will yet be found

Lay down your bets on gods you trust

The battle’s reached the castle wall

Our grand defence will never last

The pride of kings begets their fall

Our future echoes from the past

All the clocks are running down

All our dreams a bitter pill

All the cities sink and drown

Say what you must, do what you will

The ocean listens as we call

Our yearning drifts upon the tide

The planet wraps us in a ball

Our beauty soothes the fears we hide

All the clocks are running down

All our days are meant to thrill

All the fruits lie on the ground

So pick them up, enjoy your fill

The forest trees are growing tall

Our spirit reaches for the skies

The flowers bloom throughout it all

Our hope still blossoms on the rise

All the clocks are running down

All our rain and sun above

All the roads are nowhere bound

It matters not, if we have love

A Few Random Notes on Vietnam

2011-09-17T03:07:00.000-07:00

I recently returned from a trip to Vietnam, where I was delivering a CSR workshop for the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce. It was my first visit and unfortunately, besides work, I had just a few hours to visit the museum in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) before going to the airport. It struck me as quite a poor and crowded city, very Western in some ways (clothes, etc., after French colonialism of 150 years) and very Eastern in others. Much like Cambodia, it is hot and humid, but a massive and bustling river flows through the city. They are not geared for tourism at all, which is quite refreshing actually (I guess Hanoi, which we looked at, would be different).

The museum was in a zoo garden and only opened at 1.30 pm, so bizarrely I found myself watching a very friendly giraffe, who likes to have his head scratched by visitors, and an orangutan with massive hands who seemed nearly human. The museum was interesting, but all pre-dated the war, which was a pity. My hotel – the beautiful colonial era Hotel Majestic – had a wonderful terrace overlooking the Saigon River (and the mad, hooting traffic alongside), although I did feel uncomfortable with all its opulence in the midst of a country where the average GDP per capita is approximately $1,000.

My South African Holiday

2011-09-17T02:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some reflections on our Cape holiday in South Africa in August. The first few days were spent in Swellendam, with visits to the dams (where poor my dog, Dusk, now 15 years old, ripped her back claw and needed rushing to the vet) and Barrydale (for the family’s traditional Sunday lunch at the Country Pumpkin). Then we went to Hermanus, where we spotted a single whale and Veneta & Indira swam in the icy water at Grotto Bay, before we headed to family friends, Bertie & Magda’s house in Kraaifontein, where we spent two nights.

The next day, I met with my friend and co-author, Guy Lundy, while the girls went to the aquarium at the Waterfront. As it turned out, we had a bird’s eye view of a municipal strikers’ protest down Hertzog Boulevard, during which some of their members callously looted nearby hawkers’ stands. I then picked up my friend Marie (now 82 and still sweet as ever) and we joined I & V for lunch at the Waterfront.

After dropping off Marie, in the afternoon we headed to Kirstenbosch to meet with my friend and former Mayor of Cape Town, Gordon Oliver. There was a stunning exhibition in the Gardens called ‘Untamed’, combining Dylan Lewis’ sculptures, Ian McCallum’s poetry, Enrico Daffonchio’s architecure and David Davison’s conceptual design. In the evening, we had dinner with friend Karen, who is almost fully recovered from the brain virus which wiped out her speech capacity some 18 months ago.

On our second day in Cape Town, we went up Signal Hill and Table Mountain (the weather was windy but clear). We had hoped to take a ferry out to Robben Island, but it was booked up a day in advance. Back in Swellendam, we did excursions to Montagu hot springs, the Duiwelsbos waterfall and Sulina’s Faery Sanctuary, before heading to Oudtshoorn for a visit to the Cango Caves, Cango Ostrich Farm and a Wildlife Sanctuary. I got to ride one ostrich (for about 10 metres) and to ‘kiss’ another (allowing it to peck a pellet from between my lips). The next day we went all the way to Seaview via Mossell Bay, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay (where we swam). A day later, we heard there had been a shark attack at Plett, so I guess we were lucky.

A visit to the Elephant Sanctuary outside Knysna gave us all a chance to feed and touch some tame (but free range) elephants, while Lion Park in Seaview gave I & V the chance to handle some 6 week old lion cubs, as well as to spot some giraffe and hartebees. When we finally made it to Addo Elephant Park, the weather was cold, with light showers, so not ideal for game viewing, but we managed to see some kudu and elephant fairly close up.

On our final day, we managed to get the Robben Island ferry and to visit the prison. The prisoner stories, displayed in some of the cells, were most interesting, so it was frustrating not to have much time to look at these (having spent excessively long on the bus driving to less interesting sites around the island). Nevertheless, I was inspired to buy Ahmed Kathrada’s Memoirs, so that should give similar (and much more detailed) insights.

My impressions from talking to friends and family is that poor political leadership is a constant frustration, exacerbated by waves of labour strike action (the media now refers to a ‘strike season’ every year). However, I saw positive signs as well, such as solar panels on the roofs of thousands of low cost houses, well maintained roads and other infrastructure and a healthy climate of political debate.

Overall, it was a good holiday and wonderful to spend a bit of time with my parents and see the great progress that has been made on the property. The garden is looking very established and the lodge is three-quarters complete. It was an ideal time of year to visit, with all the early spring flowers and green cultivated fields. The weather was cool most of the time, with some rain, but we had some great sunny days too.

Treasure Hunt (poem)

2011-07-20T01:21:00.000-07:00

Most mornings, I take a walk in a forest nearby, and it reminds me that every day has its treasures to offer.

TREASURE HUNT

Each day I set out,

Like a curious scout,

In search of a land of surprises;

And the treasures I find,

In the earth and my mind,

Are like beauty in all its disguises.

There’s the scent of the rain

And a church window pane,

The kiss of my love and her smile;

There’s the dog’s wagging tail

And a card in the mail,

The shard of a bright coloured tile.

By the end of the day,

Spent at work or at play,

I add to the chest of my treasures:

The plume of a bird,

A song that I heard –

I’m rich with my horde of small pleasures.

The Writer (poem)

2011-07-07T05:56:00.000-07:00

THE WRITER

By Wayne Visser

I write my waking incoherence

And when I sleep, I dream in words;

I write out lines as daily penance

And let them go, like captive birds.

The words are seeded in the darkness,

Plucked like stars from midnight skies;

I may not know their rhyme or reason,

Or if they’re foolish, foul or wise.

I write in ink on crushed papyrus,

I write in blood to spread the virus;

I write for love, I write for money,

I write in vinegar and honey.

The joy is in the puzzle making,

In finding pieces that might fit;

It’s not unlike the art of baking,

Or solving riddles bit by bit.

I write in pictograms and stone,

I write with feathers and with bone;

I write for fame, I write for history,

I write in code and silent mystery.

The pain is in the shards of meaning

Piercing into mental flesh;

It’s not unlike the knife of healing

Cleaning out a wound that’s fresh.

I write in tones that cast a spell,

I write in heaven and in hell;

I write alive, I write when dormant,

I write in tune and script discordant.

The words are borrowed, begged and stolen,

Yet these words are mine to give;

The belly of my words are swollen

And given birth, they start to live.

I write my muddled hero’s journey

And when I fall, words pick me up;

I write out sentences that turn me,

Questing, towards the gilded cup.

I write to breathe, I write to survive,

I write to believe, I write to strive;

I write to conceive, I write to thrive,

It’s writing that keeps me alert and alive.

Shine, Africa, Shine! (poem)

2011-06-25T01:50:00.000-07:00

SHINE, AFRICA, SHINE!

By Wayne Visser

I. The Dark Continent

Africa – the dark continent:

So named by explorers

Because the candle of their knowledge

Was feeble and flickering;

Because their ignorance

Was a void of deep space.

Africa – the dark continent:

So named by conquerors

Because the torch of their mission

Was sordid and smoking;

Because their prejudice

Was a cave of grey ghouls.

Africa – the dark continent:

So named by scholars

Because the lamp of their enquiry

Was paltry and passing;

Because their theories

Were coded in white and black.

II. Enemies Of The Sun

Africa is the continent of light,

But there are enemies of the sun:

Despots who snuff out flames,

Gangsters who skulk in caverns

And traders who deal in darkness.

Africa is the continent of light,

But there are crevices of shade:

Valleys where black blood flows,

Corridors where corruption festers

And markets where slavery sells.

Africa is the continent of light,

But there is darkness, it is true:

For every beam casts its shadow,

Every sun has its eclipse

And there is no day without night.

III. The Day of Dawning

Yet Africa’s day is dawning,

So let those who talk of shadows

Bring their light to bear;

And those who proclaim darkness

Open their eyes wide.

Africa’s day is dawning,

So let those who feed the night

Find themselves cold and hungry;

And those who steal the light

Find themselves alone and imprisoned.

Africa’s day is dawning,

So let those who pedal black fear

Discover the beauty of sunrise;

And those who dwell in tunnels

Find their inner flame.

IV. The Land Of Sunshine

Africa is the land of sunshine

Where topaz skies stretch out

From here-now to forever

And each scarlet sunrise

Renews faith, hope and life.

Africa is the hearth of firelight

Where dancing flames leap up

For distant starry dreams

And glowing orange embers

Warm the hands of friendship.

Africa is the pot of rainbows

Where every pregnant storm cloud

Crackles with electricity

And each shroud of grey mist

Shimmers iridescent.

V. The Shining Continent

So shine, Africa, shine!

Nourish our shared earth

And feed our common roots;

Green our tree of life

And bear sweet fruits of peace.

Shine, Africa, shine!

Spark our imagination

And confound us with your brilliance;

Flame our deepest desires

And dazzle us with your colours.

Shine, Africa, shine!

Fire our greatest passions

And empower us with your stories;

Blaze brightly on our soul quest

And inspire us with your light.

No-Do Days (poem)

2011-05-25T23:39:00.000-07:00

After a few glorious, lazy days ...

NO-DO DAY

By Wayne Visser

Doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-ways –

You’ve just gotta love them no-doo-bee days.

No grind and no sweat; no work set to do,

Nobody to please; nobody but you.

Do nothing on benches of sun-dappled shade,

Do nothing in cafes with fresh lemonade.

On beds and on sofas, with books and TV –

No-do days are dandy; what’s more, they are free.

No cook and no clean; no list of to-dos,

No drop and no fetch; no guilt in a snooze.

Doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-ways –

You’ve just gotta love them no-doo-bee days.

Witness to a Kill (poem)

2011-05-22T02:51:00.000-07:00

A sad day a week or so ago ...

WITNESS TO A KILL

By Wayne Visser

I’m witness to a massacre –

Unwitting and unknowing –

Upon my tiny balcony

Where fledgling life was growing.

A pigeon chose our shielded nook

To make her nest and lay her eggs;

Two squawking chicks had soon appeared,

All skin and spikes, all beaks and legs.

Our proud new mum was diligent

As back and forth she fussed and flew;

She fed them well, they sprouted wings,

Their motley feathers grew.

We used to wake and listen to

Their urgent, hungry cries;

Who knew that tragedy would strike

And leave us heaving saddened sighs?

It happened on a lunchtime break:

I ventured out to take a look,

And as I stepped out on the ledge

I frightened off a jet-black rook.

I froze and gazed in disbelief

At feathers scattered all around;

Yet still I hoped that I was wrong,

Until I saw blood on the ground.

The two grey chicks were ripped to shreds,

Just guts and gore were left to show;

Their carcasses were hollowed out,

Their brave new wings had grown too slow.

Right in that moment, raged welled up –

A bitter bile of blackbird hate;

All I could think in my distress

Was that I’d come too late ... too late.

I cleared the scene as best I could –

Put carnage into plastic bags;

It felt undignified as they

Went in the bin like shredded rags.

Later that day, the mum returned –

I watched to see what she would do;

She looked ... and looked ... it broke my heart –

It’s like she knew, I’m sure she knew.

The rook has come back several times;

I do not harbour ill will still,

For Nature’s kind and Nature’s cruel

And I – a witness to a kill.

CSR in Nigeria

2011-04-25T02:24:00.000-07:00

A few thoughts after my trip to Lagos last month ...

I am not naive enough to believe that CSR heralds a new dawn for Nigeria. The general consensus was that most companies are stuck in the Ages of Philanthropy and Marketing. Nevertheless, CSR has the potential to advance transparency and to create a platform to discuss the ethics of business and government. It also has the potential to be corrupted, which sadly is already happening in some instances where corporate sponsorship of government ‘CSR projects’ is practiced as an indirect form of bribery.

Shell Nigeria's reputation seems as sullied as ever, 15 years after the Ken Saro Wiwa fiasco. It seems like a viscous cycle of destructive relations. According to Tony Attah, Manager of Sustainable Development and Community Relations, 90% of the oil spills in 2009/10 were as a result of saboteurs, vandals and those trying to steal oil from the pipelines. Also, the Nigerian government takes more than 90% of the earnings of the business through taxes, royalties and their own equities (it has a 55% equity stake in the company).

Of course, there are examples of good practice, such as the Global MOUs between companies and communities, and conservation projects like the Chevron preserved urban forest which I visited. Yet even here, one senses that these are fragile fortifications against a relentless tide of oil-slicked growth and car-jammed urbanisation. I was there during the scheduled first weekend of elections, but these were postponed due to printed ballot papers not arriving in time. The Nigerians take it all in their stride, as if fighting the behemoth of inefficiency is as futile as cursing the manic traffic.

One of the encouraging initiatives is the Social Enterprise Reporting Awards (SERA), run by Trucontact. It was refreshing to see reporting where a level of verification (including site visits) takes place, and where the UN Millennium Development Goals are used as criteria to judge "CSR Projects". On request, I helped to redesign the questionnaire for 2011 (initially literally on the back of a serviette/napkin), so that the awards will start measuring Strategic CSR, rather than the current Philanthropic & Promotional CSR focus. Judging against Transformative CSR (CSR 2.0) may be a little ambitious at this stage.

If all goes according to plan, I will be back in Lagos around 15-17 June to speak at the 1st Africa Roundtable Conference on CSR and November, and again in November to deliver more CSR training hosted by Trucontact.

CSR quest book

2011-04-24T02:14:00.000-07:00

My spirits have lifted over the past few days. As I took a walk through Hampstead Heath Extension, with sun breaking through the newly greened trees and birds chirping happily, I felt a surge of gratitude and wellbeing.

I was also feeling cheered by the prospect of my CSR Quest book going ahead after all, having been rejected by Greenleaf, then Earthscan, before being picked up again by Greenleaf. Despite the additional workload this will put on an already rather full plate, writing is after all my first love. This book will be even more meaningful, given that it is effectively a reconstructed and research-enhanced diary of my travels around the world, capturing anecdotal insights and the stories of those people and organisations I met along the way. I will just have to keep the ‘spiritual odyssey’ to a minimum, warns Greenleaf.

Animated Life (poem)

2011-04-23T03:21:00.000-07:00

The last of my three new poems. Apologies for the deluge. It never rains, it pours (creatively speaking).

Animated Life

By Wayne Visser

Sometimes it seems that you’re not listening,

But I know that you can hear the birdsong in the forest

And the harrowing, anguished cry of a mother’s loss.

I know that the breathless sounds of passion reach you

And that lonely sighs of despair fill your ears.

I know that you are listening,

Because I am listening too

And we cannot but be moved

By the soundtrack of life.

Sometimes it seems that you’re not seeing,

But I know that you can see beauty through the artist’s eye

And ugliness in the cancer of rampant, selfish greed.

I know that the sight of carefree children reach you

And that poverty’s wasteland blots your vision.

I know that you are seeing,

Because I am seeing too

And we cannot but be enrapt

By the canvass of life.

Sometimes it seems that you’re not speaking,

But I know that you recount the tales of everyday heroes

And gossip about the vampires that suck society dry.

I know that words of poetry swirl in your mouth

And that shouts of abuse spill from your lips.

I know that you are speaking,

Because I am speaking too

And we cannot but be enchanted

By the story of life.

Sometimes it seems that you’re not breathing,

But I know that you can smell the sweet perfume of flowers

And the stench of rotten lies, like decomposing carcasses.

I know that the aroma of love intoxicates you

And the stink of hatred reaches your nostrils.

I know that you are breathing,

Because I am breathing too

And we cannot but be infused

With the scent of life.

Sometimes it seems that you’re not feeling,

But I know that your sky lights up with firework jubilation

And you languish sometimes in depression’s dark valley.

I know that the sloshing tide of contentment has lapped your shores

And the sludge of self-deprecation has mired your path.

I know that you are feeling,

Because I am feeling too

And we cannot but be bubbling

With the emotion of life.

Stripped (poem)

2011-04-23T02:18:00.000-07:00

Another of three new poems.

Stripped

By Wayne Visser

Stripped of all the trappings, the clatter;

Bare without the wrappings, the chatter.

So much of me remains untouched, unseen;

So many worlds are still unfound that matter.

The way an unexpected music swell

Can sweep me, tumbling, in a frothy bliss;

Or how a skilfully crafted spell

Of words enchants as much as any kiss.

Unplugged, the silence is brimming with sound;

Unlocked, the horizon need know no bound.

So much to re-imagine, to re-dream;

So many universes spinning round.

The way tangled roots in a forest patch

Can reconnect me to life’s web, and tug

At my senses, giving me space to catch

My breath and feel revived by nature’s hug.

Unseen, the flames of quiet passion burning;

Unheard, the cogs of creation turning;

Untold, the lament of a heart’s yearning;

Stripped bare, the journey of a soul’s learning.

Secret of Success (poem)

2011-04-21T02:14:00.000-07:00

A new poem. I hasten to add, I am not writing about myself.

Secret of Success

By Wayne Visser

You say you want to know (and others too)

The shining secret of my life’s success;

My ten-step, rags-to-riches recipe

And my ascendant path to happiness.

Do you mean the grail of heroes’ quest?

Is that the secret you were hoping for?

Tales of dreaming big and acting boldly;

Of stumbling upon fortune’s golden door?

Alas, the hidden truth (invisible

Behind the bright myth of a master plan)

Is that, no sooner is the mask removed,

Than cracks appear in the sun-bronzed tan.

My dark secret is that things fall apart

Almost nightly in the shadows of fame,

When the glaring spotlights of intrigue fade

And fragile self-esteem crumbles to shame.

My hushed secret is that the booming voice

Becomes a gnawing whisper of self-doubt

In the echoing caves of solitude;

An endless maze where only demons shout.

My small secret is that the starlit rise

Shines bright against a black, black empty sky;

And even as the peacock struts its plumes,

Its wings are clipped short and it cannot fly.

The secret of my success ... is failure

(If you, and others too, still want to know);

It’s scrambling across the yawning chasm

Between where I am and where I must go.

It’s waking up hungry for self-respect

And going to bed thirsty for respite

From the chattering voices in my head

That tease with vivid dreams of flight.

It’s stretching and striving and surviving

The onslaught of seeing the potential

At the edges of my unsettled state

Of relentless angst that’s existential.

It’s throwing a rope across the river

Daily, between what is and what could be;

It’s showing the world, not the best I’ve got,

But the best bits I want them to see.

To succeed in life is to fail and fail

And still keep giving more than you can take.

My secret of success, since you did ask,

Is to know what’s real from all that is fake.

New poem: Lagos Lives

2011-04-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

I have a rare morning ‘off’, which for me means a morning when the pressures of delivering something for Cambridge and others has momentarily eased. I have grabbed the opportunity to walk down to the high street and enjoy a latte and some quiet reflection. It is a sublime day, with blue skies and sunshine – the bright unfurling of spring and promise of summer. And I wasn't the only one who had been enticed out by the warming rays. My muse appeared - coy as ever - after a long winter absence.

Lagos Lives

Lagos lives

Seeding and sprawling

Steaming and smoking

Grasping at the shoreline

Gasping at the skyline

Clinging to its oil-slicked ropes

And singing of its toil-stripped hopes

Praise be!

To the God who sets His people free

To the fiery preacher on TV

To the Sunday throng that still believe

Praise be!

To the beggar and the banker

To the fisher and the swanker

To the struggler and the smuggler

Praise be!

Lagos breathes

Coughing and crooning

Swaggering and swooning

Shouting at the winners

Flouting all the sinners

Unleashing hope with soaring psalms

And greasing all the outstretched palms

Praise be!

To the Son who died upon the tree

To the light that makes the blind to see

To the ear that hears each prayerful plea

Praise be!

To the leaders and the bleeders

To the hackers and the slackers

To the hopers and the jokers

Praise be!

Lagos moves

Churning and chugging

Squirming and slugging

Jamming on the highways

Cramming in the byways

Convulsing to the market mob

And pulsing to the music throb

Praise be!

To the Ghost who lit the flame in thee

To the Word of heavenly decree

To the Three in One and One in Three

Praise be!

To the movers and the shakers

To the moguls and the fakers

To the dealers and the healers

Praise be!

Lagos lives

And breathes

And moves

To a rhythm of its own

To an ancient mystic poem

To a purpose yet unknown

Lagos moves

And breathes

And lives.

Nigeria Reflections

2011-04-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

Finally, I made it to Nigeria, a country I expected to visit much sooner than now, given its strategic importance in Africa and CSR. I got back from Lagos via Paris this morning. The CSR training for Trucontact went well and seemed appreciated. My hosts, Ken Egbas and colleagues, were gracious and generous. As it turned out, I saw very little on this first trip, beyond the training venue, my hotel and the crazy traffic in between.

I come away with mixed feelings. Certainly, the raw vitality and aggressive ambition (or is it just survival instinct?) is palatable. And as in so much of Africa, the culture and its people are colourful, hopeful and friendly. But there is also the malaise of powerlessness in the face of endemic corruption and greed among politicians, not to mention the inertia of crumbling state apparatus and economic injustice.

The greatest hope being clung to is rediscovering good, public-serving leaders, who remain a fantasy. The greatest source of faith is a Pentecostal brand of Christianity that gives its followers strength in knowing that God is on the side of the oppressed. What is somewhat depressing is knowing that Nigeria’s hardships are largely self-imposed, inflicted by the power-hungry on the opportunity-starved. The society is culturally robust, but morally and economically weakened by the cancers of raw greed and desperate need.

Informative 5-star review on Amazon of "The Age of Responsibility"

2011-04-06T03:56:00.001-07:00

5.0 out of 5 stars - A fine and fascinating book, 1 April 2011

By Dr Mike (UK) (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Link to the review online

I have read quite a lot about the recent financial collapse and feared that this would be yet another overview and analysis of these events. However, I was pleased to find that it was much more than that.

The first part of the book is a summary of various ways that firms conduct themselves. the author sees these as evolutionary stages, but whether or not you agree with that is irrelevant, because you can read without that assumption.

Stage one is Greed. The firm works solely for its own profit, and this is justified by the trickle-down theory of wealth, which, from the examples given, appears not to be working too well. There are some obscene case studies here, such as Barings, Enron, Lehman Brothers, WorldCom and even the Dutch East India Company. Although executive greed is generally mentioned here, the same greed pervades the whole company structure, financial markets and banking too.

Stage two is Philanthropy, and is exemplified by Carnegie, Rockefeller, Buffet and Bill Gates giving most of their personal fortunes back to society. This exemplifies the trickle-down theory of wealth, but is at the cost of what their companies have done to society and the environment in the first place. Also, of course, too few companies or individuals do what Gates has done: most hang on to their wealth or distribute it only to their higher ranking employees.

Stage three is Marketing. One has only to look at oil, gas and tobacco to see examples "greenwashing" the worst exploits of a company to make it appear that all is well and good. Lobbying is the primary tool used.

Stage four is Management. Cadbury is an example of a firm that put welfare and sustainability at the forefront and to challenge the supremacy of shareholders in governing the direction a firm takes.

Stage five is Responsibility. Here a company tries to build sustainability into itself, as in Interface.

The author then builds a new model for Corporate Sustainable Responsibility (CSR 2.0) which builds on the mistakes inherent in the original CSR (CSR 1.0). This uses ideas such as Creativity, Scalability, Responsiveness, Glocality (think global, act local) and Circularity.

The whole book is buzzing with ideas, and would be worth buying just for the ten case histories examined in detail. Whether you are a die-hard capitalist or communist you will, I think, get a lot out of reading this book. It is all too easy to distort the message of capitalism and over simplify the issues of wealth distribution, pollution and sustainability into the mantra "capitalism works". Yes, it creates wealth, but society has to moderate its worst excesses just as it needs to do that for any individual in society. After all, a company has rights, by law, and should therefore have responsibilities too.

This is one of the best books I have read in the past year. Thoroughly recommended!

CSR and Social Media

2011-03-02T02:30:00.000-08:00

WikiLeaks is just one face of a broader movement of the explosion of social media as a new platform for communication, stakeholder engagement and transparency. We now have companies like GoodGuide providing sustainability ratings for over 60,000 products in the U.S., all accessible at the point of purchase simply by using a free iPhone barcode scanning application. We have JustMeans providing a social networking platform that allows self-declared stakeholders to “follow” a company through the site, providing not only access to their published CSR information, but also providing a conduit for feedback. Justmeans and CRD Analytics have also launched an innovative platform to provide companies with the capability to verify the accuracy and completeness of their ESG Data Set. And we have a new company, OpenEyeWorld, which provides a “crowdsourcing” tool for companies to consult with sustainability experts from around the world.

However, like any new tool, social media is still a double edged sword for companies trying to turn it their advantage in the sphere of corporate citizenship. An already classic case is that of Greenpeace’s anti-Kit-Kat chocolate campaign, which went viral in March 2010 across the social media networks like Facebook and Twitter. The 60 second Greenpeace video, which was at the heart of their campaign, shows a bored office worker biting into a Kit-Kat, and as he does so, it turns into the finger of an orang-utan and ‘crunch!’ the blood spills down his chin and over his clean white shirt. One estimate by Scott Douglas on Prezi calculated that within 4 days the Greenpeace report and shock-video may have reached half a million people through social media like Twitter and Facebook. This viral effect was seemingly boosted by Nestle’s attempt on its Facebook page to censor comments made by its critics (including activists who had changed their Facebook profile pictures to a defamed logo of Nestle, which said ‘Killer’ instead).

The fact that Nestle took swift action by dropping the accused Indonesian supplier and that their hands are effective tied by a lack of available sustainable palm oil did little to quell the angry reactions of online activists. Greenpeace later called off the campaign, which Nestle Executive Vice President for Operations, Jose Lopez, says was achieved “by putting on the table a very technical view of the issues we are talking about. We’ve demonstrated that we have a logic, a path and a process that drives continuous improvement into topics of high concern, which in this case is deforestation” (Courtice, 2010). Nestle’s successful resolution, however, does not take away the fact that social media is a tricky area for companies to master.

Besides the risks, however, there are also massive opportunities. For instance, the Internet is empowering small traders, promoting greater equity in the supply chain, strongly aided by the new generation of web-enabled mobile phones. China Mobile's Nongxintong - or farming information service - launched four years ago, which allows 20 million farmers to stay up to date on commodity prices. Other innovations include the Geo Fair Trade research project, which is devising a geotraceability tool for the Fair Trade sector as a way of re-personalising ethics in the Fairtrade supply chain. Meanwhile, Patagonia’s forsaking of GRI-style sustainability reporting in favour on their online Footprint Chronicles®, which map the impacts of their products through the supply chain, perhaps gives a glimpse into the future of transparency.

Looking at the broader trends, a Harvard Business School paper argues that Web 2.0 is causing a distinct shift – from Accountability 1.0 to Accountability 2.0 (Bauer & Murninghan, 2010). Accountability 1.0 is marked by one-way proclamations, campaigns, and PR communications. Companies and stakeholders talk at each other more than with each other. Because it is more about speaking than listening, Accountability 1.0 processes sometimes unintentionally fuel antagonism, confrontation, and mistrust between companies and stakeholders. Accountability 2.0 rests on the assumption of two-way communication, cooperation, and mutual engagement. Accountability 2.0 allows actors in the accountability ecosystem to disagree over substantive issues while engaging in respectful dialogue that seeks mutual understanding and more consensus-oriented solutions.

This is similar to the shift from CSR 1.0 to CSR 2.0, which I first proposed in May 2008, and which explored in more detail in my new book, The Age of Responsibility: CSR 2.0 and the New DNA of Business. In 2010, I wrote, “the transformation of the internet through the emergence of social media networks, user-generated content and open source approaches is a fitting metaphor for the changes business is experiencing as it begins to redefine its role in society.” I argue that CSR 1.0, which tends to be defensive, philanthropic, promotional and management-oriented, suffers from the limitations of being incremental, peripheral and uneconomic. By contrast, CSR 2.0, which I also call ‘systemic CSR’ or ‘radical CSR’, is a more holistic approach, based on the principles of creativity, scalability, responsiveness, glocality and circularity, which tackles the roots of our unsustainable and irresponsible production and consumption practices.

References

Baue, B. and Murninghan, M. (2010) The Accountability Web: Weaving corporate accountability and interactive technology,Harvard Business School Working Paper No. 58, May.
Courtice, P. (2010). Interview of Jose Lopez by Polly Courtice, Director of the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership, 17 June 2010.
Visser, W. (2010) The Age of Responsibility: CSR 2.0 and the New DNA of Business, Journal of Business Systems, Governance and Ethics 5(3): 7-22. November, Special Issue on Responsibility for Social and Environmental Issues.
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Note: This blog is partly based on research and writing done for the forthcoming edition of the Journal of Corporate Citizenship.

The Age of Responsibility Launches in the UK

2011-02-19T02:12:00.000-08:00

My new book was published yesterday. Here are a few details. :)

Book details

Title: The Age of Responsibility: CSR 2.0 and the New DNA of Business

Author: Wayne Visser

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

ISBN: 978-0-470-68857-1

Hardcover, 408 pages

February 2011

Back cover text

Business is doing more than ever before to tackle issues like climate change, poverty, human rights and corruption. So why are things are getting worse, not better? Why are environmental and social trends still headed in the wrong direction?

Wayne Visser argues that traditional approaches have failed, leaving business stuck in the Ages of Greed, Philanthropy, Marketing and Management. Using Web 2.0 as a metaphor, he shows how business needs to radically transform if we are to ever reach a true Age of Responsibility. The required systemic approach is dubbed CSR 2.0 and characterised by five key principles: creativity, scalability, responsiveness, glocality and circularity.

Citing more than 300 cases to illustrate ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ of corporate sustainability and responsibility, the book describes how the new DNA of business is fast being decoded in the areas of value creation, good governance, societal contribution and environmental integrity.

Having set out a compelling vision of the future, The Age of Responsibility describes how to get there by exploring change at the societal, organisational and individual level. Readers are left not only informed, but also inspired to make a difference.

This book is the most challenging and exciting account of the future of business that you’re likely to read all year.

How to Order

Direct from the publisher's website - available 18 February 2011

From Amazon (UK) - available 18 February 2011

From Amazon (USA) - available 19 April 2011

The Age of Responsibility (journal article)

2011-02-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

The Age of Responsibility:
CSR 2.0 and the New DNA of Business
By Wayne Visser
Journal of Business Systems, Governance and Ethics 5(3): 7-22. November 2010
Special Issue on Responsibility for Social and Environmental Issues

Abstract

This paper argues that CSR, as a business, governance and ethics system, has failed. This assumes that success or failure is measured in terms of the net impact (positive or negative) of business on society and the environment. The paper contends that a different kind of CSR is needed if we are to reverse the current direction of many of the world’s most pressing social, environmental and ethical trends. The first part of the paper reviews business’s historical progress over the Ages and Stages of CSR: moving through the Ages of Greed, Philanthropy, Marketing and Management, using defensive, charitable, promotional and strategic CSR approaches respectively. The second part of the paper examines the Three Curses of Modern CSR (incremental, peripheral and uneconomic), before exploring what CSR might look like in an emerging Age of Responsibility. This new CSR – called systemic or radical CSR, or CSR 2.0 – is based on five principles (creativity, scalability, responsiveness, glocality and circularity) and forms the basis for a new DNA model of responsible business, built around the four elements of value creation, good governance, societal contribution and environmental integrity.

Quote

It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.
- Josiah Charles Stamp

Taking Stock on CSR

My starting point for any discussion on CSR – by which I mean corporate sustainability and responsibility, but choose whichever label you prefer (corporate social responsibility, corporate citizenship, sustainability, business ethics) –is to admit that CSR has failed. The logic is simple and compelling. A doctor judges his/her success by whether the patient is getting better (healthier) or worse (sicker). Similarly, we should judge the success of CSR by whether our communities and ecosystems are getting better or worse. And while at the micro level – in terms of specific CSR projects and practices – we can show many improvements, at the macro level almost every indicator of our social, environmental and ethical health is in decline.

I am not alone in my assessment or conclusion. Paul Hawken stated in The Ecology of Commerce (1994) that ‘if every company on the planet were to adopt the best environmental practice of the “leading” companies, the world would still be moving toward sure degradation and collapse.’ Unfortunately, this is still true. Jeffrey Hollender, founder and CEO of Seventh Generation, agrees, saying: ‘I believe that the vast majority of companies fail to be "good" corporate citizens, Seventh Generation included. Most sustainability and corporate responsibility programs are about being less bad rather than good. They are about selective and compartmentalized "programs" rather than holistic and systemic change’ (Hollender & Breen, 2010).

In fact, there are no shortage of critics of CSR. Christian Aid (2004) issued a report called ‘Behind the Mask: The Real Face of CSR’, in which they argued that ...

Continue reading (download the full article)

Copyright 2010 Wayne Visser

Author Interview by Beckoning for Change (B4C)

2011-02-13T16:25:00.000-08:00

Beckoning for Change (B4C): What inspired “The Age of Responsibility” book?

Wayne Visser (WV): It was a combination of concern and inspiration – concern that, despite the tremendous growth of corporate sustainability and responsibility (CSR) activities over the past 20 years, most of the world’s social, environmental and ethical problems are still getting worse, not better; and inspiration, because through my work and travels in 50 countries, I have seen many promising glimpses of what a new, creative, more effective business approach might be, which I call CSR 2.0. So I wrote the book to warn against complacency and to share exciting new best practices. Our challenges are too big and urgent to waste more time using outdated thinking, broken models and ineffective strategies. Creativity means letting go of the past and creating the future.

B4C: What have you learned in the process of setting up CSR International and delving into the CSR realm?

WV: The biggest lesson from setting up the thinktank CSR International has been a realisation of how much momentum this movement on corporate sustainability and responsibility has gathered and how truly global it has become. In less than 2 years, we have grown to include more than 2,000 members from 95 countries, and the website gets 150,000 page hits a month. As a result, we are looking at setting up a CSR International Institute of Professionals, to recognise those who are working so tirelessly to make a positive difference through business. What excites me is both the scale and diversity of participation. It means that there are thousands, if not millions of people focusing their creative energies on solving some of the world’s most difficult problems, and sharing what they are learning along the way.

B4C: How do you define freedom?

WV: Freedom is the ability to make choices about my life in a way that does not harm or disrespect others. Am I able to choose my work, my friends, my quality of life? Do I have a choice in expressing opinions, selecting a lifestyle and creatively expressing myself? The great the choice I have in these matters, the greater my freedom and dignity. However, it is important that my freedom does not make others less free. As I have written in the book, if we enjoy the right to freedom, it is because we accept our responsibility not to harm or harass others. On the other hand, responsibility becomes onerous when choice is removed from the equation, when we do not realise our freedom to act differently, when we forget that we are allowed to say no.

B4C: What other concepts are required in a sustainable equation of freedom?

WV: At the heart of a sustainable concept of freedom is reciprocity and respect. Should I be free to accumulate excessive wealth, when large portions of our society remain trapped in poverty? Should I be free to exploit nature or people in order to fuel my own acquisitive greed or consumptive lifestyle? Clearly, these are corrupt acts of freedom; freedom that acts like a cancer cell in the body. I should be free to pursue my highest and truest potential, but only if that enriches, rather than impoverishes, nature and society. My freedom should contribute to the common wealth of experiences, resources and aspirations.

B4C: How do you think your work aspires to contribute to this concept and the notion of collective freedom?

WV: My work is about showing that a more sustainable and responsible future is something we can actively choose and work towards. We are not condemned to a world of pollution and poverty, of conflict and destruction. These are problems that we have created and that we can solve collectively. But this requires a shift in societal norms to embrace values that limit the abuse of power, that cherish life and diversity, and that realise that the long term gains of collective responsibility far outweigh any short term sacrifices required to get there. We know that the market – and its primary institution, business – do not operate in a vacuum. They will shift when we all choose to prioritise fairness and happiness over profits and material consumption.

B4C: Do you think that corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives can have an impact on collective freedom and human rights issues?

WV: Without a doubt. Already, we have seen norms changing, as evidenced in frameworks like the UN Global Compact and the emerging work on business and human rights by Professor John Ruggie. We have seen Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) strategies and the Grameen microfinance approaches being adopted by business, and spurring a wave on innovation in the provision of finance, goods and services for the poor. We have seen the improvement in labour conditions in the supply chains of many of the world’s largest companies, like Gap and Nike. And through these and many other CSR-related initiatives, the world’s collective freedom – especially the ability of the world’s poor to choose a better life – is being enhanced. On the other hand, the freedom of many of nature’s diverse and exquisite species to survive and thrive has been tragically diminished.

B4C: How can CSR be authentically implemented? What are the obstacles? How do corporations overcome them?

WV: For CSR to be authentically implemented, companies must revisit the purpose of business. Is it to make profits, to enrich executives, and to pander to fickle shareholders or market analysts? Or is it to improve society by providing useful, safe, healthy, delightful and environmentally sustainable products and services? So long as the purpose of business is narrowly defined in terms of economics, companies will always be caught in a web of short-term, self-enrichment and CSR will always be something peripheral, incremental and at odds with the company’s main drivers. The biggest obstacle to CSR, therefore, is the narrow expectations we place on business. Corporations can overcome this through bold and innovative leadership. But more importantly, we must collectively broaden and deepen our expectations of business and then apply the necessary carrots and sticks to help companies to ‘shapeshift’ their corporate purpose.

B4C: Do you have an example of a company that meaningfully contributed to freedom and social change?

WV: There are many examples. Unilever has been very progressive on sustainability issues – helping to launch initiatives like the Marine Stewardship Council and Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil – and is now planning to double in size, bringing life-improving products to a billion people, while halving their environmental footprint. Nestle is working hard at creating “shared value” through improvements in water, nutrition and rural development among the communities they serve. Wal-Mart is planning to make sustainability mainstream by creating responsible products that are affordable (rather than premium priced, as they currently are), while creating zero waste and using 100% renewable energy. All of these companies and many more are creating social change while enhancing people’s ability to make choices that will improve their lives, communities and nature.

B4C: What is the current status of CSR?

WV: Most companies tend to be stuck in one of what I have defined as four Ages and Stages of CSR: defensive CSR in the Age of Greed, charitable CSR in the Age of Philanthropy, promotional CSR in the Age of Marketing, or strategic CSR in the Age of Management. Collectively, I call these approaches CSR 1.0, because they have failed to turn around our most serious problems, or to make the net impact of business positive. However, a few companies are starting to demonstrate a more systemic CSR in the Age of Responsibility, which addresses the root causes of our problems and which I call CSR 2.0. This includes demonstrating the five principles of CSR 2.0, which I explore in the book, namely creativity, scalability, responsiveness, glocality (balancing global and local needs) and circularity (cradle-to-cradle production). The examples I cite are the innovators, but we need many more if we are to shift to CSR 2.0 and bring about a tipping point into the Age of Responsibility.

B4C: In the next decade, what are the trends and priorities in CSR?

WV: We can expect to see a mainstreaming of responsible and sustainable products, largely due to choice editing by large companies or governments. Pure philanthropy will increasingly shift towards seeding and supporting social enterprises. We will see far more emphasis on measuring and judging companies social, environmental and ethical impacts, rather than just their activities. We can expect more collaborative approaches to solving difficult problems, especially using Web 2.0 tools like wikipreneurship and crowdsourcing. Information about the impacts of products will also become more easily and intuitively available, embedded in barcodes and accessible through smart phone technologies. In addition, we will see a far more complex governance system, with a web of regulation, voluntary codes, social compacts and unwritten norms shaping corporate behaviour.

B4C: As individuals and consumers, what role do we have in this bigger picture?

Ultimately, all change starts with individuals. We are all change agents in our own right. The challenge is to focus our efforts in ways that we can be most effective. My research suggests that there are four types of change agents: experts, facilitators, catalysts and activists. For some, their biggest impact will come through contributing specific knowledge and expertise, others will empower people (colleagues, children, friends, etc.) to make a difference; some will influence organisations, while others will exert social pressure through civil society involvement. Our buying choices will also create change, but we need to be more demanding. We should not accept having to pay more for sustainable and responsible products. We have to work for changes that will make doing the right thing the easiest and most sensible choice in the world.

B4C: How can artists, as global citizens with immense power to create communities, collaborate with corporations to bring about change and freedom?

Artists must tell the stories which reflect and shape our collective consciousness. They must penetrate the superficial veneer of fashion and materialism and peer into society’s heart and soul. Artists have the crucial task of animating – making visible and vital – our deepest concerns and our greatest hopes about business. Only through the honesty of the artist can we accurately perceive the state of our world and the performance of our companies. Are we sick? Are we corrupt? Are we fulfilled? Are we adding to the sum of life, or subtracting from it? Where is the beauty? Where are the acts of caring? The power of art is to engage us emotionally – as workers, as customers, as parents, as children, as humans. We cannot think our way out of our current crises. We have to act. And we will only act if we are motivated by strong feelings, whether they are our horror and anger over injustice and exploitation, or our passion and inspiration over the innovative possibilities for a better world. Artists can remind us that we dream the world into existence – through business and in myriad other ways – and that we have the freedom to shape our collective dreams, and thereby to create a life-affirming destiny for the planet and its people.

Business (quote)

2011-02-05T13:23:00.001-08:00

Business's true quest is a noble one - to serve the needs and aspirations of humanity and become a playground for creativity in the search for meaning.

(1993)

Copyright 2010 Wayne Visser

The Age of Greed (book extract)

2011-02-04T22:25:00.000-08:00

In my view, the Age of Greed began when the first financial derivatives were traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in 1972 and peaked when Lehman’s collapse in 2008. It was a time when ‘greed is good’ and ‘bigger is better’ were the dual-mottos that seemed to underpin the American Dream. The invisible hand of the market went unquestioned. Incentives – like Wall Street profits and traders’ bonuses – were perverse, leading not only to unbelievable wealth in the hands of a few speculators, but ultimately to global financial catastrophe.

The word ‘greed’ – from the old English grædig – has etymological roots that relate to ‘hunger’ and ‘eagerness’. This is similar to the older word, avarice, coming from Old French and Latin (avere), meaning ‘to crave or long for’. Those are characteristics that Larry had in spades. The Greek word for greed – philargyros, literally ‘money-loving’ – also has a familiar ring in the Lehman's story. The trouble is that capitalism in general, and the American Dream in particular, has tended to interpret this as a healthy trait. Traders at Lehman Brothers didn’t believe he was being unethical, or doing anything wrong. They were playing the game – extremely well – and being rewarded handsomely.

Perhaps we would do well to revive the German root of the word for greed (habsüchtig), which means ‘to have a sickness or disease’, for greed acts like a cancer in society, an essentially healthy cell in the body, which becomes selfish and ultimately destroys its host. The enabling environment is as important as the greedy cell itself. After all, as I argued in my book, Beyond Reasonable Greed, a certain measure of selfishness is natural, but it needs to be moderated by norms, rules and cultural taboos that keep its destructive tendencies in check.

It is worth reminding ourselves what the consequences of those destructive tendencies can mean in the lives of millions of ordinary people. The financial cost of cleaning up after the global financial crisis – which ultimately gets translated into a tax burden on the public – was estimated by the IMF in August 2009 at £7.1 trillion, enough to finance a £1,779 handout for every man, woman and child on the planet. The gargantuan sum includes capital injections pumped into banks in order to prevent them from collapse, the cost of soaking up so-called toxic assets, guarantees over debt and liquidity support from central banks.

And then there is the human cost of unemployment. In January 2010, the International Labour Organisation released figures showing that global unemployment rate for 2009 was 6.6%, which translates into 212 million people, an increase of almost 34 million over the number of unemployed in 2007. In the US alone over 100,000 businesses filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and 2009. At the same time, the World Bank estimates that the financial crisis will left an additional 50 million people in extreme poverty in 2009 and some 64 million in 2010 relative to a no-crisis scenario, principally in sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern and South-Eastern Asia.

The Age of Greed was not something ‘out there’. It was not the preserve of a few rogue traders. We were all caught up in its web. It is in fact a multi-level phenomenon, incorporating executive greed, banking greed, financial market greed, corporate greed and ultimately the greed embedded in the capitalist system. These different facets of greed are each explored in turn in the sections to follow ...

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This is an extract from Chapter 2 of The Age of Responsibility: CSR 2.0 and the New DNA of Business

For more information and ongoing updates, follow the The Age of Responsibility Blog

Carpe Diem (poem)

2011-02-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

We would all love to "seize the day", but alas, it slips from our grip before we have a chance ...

CARPE DIEM

Sages through the ages wisely say:
Carpe Diem – seize the dawning day!
Oh, would that I could assuage that thirst
But the day conspires to seize me first!

With the hurry and scurry
Of home’s frantic flurry
And the hustle and bustle
Of work’s tangled tussle

With the knocks and blocks
Of life’s surprise shocks
And the names and games
Of love’s fickle flames

Alas! It’s not the day that I seize
But the feathers floating in the breeze
And the jetsam drifting on the tide
That I cling to for my daily ride

(2006)

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Copyright 2010 Wayne Visser

Answers (quote)

2011-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

"Searching for answers in life presumes that we even know the questions."

(1992)

Copyright 2010 Wayne Visser

Corporate Social Responsibility in Management Research (journal article)

2011-02-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Corporate Social Responsibility in Management Research:
Focus, Nature, Salience and Sources of Influence
By Andy Lockett, Jeremy Moon and Wayne Visser
Journal of Management Studies 43:1 January 2006

ABSTRACT

In this paper we investigate the status of corporate social responsibility (CSR) research within the management literature. In particular, we examine the focus and nature of knowledge, the changing salience of this knowledge and the academic influences on the knowledge. We present empirical evidence based on publication and citation analyses of research published from 1992 to 2002. Our results demonstrate that, for CSR research published in management journals, the most popular issues investigated have been environmental and ethics; the empirical research has been overwhelmingly of a quantitative nature; the theoretical research has been primarily non-normative; the field is driven by agendas in the business environment as well as by continuing scientific engagement; and the single most important source of references for CSR articles was the management literature itself.

INTRODUCTION

In this paper we investigate the state of corporate social responsibility (CSR) knowledge, particularly its changing nature, salience and sources of influence. Although CSR is addressed by many disciplines, we focus on the management literature. As CSR has become an increasingly salient feature of business and its environment, to which managers are expected to respond, it has acquired status within management education and research (Pfeffer and Fong, 2004; Starkey et al., 2004). We therefore examine the CSR literature within leading management journals. ...

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Copyright 2010 Wayne Visser

Behind the Veil (poem)

2011-01-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

I must confess that when I was studying business, I really didn't have a clue what I was getting into. Business was something mysterious, something I understood only in terms of Hollywood stereotypes of tycoons and fat-cat villains - and perhaps that was the appeal. I soon discovered, however, that there are some very simple truths about the nature of business, and how to make your way in the world of commerce. This poem tries to demystify the misty, murky aura that surrounds business.

BEHIND THE VEIL

To those who stand outside
Or young ones still aspiring
The mysteries of business
Are tangled myths conspiring

But for those who enter in
The veil is quickly rent
For the secrets of success
Are simply common sense:

Make a lot of friends
And always keep in touch
Try to help with problems
But never pry too much

Get to know the rules
And always show respect
Play hard but even handed
Give as you hope to get

Set a lot of meetings
And always beat the bell
Talk less and listen more
And never do hard sell

Make a lot of money
And always watch your spend
But do not get confused
Between the means and end

Get to know your talent
And always have some fun
Throw in a little passion
And get the good job done

These are the simple truths
And answers many seek
To the enigma that is business
Behind the veiled mystique

So step inside the circle
And very soon you’ll find
The common sense of commerce
Is serving humankind

(2003)

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Download Behind the Veil

Copyright 2010 Wayne Visser

Stories (quote)

2011-01-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

We all have a story to tell - of our journey through this life, of the world through our yes, of the "I am" that we are - and the true telling is in the living.

(1992)

Copyright 2010 Wayne Visser

Corporate Sustainability and the Individual (research paper)

2011-01-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Corporate Sustainability and the Individual:
Understanding What Drives Sustainability Professionals as Change Agents.
By Wayne Visser and Andrew Crane
Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN), 2010.
Download the full paper

Abstract

In the face of overwhelming global challenges like climate change and persistent poverty, can individuals in organizations make a difference? This paper looks at what motivates sustainability managers to devote their time and energies to addressing social, environmental and ethical issues. It is rooted in the literature on the role of individuals as change agents for corporate sustainability, in particular in their capacity as environmental or social ‘champions’. The paper presents in-depth research among sustainability managers, providing a rich, nuanced understanding of different types of sustainability change agents. It identifies four such types – Experts, Facilitators, Catalysts and Activists – and uncovers the pivotal role of values, inspiration, expertise, empowerment, strategic thinking and social contribution as sources of meaning for these purpose-inspired managers. The findings deepen our understanding of the psychological dimensions of corporate sustainability management, and provide a useful tool for improving individual and team performance, enhancing recruitment and retention of sustainability talent, and developing more effective organisational leadership for sustainability.

Introduction

As social, environmental, and ethical issues like persistent poverty, climate change, financial market instability and economic globalisation continue to move up the geopolitical and economic agendas, corporate sustainability is increasingly touted as a timely and necessary response by business (Dunphy et al., 2003; Shrivastava, 1995; Zadek, 2004). Viewed in this way, sustainability can be thought of as a conceptual framework and practical mechanism for creating change that results in improved social, environmental and ethical conditions (Van Marrewijk, 2003).

Attention to corporate sustainability has tended to focus on how change can be achieved at the organisational level (Benn, et al. 2006; Dunphy et al., 2003). By contrast, comparatively little research exists on the role of the individual as a change agent for sustainability (Sharma, 2002). What literature there is on corporate sustainability and the individual level typically focuses on four areas: 1) The importance of values congruence between managers/employees and organisational values (Fryxell and Lo, 2003; Hemingway and Maclagan, 2004; Van Marrewijk and Werre, 2002); 2) the instrumental association between individual concern, knowledge and commitment and corporate social and environmental responsiveness (Bansal and Roth, 2000; Keogh and Polonsky, 1998); 3) narrative accounts by sustainability managers of corporate ‘greening’ (Fineman, 1997; Georg and Fussel, 2000; Starkey and Crane, 2003); and 4) the role of sustainability managers as champions, entrepreneurs or agents of change in their organisations (Andersson and Bateman, 2000; Prakash, 2001; Walley and Stubbs, 1999).

This literature brings insights to our understanding of individuals within a corporate sustainability context by highlighting the importance of ‘intangibles’ like values, attitudes and beliefs in driving corporate sustainability, the crucial role of education and awareness in achieving behaviour change, the scope and necessity for managerial discretion in making change happen, the power of corporate culture in shaping a consensus ‘story’ on sustainability, and the pivotal role of leadership support for sustainability. However, the literature also shows certain limitations. We still know little about what drives individuals to be sustainability managers ...

Continue reading (download the full paper)

Copyright 2010 Wayne Visser

Blue Skies (poem)

2011-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

What can be a better metaphor for enduring love than the seasons ...

BLUE SKIES

When the skies are blue
And the world is bright
I am smiling also -
Let us bask in the sunshine!

When the grey clouds come
And the sun disappears
I will be here still -
Let us hold hands in the gloom!

When the lightening strikes
And the thunderclaps rage
I will tremble also -
Let us cling tight in the storm!

When the showers fall
And the land is drenched
I too will be crying -
Let us slow dance in the rain!

When the arch unveils
And the colours enchant
I will marvel also -
Let us fly over the rainbow!

(2004)

Copyright 2010 Wayne Visser

Art - The mirror in which we see our truest self reflected (prose)

2011-01-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

Art is the mirror in which we see our truest self reflected.

What space does art occupy in your life? Is there a medium that you are drawn to – maybe drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics, tapestry, carving, quilting, or something else entirely? Which artistic styles do you best relate to? Do you have a favourite artist or piece of art?

The answers to all these questions say a lot about you.
Not only about your likes and dislikes, your tastes and interests, but also about your moods and musings, your hopes and fears.
Do you prefer realism or abstract art?
Impressionism or fantasy creations?
Romanticism or ethnic influences?
Each reflects a fundamentally different view of the world, a different set of beliefs about what it means to be human, a different perspective on aesthetics and beauty.

Some artists try to faithfully reproduce what they see, to give a factual account, while others attempt to capture the emotions of their subjects.
Some use art as a mouthpiece, to get a message across, while others use it to reflect their own inner state.
All art, however, has the power to transform those it touches.
We say we are moved by a piece of art, which means something has shifted, we are changed forever.

Art is a catalyst.
It sparks new insights, evokes dormant feelings.
It gives flight to angels and stirs slumbering demons within.
It does this not by providing us with answers, but by asking questions.

Every work of art is a slice of life, a freeze-frame in time, a snapshot of reality.
At first, we are fascinated by what the artist has captured – the scene, the characters, the play of light and shadow, the contrast of colour and tone.
We are implored to ask the obvious questions – why this place, these objects, those people?
But we know we have only scratched the surface.

Our curiosity piqued, we dig down a layer – what can we tell about the mood, the emotion, the atmosphere?
As each new shard is uncovered, we piece together artefacts of meaning.
What about the relationships – between the setting and the actors, the background and the objects, the artist and the work of art?
The more we chip away, the more we realise that what is revealed is only a fraction of what still lies hidden below the surface.

We cannot help but ask: What came before the painting?
After the sculpture?
What meta-narrative informed the quilt?
What threads in time wove together to form this knot?

It is as if art is the view we get looking through a keyhole.
We are voyeurs of another time and place, eavesdropping on other people’s lives.
But what we see is only a miniscule part of the whole picture. W
hat we hear is only a fragment of the entire conversation.

Art gives us a mystery to solve.
The clues are all there for the enthusiastic detective to discover – in the art piece itself, the genre it reflects, the life of the artist, and the historical period in which they are located.
As we investigate, we find that the plot thickens, and though we may develop hunches and hypotheses, the mystery remains forever unsolvable.
And so it should be.

We are free to create our own enigmas as well.
We are all latent artists.
Have you discovered your talent yet?
What kind of art do you wish you could do, or do better?

Our artistic nature cries out to be nurtured, but more often than not, we neglect it.
Like an unwatered plant, it shrivels inside us, until we stop believing we have any artistic inclinations at all.
Perhaps we are intimidated by what it means to be good enough?
But art is an experience, not an outcome; a process, not a product.

The value of engaging in an artistic activity is in the act of creation itself, the journey it takes you on and what you learn about yourself.
For far too long, art has been rendered inaccessible by snobbery and given marginal importance by modernity.
It is time we take back the power.
Art is our natural heritage, our birthright.
Until we embrace it, our lives will remain poorer, shallower in spirit, less human.

So why not make some space for art in your busy schedule today?
Sneak a peek through the keyhole and you may be amazed to spy fantastic worlds that you hardly dreamed existed, not least those inside yourself.

(2005)

Download Art (prose)

Copyright 2010 Wayne Visser

Love (quote)

2011-01-25T14:16:00.000-08:00

Love is a journey in which we can never know the destination, only that we want to walk into the unknown with another by our side.

(2007)

Copyright 2010 Wayne Visser

Redefining CSR (book extract)

2011-01-24T14:52:00.000-08:00

Responsibility is the choice we make to respond with care. This book, then, is a way of taking stock. What choices have we made – in the way we live our lives, in the way we do our work and in the way we run our businesses? How have we responded to the needs of our day – especially the social, environmental and ethical crises we face? And have our actions been taken with care – have we cared about our impacts on others?

I must admit to being slightly surprised (and a little dismayed) to find myself, 10 years after my first book, Beyond Reasonable Greed, still singing a similar refrain. I am once again arguing that business needs to ‘shapeshift’, to fundamentally rethink the purpose of business and to put into practice a genuinely sustainable and responsible ethos. There are fundamental differences though. Today, many of the problems are worse, more urgent and backed by more solid scientific evidence. In the interim, there has been a geopolitical shift away from the West, with the potential for more questioning of neoliberal economics and shareholder-driven capitalism. There are also more corporate corpses on the slab, allowing us to examine the nature of our greed disease. At the same time, awareness about our public social and environmental crises is much higher, and there are more genuine corporate sustainability and responsibility pioneers that provide living proof of what health and wellbeing could mean for business and society.

The fact is that now we know better what bad corporate magic looks like and the devastating consequences of practicing it. But we also know that magic spells can be broken by revealing the sleight of hand at work. It is my hope that by sharing some of the insights gained from the past 20 years of CSR wonder and trickery, we can move beyond magic to real responsibility – responsibility of the kind that makes a tangible, positive, sustained impact on the lives of the world’s poor and excluded and that visibly turns the tide on our wholesale destruction of ecosystems and species.

But I am getting ahead of myself. First let me say what I understand by CSR. I take CSR to stand for Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility, rather than Corporate Social Responsibility, but feel free use whichever proxy label you are most comfortable with. My definition is as follows: CSR is the way in which business consistently creates shared value in society through economic development, good governance, stakeholder responsiveness and environmental improvement.

Put another way, CSR is an integrated, systemic approach by business that builds, rather than erodes or destroys, economic, social, human and natural capital. Given this understanding, my usual starting point for any discussion on CSR is to argue that it has failed.

I will provide the data and arguments to back up this audacious claim in the paragraphs, pages and chapters that follow.

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This is an extract from The Age of Responsibility: CSR 2.0 and the New DNA of Business
For more information and ongoing updates, follow the The Age of Responsibility Blog

Copyright 2010 Wayne Visser

First People (poem)

2011-01-23T21:44:00.000-08:00

This poem is about the San (Bushmen) of Southern Africa, who are among the most ancient indigenous people of the world. They have long been a source of inspiration to me, especially since reading Laurens van der Post's books on the subject, like The Lost World of the Kalahari (1958), Heart of the Hunter (1961) and A Far Off Place (1974, and later made into a film). Sadly, despite the richness of their culture, their peaceful ways and their profound connection to nature, they have been persecuted and virtually wiped out over the past 100 years. And yet, they live on through their modern descendants and through those that are still inspired by their cave art, their myths and stories and their example.

FIRST PEOPLE

First People
First people of this ancient land
Last exiles in the desert sand
To you we owe our destiny
Our struggle to be wild and free

We call you Hunter, Bushmen, San
You sowed the seeds of primal Man
A gentler race we have not known
See how your legacy has grown

For millennia you lived in peace
In harmony with nature’s beasts
With tools of sinew, wood and stone
And crafts of egg-shell, quill and bone

Hunting game and digging roots
Tapping trees and plucking fruits
Night theatre around dancing fires
Click singing under starry skies

You chose the way of archers’ bow
Of hunters’ grace - the art of flow:
To give and take and see the whole
To honour life and feed the soul

You felt the weather in your bones
And sensed earth’s subtle undertones
You heard the stars whisper ‘tsau! tsau!’
And rode the wind, we know not how

The landscape generations trod
Recalls to us your Mantis god
Windswept by myths and scattered tales
Told and retold on dusty trails

Then came the time of racial blight
A target for both black and white
The hunter became hunted prey
Pre-dawning your extinction day

You were the masters of the hunt
But progress left your arrows blunt
And tracking skills that reigned supreme
Are all but lost in history’s stream

Yet even now your soul still breathes
On cave walls and in rocky cleaves
In ochre, charcoal, mud and lime
Your gallery now transcends time

We see you smile in every face
Whose eyes reflect that ancient place
In wrinkled elders old as earth
Whose wisdom joins us with our birth

First people of this ancient land
If we could only understand
Your ancient ways still hold the key
To setting ourselves truly free

(2005)

This poem is included in the poetry collection, I Am An African: Favourite Africa Poems by Wayne Visser
Download First People
View I Am An African (the book)

Copyright 2010 Wayne Visser

New poem: Step Out

2011-01-06T01:38:00.000-08:00

STEP OUT
By Wayne Visser

Step out into the breaking day:
Step lightly and step brightly;
As best you can, step rightly
Upon your chosen way –
Step out into the breaking day.

Step out into the spritely Spring:
A-thudding and a-budding,
With colours all a-flooding
And joy upon a wing –
Step out into the spritely Spring.

Step out under the glaring sun:
Beyond the shade of sheltered glade
Into the forge where hearts are made
And life’s true race is run –
Step out into the glaring sun.

Step out into the burning fire:
With dancing feet on blazing heat,
Defy the odds of self defeat
Through naked flamed desire –
Step out into the burning fire.

Step out into the gaping breach:
The bridge of sighs and stream of lies,
To stand astride the great divides
And stretch beyond your reach –
Step out into the gaping breach.

Step out into the fading Fall:
A-swirling and a-twirling,
Upon the breeze a-curling;
Responding to the call –
Step out into the fading Fall.

Step out into the sleet and snow:
It’s dripping and it’s slipping,
So walk with extra gripping;
Be careful as you go –
Step out into the sleet and snow.

Step out onto the fragile ice:
Cross hairline cracks and bear line tracks,
With quaking confidence that lacks
While fate is rolling dice –
Step out onto the fragile ice.

Step out under the gleaming moon:
While yearning tides and turning rides
Keep secrets that the future hides
Of lovers’ lilting tune –
Step out beneath the gleaming moon.

Step out into the starlit night:
Step surely and step purely;
Take care, yet not demurely,
Upon your homeward flight –
Step out into the starlit night.

(2011)

New book: Wishing Leaves: Favourite Nature Poems

2011-01-02T05:16:00.000-08:00

My new poetry collection - Wishing Leaves - is out. Here's the blurb:

This unique collection brings together nature poems by South African poet and writer, Wayne Visser. The anthology includes many old favourites like "I Think I Was a Tree Once" and "A Bug's Life", as well as brand new poems like "Let Bells Ring Out" and "Wishing Leaves".

Here's an extract from Wishing Leaves, to give you a flavour:

Then as we turned our faces to the moon

Our hands entwined, our hearts in sync, in tune

We felt the fingers of the silken breeze

And made our wishes on the falling leaves

Order from the publisher, or Amazon.

Emotional beings

2011-01-02T02:37:00.000-08:00

Last night, I watched a panel discussion on social media with, among others, Stephen Fry. Something he said struck a chord. He said we are emotional beings first and foremost, and intellectual beings second. Hence, the success of Twitter and other social media sites is down to their ability to connect people emotionally.

More art. Less sleep. Better interaction.

2011-01-02T02:35:00.000-08:00

That's my answer to the question I posed on Twitter last night: Name the three things that you hope to do: more of? less of? and better? in 2011

What would your answers be?

The Meaning of Responsibility by Wayne Visser

2011-01-01T04:42:00.000-08:00

What does "responsibility" really mean? This is an extract from my new book, The Age of Responsibility. I hope you find it interesting and inspiring. If the words resonate, feel free to share it with your friends. And watch this space for more videos.

Read the full text

Forty (birthday poem)

2010-12-18T03:45:00.001-08:00

Every year (since I turned 34) I've written a poem on my birthday. Here's what I wrote yesterday.

FORTY
By Wayne Visser

What a year! Oh, what a year!
Around the block, around the bend
Around the world and back again
In time for snow and Christmas cheer!

What I’ve seen! Oh, what I’ve seen!
The fire’s strong, the fire’s bright
I chased the sun, I braved the night
I woke the muse and lived the dream!

What a time! Oh, what a time!
Of meeting minds, of meeting fears
Of random walks and World Cup cheers
I searched for reason, found my rhyme!

What a find! Oh, what a find!
To look beyond, to look within
To see a place I could begin
To leave the phantom past behind!

What a day! Oh, what a day!
When snowflakes dance with naked trees
When moonboats sail on tranquil seas
Our dreams are young and love’s at play!

What a joy! Oh, what a joy!
To be so loved, to be so blessed
To still be on life’s sacred quest
I’m all grown up, yet still a boy!

What a life! What paths I tread!
Through valleys low, to mountain peaks
With flowing words through hidden creeks
I’m forty, with the best ahead!

The Age of Responsibility: New Journal Article Published

2010-12-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

I am delighted with this new article of mine, just published in the Journal of Business Systems, Governance and Ethics and available online. It distils the message of my forthcoming book of the same title. Here is the abstract:

This paper argues that CSR, as a business, governance and ethics system, has failed. This assumes that success or failure is measured in terms of the net impact (positive or negative) of business on society and the environment. The paper contends that a different kind of CSR is needed if we are to reverse the current direction of many of the world’s most pressing social, environmental and ethical trends. The first part of the paper reviews business’s historical progress over the Ages and Stages of CSR: moving through the Ages of Greed, Philanthropy, Marketing and Management, using defensive, charitable, promotional and strategic CSR approaches respectively. The second part of the paper examines the Three Curses of Modern CSR (incremental, peripheral and uneconomic), before exploring what CSR might look like in an emerging Age of Responsibility. This new CSR – called systemic or radical CSR, or CSR 2.0 – is based on five principles (creativity, scalability, responsiveness, glocality and circularity) and forms the basis for a new DNA model of responsible business, built around the four elements of value creation, good governance, societal contribution and environmental integrity.

Reference

Visser, W. (2010) The Age of Responsibility: CSR 2.0 and the New DNA of Business, Journal of Business Systems, Governance and Ethics 5(3): 7-22. November, Special Issue on Responsibility for Social and Environmental Issues.

New Poem: Wishing Leaves

2010-11-25T01:36:00.000-08:00

We sat upon the bench that autumn night

And basked beneath the moon’s cool silver light

While waves of traffic lapped the park’s green shore

And squirrel’s rushed to fill their acorn store

A gust of wind set off a whispered sigh

Among the trees that leaned against the sky

We listened hard to catch their secret words

Between the chirping chatter of the birds

Then as we turned our faces to the moon

Our hands entwined, our hearts in sync, in tune

We felt the fingers of the silken breeze

And made our wishes on the falling leaves

Oxford wanderings

2010-11-25T01:32:00.000-08:00

On Monday, I visited Oxford to discuss offering a CSR module on the MBA programme of Magna Carta College. It gave me a chance to wander along the river, which was like breathing in fresh air for the soul.

Bavarian beauty

2010-11-25T01:29:00.000-08:00

I seem to have hardly touched the ground since I returned to London from my world travels. Apart from teaching in Birmingham, and trips to Cambridge, I delivered a workshop in the Netherlands two weeks ago and an MBA course in Ingolstadt, Germany, last week.

Ingolstadt, about an hour from Munich, is in the heart of Bavaria, and despite having a reputation as an industrial city (Audi's headquarters are there), it has a beautiful, historic old town, with very quaint architecture. Here are a few snaps I took.

Humming birds of Septimo Paraiso in the Ecuador cloud forest of Mindo

2010-10-03T16:14:00.000-07:00

I had the good fortune to spend a day at Septimo Paraiso, a fabulous eco-lodge in the cloud forest of Mindo in Ecuador. It is an international haven for biodiversity, especially birds. These are the humming birds that visit the feeders just outside the lodge. Hope you don't get dizzy from me swinging the cam between one feeder and another. Some great competition at the feeder around 3min30sec http://www.septimoparaiso.com/

Costa Rica Diaries #1

2010-08-18T17:26:00.000-07:00

I am in Costa Rica now, or I should say San Jose. I immediately feel comfortable here, and I am trying to figure out why. Partly, it must be that I just love the tropics – the lush vegetation and colourful wildlife. And somehow that ‘pura vida’ (pure life) rubs off on the people, who are friendly and helpful. Another reason must be that this country and this city wears its colours on its sleeve. By that I mean that there is art everywhere – on the walls as murals, in painted tiles, and with the vibrant rainbow textiles.

Panama Diaries #1

2010-08-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

I am on the bus, having just crossed the border into Costa Rica, a process that took about 3 hours. Apart from queuing in the dark until the border opened, and the usual passport checking, each bag had to be individually checked by hand (twice!). We also had a dog sniffing for drugs. Hardly surprising really, in this part of the world.

Now let me tell you about my tour yesterday. We visited both sets of locks on the Pacific ocean side. I suppose what I didn’t realise was how long the canal is – around 50 miles. It links a natural lake with the coasts. To take advantage of the lake, the locks raise the ships about 26 metres. It takes 22 hours to transverse the canal, and only Panamese pilots can do the navigation. The idea for the canal was first proposed by a Spanish king in the 1500s, but it wasn’t until the late 1800s that the French began construction.

Mostly, the labour was brought in from the West Indies and many thousands died of tropical diseases. The Americans took over after the French gave up, from about 1903 until it was completed in 1914. It was then owned and operated by the Americans until a revolution (by students) in the 1960s, after which there was a sharing arrangement. However, it was only in 1999 that the Americans finally gave the canal back to the Panamanians. As far as i can tell, this is when the country started to prosper, and probably accounts for all the ‘bamboo-like’ apartment blocks and hotels that have shot up.

There are a few things I grew to love about Panama in my short time there. It is such a colourful culture. For example, lots of the public benches are painted with bright scenes by the school kids. And then there are the psychedelic public buses, each unique and painted with fantasy and superhero montages (dragons, knights, cartoons, etc.). Some of these turn into disco buses at night, with flashing lights and music pumping. It made me laugh, seeing all these people dancing in the aisles (and no, I didn’t get on one!). What else? Ah yes, fresh mango slices with salt, pepper and vinegar. Yumm!

Looking out the window now, we are unmistakably in the tropics, a green mosaic of palm plantations and natural forests – my kind of paradise (except for the things that buzz and bite! I saw some humongous specimens at the Panama Canal museum yesterday).

Brazil Diaries #1

2010-07-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

I am loving being in Rio. I guess it has to do with the warm weather, the beach and the surrounding mountains. It all feels more natural and relaxed. I can see why it has a reputation for ‘fun in the sun’. I write this from the botanical gardens. They are a real oasis of green and shade. I walked this morning from the hostel and around the lagoon (Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas), as far as the gardens. The path around the lagoon (which is more like a lake) is about 7.5 kms and a great favourite for walkers, joggers, bikers and skaters.

The amazing thing about Rio is that almost wherever you are, there is the backdrop of the giant stone edifices that are the mountains surrounding and interspersing the city. Often, there is also the sight of water, beaches and forests. That is not to say there is a shortage of concrete. This is a city of about 9 million people. But the buildings and the people are embedded in natural beautiful surroundings. The Tijuca Forest, of which the Botanical Gardens form a part, and which extent to the top of the Christ mountain, is the largest urban forest in the world.

The other thing I’ve noticed is that people don’t hassle or hustle you. There are a few hawkers and traders on the streets and beaches, but they are very passive. I’m sure I’m imposing stereotypes, but it feels like everyone just 'gets' that there’s more to life than work and money. Of course, Brazil has had at least a decade of strong economic growth, so I’m sure that helps. I’m also sure that the millions who still live in favelas are far from content, even if things are improving.

The cafes here are also interesting. First, there are more juice bars than coffee shops, which makes sense in a place where the temperature seldom drops below 15 degrees. But also, the cafes are so unpretentious – scruffy even. Just small holes in the wall and plastic chairs on the pavements. It’s almost as if the important thing is the people, the company and the food/drink, not the trappings.

I should mention that I am competing with buzzing things for my drink, which is called Guarana Antarctica, a classic soda in Brazil made from berries from the Amazon. There is certainly no shortage of buzzing, biting things in Rio, and it must be worse the closer to the tropics and the rainforest you get. Yesterday’s tour was breathtaking. I count myself so fortunate to have the opportunity to see such beautiful places in the world.

Argentina Diaries #3

2010-07-23T13:18:00.001-07:00

This is my last night in Argentina. I am just back from a radio interview. I have had a great visit in Buenos Aires – busier than expected, but that’s a good thing.

There is a nice vibrancy about the city, especially in some of the restaurant hotspots. (Eeek! I just ordered ‘limonade’, which thought was lemonade and it turns out it is pure lemon juice!)

Anyway, as I was saying, I think B.A. is good for socialites and night life. I am a little sorry I couldn’t travel out of the city, either to Patagonia in the south, with its glaciers or the forests and waterfalls in the north.

What else can I tell you about Argentina? If it’s not red and bleeding, they don’t eat it! Not really a place for vegetarians.

Argentina Diaries #2

2010-07-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

I am having a latte before my tour bus of the city leaves in an hour. It’s been a busy few days with workshops and talks on Wednesday, Thurdsday and Friday. One of the highlights outside of work has been visiting a place called Caminito. It was always a poor area, with houses mostly made of corrugated iron, near the city docks. Then about 10 years ago, some entrepreneurs decided to celebrate the diversity and lively culture of the place, so they opened restaurants and markets and played music on the streets.
Now it is a bit of a tourist desintation but, like Camden in London, retains its vibrancy. The houses and restaurants are painted all different bright colours because originally people painted their houses with whatever paint was left over from painting the ships.

At one stage, the government wanted to build big walls to block off this emerging tourist spot from the surrounding poor houses, but one of the restaurant owners (of El Paraiso, which I'd definitely recommend for a meal) managed to stop them, saying it was part of the story and the charm. Besides, local artists could paint murals on the walls of the surrounding houses. It’s a great story of social entrerprise and urban renewal.

I am on my way out to do an interview for a magazine, so I will end off here.

Argentina Diaries #1

2010-07-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

Having arrived and settled into my accommodation in Buenos Aires, I walked for 4 or 5 hours around the city. It is a massive city, quite built up and busy. However, the pedestrianised areas are nice, with little shops and traders. I managed to find an artist that paints tango dancers, so I bought a painting. Speaking of tango, I plan to go to a show on Saturday. This is, after all, the home of Argentinian tango.

Yesterday, of course, I watched the World Cup Final. In the end, I decided to watch it on a giant public screen in the city centre and, as expected, the atmosphere was fantastic. Most were Spanish supporters and I got some great photos of their flag-waving celebrations; even a guy in red tights! So now it is over for another 4 years. I am so proud that South Africa managed to pull it off with any major incidents or problems.

I discovered some great sculptures yesterday, including a massive flower, which is maybe 3 storeys high. I might try to sketch it sometime over the next 2 weeks. Even the hostel has some creative inspiration. There reception desk is made from a green scooter!

Poem: The Barefoot Don

2010-07-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Barefoot Don
(A Tribute to Manfred Max-Neef)

He walks the mountains, plains and fields
At home with forests, wolves and birds
He’s naked in the power he wields:
The sword of truth; the axe of words

He knows the chill of foreign lands
And sighs the loss of good friends passed
He feels the warmth of welcome hands
And beams the joy of love that lasts

He’s felt the ire of dictators
And known the grace of humble kings
He’s filled up books and newspapers
And given gifts of voice and wings

He warns of theories, now unmasked
That leave the earth and people cursed
He points the way – we all are tasked
With putting needs and nature first

He says to see, just close your eyes
To hear, be still and feel your heart
Real changes always wear disguise
And grassroots play a hidden part

Then in the quiet hours between
He listens to the tides of Brahms
Or pens and plays a piece he’s dreamed
Or rests within his lover’s arms

He’s just a barefoot ‘household’ don
Whose feet have trod the sacred round
He counts success by hearts he’s won
And handshakes from the underground

Postscript:

Dear Manfred, if you read this ode
You’ll know the gratitude I feel
For our chance meeting on the road
And spokes of friendship on life’s wheel

Chile Diaries #3

2010-07-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

I am staying for a few days in Valdivia with Manfred Max-Neef ("barefoot economist" and author of Human Scale Development). It took us 10 hours to drive from Santiago - very picturesque, especially with the Andes. The city is right on the sea, with a massive river going through it, and the university (of which Manfred was President a few years ago) is on an island.

Valdivia was the site of the worst earthquakes in recorded history in the 1960s (much worse than the one they had in Chile earlier this year, which was bad enough). As a result of all the subsidence (about 3 metres), a lot of the city became a wetland. This attracted all kinds of birdlife, including the rare black-necked swan. Unfortunately, due to pollution, they all died or relocated to other parts. Now, as I look out the window from Manfred's study, there are 2 garden sculptures of these swans, which he keeps in memory of their brief period of abundance.

We took a brief drive around the campus, which is beautiful; lots of trees. Unfortunately, it is raining, so we can’t go for a walk in the Botanical Gardens. Apparently, a big storm is coming. The office here has a view over the river.

I am once again struck by how local and immediate life is. Collecting experiences is all well and good, but what we are doing now, in this moment, how we are feeling, who we love and are loved by – only these things keep us content and motivated. In a sense, we have to keep on creating the means of our own happiness, as if life is a river in which we always must have an oar in the water if we don’t want to be swept away.

Poem: Let Bells Ring Out

2010-06-29T19:01:00.000-07:00

There are bells for weddings, bells for births
And bells for calls to prayer
There are bells for mourning, bells for mirth
And bells for freedom’s dare

There are bells for fire, bells for floods
And bells for threatened shores
There are bells for silence, bells that thud
And bells for music scores

So why no bells for Nature’s ways
No bells for dusk or dawn?
Why no bells for dying days
No bells for breaking morn?

And why no bells for summer sun
No bells for winter moon?
Why no bells when autumn’s come
No bells for springtime bloom?

Let bells ring out for living things
All creatures small and great
Let bells ring out: with beating wings
Our messengers of fate

Let bells ring out from mountain peaks
And toll from valleys low
Let bells ring out: Creation speaks
And all the world should know.

Creative Commons 2010

Chile Diaries #2

2010-06-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

I took a walk downtown and discovered a castle – Santa Lucia. It’s on a little hill and has fantastic views of Santiago, including the backdrop of ice-capped mountains. Many photos later, I walked on to the Art Gallery. There were a few unusual sculptures, but not many paintings that grabbed me. The exception was a portrait of a Chinese coal miner. They also had lots of historical photos from the late 1800s, which gave some insight into a bygone, pre-Fordian era. The best one was of a group of kids, each with a different expression on their faces.

After the gallery, I walked to the main city square. By then, the sun was setting and I arrived just in time to witness a religious procession – a few hundred people, most with candles, some with banners of the Virgin Mary, and some in religious robes. The priests leading the march were swinging incense, and somewhere in the middle was an altar with a statue of Jesus. Then bells tolled and hymns played over the speakers of a van set up for the

purpose. Everyone joined in singing, including spectators. Quite touching really, even though the religious practices themselves hold no meaning for me anymore.

The cathedral itself is on the square, so I went in and drifted a while in its reverential ambience. The square is also the place for street artists and buskers. Before leaving the square, I went over to listen to a singer who had drawn a bit of a crowd (Precila Guzman; I bought here CD to remember the moment). Some of the people were watching, but most – young and old – were spontaneously dancing. I was almost moved to tears, to see such natural joy, such celebration of life. It is one of the things I love about Latin culture. Music moves them, literally.

Chile Diaries #1

2010-06-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

I am staying at La Casa Roja hostel in Santiago. I took a little walk around the neighbourhood. To be honest, it’s quite run down – lots of graffiti, crumbling buildings and general urban decay. This is most likely a story of poverty rather than neglect. Just a few blocks from the hostel, I saw a man ‘sleeping rough’ on a bench. These are the real homeless and I wince to think of people like him outdoors at night when temperatures are sub-zero.

Tomorrow, after the football, I will take a walk downtown (fortunately we are close). I will probably head for the Arts & Culture Museum, and take it from there. It is my favourite part of any trip – discovering a new city, soaking up the urban delights, practicing a kind of cultural osmosis. I far prefer this slow, partial approach – getting intimate with my local surroundings – rather than rushing around with a ‘must-see, must-do’ tourist checklist.

New Zealand Diaries #3

2010-06-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

I have had a good day in Christchurch. This morning, I met with Jye Lu, a PhD student in CSR. We found a coffee shop for breakfast, then she showed me around the city, including the Canterbury University campus and the beach. The weather was perfect for sea-photos – overcast but with bright sun reflecting on the waves and shoreline. I managed to get a few photos of the seagulls in flight and reflected on the sand. Jye then took me to a discount store that sells outdoor clothing, so I could buy gloves, a scarf and a beanie, plus a fleece. Now I’m all geared up to face the South American winter!

As I write this diary, I am in Annie’s restaurant, at the Christchurch Arts Centre, sitting next to a log fire. I just had a delicious winter vegetable soup with home-made bread, and now I am sipping a port and scribbling away. The Arts Centre here is quite lovely. It used to be the university campus and all the buildings have an English abbey kind of feel to them. There are numerous galleries and also studios where you can watch the artists at work. One of the most interesting is someone who does ‘stone kinetics’ – essentially photography of male models in various poses with stone sculptures.

New Zealand Diaries #2

2010-06-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in the cafe in Te Papa (The People), which is the museum in Wellington. It is an impressive space with some stunning exhibitions, especially of the Maori and islander history, culture and art. Most remarkable of all (for me) are the wood carvings. I think the detail and quality surpass anything I have seen anywhere else, except perhaps Thailand.

Interestingly, the carvings, which are mainly masks, draw a lot of their inspiration and beauty from the tattoo art of the tribes, which is also exquisite. Apart from traditional culture, the museum also tells the story of colonialism. I will copy some of the treaty ‘Her Majesty’ entered into with the Confederation of Tribes. It is so blatantly exploitative as to almost seem like a joke.

Poem: I Lie Awake

2010-06-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

I LIE AWAKE
By Wayne Visser

I lie awake and hear your lonely sigh
Across the miles on breaths of midnight air
While blinking stars incant the question why:
Why am I here and you are over there?

I lie awake and see your Cheshire smile
Upon the iridescent wakeful moon
While time is morphed into a melting dial
That tricks and teases like an ancient rune

I lie awake and dream your phantom kiss
Between the sliding doors of mystery
While owls call out to serenade our bliss
And prophesise our echoed history

I lie awake and watch your phosphor glow
Upon the frothing of nocturnal tide
While slumber tussles from the undertow
And whispers: meet me on the other side

(Creative Commons 2010)

New Zealand Diaries #1

2010-06-19T17:31:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Auckland after marathon flights from China to Greece and then to New Zealand. Luckily, the jetlag is not too bad, as the time zone here is not too different from Shanghai, and I wasn’t in Athens long enough to re-adjust to European time. I am staying with family in the quaint village of Howick.

One of my discoveries in Howick was a quaint coffee shop called Cafe Paris. How would I describe it ... eclectic! The walls are crammed with an odd, colourful collections of paintings and art – flying pigs, lavender fields, a family at the beach, a musical trio (tuber, whistle and violin) and a Rembrandt/Renoir. Also little ornaments on the sills: tortoises, cats, mice, a hippopotamus, a penguin, a pig, a pelican, horses and a fat lady in a swimming costume. From where I am sitting, I can see 4 mirrors (2 heart-shaped) and 6 clocks! I could go on and on. Very quaint.

I went to a wonderful classical concert the night before leaving for Wellington, featuring the Sibelius violin concerto and Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite, which was simply divine. Before that we drove up to the top of Mount Eden, which is a volcano crater on the edge of Auckland city – you will have seen it on one of the photos; it is all grassed now. In the morning, we took the ferry to Waiheki island, where we walked around the craft markets. It has a real village / hippie feel about it. We also managed to squeeze in a visit to the tranquil Fo Guang Shan Buddhist temple.

At the airport, I found some New Zealand music – a soprano called Kiri Te Kanawa and a modern Maori singer called Maisey Rika, who reminds me a bit of Freshly Ground and Nora Jones.

Poem: No War!

2010-06-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

NO WAR
By Wayne Visser

Don’t speak to me of holy wars
Of martyrdom and sacrifice
Don’t speak of an enlightened cause
Of infidels and paradise

There is no decent way to kill
No comfort for a widowed bride
There is no vengeful divine will
No godly plan for genocide

Don’t speak to me of hidden bombs
Of dictators and liberty
Don’t speak of righting nations’ wrongs
Of winning peace and setting free

There is no gold that’s worth a life
No oil that’s worth the blood
There is no diamond worth the strife
Of sordid profits from the mud

Don’t speak to me of sacred ground
Of ancient consecrated earth
Don’t speak of treasures lost and found
Of claiming back His place of birth

There is no faith that teaches hate
No doctrine founded on revenge
There is no violent seal of fate
No prayer to make the bloodshed end

Don’t speak to me of wars for peace
Of battles for the hearts and minds
Don’t speak of blames that never cease
Of hurt that heals and pain that binds

There is no glory in a war
No victory in futures lost
There is no flag worth killing for
No profit that can match the cost.

(Creative Commons 2010)

Greece Diaries #1

2010-06-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

This has been a crazy leg of the trip, but worthwhile. I delivered the keynote address at an inaugural conference on CSR 2.0, hosted by CEO & CSR Money Conference 2010 and sponsored by EuroCharity.

It was nice to be in Athens again. The first time I visited, in the late 1990s, I was in transit with 10 hours to spare, so I rushed around the city, visiting the Acropolis and other historic sites. It was hot, crowded and I wasn’t terribly impressed. One of my most vivid memories was of all the half-starving stray cats in the parks. Of course, I could hardly do the city or country any justice in 10 hours!

The second time I came to Greece, it was for a meeting of the ICCA (the organisation that sponsored The A to Z of CSR book). I was whisked out of Athens to some luxurious coastal part and remember having a bath in my hotel room with a view over the bay. Luxury indeed!
This time is different again, although no less luxurious - I stayed (if arriving at 2 am and checking out the same morning qualifies as 'stays') at the 5-star Olympic hotel, which overlooks the historic heart of the city, with views of the Acropolis as well. It is strange to think that Plato or Aristotle could have been in that very place thousands of years ago.

As my colleague, John Elkington, who shared the platform with me at the conference, said to our hosts: ‘Thanks for civilization!’ The conference was in one of the historical buildings right in the centre of Athens’ green lung. Apart from the wonderful cool marble floors and walls, the towering pillars and patterned ceilings were beautiful. Terrible acoustics for a talk (lots of echoes) but a welcome change from the usual plush hotel conference rooms.

Being in Athens again really made me thing about how things have changed in the past 10 years or so. When I came the first time, it was in the lead up to the 2004 Olympics and I remember a conversation with a taxi driver, who was optimistic about the future for Greece. Now, their economy is in tatters and their national pride is severely damaged. They have unwittingly become the ‘canary in the mine’, a warning for the rest of Europe and the world about the consequences of corruption and greed (or are they just a victim of shareholder-driven capitalism?).

How the world turns!

China Diaries #4

2010-06-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

My time in Shanghai and China has been all too brief. There is so much to see and explore that I expect I will keep coming back for the rest of my life, especially given my interest and affinity for the culture.

Yesterday, I did a video interview with Jacylyn Shi, one of my hosts here. We found a quiet park near the venue for my talk to do it. Then it turned out that a man was doing Tai Chi in the background while I was filming – just wonderful! After the interview, we were walking through the park and we saw the Tai Chi man again. So Jacylyn asked him to teach me some Tai Chi moves. She took some photos of me looking very clumsy trying to copy him, but it was an unexpected and delightful experience.

Of course, Shanghai is not only ancient but rapidly turning into one of the most modern cities in the world. Some people say it lacks soul and that it is too commercial – all brands and no substance. But I like it – it’s vibrant and constantly changing.

The Expo was just a glimpse into what is possible in this city now. There were some fabulous buildings and exhibits, even though I only saw about a quarter of the Expo site. It is probably no coincidence that the quietest pavilions were the eco-design ones, while the oil and Cisco (technology) displays were among the most popular. Some, like the China and Saudi pavilions had 7 hour ques! I’m not sure any exhibit is worth such a long wait, but it just shows the excitement and thirst for new experiences among the Chinese. The Expo is getting 500,000 people a day!

China Diaries #3

2010-06-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

It is Sunday, my last ‘free’ day before my workshop tomorrow. Last night, it was good to get off the campus and into the city. The underground is excellent – very clear and simple, with constant updates. The trains have electronic maps of the tube lines, where a flashing red dot and a green arrow tell you exactly where you are and the direction you are travelling. And it is ‘cheap as chips’ – about 20p to travel anywhere in the city. Even the taxis are cheap – about £5 to go from the centre to the outskirts of the city (and Beijing is bigger than London).

After a British embassy event choral event, I went on with some friends to the ‘Stone Boat’ bar, a beautiful bar/restaurant in the middle of a park, overlooking a lake and literally on a stone boat. Stone boats are an ancient tradition of the emperors of China. After that, we went to a jazz club with live music, then I took a taxi back to the campus.

It is interesting to see how many Westerners are moving to China – many of them permanently. Clare is English and has been here about 7 years. In our group were also two Americans, one Canadian and a Pakistani. It is testimony, I think, to the fact that China is seen by many as ‘the brave new world’ – the superpower of the future.

I have been very content here in Beijing and I could easily spend a month here, just writing, walking around the lakes and parks and occasionally heading into the city for a change of scenery. There are some amazing buildings downtown, many of which were built in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. From what I can gather, the Olympics had a dramatic positive effect, not only in improving infrastructure and public transport, but also in reducing pollution and opening up to Western ideas.

Tomorrow night, I take the overnight train to Shanghai, sharing a compartment of four. I am looking forward to it. It brings back memories of the two day train my sister and I took a few times from Cape Town to Bulawayo. There is something wonderful about watching the world speeding by outside the window, having time to read, falling asleep to the clickety-clack gentle sway of the train.

China Diaries #2

2010-06-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about the Chinese is that they value the artistic side of life. And not just paintings and sculptures. They see art in nature. For example, in many temples and palaces, they will simply frame a slab of marble stone with a beautiful pattern, or erect an interesting stone formation as a sculpture, or even just create a window frame with a view onto a tree or garden.

These pictures are from Peking University campus in Beijing.

Poem: African Dream

2010-05-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

AFRICAN DREAM

by Wayne Visser

My Africa!

As white-hot skies give way to bloodshot red
I breathe a sigh and rest my laden head
As dark descends and blinking stars pierce through
I close my weary eyes and dream of you

I dream a dream of genesis
Of teeming wildlife on the plains
I hear a tale of Eden’s bliss
Of sparks of knowledge fanned to flames

I dream a dream of beating drums
Of painted caves and hunters’ bow
I hear the voice of ancient ones
Who weave the web of what we know

I dream a dream of exodus
Of journeys over land and sea
I hear the song of restlessness
That swells with longing to be free

I run with cheetahs, graze with deer
I hunt with lions, know no fear
I soar with eagles, hide in dales
I swim with dolphins, sing with whales

I throb with music in the air
I see the swirl of rainbow flair
I feel the stomp of dancing feet
I sweat with fever’s tropic heat

I gaze into the firelight
I sit in silence, pure delight
I listen to the elders’ words
I rise upon the wings of birds

The rivers are flowing
The brown dust turned to green
The harvests are growing
In my African dream

The fathers are yearning
The mothers’ love redeems
The children are learning
In my African dream

The peace-buds are blooming
The hope-streets freshly clean
The love-stalls are booming
In my African dream

As visions fade, all blurred and bled
My world unwinds like loosened thread
As daylight breaks and jet sky turns to blue
I wake refreshed with glorious dreams of you

My Africa!

China Diaries #1

2010-05-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

Peking University campus - There is a large lake about 5 minutes walk away, where I plan to walk (or maybe even jog!) every day. There are also several sculptures that I am taking pictures of.

I once started a university course in Mandarin. I never got very far, but it is an indication of how long I have been fascinated with Chinese culture, and in love with its written language. To me, the script is like art. The closest thing to a religion that I align myself with these days is Taoism – the ancient Chinese philosophy of harmony and balance. The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu is poetry and wisdom combined.

I think the West is far too judgemental of China. No doubt, there are some policies that we would find difficult, but what I see is an emerging nation, full of dynamism and progress, including on many social, environmental and ethical issues. Just this morning, I read in the paper that new regulations make evidence obtained under duress inadmissible in court.

There’s a palpable sense here that the only way is up, that the future is all to play for and that a combination of vision, national pride and hard work make all dreams possible. It all seems rather familiar – the same sort of ideals that built the American Dream. The 21st century will be the century of the Chinese Dream.

Poem: Wild Love

2010-05-22T06:18:00.000-07:00

WILD LOVE

For some, love is tame

It is cute and cuddly

Like an adorable pet

Tail-waggingly happy

Purringly content

I have known this tame love

It did not last

Now, I know a different kind of love

A love that is wild

That is nervous and ferocious

Skittish and temperamental

One moment, it trusts enough to approach

The next, it bites the hand that feeds it

Such wild love can never be tamed

To cage it is to kill it

Any attempt at domestication

Denies its true nature

Wild love is sometimes fierce

And sometimes it is shy

Yet always it returns

Again and again

Seeking acceptance

Each time a little less afraid

A little less aggressive

Wild love always hurts

But the wounds it inflicts

The pierce of fangs

And the rake of claws

Are nothing but self-defence

For wildness is never malicious

This love comes from the shadows

It is born in the wilderness

It hunts in jungle and canyon

Prowls across desert and plain

Soars over ocean and peak

It is ever vigilant

And breathlessly alive

Wild love can never be conquered

It cannot be bought or won

Only earned, with patience

Patience that teaches understanding

Understanding that builds trust

Trust that creates safety

So that love’s caring instincts can take over

In love’s wild embrace

Defence gives way to protection

Aggression turns into passion

Fighting becomes playful

Wounds have a chance to heal

Even so, love is never subdued

To love is to risk injury

Flesh wounds are part of living

Bleeding is part of loving

And loving without restraint

Or fear of consequences

Is the way of the wild

Creative Commons 2010

Ukraine and Shantaram

2010-04-27T03:20:00.000-07:00

My visit to Kiev, Ukraine, to deliver a talk at the IV International CSR Conference was worthwhile, but far too fleeting. From the brief night-tour I had, I can see that it is a beautiful city, with lots of fascinating architecture and history. The Kiev equivalent of the Statue of Liberty, which stands 8 metres higher than it's American counterpart, is a case in point.

My favourite books of all time – Possession, Time Traveller’s Wife and Bridge Across Forever – have been wrested from top spot by the epic, gritty, poetic, Bombay-based biography that is Shantaram. It is at once compelling and disturbing, beautiful and ghastly, insightful and confusing. It blurs the lines between good and evil, between love and tragedy, between life and death.