Message
from our founder
Welcome! I hope you have
found our site informative and interesting.
There seems to be a great
defeatism among South Africans today which certainly wasn’t present at the dawn
of the new South Africa. I find the press filled with negative stories
about life in South Africa, how crime has skyrocketed, how the country’s
infrastructure is crumbling and how comradery
between black and white is at an all time low. How has so much changed in
just 15 years? Perhaps a more important question is why, if so much is
wrong with South Africa, the ANC government remains so popular? A shortage of alternatives? An unwillingness to
bring about change? I suspect the answer lies in a little of both of
these things. How terrible a crime it would be to stand back, declare
defeat and criticise the present government
without offering a progressive solution.
South Africa is 15 years
into its democracy and the honeymoon years of the 90s are well behind us.
South Africans should be focused on progress rather than mere maintenance
of 1992 socio-economic levels. How could something as
fundamental as electricity generation not have moved forward in
almost two decades? South Africa now needs to move away from the
traditional politics of the past - politics dominated by freedom fighters
and gatekeepers – and move towards a new style of progressive thinking. We
need to be competing with the world of 2008, not struggling to keep up with
the South Africa of the 90s. The ANC’s focus on populist politics and
race-based policies are important but out of date with the progressive new
world. The singular alternative of the DA only accentuates the black/white
divide.
The objectives of the
Progressive Initiative may at first look radical to some, but they are
innovative and are stirring new and critical debate. I invite you to
explore this website and contact us with your views.
Sincerely
Stuart Barton
©
2008 Progressive Initiative. The Progressive Initiative
rejects all forms of discrimination, embraces democracy and encourages
transparent politics. The views expressed in this site are those of its
members.