THE RAINBOW NEWSPAPER - PAGE 12

THE GREAT DEBATE: GENDER AND LEADERSHIP

MAKE YOUR MARK IN DEVELOPING A “CHECKLIST FOR ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIVE LEADERSHIP”

We do not have to look too far around us to know that leadership can make or break whole countries. What makes a great leader, and where does gender feature in the checklist for good leadership? During the course of 2009, there will be six elections in Southern Africa: in South Africa, Malawi, Angola, Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique. Read more...

The GMDC is a Southern African partnership between knowledge institutions and media development NGOs for the generation, collection, connection and dissemination of knowledge. In light of the upcoming elections in six Southern African countries, the GMDC plans to provide a forum for a series of on line and face to face debates on Gender and Leadership, culminating in a “Checklist for Accountable and Responsive Leadership.” Click here to contribute to the checklist for accountable and responsive leadership.

Several seminars will be conducted with institutional partners over the next few months. These include:

· 9 Feb: At the launch of the GL/Women in Law Southern Africa (WLSA) study: At the Coalface: Gender and Local Government in Botswana and Zambia.

·12 Feb: A joint leadership debate organised by South Africa-Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD), Durban University of Technology (DUT) and Gender Links. It will be held on Thursday, 12 February 2009 at 18h00 for 18h30 SA time at DUT. The venue is at the 7th Floor Conference Room, D Block, Centenary Road, Durban . For more information, contact Lethu Kapueja on lethu@sanpad.org.za or call 031 279 3900.

·19 Feb: On the eve of a GMDC advisory group meeting, in partnership with GL and the Gender and Media Southern Africa (GEMSA) Network. For more information, please contact gmdc@genderlinks.org.za or call 011 622 2877.

·9 March: At the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) annual meeting at UN headquarters in New York, GEMSA and GL will convene a cyber dialogue on this theme. GL will also partner with the Mail and Guardian’s Critical Thinking Forum to debate the issue of politics and polygamy. For more information, please contact Sudley Adams on sudleya@mg.co.za

·17 March: During a planning meeting of the Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance.

How can you get involved?

·Participate in the scheduled debates.

·Host a Gender and Leadership debate whose outcomes can be added to the checklist! Contact knowledge@genderlinks.org.za.

·Write a commentary for the daily GL Opinion and Commentary Service or a longer article for the next issue of the GMDC Gender and Media Diversity Journal that will be launched on 3 May- World Press Freedom Day. Contact editor@genderlinks.org.za

·Post your comments on what you think makes a good leader by clicking here.

For more information contact gmdc@genderlinks.org.za.

By Derrick Sinjela

THE Anglican Cathedral Corporate Partnership (ACCP) Organizing Committee spearheaded by Canon Charley Thomas and Sub Dean Canon William Vwapu successfully held a fundraising ball ahead of the 50th Anniversary after the construction of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

The ACCP Organising Committee held its inaugural annual fundraising event at the Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka at which Zambian Head of State and Government, His Excellency, President Rupiah Banda, donated K10 million while past immediate first lady, Maureen Mwanawasa pledged K1 million with Bank of Zambia Deputy Governor-Operations Denny Kalyalya pledging K2 million.

The Cathedral Corporate Partnership Ball was held under the theme, “Restoring a National Spiritual Heritage through Partnership”.

A tentative review indicated that close to K200 million was raised by the ACCP Organising Committee whose chairperson, Shem Simuyemba was also awarded a plaque by Priest's Warden David Thompson

The ACCP organising committee awarded gold awards and plaques to Professional Life Assurance, Raubex Construction, Nyiombo Investment Limited and the Bank of Zambia, with Standard Chartered Bank PLC, Harvey Tiles Limited and Agro Fuel receiving silver recognition awards while Zambia Air Force (ZAF), Lusaka Stock Exchange (LuSE), Speciality Foods, National Milling Corporation (NMC), Law Association of Zambia (LAZ), Intermarket Banking Corporation and Office Machines received awards in the bronze category.

Mr. Joseph Kaziya won a weekend for two at Lusaka Hotel, while other prizes included return air tickets courtesy of Zambian Airways and Kenya Airways.

President Banda was accompanied to the ball by his wife, Thandiwe, while British High Commissioners to Zambia, Carolyn Davidson and Thomas Carter also attended.

Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) General Secretary Suzanne Matale, and representatives from the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia and the Zambia Episcopal Conference also attended.

Gracing the occasion President Banda acknowledged the importance of unity of purpose that characterized the desire to restore the dignity of the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

Said an affable President Banda: “The Cathedral is more than just a symbol. It is a national spiritual icon and heritage which plays an important role in Zambia's national, State, civic and spiritual affairs. Zambia is one of the few countries in the world to boldly declare itself a Christian Nation and to have this enshrined in its Constitution. The “Christian Nation” status of Zambia validates The Cathedral's role in the nation's spiritual affairs. Indeed spiritual institutions such as the Cathedral and others are and should be a central pillar of our national activities.”

President Banda noted thus: “Thankfully, through God's grace and blessings over this country, Zambia continues to enjoy peace, stability and unity. Hopefully, through God's continued protection, we will never experience the sad situation in some of our African countries where churches had to be used as places of refuge.”

However, President Banda called for concerted efforts in building a united country. “As unpleasant as it is, this is a reality we cannot afford to ignore and which should give us even greater resolve to safeguard our hard earned peace, stability and unity. This requires that the State and Church partner to build a better and safer country for all.

President Banda observed that the MMD Government embraced many of the same virtues as the Church such as integrity, transparency, honesty, hard work, love for neighbour and love for nation.

“These Christian values are virtues that are worth embracing by all of us particularly as a Christian Nation. I therefore urge the Church to partner with us as Government, so that together we can fight some of the evils that are eating away into our society particularly among our youth. These include, idleness, drunkenness, drug abuse and even crime,” said President Banda.

Turning to the theme of this, “Restoring a National Spiritual Heritage through Partnership” President Banda observed it as apt and timely.

“The Partnership is intended to raise funds to refurbish the Cathedral leading up to the Golden Jubilee of the Cathedral to be celebrated in 2012. I therefore urge all of you present, the business community both large and small, diplomatic missions, international organizations and our cooperating partners, as well as families and individuals, to contribute generously to this noble and worthy cause. Remember, blessed is the hand that gives. As Government, we will play our part since we were involved right from the construction phase of The Cathedral. In this regard, I am therefore directing the Honourable Minister of Finance to identify avenues in which as Government, we can provide support to this worthy national cause,” prodded President Banda.

Giving a key not address as Guest Speaker, Bank of Zambia Governor, Dr Caleb Fundanga challenged the corporate world and individual citizenry continue to networking and forging partnerships in support to Church work.

In a speech read on his behalf by BoZ Deputy Governor for Operations, Denny Kalyalya, Dr Fundanga said: “It is said that “A country's character is more important than its cash reserves”. You may agree or disagree with this, but I trust this should provide informed debate and discussion during our dinner tonight and perhaps long after.

We indeed as a Church are excited with this spirit of Lordship which has been passed on from one administration to another. We thank God for this.

Bishop Njovu expressed joy at the unwavering support received from the Zambian Government, and added that the cathedral stood as a symbol of Christ's Lordship over Zambia.

“I thank you personally Government for the moral support we have continued to receive. The Cathedral is therefore, a symbol of Christ's Lordship over Zambia which has now become even more significant with the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation.

“With the foundation stone having been laid in 1957 by the Queen Mother, The Cathedral is now nearly half a century old. This magnificent national spiritual icon and heritage built through the God inspired vision of people like Bishop Oliver Green Wilkinson is now in dire need of urgent repair and refurbishment,” recalled Bishop Njovu.

And Dean of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, The Very Revd Canon Charley Thomas gave tribute to God for the gracious opportunity of gathering a nation to celebrate the rebuilding of God's house, namely, the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

Said Canon Thomas: “We thank God for this day and for this opportunity he has given us to gather as a nation to celebrate the rebuilding of God's house, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.”

Canon Thomas reminisced that the Cathedral was built in the fifties through the vision and dedication of people like Oliver Green-Wilkinson who because the first Bishop of the now Province of Central Africa encompassing Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

“Bishop's Oliver's father was the Chaplain to the Royal Family at St. George's Chapel at Windsor and therefore had a lot of influence which in no measure, contributed to the goodwill in mobilising funds to build the Cathedral. The construction of the Cathedral commenced in 1946 when the need for a Cathedral in the then Northern Rhodesia was discussed at a Synod meeting and that decision was communicated to the Church of England, the mother body for Anglican Churches in the world,” recollected Canon Thomas

Canon Thomas added that the Church of England set up a fund and made the first contribution of one hundred pounds to that fund, marking the start of a zealous fund raising effort to which all contributed- the Government, civil society, the community and individuals.

 

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