Sjoe, it sure was a buzz. This year’s Freewheeling Festival was completely different to last year’s. Or maybe it was just me, having moved on from the initial “Wow, this is so cool,” phase, to “Right, what can we do about it?”
The organisers confirm that the feedback this year was about more do, less listen. The youth groups put it well: “We’ve got the energy, you (oldies!) have the wisdom. Let’s work together to make the world a better place to live.” It gave me goosebumps to hear that.
And while creativity, personal development and wellness were well represented in the array of workshops, there were many more (it seemed to me) sessions that were about doing. The variety of presentations can be seen on their website and here’s a link to one that I particularly enjoyed, Martin Wigand’s, Future Money.
The beauty of Freewheeling is that it is inclusive. It recognises that people are drawn to different aspects of sustainability. As such the approach is holistic. In a world as fraught with the divisions and problems as the one we find ourselves in 2010, you can’t help but see hope in the Freewheeling ethos as a way forward for South Africa and the globe.
Yep, it sure is time. Ke Nako. The slogan of the FIFA World Cup applies just as well to Freewheeling. Let’s roll up those sleeves and do it. Now!