Louisa Zondo

Co-Founder and Director, Riky Rick Foundation for the Promotion of Artivism

Connect with Louisa Zondo on social media:

Connect with The Riky Rick Foundation for the Promotion of Artivism on social media:

Louisa Zondo is a co-founder of the Riky Rick Foundation for the Promotion of Artivism. She is also the Chairperson of the Barloworld Empowerment Foundation and former Chairperson of Oxfam South Africa. A lawyer and social activist, she served as Deputy Executive Director of the Constitutional Assembly during South Africa’s transition from apartheid, going on to become Chief Executive of the South African Human Rights Commission in 1996. Along with other members of her family, Louisa is currently involved in the work of the Riky Rick Foundation for the Promotion of Artivism established in memory of her son Rikhado “Riky Rick” Makhado, a well-loved music artist and creative who died in February 2022 from suicide. In 2023 she published “Dearest MaRiky: A Mother’s Journey Through Grief, Trauma and Healing” a memoir of life with her late son. Louisa’s life energy is mainly at the intersection of arts, culture and activism towards a just, connected, life-supporting world. 

Connect with Louisa Zondo on social media:

Connect with The Riky Rick Foundation for the Promotion of Artivism on social media:

IN LOUISA’S WORDS

How do you think individual, collective, and planetary wellbeing are connected?

In the same way as all of life is connected at the individual, collective and planetary level, wellbeing is also connected at these levels. Individual inner wellbeing cultivates the quietening of the noises of our thoughts and emotions presenting space for deeper connection to the infinite capacities of our inner intelligence. 

At a collective level, continuous engagement in practices that draw us out of the optical delusion of experiencing ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest of humanity and opens up space for cultures and systems that value all life and centre love as the ultimate reality.  

I am inspired by the story of the universe which is informed by scientific and spiritual perspectives and connects all of life to the continuing evolutionary process that began some 13.8 billion years ago. 

For me this means attending to my inner life by developing practices that bring up awareness of and curious about the patterns of thought and emotions that I have created. These patterns have the effect of blocking the flow of life-force in me and essentially make decisions for me without me even knowing that this is happening. Attending to my personal wellbeing becomes my continuous training in encountering all aspects of life – from mundane daily experiences to collective trauma to understandings of myself as part of nature – from the expansive state of connection to pure love. It opens up pathways for coming at all forms of injustice from a consciousness which is different from that which caused the problems and therefore coming upon generative, life-giving solutions based on truth.  

What do you hope the outcomes are from the global Hearth Summit?

Deeper support for those who come at transformational methods to nurture leadership, wellness and justice, equality, diversity and inclusion among the majority who, typically are excluded from accessing these methods. I look forward to plans that would center arts and culture, women and gender non-binary people, young people, BIPOC and economically marginalised in the allocation of resources and support for wellbeing. 

WHAT LOUISA IS READING

  • Justin Michael Williams, “Stay Woke: A Meditation Guide for the REST of Us”
  • Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross, “Your Brain on Art”
  • Vaness Machado de Oliveira “Hospicing Modernity” 
  • Adrienne Maree Brown, “Emergent Strategy”  
  • Kumi Naidoo, “Letters to My Mother – The Making of a Trouble-Maker”
  • Louisa Zondo, “Dearest MaRiky – A Mother’s Journey Through Grief Trauma and Healing”
  • Makhosazana Xaba, “Running and Other Stories”
  • Pumla Dineo Gqola, “Female Fear Factory”
  • Lebogang Mashile, “In a Ribbon of Rhythm”
  • Athambile Masola, “Ilifa”
Hearth SpeakerLouisa Zondo.
Sennay
Next

Sennay Ghebreab..

Non classé

Prev
David Simas

David Simas

Non classé