Giving and Receiving

This week's interview is with Kumi Naidoo.

Giving and Receiving

A favourite quote of mine, a call to action really and one that I reference in How to Begin, is “give more to the world than you take.” Jacqueline Novogratz said it, and she’s the founder of Acumen a venture capital firm that invests in non-profits making the world a better place. 

I find it powerful because it’s about the long game. Over your lifetime, give more than you take. There are some seasons when you need to harvest, of course. You trying to build a good life for yourself.

But there should be other seasons when you plant, and when you build.

Adam Grant’s first book was about giving and taking, and the core insight from that book is that people who give, paradoxically, tend to be the most successful, so long as they give in a sustainable way. The people who give without boundaries tend to fail over time.

I suspect on balance that many of us could get better at giving. I also know that for many of us, we have to learn to also receive.

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📕 My Guest: Kumi Naidoo

Today’s guest is Kumi Naidoo, a human rights and climate justice activist. For over 40 years, Kumi has been a lifelong social, economic and environmental justice campaigner who was Executive Director of Greenpeace International, is a Global Ambassador of the pan-African organization Africans Rising for Justice, Peace and Dignity, and until recently was the Secretary General of Amnesty International.

He has authored and co-authored numerous books, the most recent being Letters To my Mother, a personal and professional memoir that won the HSS 2023 non-fiction award by the National Institute Humanities and Social Sciences.

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🎧 The Single Most Important Thing to Do with Kumi Naidoo

Kumi Naidoo reads two pages from Dearest MaRiky by Louisa Zondo.

In our conversation we discuss:

• Early Activism and Personal Sacrifice

Kumi became involved in the South African liberation struggle at the age of 15, driven by a desire for equality. His activism led to expulsion from school, which he considers a pivotal moment that forced him to become a self-learner and ultimately pursue higher education, including a Rhodes Scholarship.

• Leadership in Various Movements

Over his career, Kumi led several significant organizations, including Greenpeace International and Amnesty International. He also founded Africans Rising, a movement dedicated to justice, peace, and dignity across Africa. His roles often required balancing activism with the responsibilities of leadership and organizational development.

• Personal Tragedy and Resilience

Kumi has faced considerable personal losses, including the suicide of his mother when he was 15, the murder of his best friend by the apartheid regime, and the death of his sister from brain cancer. These tragedies deeply influenced his commitment to activism and his perspective on resilience and purpose in life.

• Focus on Sustainable Activism

Kumi emphasizes the importance of balancing activism with self-care to avoid burnout. He acknowledges his past failures in self-care and now advocates for a more sustainable approach to activism, which includes mental and physical health practices like meditation and exercise.

• Healing and Rebuilding

Following the traumatic loss of his son, Kumi and his partner Louisa Zondo focused on healing and rebuilding their lives. Louisa’s book, Dearest MaRicy, details their journey through trauma and healing, highlighting the importance of vulnerability and the ongoing process of recovery. Kumi advocates for integrating arts and culture into activism to effectively communicate and address global crises.

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