Mark Heywood: Rethinking Activism, Rebuilding Hope
After more than 40 years fighting for human rights and social justice, Mark Heywood is still angry about injustice and still convinced we can do something about it. A co-founder of South Africa’s Treatment Action Campaign, Mark joins us to talk about his new book, Rethinking Activism in Africa, and the remarkable people across the continent who are finding new ways to bring about change.
We talk about the worrying rise of xenophobia in South Africa, his determination to help fix the country’s struggling healthcare system, and why activism shouldn’t be left to the activists. But this isn’t a conversation about everything that’s wrong with the world. It’s about the people doing something to put it right, why there’s still plenty of reason for hope, and how making a difference can start right on your own doorstep.
Listen to the conversation
Behind the Conversation
by Babette Gallard
I wonder how many people could spend more than 40 years fighting injustice and still believe that things can change. Mark Heywood does. He’s angry, frustrated and under no illusions about the scale of the problems we face, but he hasn’t lost his faith in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things. I particularly liked that he doesn’t let the rest of us off the hook. Activism, he argues, isn’t just for activists. We can’t all take governments to court, lead campaigns or set about rescuing a healthcare system, but we can all do something. And perhaps that’s what I found most encouraging about our conversation. Mark doesn’t offer easy answers or pretend that change comes quickly. He just keeps going and makes you feel like you should, too. I came away thinking that hope isn’t something we can afford to sit around waiting for. We have to get out there and give it a hand.