"From Dependenct to DIgnity: The A2B of Community Development"

The book by the internationally recognised social entrepreneur, Vivienne Schultz and co-author Anneke Buys is ready to be ordered.
Read the Review on our Pages link.
Send an e-mail to info@a2btransformation.com and ask for an order form. The book costs R230.00 incl postage.

So, What's all this about Volition?

Volition describes a person’s inner force, intrinsic motivation and willpower that impels all action and behaviour. This action or behaviour results in the creation of a tangible or intangible product of a particular quality as described on one of the six A2B OI-levels. This score will indicate whether the person is dependent or independent or entrepreneurial in his participation.

Volitional development describes the process by which a client’s internal willpower and intrinsic motivation for action is developed in the vulnerable protege. This process is facilitated by the transformative provocateurs (or parent in the case of a child) and the aim is to develop knowledge, skill, emotional control, internal locus of control, values and beliefs. Volitional development is one of the most crucial components of childhood development which, if matured by the time of reaching adulthood, enables an adult to reach maximum independent participation, self-reliance and social entrepreneurship competencies.

Volitionally broken describes a person who is understimulated/under-developed or hurt in his volition. He has very low or no willpower and his intrinsic motivation is too low to ignite appropriate and competent actions that lead to independence. It can also describe a person whose negative anxiety levels are too high and blocks the volition.

To learn more how to develop someone's volition, order the book "From Dependency to Dignity: The A2B of Community Development". (See the separate post on how to order your copy).

List of A2B Workshops

See the page on our workshops that we present. These workshops promise to bring REAL SUSTAINABLE CHANGE into your life and into that of all professionals, social workers, therapists, community workers, socio-economical developers, NGOs, NPOs, CBOs, small business owners, business managers, corporate conglomerates and the government.

The photo shows how previous workshop attendants learnt how, “work is natures best physician and essential to human happiness”. Galen 172AD

A Succes Story from Tshepo

Tshepo participated in the A2B programme in the early 2000's. Before he started he was a down-and-out victim. Today he called Vivienne out of the blue to say "hi" and to give her feedback on his life. He works as a marketing specialist for a big company and is happily married with a family. He told Vivienne that two of the most important things that he remembers and values enormously is being taught about "truth" and that no one ever believed in him before he joined the programme. The A2B programme has a zero tolerance for deception, lies and manipulation of others. This value has become the foundation in his life and which he spreads to others around him. He said that Vivienne, as the A2B provocateur,  "mothered" him with tough-love, believed in him and pushed him to reach his own greatness to such an extent that today it drives him forward and contributes to his self-belief,  abilities and his responsibility to make a difference in the lives of others. His motivation for moving forward and achieving great things now comes from his switched-on internal volition. Material needs and desires such as the ubiquitous desire for "bling" & smart cars, etc in Africa no longer drive him. Tshepo is one of the hundreds that have participated in the A2B programme who now lives a successful, independent life. 

Meet Vivienne in person

Vivienne will be a guest speaker at the Innovation Summit. Meet her there on 30 Aug - 1 Sep 2011.
Visit www.innovationsummit.co.za for more details.

From Dependency to DIgnity - The A2B of Community Development

Only a few more weeks before this book is launched. Pre-order your copy for R200.00 excluding postage from info@a2btransformation.com.

Read more about Anneke Buys who is co-author of the book. 

Examples of Furniture and Decor made at Amajobjob

Examples of Bags made by budding entrepreneurs at the Amajobjob E-Hub

Examples of the Happy Pants made by budding entrepreneurs at the Amajobjob E-Hub

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Meet Me at the Innovation Summit

I will be a guest speaker at the Innovation Summit In Johannesburg on 30 August-1 September 2011. You can read more about the summit here: www.innovationsummit.co.za

What's an Oxygen Thief?

Community workers with the oxygen thief style are nice, bleeding-hearted

people who are generally liked by all. They try to be popular and good cops. However

because they want to be politically correct and self-preserving, they don’t stick out

their necks to fight for change. They perceive the empowerment process as being

friendly, huggable, listening, participative and enquiring. In keeping peace and

loving his neighbour (who might also be disempowering himself and many others)

he feels safer than when engaging in the perceived volatile world of a change agent.

The oxygen thief is very keen on doing things FOR their clients, because it is

the quickest way and the way of least resistance. It’s easier for them to just feed

the poor. Oxygen thieves take up space and resources in community development

projects, because they achieve nothing more than a self-esteem boost for being the

good guy and the giver, instead of producing real change in those who need it. The

oxygen thief is characterised by a general indifference and un-opinionated stance

on empowerment, since taking a stance and applying tough-love will lead to conflict

with which they cannot deal. Just as much as an overprotective nice mother raises

spoilt-brat “monsters”, so does an oxygen thief.

All About the Victim Mentality

Victims are always substantiating or justifying why things are wrong and why

they cannot achieve outcomes. They blame their limited resources, too much work,

too little time or overly demanding clients. They play the blame game rather than

taking responsibility for their role in keeping their clients dependent. Victims blame

external circumstances for the failure of their intervention, for example: “It’s because

I work for the government and they have no money that I can’t do my work properly.”

Community workers with this mentality fail to see the range of available alternatives

and resources. Sometimes victims simply play the blame game and are not interested

in solutions. Remember, however that certain victims simply don’t have solutions or

“know-how” and after a long period of frustration they just give up all hope of finding

tools that would work. At this point negativity sets in and the victim starts shifting

blame instead of taking responsibility.

The victim is an excellent role for community workers to play to hide their own

shame, inadequacies, frustration or hurt. Complaining is used to justify failure and

becomes a placebo that soothes them into feeling better. However, it comes with the

cost of being further bitten, dominated and stripped of the power to take charge of

the situation.

Book Review: Dependency to Dignity - The A2B for Community Development

Read the review on Dependency to Dignity - The A2B for Community Development. (See its link under "Pages") The book has thrown down the gauntlet and is challenging all professionals, social workers, therapists, community workers, socio-economical developers, NGOs, NPOs CBOs, small business owners, business managers, corporate conglomerates and the government to break the chains that are dragging South Africa and her people down a vast black hole of disempowerment. 

The book is currently in production and ought to be available within a few weeks. Send us an e-mail if you are interested in ordering it and we will inform you when it has arrived.

Welcome

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