Force for Good with Craig Wilkinson

Craig Wilkinson speaks with Tandi Nzimande, CEO of the GBVF Response Fund, about what it will take to end gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa.

Behind the headlines are shattered families, survivors fighting for safety and communities living in fear. Public outrage is understandable, but condemnation alone will not break the cycles that produce violence. Lasting change means addressing its causes while ensuring survivors receive the protection and support they need.

In this episode of Force for Good, Craig and Tandi explore the gap between policy and action. They discuss what meaningful accountability looks like, why prevention needs sustained funding, and how leadership can turn commitments into practical change.

Drawing on Father A Nation’s work with men, Craig discusses the importance of healing, healthy masculinity and breaking destructive cycles. Tandi shares how the GBVF Response Fund brings together communities, businesses, government and civil society to strengthen the response. Their conversation examines South Africa’s unresolved trauma, the misuse of power and harmful beliefs passed between generations - as well as the possibility of healing and change.

The work must reach into homes, schools and workplaces. No organisation can solve this crisis alone, and women’s safety cannot depend on how long the latest tragedy stays in the headlines. It requires lasting commitment in budgets, institutions and everyday behaviour.

Listen, share the conversation and be part of turning concern into action.

Content note: This episode includes non-graphic discussion of abuse, sexual violence, childhood trauma and suicide.

In a world shaped by misinformation, competing narratives, echo chambers and deeply divided opinions, everyone seems convinced they are right. But how can anyone know what is true?

In this episode of Force For Good, Craig Wilkinson explores the lenses through which people see reality: upbringing, worldview, personal experiences, hurts, tribal loyalties and the algorithms that increasingly reinforce existing beliefs.

Through examples ranging from Michael Jackson and Elon Musk to Richard Jewell, whose public image shifted from hero to suspect before he was ultimately cleared, Craig examines how completely different narratives can form around the same person or event.

The challenge is not simply to spot other people’s bias, but to confront personal bias too. Craig challenges listeners to consider whether they are willing to listen to evidence that contradicts what they want to believe, admit when they don’t know, and recognise truth even when it comes from someone they disagree with.

In an age of AI, fake news, political polarisation and increasingly powerful information systems, truth matters more than ever. Craig encourages listeners to step outside their echo chambers, examine their beliefs and become seekers of truth, willing to speak it wisely, lovingly and courageously.

Because the battle for truth is ultimately a battle for our minds.

In this moving episode of Force For Good, Craig sits down with Lindiwe Hani for an honest honest and powerful conversation.

Lindiwe is the daughter of Chris Hani, one of South Africa’s most iconic liberation leaders. But behind the public history is a very personal story of childhood grief, trauma, addiction, loss, recovery and extraordinary courage.

She shares what her father was really like as a dad, what happened to her family after his assassination, how grief and pain shaped her life, and how addiction became a way of trying to survive what she had never been helped to process.

But this is not only a story about pain. It is a story about choosing life. It is about breaking cycles of trauma, doing the hard work of healing, taking back your power, and refusing to pass your wounds on to the next generation.

Lindiwe’s honesty, strength and vulnerability are deeply inspiring. This conversation is raw, human, hopeful and profoundly important.

May it remind you that no matter what you have been through, healing is possible.

Men's Mental Health Month gives us an opportunity to talk about something many men carry in silence. In this frank and deeply personal conversation, I sit down with Darren Morris, CEO of Lucky Hustle, to unpack why so many men struggle to speak openly about pain, loneliness, trauma, insecurity and mental health.

We explore the pressure men face to always appear strong, the fear of vulnerability, and the damaging messages many boys grow up with about what it means to be a man, while reflecting on the wounds, lessons and turning points that shaped our lives.

Darren shares his own journey through anger, addiction, insecurity and the pursuit of status, and how those experiences led him to a different understanding of masculinity, purpose and self-mastery.

We discuss:

•⁠ ⁠Why men often say "I'm fine" when they're not

•⁠ ⁠The male loneliness crisis

•⁠ ⁠Childhood wounds and their impact on adult life

•⁠ ⁠How social media distorts masculinity

•⁠ ⁠Why vulnerability is not weakness

•⁠ ⁠What true masculinity looks like

•⁠ ⁠The role of brotherhood

A good man is not defined by power, money, status or conquest. Rather he is defined by responsibility, self-mastery, courage, compassion and the impact he has on the people around him.

If this conversation resonates with you, please share it with someone who may need to hear it.

If you are struggling with your mental health, addiction, loneliness, or thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out to someone you trust, a counsellor, support group, or mental health professional.

As we discuss in this conversation, healing begins when we stop carrying things alone.

Why are so many young men turning to the manosphere? In this episode, Craig Wilkinson takes an honest look at what’s driving its growth.

Following strong reactions to Part 1, this conversation examines both the dangers and the appeal of these movements - highlighting the deeper issue: a global crisis in masculinity.

While challenging the toxic elements, he also uncovers what these platforms are getting right - and why that matters.

Craig unpacks:

Why young men are drawn to these voices

The role of discipline, strength, and responsibility

The gap left by absent fathers and role models

What healthy masculinity actually looks like

At the heart of the conversation is a deeper question: ~
What are young men really looking for?

Rather than dismissing the phenomenon, this episode seeks to understand it - pointing toward a more grounded, healthy vision of masculinity rooted in responsibility and identity, and highlighting the critical role of fathers and mentors in shaping the next generation.

I watched the deeply disturbing Louis Theroux documentary “Inside the Manosphere” recently and it was painful to sit through. It highlighted exactly what authentic masculinity is not. The wounded, insecure and narcissistic men it featured depicted a destructive, distorted and damaged picture of masculinity. They equated manhood with dominance, status and control when quite the opposite is true. True masculinity is definitely strong but it uses its strength to love, serve, protect and provide.

Why are these men the way they are? And why are so many young men watching, following and modeling themselves on this painful parody of masculinity? Those are the critical questions I unpack in this very important podcast which affects all of us and our future.

Masculinity is not about domination. It’s about responsibility. Strength is not there to control. It’s there to protect, serve, and build. It’s is a sacred responsibility to be used only for good.

We don’t need men who dominate, and we don’t need men who disappear. We need men who are present, men of character, men who use their strength for good. That’s the path forward.

That’s the antidote to the manosphere.

In this episode of Force For Good, Craig Wilkinson sits down with George Matsheke, founder of Marvin, a platform focused on conversations about men, masculinity, and the challenges men face today.

Together, they explore the growing crisis facing men and boys - including fatherlessness, depression, identity struggles, and the sense many men have of being disposable in modern society. These are realities that don’t stay contained, but ripple outward into families, women, children, and the wider culture.

George shares the inspiration behind creating spaces where men can speak honestly, support one another, and rediscover purpose.

The conversation also explores how restoring healthy masculinity, rebuilding fatherhood, and encouraging empathy between men and women may be one of the most important steps toward building a healthier society.

Before we are men or women, we are human beings - and the future depends on how we raise the next generation.

If you’d like more purpose-driven conversations like this, follow the Force For Good podcast and stay connected.

To find out more about Marvin and the work they’re doing, visit www.marvin.co.za

Narcissistic abuse isn’t always loud. It can be the quiet erosion of who you are – the slow rewriting of your story until you barely recognize yourself.

In this episode of Force For Good, Craig Wilkinson speaks with Kirsten Alexander, author and life-coach, about the insidious nature of narcissism, how to recognize it, and how to reclaim your sense of self.

They discuss the difference between arrogance and narcissism, the way empaths get caught in cycles of abuse, and what recovery really looks like – the return to who you were before someone else told you who to be.

If you’ve ever doubted your reality, walked on eggshells, or felt unseen in a relationship, this conversation is for you.

We live in an age where a few seconds of video can define a person’s entire reputation. Where context disappears, and soundbites become weapons. Charlie Kirk’s death was more than an American tragedy, it was a mirror held up to all of us. It revealed how quickly we judge, how divided we’ve become, and how easily echo chambers replace honest debate with outrage based on woundedness and misinformation.

This episode isn’t about defending or condemning Charlie Kirk. It’s about something much deeper; how misrepresentation fuels hate, how truth gets lost in the noise, and why forgiveness and love remain the only real answers. The question we all need to answer is are we living in truth and love, or in hate and deception? Join Craig as he looks beyond the clips and the labels to explore what this story teaches us about truth, empathy, and being a force for good in a polarised world.

In this inspiring episode of Force for Good, Craig Wilkinson sits down with GBV ambassador Cynthia Dinalane, a true hero from Tembisa who turned her own home into a shelter for abused women and children. With no external funding, she has rehabilitated over 120 women, giving them skills, dignity, and a future.

Cynthia shares harrowing stories of abuse, the painful reality many women and men face, and the incredible journey of healing she’s witnessed. Some of the on-the-ground stories are raw and will shock you – the kind of truth you rarely hear outside clinics and courtrooms. But you’ll also be deeply inspired by Cynthia’s courage and commitment: opening her home up, funding the work herself, staying with survivors as long as it takes, and equipping them with real skills to stand on their own.

Together, Cynthia and Craig talk about the transformative power of forgiveness, how unemployment and distorted culture fuel violence, what true masculinity looks like, how men can also be victims of abuse, and why communities must support both women and men to break the cycle.

Every one of us has the power to be a force for good. Let’s use it.