Spoiler: Only for voluntary optmists!

Perhaps utopias fascinate us because they require us to get out of our own comfort zones: In order to make a utopia happen, you have to work on yourself. You have not only to want to change yourself but actually change.

In this episode you'll hear how about Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, a living utopia in Israel where Israelis and Palestinians are living together peacefully (though not without challenges). And if you believe that Russians and Americans cannot work together these days, give us a listen. Things may be different than they appear.

Meet Kevin Chaplin, a successful banker who gave up his career in the business world to change lives. Kevin is the founder of the South African Ubuntu Foundation and Managing Director of the Amy Foundation. Through these foundations he helped more than 1300 students to find employment and created 150 businesses in four years. Find out how Kevin's life is interconnected with the history of South Africa, how forgiveness and being genuine leads to societal change and success, and why Ubuntu is key when you want to bridge racial, religious, cultural, and economic barriers and divisions.

Read about Kevin's journey and leadership skills in his book Can Do! Making the Impossible Possible.

Join the Ubuntu movement @ #PledgeUbuntu.

No matter how old we are, emotions are part of our lives. Yet, expressing our own feelings and relating to other people doesn't always come easy. It's a skill we need to learn and develop.

Building peace seems like an impossible task. But just as a popular sports brand keeps reminding us: impossible is nothing.

Sources

Nigeria:

"Be the change you want to see in the world" - this quote by Ghandi is easy to say but hard to follow, especially when it comes to our own consumption and the magic of reduce, reuse, recycle.

Enter Ribhu Vohra and Chandrah Nusselein, the power duo that changes the way children all over India think and act when it comes to waste. Through experimentation, research and the participation of teachers and students alike the WasteLess team develops educational materials that empower children to think critically, inspire environmentally responsible behaviour and drive future systemic change.

According to various studies over 40% of us will feel the aching pangs of loneliness at some point in our lives. Loneliness is experienced by people of all ages, all genders, all cultures and the feeling of disconnection has dramatically increased since 2020.

Have you ever knocked on a stranger's door and had your life changed in turn? Have you ever done something that seemed strange to society - or maybe would like to give it a try?

What is success to you? When a year draws to its close we often look back at the past 365 days, reflecting on what went well, what didn't, which goals we achieved and how we could do better in future.

Sources:

Christian population

• https://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/global-christianity-exec/ - last downloaded 18/12/21.

South Africa

• http://www.tutufoundationusa.org/mission-vision/ - last downloaded 18/12/21.

Spain

• http://ivanfernandezanaya.blogspot.com/2012/12/buenas-noches-amigosas.html - last downloaded 18/12/21.

Have you ever bought a caffè sospeso, a pending coffee? Have you ever invited a stranger over for Sunday lunch?

We all know that having a drink with a friend or sharing a meal with our family is one of the easiest way to deepen our human connections.

• how the tradition of caffè sospeso in Napels is an act of solidarity in which the whole city participates

Sources Italy:

• https://www.donnad.it/caffe-sospeso-napoletano - last downloaded 04/12/21.

Germany:

• https://querstadtein.org/ - last downloaded 04/12/21.
  

What's your relationship like with money?

Check out Sarah's money scorecard and learn more about The Spirit of Business on Sarah's podcast by the same name.