Last Friday, I had the privilege of interviewing one of Africa’s most influential activists. It was 20th April 2016 and Evan Mawarire had had enough. A day earlier, Zimbabwe had celebrated 36 years of Independence. He felt in no way liberated. The excesses and corruptions of the government had decimated not only the nation’s coffers but his own finances too. He had school fees to pay but the cupboard was bare. “What was eating me the most was I felt like I was failing the most basic of fatherly duties, to be able to look into my daughter’s eyes and tell her that everything would be okay” recalls Evan. Forlornly, he wandered into his church office and noticed the Zimbabwean flag hanging
During a (long) flight delay last Wednesday I watched Theresa May’s Brexit speech. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, there is much we can learn from the PM’s gutsy showing. Here are a few practical handles: Have a strong opening It’s true of any speech, keynote or presentation. A strong, and in May’s case patriotic, intro grabs people by the collar and pulls them into the material. The speech began in a most unusual place - the trenches of the Western Front in 1916. Citing an epitaph on a nearby memorial, the PM emphasised that twice in the last century Britons had come together to beat almost impossible odds and build a better future. Everyone could relate. “The lesson of tha
