CapeTalk Highlights

Social activist and labour federation veteran Jay Naidoo says that unless there is significant change, the world is heading for an explosion.

Naidoo has written a book, 'Change: organizing Tomorrow, Today' which explores the power of human connection and social activism.

Read: Meet Jay Naidoo, still fighting for justice after all these years

He says that a social explosion is brewing because of many factors, including corrupt government leadership, the effects of climate change, lack of conscience consumption, threatened food security, as well as poor preservation of the environment.

If you look at our country today, we are on the verge of a social explosion.

— Jay Naidoo, social activist and author

If you look at the world, we are standing in an ecological emergency.

— Jay Naidoo, social activist and author

It's insufficient to just change the system. The fundamental question we should ask ourselves is: how do we change the human being?

— Jay Naidoo, social activist and author

Naidoo, Cosatu's founding general secretary, says the society needs to improve humanity, restore kindness and human dignity.

He explains that South Africa is going through a second liberation movement, devoted to the fight for social upliftment, service and human conscious.

If we bring the humanity back into our lives, into our politics and economy, then we can build the South Africa of our dreams.

— Jay Naidoo, social activist and author

If we want real change in our country, it's got to be back to the people; to the basics. It's got to be co-creating that second liberation.

— Jay Naidoo, social activist and author

Ultimately, the only power we have, to hold leader accountable, is the power of organised communities.

— Jay Naidoo, social activist and author

He spoke about the importance of social activism, learning from others, and the power of organising.

Naidoo advises that the book has been inspired by conversations with many young people across the world.

Young people are in fact the change that will come. It will be driven by their needs and by a concern that our greed is threatening the very world that will sustain them.

— Jay Naidoo, social activist and author

Jay Naidoo will be speaking at Lead SA's Changemakers Conference taking place in Johannesburg on the 26th of August. Learn more here.

Take a listen the inspiring discussion: