ABSA, FNB, Nedbank, Eskom and Telkom put their weight behind the HeartStart National Values Campaign

For the first time in our country’s history there is an all-round united effort towards establishing the common values we share as South Africans in order to influence the national agenda and move South Africa closer towards becoming a values driven society.

Think of what makes South Africans special and unique….the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Nelson Mandela, our miraculous political transition in the 90’s, Proudly South African, Ubuntu, sunny skies and braaivleis, Kruger National Park, Table Mountain, Robben Island, our Constitution, our diversity, the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and much more. These events not only invoke an emotional response from each of us, they also demonstrate how much can be achieved as a nation when we all work towards a common goal.

ABSA, FNB, Nedbank, Eskom, Telkom, Nestle, Trudon and other have lent their weight to the call for all South African’s to participate. When asked for the reasons behind Nedbank’s decision its CEO Mike Brown had the following to say:

“As a Proudly South African company, and a bank that is committed to the communities in which we operate, we are excited to be part of an initiative aimed at building a better South Africa. The responsibility of building a country which is inspired by common values lies with every South African and as Nedbank, we could not miss an opportunity to be part of this”.

“Absa fully supports initiatives such as the National Values Campaign, which aims to contribute to further strengthening a strong and healthy society. We all need to take collective responsibility for creating a better future for all South Africans”, says Fergus Marupen, Chief Human Resources Executive of Absa.

“Values unite; values connect people at a ‘heart’ level, which is why we call this campaign the HeartStart National Values Campaign. It is time to START connecting the HEARTS of South Africans. Values unite while religion and politics often divide. We are confident that agreeing on our national values will develop more unity in South Africa and stronger buy-in to other attempts at creating national values, such as our constitution and the efforts by South Africa’s National Planning Commission,” Mr. Adriaan Groenewald, national convener of the campaign, said.

The National Values Campaign uses the Barrett survey to give South Africans a chance to vote on their desired values for South Africa in order to identify the common values that they share and ultimately make the country a better place to live in.

This campaign is also closely aligned with Department Arts & Culture’s South African @ Heart campaign, the aim of which is to work together towards building a caring nation.

Access to the online survey – which is currently available in English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Setswana and Xhosa - can be gained via visiting http://www.ourvalues.co.za/. It is expected that the initial results of the survey – which will help determine the country’s top ten values – will be made public during July.

The HeartStart National Values Campaign call on more leaders and their organisations to participate in this worthwhile initiative.

For more information, contact Groenewald on 082 378 7729 or Mandy Eagar on 082223 4378.