The Festive Season
A time for reflection!
Explore the meaning of connection and community behind the design of the first TGIUK Christmas card as we look forward to a new year of inclusivity, unity, friendship, love and understanding.
We have just recently designed and printed our own Festive Season Cards. A great deal of thought went into it as we felt we could make in such a way that it has meaning to most people.
We steered clear of any iconography that reflected any one particular group over another, and embellished the ‘tree’ with different flag symbols. Not every country is represented but I am sure you can understand the message is that people come from many places and yet we are all together in the UK.
We then placed some presents under the tree, these are the gifts that we believe TGIUK offers.
I find that is in contrast to where we are as a country. Just a few short days ago, we had an election and for me one of the most painful things to observe, was how conflicted people are about the political state we find ourselves in. The different concepts of nationhood, of what it means to belong. I and others desperately want a message of inclusion and solidarity from our politicians.
I revisit the card and look at the presents and it gives me new impetus, new hope and in that moment, I hope a better understanding of the importance of each of these fragile gifts. I feel that I am experiencing a new sense of purpose, fragile but determined, hard to grasp at first but requiring more thought. So, here is my elaboration on the gifts:
I, for one, have always found great solace in diversity and it has always been one of the drivers for me to come in live in Great Britain.
Inclusivity for me is the ultimate game changer in human relations wherever they may intersect. Human beings have always felt the need to be included; in eachothers’ lives, activities, challenges and to need sense of cohesion in family, group, communities and nations. This has been true for all the time we have been on earth.
Out of this need was born the emotion of friendship, helping those closest to us but also communities to reach out to one another in sharing our diversity and cultural differences for the good. This leads to the development of greater communities and nations.
This creates unity, the love of ourselves and each other resulting in greater understanding of how we can all live together, working with what we have in common and celebrating what makes us different.
We need love and understanding to underpin all of this, we cannot have meaningful relationships unless we try to understand. Our curiosity needs to come from a position of love – not hate or wanting to make someone else ‘the other’.
If we focus on the words and how we can make them come alive in our own lives, then we can, after all, make the world a better place. One small step at a time.
We wish you a happy holiday and we thank you for connecting with us.
unity,
diversity,
inclusivity,
friendship,
love and understanding.
Chairman of TGIUK
Johann Taljaard
