WHEN La Lucia resident, Justin Foxton, returned to South Africa in 2007, after living in London for six years, he was met with a wall of palpable negativity. Many people at the time questioned why he wanted to come back to the country despite his happiness and hope for a better South Africa.
Far from being disheartened and discouraged by the negativity, the 43-year-old decided he wanted to help to bring about meaningful change through positive and constructive dialogues. Where most saw pessimism, he saw optimism and hope.
“I have always been an advocate of the counter-narrative. I have found that often people are resistant to change because they follow the narrative, which often reinforces stereotypes. It may not have an immediate effect on reality but the change occurs within you which changes how you view the world. Arriving back in South Africa I was struck by the negativity surrounding the country at the time. I was deeply affected by it but it also strengthened my resolve to tell a different story to the one I was being fed.”
“In the early days of my return I feel I was misguided in how I reacted to the negativity that I encountered. Everyone is on a journey and I realised that expressing myself positively and compassionately was one of the ways I could be the change I wanted for the country. This could be done by helping to create small bridges of compassion and understanding between people. Through research I learnt that social upliftment and peace creation begins by restoring respect and giving people back their dignity,” he said.
Foxton added that a pivotal moment for him came while training for the Comrades Marathon in Mpumalanga.
“I remember the moment very clearly, I was greeting everyone that crossed my path and I greeted this elderly gentleman who stopped in his tracks with a huge beaming smile on his face. He was almost shocked that I had greeted him but his response was so warm; so human. I was so struck by this moment and it led me to realise that simply acknowledging people’s humanity could make a massive difference in a country where disrespect and a lack of dignity dominated. That’s how my journey started,” he said.
Foxton who is well-known for his bi-weekly column ‘The Flipside’ in a local newspaper is also the founder of The Peace Agency, a registered non-profit organisation that promotes social justice and cohesion to create a climate of peace in South Africa.
The Peace Agency is an umbrella NPO for five key projects; national press campaign Stop Crime Say Hello, places of safety for abandoned/orphaned babies called The Baby Home, child and youth mentorship programme called Bright Stars, a service to impoverished new or expectant mothers called The Cookie Jar and The Adoption Companion which supports and directs those wishing to adopt.
“I am just so passionate about this country. I want to make a difference and adoption is one of the ways I feel I can make a difference, it’s a huge passion of mine. Many families trying to conceive view adoption as a last resort or a Plan B and our aim is to make it a first choice. There isn’t a strong culture of adoption in South Africa. Starting the Baby Home was about trying to get every child adopted into a loving family. There is not enough promotion of adoption and what we are doing is hopefully trying to bring it into the public discourse.” he said.
Knowing Justin Foxton
Name five words that best describe you: “I would say I’m passionate, driven, multi-faceted, a fighter and an advocate of the counter-narrative.”
What do you think about when you’re alone in your car? “I move between how I’m going to fit in my workout, how annoying I find most radio stations and what we are going to have for supper. We love food!”
What makes you angry? “Injustice, lawlessness, people talking on a cellphone while driving and double standards.”
Name one thing we don’t know about you: “I used to be the leader singer of an A cappella group called The Catappellas.”
What is your strongest family memory? “Travelling with my family to a farm near Louis Trichardt, I used to sit in the centre console while my siblings sat in the back. I remember being able to put my arms around both my parents and just feeling content. We would also sing folk songs on the trips.”
Community Heroes
Bonni’s brave adventure brings hope (Hero 5)
Carol van Tonder: A woman for any crisis (Hero 4)
Jason Ssserves the community (Hero 3)
Tyron’s aim is community safety (Hero 2)
Gary lives for his true calling (Hero 1)
