Dear Safreans,

Like many organisations, Safrea has some aspects that make it fantastic, and other elements that are cause for concern.

The least enjoyable role of being a member of the executive in an organisation like ours is that we sometimes deal with conflicts in the group. I don’t know if it is because many of our members are wordsmiths, but it seems that sporadically tensions bubble over and words that wound are exchanged.  An additional problem is that these wounding words are shared on our group forum where they can be seen by all members.

We will be inviting members to a series of private meetings with Exco to discuss experiences and to share ideas of how to bring an end to this very distressing trend.

We hope that as many members as possible will participate, and that those who have dished out hurtful or untrue statements, as well as those who have been on the receiving end, will feel comfortable about speaking up.

We look forward to engaging with you.

Lynne Smit, Chairman