It has been 20 years since the first Landmark Forum in South Africa. To date more than 7500 South Africans have participated in the Landmark Forum and a full curriculum of Landmark programs have been offered there. David Ure led the first Landmark Forum in 1997 during the Nelson Mandela
presidency in years following the end of apartheid. 20 years and 49 Landmark Forums later David will be leading again on August, 25,26,27 and 29.
There are graduates from South Africa who have taken to the world stage on many platforms, particularly in the arts and performing arts, out of bringing the distinctions of this work to their lives. The people who make Landmark programs available in South Africa have made a significant difference for people of all walks of life including teachers, students, business owners, executives, people in local government and the NGO sectors, the health sector, building industry, property industry, civic society and religious leaders.
Local Landmark graduates see the programs as playing a key role facilitating the social and economic transformation of the country. Recently a group of South African comics who participated in the Landmark Forum created a performance as part of a program to facilitate participation in The Landmark Forum for people from disadvantaged communities.
The video below was created by the people of the Landmark Graduate community in South Africa. Please take a few minutes to watch and be inspired by this labor of love.
If you or someone you know is interested in participating in the Landmark Forum in Cape Town call +27-21404-1200
12 comments
About 5 years ago my little sister took me to the forum and I felt rejuvenated. It was a very informative 3-day course. Although at the start I felt like the fees was high, but on the last day I knew it had changed me forever. I was a very short tempered person which did not leave me with many people in life. Now I have changed my perspective towards relationships. I have become more affectionate and easy going. I loved the course!
It took me years to realise the actual value of this amazing weekend course. My boss took me to the introductory session once but I did not take her seriously. Around 5 years later, I was in a fix and could make the right decisions about a few very important things in life. I got through all the mess very smoothly after the forum. I swear by all of the landmark courses.
I was 10 when I lost my father in an accident. It was very difficult to support my family and siblings. Although I did it with a sense of responsibility, it affected my career. I had to do multiple jobs and was abused as a child. Years later after I got my siblings to take care of themselves, I decided to get married. 3 years later I realised I was a victim of marital rape. I got out of that relationship and was dead inside. That’s when landmark rescued me. I am single but very happy now. I travel around the world as a videographer and take my mum along sometimes. My life has changed because of the landmark courses!
It was a phenomenal thing to be a part of creating the first Forum in South Africa! Amazing memories with my husband, Evan and the rest of the team sheparding it into being!
Being a part of the landmark forum’s volunteer group has made many positive and happy changes in my life. I never really got along with my employees and somewhere knew they did not like me. So getting work done from them was difficult. During the landmark forum and the landmark forum in action, I mentioned about my work issues and realized that sometimes I need to cut those employees some slack. During the advanced course, I tried connecting with them, at least the managers and saw the difference. Now people look up to me and respect me. It feels like I am the most comfortable at work and do not have to worry about my negative impression. Thanks to the landmark courses to help me restore the confidence I needed to run my business smoothly.
The landmark forum has been a great support throughout my rough time. After my mum’s death, It was very hard for me to recover from the incident. It took me almost months to stop crying and multiple therapies to feel normal. But the landmark forum gave me the courage and sense to get over it and accept the fact that she isn’t amongst us.I have now reunited with my ex-boyfriend and started to live with him. He has always been a great support and the landmark’s coach suggested me to open up to love. Now I am more than happy and calm and not as sad about the mishap. Also, ever since the landmark forums advance course I have been recommended this course to literally everyone and to my surprise everyone is aware and has been loving the courses.
I did the landmark forum when I was barely 22. I remember being very emotional and weak back then. Every small incident would make me tear up. I remember having gone through a breakup and I quit my job and stayed at home for more than 5 months. The landmark forum first helped me how to distinguish important and less important things in life such as loosing a few marks less important but if people died more important. I even learned how to control my emotions. My family, especially my mum saw the improvement and was very happy. Slowly and within 8 weeks I was stronger and calmer than before. I did not do the advance course until after a year when my father had to move to another country for 2 years due to work. That is when I took the advance course and I realized that I was very pampered as a child. Every time I was uncomfortable I would cry and my parents would undo it. This built up as a habit and during the advance course I tried to break free.I was doing my engineering back then but always wanted to be an air hostess. I knew it wasn’t easy but I was always emotionally weak so I never thought of actually going through with it. During my self expression and leadership program I saw the difference in my behavior. I was taking responsibility, making decisions and hence decided to to the course. I am now a part of the cabin crew and this would not have possible ever without the landmark forum. I felt like a free bird, who had finally become very strong. My parents are so proud of me now and they have seen me fight my fears and problems single handedly. Of course I am typing this because my life has changed after the landmark’s courses. I have recommended this course to a few friends and 3 of them actually did it. One was fighting for divorce and the other two had suffered financial crisis. It gives me a certain satisfaction and pleasure after spreading the word and seeing others benefit from it as well.
The landmark forum has been my life saver. I was an accountant for 7 years and then my company closed down so I decided to start my own business. After almost a year of preparation I invested in the business and opened a restaurant. I put everything I had, all my savings and opened this huge Italian restaurant but it was not working well. To pay the bills I even had to sell one of my cars. It went on to the extent that I gave up my abilities and was very exhausted and stressed. The food was good, the atmosphere and aroma is impressive as well, the rates were not that high so at the end, I had no idea why it did not do well. Frustrated I wanted to shut it down but my wife said that I should give it one last chance and do the landmark forum to freshen up my mind and put some effort into it. I needed to get rid of the baggage and restart. On the first day, at the end I went home and said that it was not for me. I did not see it helping me relating my business but she forced me to complete it. On the very last day, I felt very comforted and satisfied by the decision I made. This course cleared my mind up completely. I restarted with a lot of positive energy and it worked. I majorly chnaged the management that was pulling things back. As soon as I put things exactly where they should be, everything worked out exactly as expected. I started getting coustomers, Icould pay the bills so easily. This has all been possible because of the forum and my wife. Around six mnths ago I finished my advance course with my wife and we had a great time making friends and memories. Thanks to the landmark forum, I could live my dream and finally have a successful and reputed business.
The landmark forum gave me the courage to go out and explore the world. I always wanted to be a photographer and I loved capturing the nature but because I was working as a PR manager my life was stuck. I finally gave up my job and saw myself taking a trip around a few Asian countries. The first experience was incredible. I couldn’t believe it was me and this positive change has altered my life completely. I roam around and work with really fun loving and amazingly skilled people. I have also received a lot of appreciation and encouragement. This could not have been possible without the landmark forum. I am so glad I got the chance to take my life into my hands and finally do this. I remember having so many pictures whenever I went on vacation with my family, and now its not just a hobby, its my work. I am so happy and satisfied. After this I took a months break and did the landmark advance course wherein I realized that I was moving away from my family because firstly I was almost always away and busy and secondly, they did not approve of me leaving a well paying stable job. I did not take an effort to make things right and working between the two of us. I was really surprised how much I was missing out on. I missed home ad coming back to someone at home. I missed the support and love, so I took both my parents out and talked to them. I saw that they were concerned about my bills and my health as well but I cleared it all out. Now I have them in my life again and am very happy that our communication gap has been filled up. This was much needed and has been such a mental support. I recently did the landmark forum self-expression and leadership program, and it helped me get a little more managed and take chances. I signed up with a company and now I family am where I wanted to be in my life. I bought a house and have been managing my work-life balance. I also assist for the landmark courses every once in a while and my life is very organized now. I also have a big project we are working on now and I am so glad I have the ability to give some back to the society and spread happiness. The landmark forum has been of great help and I couldn’t have been where I am without it at all.
It was almost 10 years ago that I did my landmark forum. At that time I was broke and miserable and my course was paid for by someone else. On the first day of the forum, I was nervous, sitting in the corner when this lady came up to me for a polite conversation. My coach was extremely helpful and kept trying to involve me in the various activities going on. One of those was about rackets. I realized that I was blaming my mum for all my failures whereas she had nothing to do with them. It was a major breakthrough when I talked to her about it. I called my mother up to clear out the differences and apologies to her for affecting our relationship over my misunderstanding of her. She was very kind and understanding to accept my apology and act like nothing ever happened.
Also, the lady who talked to me on the first day is now my wife. She accepted me with all my flaws and helped me grow as a person. Today I have a successful business and a daughter. The forum truly changed my life.
I was the son of a freedom fighter and retired physical trainer. My dad quit army and was a trainer, he would run miles daily, maintain a diet but I was a studious boy. I would spend hours and hours nibbling onto food and studying daily. After two years of my college I gained more than 20 kgs of weight. Everyday my father and hence his friend as well as cousins would body shame me. I went through a lot of trouble as it is at university, but my father put a lot of pressure on me. There was a time when I move out into a friends apartment for almost 6 months but when I got back, nothing had changed in fact the “running away like a coward” got attached to all the taunts. MY dad would literally deny me meals in front of guests. I really looked up to my father and everybody that I knew of respected him very much, hence I just always felt very let down. I did try getting better at with my physique but I just couldn’t. I then went to my counsellor at university and talk to her about everything, she calmed me down and asked me to do things like – run, talk to your dad, try to convince him, etc and this went on for months, but noting changed. I realized my father wanted to work out with him for hours and build up a body just like him, but I wasn’t interested. He wanted to advertise hi skills through me and show his clients that he can train well by making me loose 40 kgs and making me look fit. I was against this idea and was fed up of my parents. I came across the landmark forum adverts online. I was very keen on finding a solution for this problem which was haunting me since years and I did the forum. On the last day I was blown away by how great this curse is and what a huge difference it actually makes. I did the forum with a fellow classmate who has girlfriend issues. Thta course lasted for three entire dys, literally 12 hours and my parents did not know that I was doing my course and so I couldn’t do my assignments of confronting them but I did it on the very last day. They were taking aback by the frustration and aggression I had in me, regarding this and y dad straight away apologized. I knew I did not look great and it was not like I was suffering from a disease but I just wanted to change my body because of myself and not anyone else. After the forum, during the landmark forum in action, I really took my diet seriously. AT the end of that sem, I also got a job which kept me busy and active. Before you know it I had lost 7 kgs and after my advance course I lost another 7 just by stopping my nibbling habits and jogging every morning. I felt so good and healthy as well s fresh all day. My parents were proud and have been supporting me for everything, ever since. I know I love them and they have now started to understand me! I would genuinely recommend this course to every one out there. Please check it out, and take advantage of such amazing things to make your life better.
Unlike the other participants in my class, I came down there because I was forced by my step father. I thought it was very unnecessary and kept whining about the long hours of the course on the first day. Soon I started interacting with people and heard their life issues. I was shocked to know how much they go through & still look so strong. During the first half of the second day, I was touched by this mother who gave up her third child for her best-friend because she couldn’t conceive. The mother was hesitant because of her orthodox husband but finally did what was right because of the forum. I was crying out there and realized the value of emotions. I used to drink often and smoke occasionally, talk back to my parents, steal & what not. They took me to a student counselor but nothing changed. As a rebel I go the name of my boyfriend tattooed when my step-dad was furious & he sent me to the landmark forum. I changed my ways after that weekend. Now, I regularly visit an orphanage to spend time with the unprivileged kids. My life Has taken a steep turn; all thanks to the forum.