By Amy Caryn Meyer

South Africans have been through enough over the last few decades to feel isolated from and even resentful towards each other at times. We are a rainbow nation trying to come together and live peacefully and freely under the same sun. Being South African I am both proud and saddened by who we are and who we have been to each other. The goals we are working towards seem to be accentuated and beautified whilst sitting in the Kultt shop in Melrose Arch on Friday the 28^th of August 2009. We are less than a year away from the world cup, and festivities are brewing in the air. Today Melrose arch hosts the unveiling of the Fifa World Cup trophy for next year.

As I hear the laughter and excitement and watch all my South African brothers and sisters stand together proudly, forgetting what we have been through and our sceptics towards each other because of it, my heart is as full as it has ever been. Always a patriot, I have often been angered by the scepticism and segregation that still occurs between classes, cultures and races. But today, as I watch apprehension disappear into the crowds of fellow South Africans united and proud, I feel for one of the first times that we will reach these goals we are working towards. I am hopeful that the latent anger our country experiences will not reach our children because we are finally seeing that we are all humans with hopes, dreams and fears, but more than that – we are South Africans and we can get through anything together. If we stand alone, we will fall behind.

I wish everyone could see what I am seeing – the buzz, the love, the hope… It is inspiring: and sitting here today, I am prouder than I ever been to be part of such a spectacular nation. Whatever we do, however different we appear to be, today we are the same and hosting the world cup next year suddenly seems like more than just an accomplishment, it is our dream come true and it is our hope as we stand, laugh, cheer and cry united, that the neighbours we once saw as foreigners are suddenly our family - they are us.