In 1990, F.W. de Klerk, the South African president at the time, addressed the world and announced the demolishment of the racial division systems that were in place within South Africa. This was the beginning of The New South Africa. This was done from a YELLOW value system with the bigger picture of the country's health and survival of all people in mind. Naturally, this caused issues within the country as people were operating from different value systems.

Beck was part of the masses that gathered in front of parliament in Cape Town that day. He was probably the only person there who knew what was going to happen. Beck remembers clearly how the crowd pushed him against the railings. The energy and tension were tangible. Beck could hardly breathe when the black Mercedes Benz with F.W. de Klerk in the back seat turned around the corner. For a split second, he caught the pre-occupied eyes of the president. They both knew that the events of that day would change South Africa forever. De Klerk indicated thumbs up to Beck. With a deep sense of understanding and support, Beck acknowledged the greeting in a similar manner.

History was in the making. Madiba was to be released from prison.

Introduction

Numerous times during the late 1980s and early 1990s Beck flew back and forth between South Africa (SA) and his home in Texas. In all, he made an amazing 63 visits. They were largely privately sponsored. He took on the unthinkable. He wanted to integrate the different value systems that were at play in South Africa. Apartheid and its impact were at an all-time high, social uprisings were daily occurrences, and heavy American sanctions were strangling the local economy. Every other day a necklacing incident was reported. Internationally it was feared that South Africa was on the edge of a civil war. A cowboy emerged from Texas, and entered the cauldron of diverse social conflict, with an attempt at weaving together an integral tapestry of humanness from which the rest of the world might learn.

Beck analyzed the South African dynamics using the Gravesian value-systems theory, and tried to unite a hugely divided country which represented most of the value systems in their prime as seen worldwide. Beck believed that if South Africa could align the multiple intelligences and gifts of each value system within the Spiral, a balance could be created that could result in great success for South Africa, and could offer solutions to the rest of the world for their problems as well. With the help of Graham Linscott and Loraine Laubscher, Beck met with various people from different value systems across South Africa during his numerous visits there. Laubscher accompanied him on each of his 63 trips to South Africa. He met with leaders like Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, F.W. de Klerk and other political party heavyweights, as well as the National Peace Committee, which represented businesses within South Africa. He explained Spiral Dynamics and initiated co-creation of the transition and way forward into the 1994 elections, the 1995 Rugby World Cup and post-Apartheid South Africa.

This chapter relies on the in-depth interviews with Beck, The Crucible, numerous publications and other evidence, and the well-kept chronological blog of Keith E. Rice. Loraine Laubscher also provided source documents and numerous stories.

In this chapter, a short overview is given of South African dynamics before democracy, the work done by Beck and his colleagues in this rainbow nation of spiral colors, and of the situation of South Africa today. Little did Beck know then that South Africa would also be his own personal cauldron, where insight about ways of healing countries and regions marinated in the tension between the various actors. The South African case would prepare him for successful interventions in such diverse countries as Palestine, Russia, Iceland, Great Britain and South America, as well as back home in America.

A Background to the History of South Africa

In 1980 South Africa was torn apart by tensions with Afrikaner rule and uprisings amongst the oppressed population. Beck applied Graves's double-helix model by assigning colors to the different value systems.

With the arrival of settlers from Europe at the Cape in 1652, European value systems of BLUE and RED were introduced to the African PURPLE value system. This PURPLE value system was exploited to the advantage of the European settlers. As time progressed so did the influx increase of different value systems via the Dutch, French, British and other entrepreneurs seeking opportunities in South Africa. The Cape became an amalgamation of RED, BLUE, ORANGE and PURPLE value systems which caused issues of its own.

By 1836, the Groot Trek saw many Dutch settlers and other opportunists travel north in search both of freedom from British rule, and more opportunity and growth of their value system separate from the systems of the Cape. These people, the Boers, became known as the Voortrekkers. As the scenery changed, so did the opposition, as the Boers encountered different African tribes. Again, through battles and power struggles, these Voortrekkers claimed land, displaced African tribes who had PURPLE value systems, and ultimately caused the collapse of the Zulu tribe as they took over rule of the land they discovered. As a result of this trek the PURPLE value system was defeated and subjected to new rule by the Boers. As battles with the Zulus (BLUE versus PURPLE) and British (BLUE versus RED) continued, the rise of Afrikaner nationalism grew, and eventually took hold of the country after general elections in 1948. The BLUE value system was now firmly in control.

However, with the discovery of gold and diamonds, farming and other opportunities became prominent. A slow movement towards entrepreneurialism and an ORANGE value system emerged. By the 1970s, the value system of the country became BLUE-ORANGE with specific focus on alienation and dominance of both the RED (English) and the PURPLE (black) population. The country saw growth and the establishment of a wealthy middle-class. This was in huge contrast with the poor Voortrekkers, who were first to arrive at the newly-established provinces away from the Cape.

With the growth of technology and global connection came dissonance from the world as images of the Sharpeville¹ and other massacres in SA appeared on their news feeds. This gave rise to some of the PURPLE people changing into the RED value system. Despite the hatred that had developed between the Afrikaners and the majority of the PURPLE population of the country, the ORANGE value system saw the need to develop a black middle-class in an effort to settle this discord, and the disruption of the previously disadvantaged population. Black laborers were allowed to form unions, and to demand better wages and working and living arrangements.

This, however, increasingly drove off the PURPLE oppressed into the RED value system to fight for more freedom and liberty. Some of these people moved into the BLUE value system and others forged on, searching for wealth, and became ORANGE. External international pressure did nothing but add fuel to the aspirations of the previously disadvantaged people. The development of a GREEN value system arose within the country in Afrikaners and English alike. Likewise, the GREEN movement was prominent in other Western countries, putting more pressure on the Afrikaner nationalists. This GREEN value system screamed for equality for all South Africans, regardless of race; and sanctions were further imposed on South Africa to force this change. The BLUE value system of the Afrikaner people was under serious attack, and impacted on the safety of their people.

Upon this color explanation of the Graves value systems, Beck broke down the Afrikaner transition through the color value systems which led to the release of Nelson Mandela in the late 1980s. He applied Spiral Dynamics to this movement through the value systems based on the needs and growth of the Afrikaner people within South Africa.

The South African Negotiating Table

Beck explained his approach to joining the political and value systems within South Africa by bringing political leadership in South Africa to the proverbial negotiating table using the Panorama of Positions pictured in Figure 5.1. This diagram demarcated people on either end of the spectrum of the color value system and referred to them as either “left-wing” or “right-wing.”

Beck endeavored to speak to as many political leaders in South Africa as possible, and integrated his academic insight with Spiral Dynamics to prevent a civil war in this country. His unique integration of the assimilation contrast effect (^VACE) and Spiral Dynamics is clearly illustrated in Figure 5.1. The differences in value systems, as well as the opposing spectrums of the value systems, were the tough situation that South Africa was facing at the time. Their contrasting views and alliances caused massive discomfort and frustration for all value systems in South Africa at the time. Beck and his colleagues, Linscott and Laubscher, knew that the assimilation of these value systems into a core ideology and way forward for South Africa was going to take patience and time. Not only were different value systems at play, but the people in the same value system were also seen to be at opposing poles. Both sides wanted the same thing, but did not acknowledge the other pole's similar desires. People naturally become defensive when their value system comes under attack, and this was the situation within South Africa in the early 1990s. Hence the creation of “left-wing” and “right-wing” oppositional parties and poles.

South Africa, however, had mid-poles within the Spiral Dynamics value systems. The country had a large PURPLE value systems base, with a flash of RED. Further, a strong BLUE value system was prevalent – both in the Afrikaans people and in Africans. There were hints of ORANGE value systems here and there. Touches of GREEN and YELLOW were calling for reconciliation and a way forward that was inclusive and characterized by peace and harmony for all. Beck developed a value system distribution for South Africa generalizing the need for new thinking emerging from the crucible and into the formation of a new powerful nation.

Beck attempted to design a solution to the South African dilemma that is “one to the benefit of all” – this world was YELLOW. Beck thought it important to highlight the decision-making processes that would be present at the “South African Negotiating Table” (Beck and Linscott 1991). Table 5.1 depicts the diversity which is alive and well in this rainbow nation.

The codes described in the table needed to be understood by the members around the negotiating table so that each value system could understand the others, and could agree upon negotiations before they began.

• The BEIGE Code was not active in contributing to the discussion; 9% of South Africa displays this code.²
• The PURPLE Code requires communal contribution, discussion amongst the elders and a decision by the chieftain. Relationships are important to this value system; 65% of South Africa displays this code.
• The RED Code requires everything to be done “on their terms.” The RED system uses power via threats and intimidation to achieve their goals. This will need to be addressed as the RED value-system thinkers around the negotiating table will need to be more flexible; 15% of South Africa displays this code.
• The BLUE Code relies on rules, the law and the need for structure, order and respect for the process of the negotiations. Traditions and deep-seated beliefs are important, and need to be acknowledged and addressed at the negotiating table; 10% of South Africa displays this code.
• The ORANGE Code sees negotiations and deal-making as part of their nature. Everything is up for negotiation at a price. Power alliances are important to ORANGE value systems to help all concerned to think that everyone “won.” This needs to be acknowledged and announced around the South African Negotiating Table to ensure fair negotiations for all; 1% of South Africa displays this code.
• The GREEN Code will insist on a consensus decision, thereby containing aspects of the PURPLE system, but calls for a lack of hierarchy and for everyone to be heard. The GREEN Code can ensure that lengthy discussions take place, and calls for compromises all round for decision-making to be fair. This may not be an easy process for the GREEN Code at the negotiating table as things will not be sufficiently harmonious for GREEN Codes; 0.1% of South Africa displays this code.

The violence experienced across South Africa and social uprisings in the 1970s and 1980s were viewed as the release of energy and pent-up anger between different value systems. Further, the tension increased as opposing poles within the same value system clashed. This was due to the undeniable change that confronted the country, and the emergence of human energy from the crucible of differences.

For Beck, the only solution that was possible for South Africa to move forward, was for an integral and functional way to be achieved to restore the viability of the country. The YELLOW Code occupies a conceptual world of ambiguity and change, where the foundation of behavior is deeply rooted in knowledge and reality. YELLOW thinkers are adept at dealing with complexity and finding clear ways of synthesizing the mosaic of differences in a living system. In Figure 5.2 the spiral is a visual reminder of all the systems that had to be integrated in South Africa to avoid a civil war. All the systems in this model were at play in the South African context, and still are today. This dynamic makes South Africa unique from a complexity point of view, but also a natural laboratory for studying thinking patterns that are at play in an integral society.

Doing the Work in South Africa

Keith E. Rice accurately documented the South African story on his comprehensive blog Integrated Socio-Psychology.³ The section which follows relies heavily on Rice's contribution. Beck visited South Africa for the first time in 1981 at the invitation of Keith van Heerden who heard him speaking on Graves's work at a conference in Dallas, Texas. Beck's first appearance in South Africa was at a three-day South African Values Circles conference at Sun City. It was to be the first of 63 trips to the country in the 1980s and 1990s with a final trip in 2013, his 64th.

A Vital Signs Monitor was used to portray the dynamics at play in the South African context in 1988. Figure 5.3 displays these dynamics.

Laubscher accompanied Beck on each of these trips. Together they facilitated numerous Spiral Dynamics sessions, attended parliament, did developmental work, consulted with various political leaders and actively participated in the formation of a new South Africa. An interview with James Clarke of The Star received a great deal of attention. It can be viewed on the www.spiraldynamicsglobal.com website. Beck appeared on numerous Radio 702 talk shows, on Good Morning South Africa on SABC-TV and broadcasted live to South Africa via radio in Denton, Texas. He lectured at various academic institutions and medical, professional and scientific societies and even to the leadership of the traditional Dutch Reformed Church.

A series of six articles was written and published in all the major South African newspapers in April 1989. These articles can be found under the heading “The Six Articles that Influenced the Release of Mandela” in the final chapter of the book under the section that deals with articles. Unbeknown to Beck, Madiba read these articles in prison, and he arranged to meet Beck and Laubscher soon after his release.⁴

At this time, the peace negotiation processes were facilitated by people who were seen as neutral, specifically church leaders and businessmen from various races, including white Afrikaans businessmen. These same businessmen funded Beck's trips to South Africa and established the National Peace Committee. Beck saw the need for a superordinate goal, shared values and symbols provided by sports and cultural events together with tangible improvement such as an increase in basic needs of housing, job creation, education and health care to be of paramount importance to align this energy. Beck does not see race as the cause of issues and problems labelled as racial, but rather the differences in value systems and upbringing because of these value systems. This viewpoint initially seemed foreign to South Africans, since it challenged all value systems. On numerous occasions Beck was chased out of sessions with the words “Yankie gaan huis toe.”⁵

What the leaders in South Africa did not know, was that Beck's involvement in the South African transformation was frowned upon back in America. South Africa was still burdened with heavy American sections. The American leaders did not approve of an American who wanted to help the creators of Apartheid, the white Afrikaans males, to be integrated into a new democracy. After all, they were the oppressors.

Other Allies Supporting Spiral Dynamics

Keith van Heerden, Laubscher and Beck consulted at the Western Deep Level mine and Middelburg Steel and Alloy. The integration of value engineering and Spiral Dynamics was a natural progression of the relationships and various interests. John C. Hall of Middleburg Steel and Alloy thoroughly enjoyed Spiral Dynamics. Alan Tonkin was his Director of Manpower. Alan later ran the Global Values Network website. Beck became involved with Dr George Lindeque, the Human Resources Director of Eskom. Eskom were very progressive in their trade union negotiations, and attempted to implement a process of co-determination. Value engineer Andrew Barker and journalist Graham Linscott were also involved. Tonkin, Beck and Hall continued with workshops to ensure inclusion. Laubscher (2013) remembers that one day Desmond Tutu showed up at one of the steel workshops where an integrated workforce consisting of black and white employees were all working together as equals. He shook his head in disbelief, and tears were rolling from his eyes. In some places, equality was the norm, even under Apartheid. In the Saturday Star of December 15, 1990 the following lines appeared: “Something so unusual is happening at the Eastern Transvaal home of South Africa's steel industry that Archbishop Desmond Tutu cannot believe his eyes.” Dennis Beckett, editor of Frontline, wrote the very next day that “it is so peaceful that yesterday an AWM march through the town proceeded not only without an incident but also with the complete support of the local Comrades.”

Over a period of 16 years, Beck built up personal relationships that eventually included Nelson Mandela, Cyril Ramaphosa, Walter Sisulu, Andries Treurnicht, Desmond Tutu, Roelf Meyer, Leon Wessels, Wynand Malan and F.W. de Klerk. Spiral Dynamics was used to describe several possible future alternatives for South Africa based on the ^VMEMEtic contours of the society. A superordinate goal in South Africa, namely to “peaceful transition from apartheid,” was co-created. Partly under Beck's influence, John Hall served as Chairman of the National Peace Committee from 1991 to 1993.

A very special bond developed between Beck and Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a South African politician, the founder of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and Zulu tribal leader. Deep conversations were held on topics such as illegal immigration and the sustainability of the Zulu nation. Beck was given a special Zulu name: Amizi Muthi – meaning “the one with the strong medicine.”

A New South Africa

“I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Nelson Mandela, Rivonia Trial, April 1964

Rice (2016) shares the following story on his blog:

In 1999 I fell into conversation with a group of visiting South African students in Leeds. To my surprise, they not only knew of Beck, but regarded him as something of a “political hero.” (Two of them had actually heard him speak at a university appearance.) One of them told me that, thanks to Beck's work, race would be a dead in South Africa within five years; and these students were from the Transvaal, hard Boer Afrikaner stock from an inherently racist tradition!

It is now 2017. Racism is not dead in South Africa. In fact, social uprising is the order of the day. Locally, white and black unite against poor service delivery and promises that are made and left unfulfilled by the freedom party, the ANC. Students are disillusioned, unrests and strikes are frequent, society shouts from its soul slogans such as “fees must fall” and “Zuma must fall.” Xenophobic attacks are regular.

However, disregarding increasing discomfort with the current local government, and the down-grading of the economy to junk status, in each leadership session that I facilitate, private and public leaders, black and white, verbally describe how they accept personal responsibility for making things better in their own communities. The quality of leadership in these sessions leaves me breathless. The millennials feel quite indifferent to the deep guilt and hurt that the older generation still carry in their bones. They explain clearly that Apartheid is not their fight, but that of their parents and grandparents. They ask for a future that is conducive to personal and economic growth.

Spiral Dynamics, as explained by and rooted in Gravesian thought, is lectured at five universities at master's and PhD level in South Africa.

Beck (2006) poses the following questions in a very interesting article on American politics:

• By using the wisdom and intelligences of the Spiral, what could we offer as an alternative to dangerous polarization in our society?
• Would anybody be interested?
• What would need to be done?

The questions raised here can all be used to stimulate crucial conversation in South Africa. Just as all employees of the case organizations had to engage in the results of the relevant culture studies and strategies to create movement, the citizens of South Africa must engage in these questions to create meaning, significance and healing in this rainbow country.

Lindeque, now 75, is still busy trying to make a difference. He believes firmly that we had an economic settlement in South Africa, but not a political one. Together with Dr Ramphele Mamphele, businesswoman, activist, medical doctor, academic and political thinker, they created a superordinate goal for South Africa. She says passionately: “it is time to re-imagine the country and its future. We owe this to our children's children. We dare not fail.” In her book, Dreams, Betrayal and Hope, she argues that what is needed in South Africa is a “reading of the scars” of exploitative economic practices. She reminds South Africans (Mamphele 2017, p. 182) that there can be no better way “of strengthening the foundations of our democracy than by reaffirming and recommitting to the four imperatives of the preamble of our constitution.”

The four imperatives are:

• Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic rights, social justice and fundamental human rights.
• Lay the foundations of a democratic open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by law.
• Improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person.
• Build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its place as a sovereign state in the family of nations.

Many initiatives are implemented from various parts of South Africa to heal the hurt where it still exists. Lindeque and Mamphele are actively teaching the youth what it means to be an active citizen in a democracy. From a psycho-analytical perspective, it is significant that an older, traditional white male and an older activist black female formed such an initiative. There are no party affiliations – just education so that the youth can ask the right questions when the time comes. In her book, Mamphele argues that South Africa is being granted another opportunity to reconcile with the past, and that we must re-imagine the country. She passionately ends the book (Mamphele 2017, pp. 187–188) with the following statement:

Re-imagining my country enables me to live in the future I yearn for. I no longer feel that I am holding a solitary grain of sand in my hand. Many more hands have linked together to ride wave after wave of hope. The golden sea sand rumples in the waves, no longer as single grains. The wealth of the possibilities of our imagined future is like the myriad golden grains of sand on never-ending expansive seashores. The dream is alive.

During an interview with Beck for the book, he asked what had gone wrong with the South African intervention of the 1980s and 1990s. I was a bit flabbergasted, and responded that the question could not even be raised. South Africa is a young democracy, but there was not the civil war that was anticipated and literally feared by all in South Africa in 1994. There was a peaceful transition. I posed another question:

“What if you did not come to South Africa? What then?”

Conclusion

Beck used Spiral Dynamics and the explanation of value systems to align the thoughts and the ideals which opposing parties were explaining out of their own value systems. His explanations, insight and co-creation allowed for the smooth transition before and after the 1994 elections. Whilst there were disturbances and violent eruptions, there were more systems that were value-based than were politically or racially based. His plan for the 1995 South African World Cup team, insight into the uniting of a nation and his ability to implement this plan allowed for the unification of South Africa as a nation.

My Basotho name is Lebogang. As the meaning of my name suggests, I am “thankful.” Not only do I live in the delightful kaleidoscope of differences in South Africa, but I also had (and still have) the privilege of journeying with Drs Beck, Laubscher (Potseletso Seema, a Sotho name for “the one that comes after the trouble”) and Lindeque. The ones that came before me.

Ultimately, the South African immersion became Don's personal crucible. This is where he could practice magically interweaving the gifts of all the different value systems in an integral whole. The rest of the book shares some of the examples where the magic that was found in Africa ignited magic in other spaces.