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My Blood Divides and Unites: Race, Identity, Reconciliation By Jesmane Boggenpoel

Author Shares Inspirational Account of Overcoming Apartheid and How

Reconciliation Can Transform Pain into Hope and Change the World

“…an honest and inspirational exploration of personal healing, with universal relevance and insights that can accelerate peace and reconciliation in our world.”- Julia Novy-Hildesley, Professor and Executive Director,

Stanford University’s Change Leadership for Sustainability Programme. "I am a Coloured woman of South Africa. The blood flowing through me was despised by apartheid, for it was not pure and it was not White. Because of this, I struggled with feelings of self-doubt and shame." - Jesmane Boggenpoel Words have the power to incite change, and with this powerful, yet heartbreaking admission, debut author Jesmane Boggenpoel sets the stage for her upcoming memoir with lessons, My Blood Divides and Unites: Race Identity, Reconciliation [January 8 2019], as she recounts her poignant coming-of-age tale of oppression, discrimination and marginalization as a young girl growing up during the apartheid in South Africa. Following her tumultuous, yet inspirational journey to reconciliation, acceptance and forgiveness, My Blood Divides and Unites offers a universally powerful message and provides readers with a roadmap to self-discovery, reframing their personal stories, and becoming inspirational leaders for others so that all individuals, groups and nations can, as one, look toward the future with hope. Written with unflinching honesty and authenticity, Boggenpoel’s accounting offers an important lesson in healing as she details the suffering she and her ancestors experienced at the hands of their oppressors and the subsequent process as she struggled to explore her past and learn her true self. Despite the devastation and pain endured along this long road to forgiveness, Boggenpoel shares how she was able to find the light in such tragedy and take control of and reframe her own story. ‘‘I am a microcosm of nations riven by internal strife,” says Boggenpoel. “I reconciled with myself by turning to the conflicts and contradictions within. This forced me to explore my past so as to truly understand who I am and to grapple with my lingering emotions. Our world today is divided and fractured. That is why I urge individuals, communities, and nations to undergo a similar process of self-reconciliation, to explore their stories, embrace their contradictions, and craft new narratives of acceptance, inclusion, and boundless possibilities. Through the stories I tell in this book – my story, and those of people from

around the world spanning from US, Mexico across to India, Pakistan, Nepal and to Rwanda. I hope to bring healing and inspiration to all.’’ With the insight and inspiration only a first-hand recounting can provide, My Blood Divides and Unites:

• Explores the impact and consequences of racism, oppression and discrimination on humanity • Emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance and how to reconcile and embrace both the

positive and negative that makes up who we are • Offers tactics on how to confront pain, vulnerability and other lingering emotions to reframe

one’s personal story into one of hope • Explores the roots of conflict, to fears of lacking, and the desire to dominate • Details the process of reconciliation, personal exploration and acceptance, and how they can

unite individuals, communities and nations across the globe • Dissects how diversity, technology and leadership are coming together to help solve some of

humanity’s most complex problems "Now, a quarter century after the fall of apartheid, I understand there is much beauty and value in my blood,” adds Boggenpoel. “I am the product of newcomer and native, slave master and slave, of White and Black, of German and Jew, and more. I am a reflection of countless conflicts and contradictions – yet my blood unites me." My Blood Divides and Unites released internationally on January 8, 2019 and is available for purchase in paperback and on Kindle on Amazon. To learn more or connect with Boggenpoel on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, or visit myblooddividesandunites.com. MEDIA: Copies of My Blood Divides And Unites are available upon request.

# # # About the Author

Debut author Jesmane Boggenpoel is an experienced business executive and former Head of Business Engagement for Africa at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. She has served on the boards of various South African and international organizations. She is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Master’s degree from Harvard University’s JFK School of Government. Jesmane was honored as a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, is a Harvard Mason fellow and a shareholder and founding board member of African Women Chartered Accountants Investment Holdings. Boggenpoel has extensive global experience having studied and worked on three continents, as well as travelling to over 65 countries.