Human rights are varied and all equally important and so are the ways in which one can commemorate the day dedicated to them. Public holidays often pass by without reflection on why South Africans get a full day to pause and reflect on what has brought the country to this day and the journey ahead.
This week, take the time to think of where South Africa has come from on its journey towards human rights, and how far it still has to go. There are a variety of ways to go about it:
The square in front of the Gallery University Stellenbosch has been marked “Freedom Square”, a place where people meet before attending an event at the contemporary exhibition space. PHOTO: Christi Nortier
#22YearsLater student engagement session and panel discussion
Discussions about the Constitution will be brought to the heart of the campus through a joint initiative by Amnesty International Stellenbosch, the Stellenbosch University SRC, the Stellenbosch University Transformation Office and the Listen, Live and Learn Initiative.
The day session will begin at 13:00 on the Rooiplein on the Stellenbsch University (SU) campus and will involve a “Write for Rights” session to write letters to governments around the world asking them to release imprisoned human rights activists.
Poetry will be shared and the floor will be open for contributions. The evening session will begin at 19:00 at the RW Wilcocks building.
A law student at SU and Open Stellenbosch member, Thato Phatlane, will be in conversation with Shenilla Mohamed, the Amnesty International South Africa Executive Director. They will discuss how successfully the constitution has been implemented over the last 22 years and how to make the gap between reality and theory smaller.
When and where: 20 March at the Rooiplein at 13:00 and at the RW Wilcocks Building at 19:00.
View the “Independence: An animated poster exhibition” at the Gallery University Stellenbosch
“Born Free” students from the third-year class of the BA Visual Art programme at SU have designed and entered their own animated posters into an international collaborative exhibition, 100x Independence.
The Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology which is based in Warsaw, Poland, organised this exhibition. These students are in the Visual Communication Design stream and their lecturers challenged them to communicate their understanding of “independence” through their designs.
The exhibition will make one reflect on Human Rights Day as the students delve into what independence meant in South Africa through the ages and for different people, while all the time showing the audience the artist’s personal experience with the concept.
When: The opening function will be on 20 March at 18:30. The exhibition will be closed on 21 March, but will continue until 29 March.
Where: Gallery University Stellenbosch, corner of Dorp and Bird Street.
GUS is a contemporary exhibition space run by the Stellenbosch University’s Visual Arts Department. This space provides a platform for exhibitions such as Independence: An animated poster exhibition to allow students to show their work to the public. PHOTO: Christi Nortier
Human Chain against discrimination
The Stellenbosch Against Racism (STAR) movement is inviting people to join hands with them to form a human chain 1km long through central Stellenbosch for 100 minutes to publicly reject any form of discrimination.
The theme for this year’s human chain is reflection on Nelson Mandela’s life and his struggle to ensure and protect human rights. This will be STAR’s 11th annual Week Against Racism.
When: 21 March beginning at 10:00.
Where: Stellenbosch Town Hall.
Preparation: They ask that you bring a placard with a message about something close to your heart.
Donate blood once to save three lives
The Western Province Blood Transfusion Service says 1,5% of the Western Cape population donate blood regularly. This is the meagre lifeline of the 75% of the province which will need a blood transfusion in their lifetime.
They encourage those who are not yet donors to donate this Human Rights Day to save a life using just 30 minutes of their time.
When: 21 March, 10:00 – 15:00.
Where: Somerset Mall Entrance 3, Somerset West.
Preparation: Eat a balanced meal three to four hours before donating blood. You must be over the age of 16 but under the age of 65, weigh at least 50kg and be medically healthy.
Conversation on racism and human rights hosted by the SU Museum
This event takes place a day after Human Rights Day, which allows you to linger on the topic a bit longer.
The Stellenbosch University SRC chairperson, Lwando Nkamisa, will be part of a panel with the Kayamandi-based civil society activist Paul Khambule and the human rights law academic Dr. Annika Rudman.
Attendees are encouraged to engage in conversation with the panelists about the topic in the context of social justice.
When: 22 March at 18:30.
Where: Stellenbosch University Museum, 52 Ryneveld Street.
Preparation: There are a fixed number of seats, so to secure one contact Ricky Brecht at rickyb@sun.ac.za or 021 808 3660.
The Stellenbosch University Museum often plays host to panel discussions in its main hall which doubles as a lecture hall and exhibition area. PHOTO: Christi Nortier