Development Talk

Kader Asmal (8 October 1934 – 22 June 2011)

 

June 23, 2011

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Creative Consulting and Development Works would like to extend our sympathy to the Asmal family as we join the rest of South Africa in celebrating Kader Asmal and his life as an activist academic and politician.  His ANC comrades hail him as a “selfless man of honour” and that “his death must be a reminder for all of us of the non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa we committed to build”.  Kader represented the anti-Apartheid movement as a committed ANC member from the United Kingdom during his early professional life after being exiled by the Apartheid government.  In exile he was awarded the Prix UNESCO award for his work in human rights, founded the British Anti-Apartheid Movement, and served as Chairperson for the Irish Apartheid movement.  When he returned to South Africa he became a professor of human rights at University of the Western Cape before he was tapped by the first democratic government to be the Minister of Water and Forestry and later as Minister of Education (a position for which he was appointed personally by President Nelson Mandela).  He was also involved in many other anti-racism and human rights commissions and movements throughout his life. 

Professor Asmal’s memoir will be released in August, and the official launch for the book will be in September at the Open Book Festival in Cape Town.

Full story

Filed under: Africa,Awareness,basic human right,better life for all,Breaking New Ground,civil society,community,Constitution,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,democracy,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,election,ethical leadership,ethics,Family,Fatherhood,forgiveness,Government,History,Hope,identity,Inequality,legislation,nationhood,Parliament,Policy,politics,power,race,reconciliation,rights,social transformation,South Africa,TRC,Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 3:39 pm

A Look Back at Youth Day

 

June 15, 2011

Youth Day, 16 June, is a national holiday that commemorates the 1976 student uprisings in Soweto. In 1953 the National Party government of South Africa introduced The Bantu Education Act, which segregated the education system along the lines of race. While this act enabled more children to attend school, it forced children of color into a secondary and substandard education system designed to produce a more docile workforce.  Overwhelming frustration began to take hold of communities as a result of this exclusionary educational system causing many children to drop out of school. In 1976, the government took another step to alienate the majority of non-white South Africans when they introduced the compulsory use of Afrikaans in classes starting from Grade 7.  As the majority of South Africans did not speak Afrikaans as their first language, teachers were not able to teach their subjects and students had difficulties learning. Very dissatisfied with the direction the government had taken the education system, the youth in Soweto decided to demonstrate. Over 20.000 students gathered on 16 June to march to the office of the department of education in Booysens to express their dissatisfaction.  

Hector Pieterson

 The peaceful demonstrators were met by armed police and military vehicles. Without warning, a policeman shot into the crowd.  The unprovoked shot tore through the crowd and struck twelve year old Hector Pieterson. The photo of his lifeless body has become a symbol of uprisings in Soweto. 

  The official number of deaths after the brutal conflict is only 23, but unofficial numbers range anywhere from 200-600 and most of the victims were younger than 23. The student uprisings of 1976 were a turning point in the long struggle for liberation and helped to guide South Africa to a more inclusive, democratic order.  As South Africans stop work to remember this day, let’s all take a moment to remember the lessons history has taught us.

Filed under: Access to Information,Africa,Awareness,basic human right,better life for all,Breaking New Ground,children,civil society,community,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,democracy,development,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,developmental state,dialogue,education,ethical leadership,forgiveness,Government,healing,History,Hope,identity,Inequality,race,social transformation,South Africa,spatial poverty,Uncategorized,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 12:05 pm

A Celebration of Life: Albertina Sisulu (October 21, 1918 – June 2, 2011)

 

June 6, 2011

Photograph by: Simon Mathebula

Creative Consulting and Development Works joins the rest of the world in mourning the loss and celebrating the legendary life of Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu activist, mother and liberation icon. MaSisulu made her mark on history by standing up for human rights and dignity for all people during the dark years of Apartheid era South Africa as the wife of activist and politician Walter Sisulu as well as in her own right as a member of the ANC Women’s League. One of her most notable stands was when she and other ANC Women’s league members led all women demonstrations of civil disobedience against the pass laws in 1956. Thousands of women took their fight against racial and gender oppression to the world stage by marching to the Union buildings in Pretoria to protest against the unfair classification system that had for so long restricted the everyday lives of the majority of South Africans.

She will be remembered as a graceful pillar of justice, who maintained a strong commitment to her family and country throughout some of the most chaotic times in South African history.

Her legacy lives on through the Albertina Sisulu Foundation and Albertina Sisulu Multi-Purpose Resource Centre

Filed under: Africa,basic human right,better life for all,children,civil society,community,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,democracy,ethical leadership,Family,feminism,forgiveness,Gender,History,holistic,Hope,identity,Inequality,marginalised,peace,poverty,Prison,race,reconciliation,social transformation,South Africa,Uncategorized,women — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 9:56 am

Book Launch:’When a State Turns Against its Citizens’ reflects back violence in Zimbabwe

 

April 8, 2011

When a State Turns Against its Citizens: Institutionalised Violence and Political Culture, a book by Lloyd Sachikonye, made its appearance on the shelves during a launch at Lobby Books, on Thursday 31 March 2011.

Clever Bere, the MC of the event, addressed the audience. He provided an educational background of the author and other discussants that were present at the launch. He said the timing of the book’s arrival was good, as Zimbabweans are still dealing with matters of runaway violence in their country.

Lloyd Sachikonye opened his statement by depicting Zimbabwe as a “country of contradictions.” He said it is a country with a high magnitude of well educated, skilled professionals, given the impression of its great potential. That was over the course of the past 20 years, and now, the country sees a bleaker future due to the harsh realities of political violence and ethical crisis.

“Roots of violence go a long way,” he said in his speech, highlighting beatings and violent acts against those who fought for freedom.

“People were shot in the townships. Stones, sticks and petrol bombs were thrown at those who were involved in the struggle,” he said.

Consequences of political violence includes fear and stress and now Zimbabwean society is under trauma. Horst Kleinschmidt of the Amani Trust took a stand, saying that this history takes us back to 1960. “History matters, we need to study our history if we are to deal with type of society we aspired to; not to fear those elements of the past year.”

There is hope among Zimbabweans to resolve struggle in non-violent way. Horst pointed to high rates of violence in 27 June 2008, where hospitals had to accommodate 200 people a day with cracked arms, legs and small bones. Though it was a deafening sight, people joined together as a community, offering basic services and encourage people to vote to protect democracy.

It was a powerful event as the author and several audience members shared stories of the injustice in Zimbabwe. As our neighbouring country, we must continue to look for ways to advocate on their behalf and put pressure on their government to support innocent civilians.

Photo by Jacana Media

Filed under: civil society,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,democracy,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,Government,politics,Zimbabwe — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 3:35 pm

Development News: Egypt & the fight for justice

 

February 4, 2011

Over the last week and a half, its safe to say that many of us have been glued to the screen and watching live updates on the internet regarding the protests in Egypt. Now on its 11th day, hundreds and thousands of people in Egypt have stepped out onto the streets to join the masses in a fight for societal and political justice.

One of the most remarkable and awe-striking components about this event has been how people have used technology and social media to mobilize advocates and create an indestructible groundswell of support. It’s been made clear that the people in Egypt are not backing down and will continue to fight until President Mubarak steps down from office.

If you’d like to show your support, join the online Facebook campaign - ‘March of Millions, in Solidarity with Egyptian Protesters.’ All the group asks is for an advocate to leave words of wisdom and show their support as the Egyptians continue their uphill battle for fairness and equality. Though we may not be able to join our Egyptian brothers & sisters out on the streets, these protests have proven the power and impact online media can have in showing support.

Though its been an unfolding of events that has led to rioting and violence, overall the protests have been led more through vocalized stamina and determination. The people of Egypt are not cheaply resorting to violence to prove a point, but through strength in numbers and diversification to show that they are determined for a better country. Though it hasn’t been an easy battle, its inspiring to see the people of Egypt unifying and supporting one another as they fight for long-lasting freedom and peace.

For some inspiration, watch this YouTube video:

Filed under: cultural issues,democracy,peace,Policy,politics — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 3:13 pm
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