Development Talk

 

July 13, 2011

Masande Drama Group entetained at the celebration: Photo: Development Works

Catholic Welfare and Development (CDW) has re-launched its Bonne Esperance Refugee Shelter for Woman and Children. They recently celebrated this momentous occasion with a special post –Refugee Day gathering.

The celebration kicked off with CDW Director, Lungisa Huna giving a brief history of Bonne Esperance and linked the work they have done to the Cape Townbased development organization’s mission of unleashing the ability of individuals and supporting community independence.  Representatives Vanessa Coulson and Chae Li Diong from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) grabbed the audience’s attention as they spoke of the international lawful situation, relating to refugee and why the role of amenities like Bonne Esperance are vital to the local refugee response.

There was an especially memorable moment when a Home Affairs representative addressed the serious challenges asylum seekers face during the application process and how Bonne Esperance has assisted with addressing backlogs.  It was mentioned that Bonne Esperance made sure that “no stones are left unturned” when it comes to helping foreigners in need.  Survivors of conflict, trauma and dislocation from their home countries and former Bonne Esperance residents, also made appearances at the launch to testify to the Shelter staff’s commitment.

According to a press release for the event, through Bonne Esperance, vulnerable women are supported and the cycle of violence is breached and young people are guided towards heartwarming lives. The Shelter also encourages local integration that includes getting South Africans to understand reasons behind refugee migration intoSouth Africaby facilitating educational training in response to the racism, xenophobic attacks that surfaced in May 2008. To date Bonne Esperance has assisted approximately 20 000 people; opened its doors to the defenseless and helped them transition into a reconstruction and healing phase ; as well as assisted over 60 families with rehabilitation and reintegration  into communities around Cape Town.

 

To learn more about the Bonne Esperance Shelter please visit their website by clicking here.

 

 

 

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Kader Asmal (8 October 1934 – 22 June 2011)

 

June 23, 2011

Click for photo source

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

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Empowerment of women through training is still lacking

 

November 23, 2010

A female engineer works at the Volkswagen South Africa plant in Uitenhage. Very few women have been given the chance to possess such high level skills. Photo: Media Club South Africa

A female engineer works at the Volkswagen South Africa plant in Uitenhage. Very few women have been given the chance to possess such high level skills. Photo: Media Club South Africa

Many training programmes exist in South Africa with the aim of empowering women, but most women are still not gaining the marketable professional skills they are meant to from these initiatives.

The Sowetan reports that it was found in a study commissioned by Policy Analysis and Capacity Enhancement and the Human Sciences Research Council (Republic of South Africa), “that women, particularly those from the rural areas, were still not benefiting from training programmes aimed to empower women”.  In other words, although 51% of South Africa’s population is female, the progress of development in South Africa is not yet fully inclusive and has been effectively reinforcing the predatory patriarchy of the old South Africa. (more…)

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Steve Biko’s legacy: Community development and restoration of dignity

 

September 17, 2010

“So as a prelude whites must be made to realise that they are only human, not superior. Same with Blacks. They must be made to realise that they are also human, not inferior.” – Steve Biko 1946-1977

The 11th Steve Biko Memorial Lecture was delivered this year by American Alice Walker, best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Colour Purple. The annual lecture is organised by the Steve Biko Foundation and is one of the activities aimed at building on the legacy of Biko, who espoused community development and the restoration of dignity and identity to an oppressed people.

In the sound clip presented above, recorded during apartheid, shortly before Biko’s death, he speaks about the principles of Black Consciousness which formed his political mindset. He said that under apartheid black people suffered a psychological oppression which made them feel inferior. Biko wanted black people to free their minds and elevate themselves. (more…)

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Are Zuma’s supporters turning against him?

 

September 3, 2010

Jacob Zuma seems to be losing favour. Photo: Globovision via Flickr

Jacob Zuma seems to be losing favour. Photo: Globovision via Flickr

It was not so long ago that ANC Youth League president Julius Malema said he would “Kill for Zuma”, but now it seems that President Jacob Zuma has fallen out of favour with the ANCYL and leaders within his own party. Could we soon see a new candidate stepping up to become president of the ANC? Or will there be a split in the ruling party – reminiscent of the COPE formation?

The Mail&Guardian wrote today that tensions are brewing within the party and the tripartite alliance, which will probably reach boiling point at the ANC National General Council (NGC)that kicks off on 20 September. News24 earlier reported that Zuma will not be attending the United Nations general assembly on the 23rd of September, as he is prioritising the ANC NGC. The presidential spokesperson denied that this was because of rumours relating to a planned revolt in the ANC.

Now the M&G is saying “many party leaders have their eye on higher office or want to punish Zuma for not rewarding them sufficiently for their support in the run-up to the ANC’s 2007 Polokwane conference”. They name Siphiwe Nyanda, the communications minister, Fikile Mbalula, the deputy police minister, and Malema.

Who will next feature on election posters for the ANC? Photo: Attawayjl via Flickr

Who will next feature on election posters for the ANC? Photo: Attawayjl via Flickr

The newspaper also reports that a group of ANC members including Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale and Lindiwe Sisulu are said to be banding together with Zwelinzima Vavi, Cosatu‘s general secretary, and ANCYL members (including Malema) to make sure that Zuma does not serve another term as president.

Apparently these people are: “Discussing a return to such values as a rejection of corruption and a clear division between party and state”. This sounds much the same to what the members of COPE were saying when they split off from the ANC.

It has repeatedly been said by analysts that it would be good for the country’s democracy if the ANC had a strong party to oppose it. The possibility of perhaps losing an election would keep the ruling party on its toes and ensure better service delivery to the people of this country. COPE has failed to provide this opposition, not gathering enough votes in the national election and being plagued by infighting.

Is there perhaps hope in a new party? Will people have faith in a faction that includes Malema, seeing as this controversial figure’s popularity is plummeting?

Filed under: CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,democracy,election,governance,Government,politics,power,South Africa,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 5:08 pm
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