Development Talk

Red Card needs the help of all community activists

 

November 3, 2010

Two people from the Red Card Campaign discuss their strategy. Photo: Nondumiso Ntsengentsu

Mzamo Sidelo and Leo Mbobi from the Red Card Campaign discuss their strategy. Photo: Nondumiso Ntsengentsu

A while ago, Creative Consulting & Development Works blogged about the Red Card initiative, that was run during the 2010 Soccer World Cup, to create awareness about risky sexual behaviour, human trafficking, forced labour and sexual slavery. We are excited to see that this initiative has now extended beyond the World Cup, with organisations coming together to further this goal.

Development Works attended the partner organisations workshop on the Red Card Campaign Against Child Sexual Exploitation, facilitated by Sonke Gender Justice Network on 22 October at the Gugulethu library. Sonke made it clear that they want all organisations dealing with issues related to the Red Card campaign to take an active part in it. The campaign does not belong only to Sonke. It is only through a combined effort that they will really make a difference. (more…)

Filed under: 2010 World Cup,Awareness,campaign,children,civil society,community,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,Gender,HIV/AIDS,Human trafficking,men,poverty,women,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 2:40 pm

The Right to Strike vs the Right to Education and Health Care

 

August 26, 2010

The civil servants strike has brought learning and health care to a standstill. Photo: Kool_skatkat via Flickr

The civil servants strike has brought learning and health care to a standstill. Photo: Kool_skatkat via Flickr

South Africans are lucky to live in a country that has a Constitution which confers on its citizens many rights and freedoms. However, problems arise when you trample on someone else’s rights in the process of  practising your own.

Currently the members of the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU), the Health and Other Service Personnel Trade Union of South Africa, the Public Servants Association, Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA and the South African Democratic Teacher’s Union (SADTU) are exercising their constitutional right to freedom of assembly, demonstration, picketing and petition.

These civil servants are on strike to demand a 8.6% increase with a R1 000 housing allowance. But in the process they are denying others their rights.

What about health and education?

According to the Constitution everyone has the right to basic education and further education. However, learning has come to a halt in schools across the country because teachers are striking.  Exams are just around the corner, but the Gauteng Education Department has decided to postpone the preliminary matric exams until the 3rd week of  September.

The Constitution also says that everyone has the right to health care. But health care practitioners are also striking and patients are being neglected. People who are sick, especially children, cannot fend for themselves. The Constitution says that everyone has the right to life and if the lives of these patients are put in danger because of the strike, their rights are being severely compromised.

Volunteers are helping out in schools and hospitals around the country, improving the plight of learners and patients slightly. But a speedy resolution will have to be found for this strike to avoid more rights being trampled on.

What do you think about the ongoing strike? How can it be resolved? Leave a comment below.

Filed under: access to health care,children,Constitution,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,democracy,development,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,Government,healthcare,politics,rights,South Africa — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 3:26 pm

Do your bit to put a library in every school

 

January 26, 2010

Equal Education volunteers promote the "One school, one library, one librarian" campaign

Volunteers promote the "One school, one library, one librarian" campaign. From EE's Facebook page

More than 90% of public schools and more than 4.5 million learners in South Africa do not have a functioning school library.

Equal Education (EE), a community and membership-based organisation engaged in activism for improving South African schools, aims to change this by marching to Parliament on 21 March 2010.

They will hand over a petition to the government which asks for a library to be established at every school, a trained full-time librarian to be employed, and at least three books to be made available for every learner.

Equal Education already has the support of Dr Mamphela Ramphele, Sindiwe Magona and Zackie Achmat, but they also need our help.

They list various ways in which ordinary citizens can help their cause:

  • Donate money
  • Spread the word through Facebook, Twitter and Mxit
  • Join the task team meeting and volunteer your time
  • Sign the petition by clicking here
  • Support the EE book collection drive

This blog post, and our related Facebook & Twitter posts, is Creative Consulting & Development Works‘ way of helping.

Just like Equal Education, we believe “reading is the foundation of all eduction” and that this is “a matter of freedom justice and equality”, especially after we researched and compiled a consolidated report on the Western Cape Education Department Family Literacy Project Pilot.

For more information on Equal Education, read our previous blog post on the organisation here, or visit their website.

Filed under: blogging,Book,children,community,CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,Inequality,literacy,Parliament,Research,youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 11:41 am

Learners are the backbone of Equal Education

 

November 30, 2009

High school learners work with Equal Education to affect change in their schools.

High school learners work with Equal Education to affect change in their schools.

“Equal Education is a movement of learners, parents, teachers and community members working for quality and equality in South African education, through analysis and activism” (Equal Education Annual Report, 2008).

South African high school learners are taking a lead in making a difference in their schools through their membership to the inspiring NPO, Equal Education.

In an education system which remains mostly unequal, these grade 8 to 12 learners, called “equalisers”, set an example to their peers through their dedication to their own education. They also play a leading role in the activities of the organisation.

Equal Education was founded in 2008 as a community and membership-based organisation. Based in Khayelitsha, Equal Education is research-driven and believes in engaging in “…evidence-based activism for improving the nation’s schools”.

The organisation is premised upon the principles of promoting the right to equality and education, as founded within our constitution. Currently, Equal Education is advocating for functional libraries in all schools- “one school, one library, one librarian”. Prior to this campaign, Equal Education successfully embarked on reducing the number of learners arriving late at schools within Khayelitsha.

Equal Education wants to improve education for all children.

Equal Education wants to improve education for all children.

The “equalisers” are described by Equal Education as the most active members of the organisation. They work tirelessly in afternoons, after school, in an effort to effect change in their schools and ultimately communities.

Development Works is inspired by the active participatory nature and structure of the organisation which encourages the ‘ownership’ shown by these young ‘equalisers’ in taking responsibility for their own education.

Click here to visit the Equal Education website.

Filed under: children,DEVELOPMENT WORKS,education,inspiration,inspire,NPOs,Research,social transformation — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 3:54 pm