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Students Reflect on Bill of Rights

Students Reflect on Bill of Rights

Addressing the country’s social ills, DUT students, together with Art for Humanity and the International Centre for Non Violence (ICON), held a debate reflecting on the South African Bill of Rights.

The debate, which was held on Thursday, 14 May 2015, at DUT’s Art Gallery, Steve Biko, was aimed at addressing the social and economic problems of poverty, deprivation, racism, xenophobia, discrimination, crime, lack of access to health services, education and justice. The dialogue came from the present situation and focused on equality, dignity and right to life.

Art for Humanity is a DUT based organisation which engages with cultural production, specifically in the visual arts, to promote human rights awareness regionally and globally. The organisation focuses on the creation of fine art print portfolios, in collaboration with the participating artists, poets, endorsers, exhibitions, publications, billboards and research projects which advocate various human rights issues in South Africa, across Africa and internationally.

ICON seeks ways of developing a culture of nonviolence. The organisation challenges imbalances of power, based on race, gender and other identities and entails that the inequalities of wealth in society be addressed.  ICON has a close relationship with DUT as there is a Memorandum of Agreement that commits both institutions to collaborative work to mainstream nonviolence into the DUT curricula.

“We had a group of students who did cornerstone modules which had a section on the bill of rights and the focus was on stigmatization. Somewhere in their models there is a part that deals with the issue of unfair discrimination which ended up spreading outward as unfair discrimination across society,” said Crispin Hemson, Director for ICON.

Students engaged in song, poetry and critically analysed artworks displayed at the DUT Art Gallery. The artwork consisted of work from the past such as writings from Steve Biko as well as paintings highlighting the country’s socio-economic gaps.

“When we look at our Human Rights, one realises that there is an issue of selectiveness amongst us. We tend to look at our Bill of Rights when it suits us and we forget that those rights are not for us only as individuals but for South Africa as a whole. The issue of xenophobia is a perfect example of being selective when addressing our rights. We are quick to point out that it is within our right to get this and that from government but deliberately forget that the next person is entitled to their right to life,” said TK, a poet and DUT student, while participating in the discussions at the event.

– Noxolo Memela

Pictured: Crispin Hempson, ICON Director at DUT, addressing students during the dialogue.

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