The Durban University of Technology (DUT) hosted a two-day Peace Summit at the Ritson Campus in Durban. The summit aimed to identify solutions to challenges faced by students at higher education institutions and brought together stakeholders to engage with students on the issues affecting them.
The Peace Summit brought together intellectuals and stakeholders from different institutions to engage on how students can address challenges on university campuses. Through panel discussions and dialogues involving student representative bodies, clubs and societies, participants explored various issues, including safety, gender-based violence, student protests, mental health and financial distress.
The summit was declared open by Registrar Dr Maditsane Nkonoane, who welcomed guests, delegates and students to DUT. Dr Nkonoane wished participants a peaceful and productive summit.
“Let us also have takeaways from the dialogues which will sustain us for days ahead and even years ahead,” he added.
Youth as the Architects of Peace was the theme of the keynote address by Professor Dorcas Ettang of the International Centre of Non-Violence and UNESCO Co-Chair on Education for Peace and Transformative Solidarity.
She said achieving peace at the university and amongst one another requires students to take responsibility and accountability for how they resolve conflicts and engage with one another. This aligns with DUT’s Living Value of Accountability.
“University is not just a place where we prepare for careers; it is where we learn to live with people who are different from us,” Prof Ettang said.
She encouraged students to reflect on their behaviour and how they treat others, saying, “Peace is a serious social responsibility. It requires discipline, courage, moral clarity and collective effort.”
The summit included a storytelling play by DUT drama students, which depicted issues around scammers selling spaces during registration, student protests and factionalism within the SRC. The performance led to an open discussion on how to address these challenges. One of the suggestions was to have more registration staff on the ground to assist new students and those seeking admission to DUT.
On the second day, the summit began with opening remarks from SRC President Mr Sihle Nkosi, who gave a recap of day one and thanked the organisers for planning a fruitful programme.
Speaking on peace, he reminded students that they cannot wait for someone else to create peace for them; it starts with them.
“The youth cannot just merely understand peaceful societies, but we must build them starting from this institution,” Nkosi added.
The summit also addressed student protests and the need for dialogue between students and university management. Participants discussed how conflict can be managed without violence while still allowing students to freely express their views.
Participants also deliberated on the possibility of drafting a Peace Charter to create a peaceful university environment for all, including peace ambassadors across campuses and residences where students reside.
The summit was officially closed by Sthembile Mjadu, Interim Director: DUT Student Services and Development, who spoke on behalf of Dean of Students Dr Clement Moreku.
Mjadu appreciated the mention of families and the role they play in shaping the youth.
“Today’s discussions reminded us, it’s not the absence of violence, but the presence of dignity, justice, harmony, mutual understanding and inclusion, safety and opportunity that is important in peace conversations,” she said.
She indicated that students must remain at the forefront of decision-making that directly affects them. She reminded those in attendance that meaningful peace interventions do not need to begin with big projects, but with intentional acts such as listening, kindness and being inclusive of others.
Pictured: Participants at the Peace Summit.
Nosipho Mthembu/Luyanda Mlaba
