Two students who came out to show their support

by: Angus Botha

“You fall victim to hate crimes because you choose to love differently.” This is what Mary Hames, Director of the Gender Equity Unit said during an intense discussion around homophobia. Loud Enuf, one of the societies that form part of the Unit played host to an Anti-Homoprejudice week. The event spanned over a week (11-15 May 2009) in various venues around campus. This week-long event was planned as a build up to the International day against Homophobia (17 May annually). 2003 saw the introduction of this international event and the theme this year was: “Homosexuality knows no borders”.
(Visit www.homophobiaday.org for more information)

Now you may ask yourself why the event celebrated at UWC was called ‘Anti-Homoprejudice week’? Mary Hames, Director of the Gender Equity Unit explains: “A phobia is an irrational fear of something. A prejudice is a hatred of something, in this case homosexual people.”

Over the course of the week, different aspects of Homosexuality were explored. During the launch on (Monday 11 May 2009) Marlow Valentine of the Triangle Project facilitated a discussion around the struggle for equal treatment of homosexual people. This set the tone for the week, highlighting the challenges faced by gay people every day. Wednesday (13 May 2009) drew the attention of those in attendance to the issue of violence against women. This was done by means of a silent protest. During the event a poem was read which was followed by a moment of silence for those women who have fallen victim to corrective rape- The phenomenon which has led to lesbian women in townships living in fear of their lives.
(Follow this link for details about the story:

http://www.women24.com/Women24/LoveSex/Gay/Article/0,,1-3-110_19752,00.html).

The week was rounded off with a discussion focused on: ‘Defining homoprejudice and combating an irrational fear’. Amongst the featured guests were Mary Hames, Marlow Valentine (Outreach Coordinator, Triangle Project) and Reverend Pressley Sutherland (Goodhope MCC).

The anti-homoprejudice week highlighted how far the struggle against oppression has come and how much still needs to be done.
“Why do people feel they have a right not to be offended?” This is a comment in response to an article on news24 (http://www.news24.com/News24/Entertainment/Local/0,,2-1225-1242_2309278,00.html). Initiatives like the anti-homoprejudice week play an important role in challenging and changing mindsets such as these. Rights are not enough and until society realizes this anti-homoprejudice focus weeks are necessary.

Do you find yourself wasting time online? Got ten minutes to spare in the lab before your next lecture? There are so many ways that you can use the internet to help others. And none of them cost a cent!

For example you can enhance your vocabulary and feed the hungry on  Free Rice , where every time you get a word right, food is donated to feeding schemes. And if you think your vocabulary is good, you can compete with friends to see who gets to the highest level.

If you’re tied to Facebook and don’t want to leave it for a second, you can save the world’s rainforests on Facebook’s Lil Green Patch. Send plants to your friends, arrange your patch, and don’t miss out on any notifications or chats.

If your internet connection is sitting idle, perhaps while you put the finishing touches on an essay, put your computer to work for SETI searching the skies for extra terrestrial activity, or Rosetta who are on a quest for a cancer cure, or many more. These programmes only use your computer when you aren’t using it, and only with your full permission. A full list of similar sites can be found on the Distributed Computing website.

If you have time and energy and a little brainpower and want to commit more than just your bandwidth to a good cause, why not proofread some pages on PGDP and help convert books in the public domain into ebooks? Or you could hop over to Wikipedia and contribute to the world’s body of knowledge.

Always wanted to be an activist but didn’t know how? Sign up with Avaaz who are at the forefront of petitioning world leaders on issues of international importance and make sure you’re the first to know, or join past Nobel Prize winners in The Community.

And does all this online do-good behaviour actually work? WWF certainly think so.

“What most people don’t understand – or maybe they don’t even think about it – is that there are still refugees in the Blue Waters camp,” says activist Cathy*. “It’s not fashionable anymore, so we forget about them.”

And it’s not the only one – in Pretoria another refugee camp is also in existence. In fact refugee issues continue to make news headlines, with tensions flaring up in Johannesburg, Durban, and of course Cape Town. And there is no clear solution ahead. “The government handled this situation badly, the UN handled it worse,” says Cathy.

Kashif* is living at Blue Waters while he finishes his studies at UWC. “Some days it gets bad in the camp, then I can’t come through,” he says quietly. He has twice been beaten up by others in the camp for attending university. “It took so long to get my study visa, I queued for days. The people there, they are rude to me.” Kashif is from the DRC, and he hopes to return there one day. “If I can get my education then I can help my country when I return.”

With Africa Day just around the corner and a new government just sworn in, perhaps its time we took the situation seriously, and began to look for solutions.

At the time of the last elections, Stats SA stated that 13 million people were not eligible to vote as they were foreign nationals. “An estimated 100 000 people come to South Africa every week,” says Cathy, “and with the border to Zimbabwe now open, the numbers are only likely to increase.

Steve T is studying at UCT this year, completing his Honours degree. Steve is from Zimbabwe, and has a lot to say about South Africans and their relationships to other Africans. “It continues to shock me how deeply some South Africans hate us. Every day, supposedly educated people call me names and threaten to hurt me if I don’t go home.” Steve acknowledges of course that the majority of South Africans don’t feel this way, “but it’s the negative experiences that stick with you.”

If the majority of South Africans don’t feel this way, then why do we condone this behaviour? “South Africans are some of the most apathetic people,” sighs Cathy, “if you’re not shoving an issue in their faces every moment of the day they forget about it.”

Kashif is worried about the future. “How do we show students here at UWC that we are all just people, all just the same?” He is also worried about his studies. “I can’t work at the camp, no electricity or space for me. Because I miss so many days queuing and when I am afraid to leave the camp, I don’t know if I’ll pass. And then my visa won’t get renewed.”

What can South Africans do? “Just look at people as people,” begs Kashif. “Don’t judge me by my accent, or the colour of my skin.” Steve agrees, but takes it further. “I think South Africans need to be more aware of what is happening in Africa generally. They don’t always know where countries are, not to mention what is happening in them.”

Cathy agrees, and calls on South Africans to be more proactive. “If you aren’t happy about something, say so. Write to the papers, write to your local politicians. Blog about it.”

If you’d like to learn a little more about Africa, check out All Africa, Africa Daily, or Africa Action.

Everyone knows what it feels like to be hungry. That empty feeling in the pit of your stomach that breaks your concentration. Your mouth is dry and tasteless. Your body feels heavy and listless. The rumbling sound of nothingness invades your thoughts and everyone around you seems irritated by the embarrassing noise. Yes, everyone knows what it’s like to be hungry, but do you know what it’s like to starve?

Liansky Bestenbier a student at the University of the Western Cape asked himself this very same question. He wondered what it was like for those students who live on campus and cannot afford food. This is how the Gender Equity food program was started at the university in 2007.  It is often assumed that issues such as hunger and poverty are not present in tertiary level institutions. This is not the case as there are many students suffering in silence. The Vice Chancellor of the University of the Western Cape, Professor Brian O’ Connell in his introduction to the debate on hunger stated that, “UWC is facing a challenge shared by many South Africans. How do we take what we’ve got and deal with it so that each student at our university has the chance to succeed without being concerned of the fact that they have little or noting to eat?”

The primary objective of the Gender Equity food program according to Liansky “is to fight poverty faced by UWC students and promote education.” Liansky further states in his on campus debate that, “our motto is UWC doing it for themselves. This basically means that instead of seeking donations from outside organisations, the students and staff of the university are encouraged to donate items toward the program.” The food program has initially been launched on SABC 3 in 2007. The Vice Chancellor, Professor Brian O’ Connell, Mr Kahn from the on campus bookshop as well as various departments on campus have generously donated thus far. The food program has also received support from Community Chest; Pick ‘n Pay and also the Diocese of Saldanha bay’s Mothers union. There are 62 students who benefit from the food program of which 42 are regular students. 

The donation process is simple, students as well as staff are requested to donate at least one non-perishable can a month toward the campaign. Each department at the time the food program was implemented was allocated a box in which the donations were to be placed, however this is not the case anymore. So many students on campus are unaware of the food program’s existence despite the efforts of Liansky and the Gender Equity Unit.

Candice a third year law student says, “I had no idea this program even existed. There are no boxes placed in our departments. I would support this cause and I believe that other students would too. I think we need to be notified and made aware.” The gender equity unit have posted videos of the on campus debates surrounding this issue on websites such as www.facebook.com and www.youtube.com in an effort to create awareness and gain support.

The distribution of the food takes place before every exam and the student’s circumstances are kept confidential. The program was not implemented to humiliate or embarrass those in need of support but rather to give without expecting anything in return, which in turn demonstrates the true value of generosity.  There is however a need for a regular distribution of the food as the Gender Equity Unit would like to not only distribute before the exams but at least once a month. The program works on a system of results that will determine how often the distribution process takes place. Therefore students are urged to donate at least one can a month if possible in order to afford each and every student a fair chance at a needed education.

A voter making his mark

by Raquel September

The votes have finally been tallied. ANC – 65,48%, DA – 16,7%, COPE – 7,37%, Women Forward – 0.03% (www.elections.org.za). What on earth has happened to the women in power? This statistic certainly grabbed the attention of many citizens, especially women. Why has this party received such a little support? Does this percentage reveal that there is no space in our government for an all-women party? Why are women not voting other women into power? Do females not consider feminism important anymore? Do they feel that their needs are being met by the dominant parties and as a result do not vote Women Forward?

Like many others, this statistic troubled me, and led me to search for answers at the Gender Equity Unit on campus where I conducted an interview with Mary Hames.

Upon entering her office, I found Mary with her nose buried in a book entitled ‘The Politics of Rights: Dilemmas for Feminist Praxis’. This proved to be a good sign and our heated discussion kicked off. Mary explained that when the first round of elections occurred in 1994, “people voted because it was liberating, thus they put all their voting power into the ANC”. Women from all races then came together as the Women National Coalition (WNC) and demanded to have “constitutional recognition”. Mary goes on to say that “the equality clause that was meant to provide protection was established to look out for all marginalised groups”. This pacified women for a period of time. Mary declares that “Women Forward was started by a woman in local government; I think she was ANC in KwaZulu Natal. She got fed up, and started her own party with her own money in order to represent the female in power”.

It is at this time when I notice the glint in her eye as her voice fills with hints of passion and concern. “The ANC”, Hames states, “have what we call the proportional representation system”. This means that women are being represented in parliament, but my question remains is this satisfactory for the women of this country? “You ask me if I feel that we need a women’s party, I say yes definitely” she said. Mary continues as she surrounds me with questions to which I wish I knew the answers. “Why did they win?” she asks, “With a flawed person as president, who has been accused of raping an HIV positive woman? Why is it that none of those people calling themselves feminists and ANC members have stood up against it? Why were they silenced? The depth of patriarchy and oppression runs much deeper than you think” she sighs. “We don’t know the half of what Zuma says when he is speaking, they say the most woman-bashing language comes out of his mouth” Mary says with a distasteful look on her face. “Its common knowledge that he is a polygamist with several concubines on the side, so who the hell is he to tell young women not to have sex or express their sexuality?” she finally cries.

Concerning the equal representation of both sexes, no flaw can be found in the ANC. They have covered all bases relating to gender equality in positions of power. With regard to the candidates for parliament and provincial legislatures, the Secretary General of the ANC, Gwede Mantashe, stated that the “ANC continues to play a leading role in the struggle to achieve gender equality across society. We have therefore ensured that at least half of all candidates are women. There is an equal mix of men and women throughout the lists” www.myanc.org.
We sit in silence for a few moments, and finally she calmly states “we need to change, to rebuild, to rethink…we have to change the minds of 14-17 yr old youths, our real democracy-youths, before our next election”. This seems like our only option now. We have no choice but to educate our youth in making well thought out decisions. The females need to realise thelection picat this will always be a man’s world unless we actively stand up and make our voices heard at any cost.

By Tarryn Haley Brien

Election Day is dawning on us. Political parties are making the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Politicians play a dirty game and each party is in it to win it. The 22nd of April is not just another holiday; it is your chance to make a difference. It is an opportunity for change and a chance for your voice to be heard.

All South African citizens aged 18 and over are eligible to vote. As tertiary level students we should be apart of this major event that will certainly have an effect on our country and eventually our community. America has made history with their recent presidential election as Barack Obama became the first black president. The hype surrounding America’s elections was phenomenal as all of the celebrities were excited about voting. Their enthusiasm has spread to South Africa as 78.3% of newly registered voters are under the age of thirty. There are 23 million registered voters as reported by the IEC. They originally expected 22 million voters and the extra 1 million exceeded expectations.

So what are people voting for? Many students on campus are not really interested in talking about voting or even voting for that matter. The few that have registered are voting for Change. Ntombi 19 an education student says, “I want our country to change because corrupt politicians are bringing us down. I want to be proud of my country and my president.” Tatum a third year psychology student feels that our country is in serious need for peace. “Violence, crime and corruption has become the norm, headlining every newspaper. We need a political party willing to tackle these problems and implement a system that will reduce the crime rate and eradicate corruption.”  Themba a nursing student in his second year says that, “we as the youth of the country have made valid requests and we are entitled to demand that the proper steps are put in place in order to achieve these goals.” He further states that he has faith in our country and our future leaders. 

“I am voting for justice!” Carlo a third year law student feels strongly about the inadequate justice system in South Africa. “We need to let the criminals know that we are serious about kicking crime to the curb.” It is exhilarating to see that some students are excited and passionate about this upcoming election. There are students out there who care about the future of this country.

For those who want to make an informed decision with regard to their vote and who they are voting for, there is an election website called www.saelections.co.za and it is a website created by the Sunday Times. The latest political scandals can be found on the website as well as important information one needs to know. There are also links to facebook and other sites where one can post comments. I urge all first time voters to visit the website official IEC website www.elections.org.za as it is usefull in determining the possible outcomes of the upcoming election.one can also find useful information,how to register, you may also find sample ballot papers.there are locations on the site where voting will be taking place.   In the words of Sipho ” time is running out so go out and get your voice heard.”      

Our graduate Portia Gqabuza

She slowly makes her way up the stairs and as the Dean of the Arts Faculty calls out her name, the hall rings with the sound of applause. Everyone is mesmerised by her beaming smile and sparkle in her eye as Portia Gqabuza finally becomes a graduate. She is escorted across stage and the applause does not cease until she makes her exit.
During an interview with the now BA graduate, we find out that this road to success has been a windy one. Portia is a twenty two year old visually impaired student who also has albinism. One can imagine that the student-life she leads is more complicated than most of us experience. Portia declares “I am currently doing her Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)”, and is fully confident that her future s looking bright.
As we know, people living in poverty-stricken areas often find it difficult to make education a priority. Portia states that “I come from a very disadvantaged community in Philippi…the crime rate is very high there and most of the young people drop out of school because of poverty and other social issues”. It is in circumstances like these that where we find it uncommon to see the youngsters finish high school, let alone successfully complete a degree. Sadly, she faces many challenges as a visually impaired (partially sighted) student. “One of the challenges I face because of my impairment”, Portia reveals, “is that I am not able to copy down notes in class as I cannot see the overhead projector…I need the lecturers to send my notes to the disability unit in order for them to enlarge the print…this means that I wait longer for my books and readers to be enlarged and as a result I often find myself not being able to prepare for lectures in time”. 
Because of her albinism, she struggles to see when there is too much light. She says, “My eyes burn easily and therefore I cannot read or work on the computer for too long”. Naturally, this interrupts her studying patterns and now has to postpone her work until her aching eyes return to normal. When asked what kept her motivated throughout her studies Portia responded “I am the first person in my family that got the chance to study at a higher institution…and I want to be an example to my sister’s children to never give up on their dreams and education”.
The Office for Students with Disabilities is situated in the CHS building on campus. Here disabled students are able to get their notes, readers and books enlarged or brailed. “We also write our tests and exams there”, Portia adds. These students have access to the labs there because it has the JAWS (speech) program for the visually impaired students. Portia finds this office very comforting as some of the stresses she faces are lightened.
We as your fellow students here at UWC are extremely proud of your achievement, Portia. You are an inspiration to people facing any form of difficulty to keep on persevering and to reach success against all odds. All the best for your future endeavours and who knows, perhaps we will see you in the Minister of Education’s seat one day!

By Tarryn Haley Brien

There is a place on campus where children go to have fun and enjoy their carefree lives. This place is situated next to the Physical Sciences building just beyond the parking lot close to the stadium. Its intention was initially to keep the chilldren of the members of the staff  building occupied. However, this is not the case. This park is a social anchor for students. They meet at the park to escape the stresses of their adulthood and to get back the carefree feeling that has slipped away from so many of us. A group of aspiring journalists went out into the field to uncover the truth behind this park.  

angus-getting-into-the-swing-of-things

a-couple-of-aspiring-journalists-test-the-theory1

meditation-at-its-best

angus-and-raquel-holding-on-for-dear-life

freedom

swinging away-all-the-stress-of-varsity-life

The ‘Earth Hour’ phenomenon started in Sydney in 2007 but has now, two years later, morphed into something even greater. Now every country regardless of nationality is being encouraged to join in and cast awareness to the severe problem concerning global warming. “VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community – a call to stand up and take control of the future of our planet”. With this ‘election’ there are no ballots, but the action of switching your light off is the way your vote is cast. Refer to their website to find out how you can contribute to the survival of our planet daily at www.earthhour.org
It was a pleasing to see the community where I reside, Bothasig, join in on the ‘Earth Hour’ experience between 20.30 and 21.30pm on Saturday 28 March 2009 as enthusiastically as they did. Usually we associate the environmental concern with the wealthy, since the poor are considered to be more concerned about other more demanding struggles they are faced with. This is why it was so satisfying to see my middle-class community step up and do their bit in the fight against global warming.When patrolling the streets before and during the ‘Earth Hour’, I captured everyone’s participation. 

the-old-age-home-before-earth-houra-section-of-the-community-lit-up before 'Earth Hour'

 

the-lit-up-local-7eleven

the-local-engen

 

a-street-minutes-before-830

the-local-highschool-only-one-secuity-light-switched-on

a darkend area in my community

my-street-everyone-has-swithed-off-only-two-street-lights-burning