MULTILINGUAL DEBATE TOURNAMENT HOSTED BY FSCHR

A multilingual debate tournament was hosted on the 13^th and 14^th of October by the Free State Centre for Human Rights. The tournament featured a total of 8 teams, 6 residences and 2 teams from the law faculty student association. With the motto "Creating a diplomatic space for multilingualism", the tournament fostered the use of multilingualism by having the debate teams use at least 2 languages that are recognided with the language policy of the University of the Free State, ie, English, IsiZulu, Afrikaans and Sesotho. The teams went head-to-head to compete for the following titles: multilingual debate winning team, best Afrikaans, Sesotho, and Isizulu speaker, and best overall speaker. The tournament featured a performance from an IsiXhosa poet, Mila Nziweni, and speeches on multilingualism from Dr Annelie De Man from the Free State Centre for Human Rights, and Mr Skhululekile Luwaca from the Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice. Karee residence's debate team was crowned the winning team, with one of their speakers, Babalo Faas, being crowned the best overall speaker. Other accolades, ie, the best Afrikaans, Sesotho and IsiZulu speaker, went to Lutho Makhofola, Mathe Sethembile and Mntambo Neo, respectively. Nxumalo Junrio was recognised as the best in code-switching.

KARABO RASHEANE ANNOUNCED AS WINNER OF THE FSCHR HUMAN RIGHTS AMBASSADORS ESSAY COMPETITION

Karabo Rasheane was recently announced as the winner of the FSCHR Human Rights Ambassadors essay competition. The competition was hosted in cooperation with House Wag-'n-Bietjie and the UFS Student Chapter of the Black Lawyers Association. 

The theme of the competition was Public Accountability and the Right to Social Services. Read the winning essay here.

Rasheane hails from Kroonstad in the Free State. She is a first-year student registered for a Bachelor of Social Science majoring in Psychology and Criminology. She states that her inspiration for the essay comes from "observing the erosion of our political discourse and the alarming levels of corruption in society, I felt a strong urge to take action. This led me to write an essay on public accountability, driven by a deep-seated desire to play a part in fostering positive change and promoting transparency in governance".

Her future goals encompass a diverse range of aspirations. She is determined to establish a comprehensive mental health centre, providing support and resources for those in need. Additionally, she envisions creating a nurturing old age home, emphasising the well-being of senior citizens. Furthermore, she holds the ambitious dream of one day becoming the president, driven by her passion for leadership and making impactful changes on a national scale. She finds enjoyment in watching cooking videos, showcasing a curiosity for culinary creativity. On a deeper note, her strong stance against crimes committed against animals underscores her compassionate nature and commitment to the ethical treatment of all living beings.

RELEASE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE 2022 RESEARCH STUDY ON THE SCOPE AND NATURE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN SOUTH AFRICA

Dr Marcel van der Watt,  research fellow at the Free State Centre for Human Rights, in collaboration with key research partners at LASER PULSE, Purdue University, Khulisa Management Services and the University of the Witwatersrand, released the final multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary study on the scope and nature of human trafficking in South Africa. The national Trafficking in Person (TIP) study, Research into the Nature and Scope of Trafficking in Persons in South Africa: Research Report, was conducted between 2020 and early 2022 to provide evidence on the nature and magnitude of TIP in South Africa to policy makers in the government of South Africa and to development partners, implementing partners and service providers. The evidence of this comprehensive study will elevate data into a more prominent role in public-policy debates and amplify South African institutional capacity to participate in and lead this process through partnership with institutions in the United States and engagement with the government of South Africa. Access the full study here.

FSCHR FEATURED ON SABC NEWS' LEIHLO LA SECHABA: HOW FREEDOM ENHANCES HUMAN RIGHTS  

On Monday, 3 April 2023 the Free State Centre for Human Rights was featured on SABC News' programme Leihlo La Sechaba. Freedom cannot be accomplished without rights being observed. As South Africa celebrates 29 years of democracy, the programme highlights the rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and ask what progress has been made. Watch the story here.

FSCHR HUMAN RIGHTS MONTH ACTIVATION

On 22 March 2023, the Free State Centre for Human Rights hosted its annual human rights month activation to raise awareness of human rights amongst the students and staff of the University of the Free State in celebration of South Africa's human rights day (21 March 2023). The event included a human rights quiz, presentations of specific human rights and a pledge siging where students and staff committed themselves to respecting and protecting human rights. 

FSCHR RESEARCH FELLOW RELEASE REPORT ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN SOUTH AFRICA

The United States Agency for International Development and  research partners, including Dr Marcel van der Watt, research fellow at the FSCHR recently released the first report on the scope and nature of human trafficking in South Africa. The report, titled, Research into the nature and scope of trafficking in persons in South Africa: Prevalence insights from the criminal justice system and relevant reporting mechanisms aims to provide evidence on the nature and magnitude of trafficking in persons in South Africa to policy makers in the government of South Africa and to development partners, implementing partners and service providers. The study documented available data and/or lived experiences related to incidents of human trafficking in South Africa that overlapped, connected with, and/or was reported to any aspect of South Africa’s criminal justice system. Read full report and press release.