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18 April 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin

The Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice IRSJ) has initiated a Social Justice Week at the University of the Free State (UFS), which started on Friday 12 April  until Wednesday 17 April 2019. 

Ten key events took place during the week. It ranged from dialogues, workshops, talk shows, debates, and interactive displays and events on issues of multilingualism and diversity, social innovation, engaged scholarship, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, gender sensitisation, sexual consent, sexual preparedness, universal access, disability, anti-discrimination, and security.

There was also a round-table discussion on 17 April 2019 with various UFS stakeholders on off-campus student security as well as an inter-institutional discussion on the same topic. The UFS Debating Society will take on the topic of the UFS Language Policy, while Olga Barends from the Free State Centre for Human Rights will host a dialogue on sexual consent.

The IRSJ has also designed and implemented SOJO-VATION: Social Innovation/ Social Change, which strives to create a foundational platform where ideas of social justice, innovation, and engaged scholarship at the UFS and in society can be hosted. SOJO-VATION partners with the Office for Student Leadership, Development, and Community Engagement.

The collaborating partners for the Social Justice Week includes various UFS stakeholders such as the Sasol library, the Gender and Sexual Equity Office, UFS Protection Services, the Free State Centre for Human Rights, the Student Representative Council (SRC), the Office for Student Leadership Development, Kovsie Innovation, GALA, the FFree State Centre for Human Rights, SRC Associations, the Office for Student Governance, Kovsie Innovate, Start-Up-Grind, EVC, EBL, Community Engagement, the Institutional Transformation Plan (ITP) Dialogues Office, Residence Dialogues, UFS Debating Society, Debate Afrika!, the Center for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS), and the Gateway Office. 

News Archive

Beauty from UFS a national Miss Earth finalist
2016-08-19

Description: Elnè van Coller Tags: Elnè van Coller

Elnè van Coller, final-year
Occupational Therapy student at
the University of the Free State
was selected as a national
finalist in Miss Earth South Africa
(SA) leadership programme on
1 August 2016.
Photo: Miss Earth SA

“Greening my community and touching lives is my purpose in life. We were put on this beautiful Earth to serve others and make a difference in the world.”

This is what Elnè van Coller, final-year Occupational Therapy student at the University of the Free State, had to say after being selected as a national finalist in Miss Earth South Africa (SA) leadership programme.

She has set out to be the change. Not only does she want to see change in her own community but in the rest of the world. The reason she entered the Miss Earth SA programme is to inspire others.

Leadership programme to inspire others

The Miss Earth SA is a leadership programme which aims at empowering young South African women with the knowledge and platform to create a sustainable difference. It helps create awareness of sustainable development, the environment, wildlife, and the conservation of the natural legacy.

 “Miss Earth SA is an amazing platform for me to develop leadership skills, raise awareness, and be actively involved in environmental affairs as well as serving the community,” said Elnè.

Getting the community involved is important

The theme for this year’s Miss Earth SA programme is Waste Stops With ME, so clean-ups are a major part of the programme. Elnè started a Facebook page, Team Up-To-Clean-Up Bloemfontein. “This page is to share environmental facts, inform the people of Bloemfontein about the clean-ups, as well as get them involved”.

The Miss Earth SA gala week will take place in Johannesburg from 5 – 9 September 2016 when the Miss Earth SA 2016 will be announced.

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