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28 February 2019 | Story Leonie Bolleurs
Student Affairs Dialogue
Long-term goals of the Dialogues Programme are to have students trained as strategic facilitators who can facilitate dialogue. Pictured here with students is Shawn Stützner.

A word can start a war, it is said; but it could also build peace. The Student Affairs Dialogue Programme at the University of the Free State aims to create a framework for peacebuilding dialogue between students – both on and off campus. This project relates to Social Inclusion, Social Cohesion, and Critical Diversity as part of the larger UFS Integrated Transformation Plan (ITP). “We deeply care about and commit ourselves to create a campus climate that is socially just,” explains Shawn Stützner from the UFS Dialogue Programme.

Movement on a mission

The long-term goals of the Dialogues Programme are to have students trained as strategic facilitators who can facilitate dialogue. The vigorous training that these facilitators go through, also gives them incredible graduate skills, Stützner explains. For example, critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, communication skills, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, peacebuilding and conflict analysis. Such skills will not only benefit the students and their workplace, but also the community in which they serve.

Training to take the lead

“Currently, we are in the middle of our training process of about 25 strategic facilitators, and the participation has remained consistent. Our students are eager to be part of meaningful and engaging projects. This pilot project is aligned with the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice, exposing students to practical opportunities as part of their training,” says Stützner.

 

Through this dialogue initiative, the team hopes to eradicate all forms of unearned power and privilege, internalised oppression, internalised domination, and discrimination.

Get involved

“We encourage students to look out for the advertising of the Campus-Wide Dialogues, and for all to participate,” Stützner urges. “We will be having a build-up to the Campus-Wide Dialogues Day, with interaction in demarcated areas on campus culminating toward the Campus-Wide Dialogue in the Centenary Hall. With this first dialogue session, we also hope to close the gap between the co-curricular activities of residence students and off-campus students.”

News Archive

Kovsie TV Launched
2015-05-06

Victor Ngubeni, Grace Thoabala, Nangamso Dlatu, Aisha Poswa, Lesego Maakamedi, Nothando Hlope, Aldene vd Merwe and Lawrence Siyoko

“We have to change our university before we can change our country.”

 

There is a revolution at hand, and students are requesting new and exciting platforms on which they can voice themselves. Kovsie TV aims to do just that for Kovsie students. 

 

As a student initiative, the steam behind it is SRC Student Development and Environmental Affairs, Victor Ngubeni. He says that it is only right that it be by the students themselves. The launch saw many from the campus community gathered out of curiosity and excitement for the new venture. The evening started out as quite a classy frenzy, which had attendees clearly prepared for the level of broadcasting that the launch would showcase.

 

The initial idea is to increase the number of platforms where students can receive information. The Student Media portfolio, which oversees the functioning of student media platforms, aims to make Kovsie TV as autonomous as possible. As an introductory initiative, it will aid in the sharing and telling of students’ stories.

 

It is important to mention the preparation process that was endured by the many hopefuls who auditioned, hoping to make it as one of the Kovsie TV presenters. For more than three weeks, the panel of judges sieved through the contestants until they had just six rough diamonds. Then, for the first time, the audience met the faces that they would become familiar with from this point.

 

As Ngubeni stressed during his speech, Kovsie TV would not serve as propaganda machine for the SRC, as many might have asked about the relationship that could be expected between the two. The architects of Kovsie TV hope that, as a student initiative, it will inspire a new era in student activism.

 

When asked about the concept behind this new platform, Ngubeni informed us that, “the concept is to have a twenty-minute campus TV show highlighting what goes on around campus so that students know, and so that we can get them participating in campus life activities.”

 

This is a student initiative whose future will depend solely on the students themselves.

 

Presenters:

Nangamso Dlathu – Studio presenter

Grace Thoabala – Studio presenter

Lesego Maakamedi – Social events

Nothando Hlophe – Current affairs

Aldine van der Merwe – Culture events and Vox-Pop

Mbulelo Siyoko – Culture and Vox-Pop

Aisha Phoswa ? Sports

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