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04 August 2020 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath

Apart from its devastating impact on people’s lives and livelihoods, the COVID-19 pandemic has also affected the nature and quality of our democracies – democracy read in its widest sense here as collective and individual self-determination. Formal, institutional democracy has beencurtailed through the imposition of states of emergency or disaster and the logistical difficulties associated with social distancing. Extra-institutional democratic work, such as protest and social-movement activity, has suffered from prohibitions imposed by law and through state suppression related to ‘lockdown’. The nature (and perhaps democratic quality) of public conversation has changed – for better or worse – from increasing reliance on ‘science’ and ‘scientists’ to justify public choices. The crisis has brought to the fore already existing characteristics of our democracies, such as the prevalence and power of special-interest bargaining, the extreme inequality of our societies, and chauvinist nationalisms that force us to ask whether we have ever had democracy at all. What will be the long-term effects of these impacts of the crisis on our democracies? What will democracy look like post-COVID? What does the crisis teach us about what our democracies have always been?

Join us for a discussion of these and other democracy-related issues in these troubled times by a panel of four hailing from Colombia, India, South Africa, and the USA.

Date: Thursday, 13 August
Time: 14:00-16:00 (South African Standard Time – GMT +2)

 

Please RSVP to Mamello Serasengwe at serasengwemsm@ufs.ac.za no later than 12 August 2020 upon which you will receive a Skype for Business meeting invite and link to access the webinar

Panel

Prof Natalia Angel Cabo (University of Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia)

Dr Quaraysha Ismail-Sooliman (University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa)

Dr Usha Ramanathan  Independent Law Researcher  (Delhi, India)

Prof Katie Young (Boston College, Boston, USA) 

Moderator

Prof Danie Brand (Free State Centre for Human Rights, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa)   




News Archive

Reitz residents given time until 30 July 2008 to evacuate residence
2008-06-06

The Acting Rector of the University of the Free State (UFS), Prof. Teuns Verschoor, today informed the UFS Council about his decision to close the Reitz Residence.

Council requested management today during its quarterly meeting to take any reasonable steps to minimise the inconvenience of the residents who are affected by the closing of the residence. This includes the finding of alternative accommodation and their academic work.

The residents have been requested to evacuate their rooms no later than the day following the last day of the second examination opportunity of the first semester, namely 30 July 2008.

Although the residence will therefore close on 20 June 2008, the UFS has given residents the opportunity to evacuate the residence up and until 30 July 2008.

According to Prof. Teuns Verschoor,  the decision was made in consideration of suggestions by the Council, Student Representative Council, primes of residences, other stakeholders, the parents of residents as well as the first-year students in the residence. .

The special committee appointed to assist residents with finding new accommodation requested the residence head to provide it with the names of students who are in need of accommodation. The committee has already found alternative accommodation for students on campus as well as within walking distance from the campus and will approach these students with suggestions.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
6 June 2008

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