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UFS Reflection Series webinar: The quality of our democracies under COVID-19

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

Drama Department produces international stars

2011-05-20

Jefferson Dirks-Korkee en Mart Kotze
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

Forbidden desires, secrets, lies and intrigue. Add a few well-known South African actors like Deon Lotz and Robin Smith for interpretation and you get the first Afrikaans South African film ever to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival from 11-22 May 2011.

It is all very well, but where does the University of the Free State (UFS) fit into the picture?

Jefferson Dirks-Korkee and Mart Kotze, two of our drama students – Jefferson being an Honours student and Mart a master’s student – each scored a small role in the film Skoonheid, when director Oliver Hermanus sent a team to Bloemfontein for auditions.

Skoonheid is the first Afrikaans South African film that has been nominated for a Cannes award. “Robert de Niro is the president of the panel of adjudicators,” says an excited Jefferson, who plays in a silent scene in the film. He and Mart, who plays a cashier, are very pleased with the opportunity to appear in this production.

Although it is the first time that Jefferson appears in front of the cameras, he has already participated in a few stage productions like Jonas and Boermanie. Mart also featured in Boermanie and Tailor Made.

They invite everyone to their performances at this year’s Vryfees in July. In Piet se tante Jefferson will debut as Windvoël and Mart will play as Lucia-Anne in Die kaskenades van Kees Kieswetter.

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