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22 September 2021
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Story Michelle Nöthling
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Photo Supplied
Annemarie Le Roux.
“I love working with children.” This is one of the first things Annemarie le Roux mentions when asked to describe herself. This love for children propelled Annemarie into the field of education and she graduated in 2006 with a BEd in Foundation Phase at the UFS. Annemarie immediately immersed herself in the Deaf community, enriching the lives of children at the Thiboloha School for the Deaf in Qwaqwa and the De la Bat School for the Deaf in Worcester.
The academic world enticed Annemarie back to the University of the Free State (UFS) and she was appointed as a junior lecturer in the Department of South African Sign Language (SASL) and Deaf Studies in 2013. Going from strength to strength, Annemarie completed her master’s degree in SASL in 2019, and published an
article earlier this year that she co-wrote with Marga Stander. In this article, they found that SASL “has become an increasingly popular language that hearing university students want to learn as a second language” and subsequently explored different teaching methods used for this emerging group of interested students.
Although now firmly established in academia, Annemarie is still committed to the practical application of SASL. “I am closely involved in student and community engagement through the
SIGNALS Sign Language student association that helps empower the Deaf community and South African Sign Language.” She also interprets for the Deaf community whenever she gets an opportunity, as well as for Deaf students in class and meetings.
On the importance of Sign Language and the recognition of the Deaf community in South Africa, Annemarie believes it will open greater opportunities for development. “More people will be able to learn SASL, and it might even become a subject in school for hearing children.”
Prof Solomon appointed to board of flagship journal of UNECA
2016-10-06
Prof Hussein Solomon, member of the Editorial
Board of the Afro-Arab Social and Economic
Review. He is also the author of Islamic State
and the Coming Global Confrontation.
Photo: Charl Devenish
“I cannot say I worked towards it – I just did my work, and I guess someone noticed.” These are the words of Prof Hussein Solomon from the Department of Political Studies and Governance at the University of the Free State (UFS), who was recently appointed to the Editorial Board of the Afro-Arab Social and Economic Review.
On an editorial board with people he quoted
This is the flagship journal of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). The mandate of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is to promote the economic and social development of the states which are regarded as members of the United Nations (UN). Prof Solomon says the board consists of people that he used to quote when he was a student, and to serve alongside them is a privilege.
Book launched in Greece, Japan, and Indonesia
His book, Islamic State and the Coming Global Confrontation, was earlier published by Palgrave Macmillan in London and launched in Greece, Japan, and Indonesia in June and July 2016 respectively. It analyses the origins and organisational structure of the Islamic State (IS), ans examines its military triumphs and success in securing new recruits via social media.
Exploit of IS vulnerabilities to combat organisation
Prof Solomon says the IS makes use of the winning hearts and mind (WHAM) principle where they earn the trust of residents by providing basic services, and the only solution we have is to “exploit the Islamic State’s vulnerabilities and to highlight their atrocities.”
He mentions that a lot needs to be done to overcome the IS. It is vital to have boots on the ground and an acceptance that countries will splinter. An overarching strategy needs to be in place which allows for regional variations, good governance, and the countering of extremism.