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13 July 2023 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Supplied
UFS African Reparation
The University of the Free State Africa Reparations Hub (UFSARH) aims to anchor the African reparations agenda through scholarship and advocacy.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is set to launch an Africa Reparations Hub, which will serve as a hub for Pan-African-led reparations scholarship, policy, and advocacy. The University of the Free State Africa Reparations Hub (UFSARH) will be housed within the UFS Faculty of Law.

“The UFSARH vision is to be an international academic forum to institutionalise, promote and advance the Africa reparations agenda,” says Khanya Motshabi, UFSARH Strategic Lead. “Its mission anchors the Africa reparations agenda through research, scholarship, and advocacy. The hub is underpinned by the values and principles of excellence, ubuntu, social justice, African-centredness, and Pan-African epistemological grounding of all its initiatives, operations, activities, and undertakings.”

As a Pan-African centre, the hub will work at national, regional, and international levels, and resolves to conduct research, offer education, develop policies, and advocate for reparations via a UFSARH Panel of Experts on Africa Reparations. It will have three key facets: a database on Africans for Africa, which will serve as a repository for resources and an information archive; it will serve as home to the expert group on Africa reparations; and anchor a research group on the subject.

Convened by Dr Catherine Namakula, the hub will be established under the auspices of the Faculty of Law and the Department of Public Law, and would be accountable to an advisory board led by Prof Serges Kamga, Dean of the Faculty of Law, and Prof Shaun De Freitas, Head of the Department of Public Law.


Addressing the wrongs of the past

As a home for a repository of all resources on Africa reparations, the UFSARH aims to support the pursuit of justice for historical injustices such as enslavement, apartheid, colonialism, neo-colonialism, and economic exploitation and extortion. In addition, the UFSARH’s contribution to global equality and social justice aligns with the UFS’s Vision 130 strategic plan.

The UFSARH aims to unify and strengthen the fragmented African reparations narrative by serving as a prominent legal, academic, and transdisciplinary forum.

“The hub would also anchor and reinforce the Africa Reparations Agenda of the African Union. It shall bolster the increased awareness and activism of African government, non-government, civil society, and individual actors through grounding relevant political, diplomatic, normative, and academic activities and initiatives,” says Dr Shelton Makore, UFSARH Technical Lead.

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Board of Directors of the International Institute for Development and Ethics
2006-03-17

During the recent meeting of the Board of Directors of the International Institute for Development and Ethics (IIDE), office bearers were elected and approval was granted for its conversion into a Section 21 Company.  The IIDE specialises in the studying and research of general questions of developmental theory and practices and provides services and support in education, strategic planning, policy formulation, advocacy and capacity building of development agencies.  The office of the IIDE in Africa is situated on the Main Campus of the UFS in Bloemfontein.  The UFS is a funder of the IIDE together with the Paul Foundation and private sponsors from the Netherlands.

 

The IIDE in Africa's Board of Directors are from the left Mr Willem Ellis (newly elected executive officer of the IIDE) and Prof Annette Combrink (Deputy Chairperson of the IIDE in Africa and Rector of the North West University's campus in Potchefstroom). At the back from the left are Prof Lucius Botes (Director: Centre for Development Support at the UFS), Rev Kiepie Jaftha (Chairperson of the IIDE in Africa and Chief Director:  Community Service at the UFS), Prof Sytse Strijbos (IIDE Europe and affiliated to the University of Amsterdam),  Dr Amon Kasambala (Director: Focus on the Family, Africa) and Rev Tshililo Liphadzi (Reformed Church    Chiawelo in Soweto).

Photo: Lacea Loader

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