Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

HUMAN RIGHTS MONTH: Safety is not a privilege, it’s a right

29 March 2023 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Valentino Ndaba

Human Rights UFS news — On 22 March 2023 students gathered on the Bloemfontein Campus for a celebration honouring Human Rights Day.

“As people we have the right to feel safe within the environment in which we live, no matter the circumstances. We cannot walk on the streets being fearful of what might transpire. We have the SAPS which has the constitutional obligation to make sure we feel safe. On campus as students, we also have access to Protection Services, which is tasked with ensuring our safety. It is crucial to understand that we have this section 12 right to safety, because safety is not a privilege, it’s a right,” said Lutho Makhofola during a human rights celebration held on the University of the Free State’s Bloemfontein Campus on 22 March 2023.

Lutho, a fourth year LLB student, is one of many Human Rights ambassadors who are part of the Free State Centre for Human Rights (FSCHR) which hosted the Human Rights Day celebration. The ambassadors led a dialogue with other fellow students under the national theme: ‘Consolidating and Sustaining Human Rights Culture into the Future’. In addition to robust discussions, students also tested their knowledge of the with a quiz before signing a pledge committing themselves to becoming livelong advocates for human rights.

Remembering 1960

Dr Annelie De Man, Coordinator in the Advocacy Division of the FSCHR, said the event was about celebrating the present while reflecting on the past. “The aim is to raise awareness around matters of human rights in celebration of Human Rights Day observed on 21 March.”

Human Rights Day in South Africa commemorates the Sharpeville Massacre which took place on 21 March 1960 where 69 died and 180 were injured when police opened fire on a crowd that had gathered to peacefully protest the pass laws. We now have the opportunity to contemplate on South Africa’s road to democracy, the realisation of change, and the advancement of human rights awareness both in the academic setting and society at large since this significant day in our nation's history unfolded 63 years ago.

Significance for students

According to Limeque Redgard, Student Assistant at the FSCHR and a former Human Rights ambassador, the purpose of the FSCHR Human Rights Day commemorative event was to inform and educate students about their rights, particularly the rights that apply to the university setting, to encourage reflection on those rights and how to exercise them responsibly.

“I believe that such events are important for students because we are in such a diverse space within the university, therefore such events bring us together for a common purpose and allow us to celebrate each other's diversity. Furthermore, the goal is to equip students for the world.”

News Archive

International conference on breaking cycles of the past in societies affected by historical trauma

2012-12-06

28 November 2012

Programme

Photo Gallery

An interdisciplinary group of scholars, experts and practitioners from 24 countries around the world will gather at the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein from 5 - 8 December 2012 for a conference on “Engaging the Other: Breaking Intergenerational Cycles of Repetition.”

The conference intends to open new avenues of inquiry into the trans-generational effects of trauma on communities that have experienced extreme violence.

One of the highlights of the conference is a presentation by Marguerite Barankitse, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, on Thursday 6 December 2012. Marguerite has received several awards and distinctions for her work aimed at transforming the lives of Hutu and Tutsi children affected by war. Among these are the highly prestigious humanitarian prize, the Opus Prize, the UNESCO Prize, and the World's Children's Prize, also known as the ‘Nobel Prize’ for humanitarian work aimed at improving the lives of children and their chances of a better future.

On Saturday 8 December 2012 Prof. Martha Nussbaum, one of the world’s foremost philosophers, will deliver a keynote address on “Reconciliation: The political role of the Arts.” Prof. Nussbaum will receive a D.Litt. degree in the Faculty of Humanities from the UFS on 6 December 2012.

Other guests include Michael Lapsley, survivor of an apartheid bombing, Kimberlyn Leary, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, Dr Jean Decety, Irving B. Harris Professor at the University of Chicago and Dr Katerina Fotopoulou from the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University College in London.

One of the conference events entitled “South Africans speak about the crisis of moral leadership: A public dialogue” will be open to the public and presented in the Centenary Complex on Friday 7 December 2012 from 18:00-19:30. Participants in the public dialogue include some of South Africa’s most thoughtful social commentators and a community activist: Barney Pityana (Professor and Rector, College of Transfiguration); Prince Mashele (Director: Centre for Politics and Research); Pierre de Vos (Professor of Law, University of Cape Town); and Faeza Meyer (Chairperson: Tafelsig Residents Unite).

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept