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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

Students learn how to prepare for the workplace

2013-10-18

Attending the information session were, from the left: Shelagh Foster and Phiwe Mathe, SRC president of the Bloemfontein Campus.
18October 2013
Photo: Johan Roux

Your First Year of Work: YouTube video

Getting a foot in the door with potential employers is a struggle for the inexperienced, more so for fresh out of school graduates who don't know how to put a CV together, can’t spell or dress properly when meeting employers.

Launching her book Your First Year of Work: A Survival Guide, communications expert Shelagh Foster highlighted these facts and others during an information session on the Bloemfontein Campus. Students who attended gained a wealth of information from her and Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, who shared tips on how to prepare for the workplace and be successful in their job search.

Shelagh explained how a request from a graduate to do an internship at Media Online, where she had formerly worked as editor, made her decide to teach jobseekers the basics of verbal and written communications. She told the audience that the e-mail request from a female student, was littered with mistakes and left her with questions such as "what if she is really smart, has something to offer the company, but just don't know how to send an e-mail?"

Practical advice she gave, include dressing properly for a job interview, knowing who you communicate with when addressing an e-mail, as well as finding out as much as possible about the company you are applying to.

* Your First Year of Work: A Survival Guide addresses the unwritten codes that exist in the workplace that need to be understood by interviewees and new employees battling to get ahead once they've finished with matric or university.

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