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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

Internet Broadcast Project wins international award

2014-05-05

The Enterprise Video Awards (EVA) named Kovsies’ Internet Broadcast Project (IBP) the winner of the Innovation in Pedagogy category. During a glitzy ceremony on 28 April 2014 in Madison, USA, Edward Musgrave, Deputy Director of the ICTISE Division, took to the stage to receive the award.

The IBP makes use of the best teachers in the Free State to broadcast lessons on more than ten subjects to school learners who do not have access to quality education. And it is not only the learners who benefit. Their teachers receive invaluable training in the process as well.

This remarkable programme provided the judges with plentiful evidence to be named the winner. The IBP team had to come up with highly innovative solutions to overcome the costs of local bandwidth constraints. The result? High definition videos being streamed in real time across a 1Meg line. Simultaneously to 70 centres across the Free State. Added to that is the fact that multiple images are broadcast as one, reaching 43 000 learners and 1 250 teachers per week. To top it all, the broadcast is interactive – the learners can ask questions directly to the teacher during the lesson.

All of this at no cost to the schools.

“It is remarkable for a South African university to receive this international recognition,” said Sarietjie Musgrave, heading up the ICTISE programme at the South Campus. “It raises awareness, not only for the work we do, but also the community work the university does,” she said.

And now the Free State has the highest pass rate of matriculants in South Africa.

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