Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April July May June August September October November December
Previous Archive
20 September 2023 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Supplied
UFS KovsieCare GBV 2023
KovsiesCare and say no to gender-based violence.

The University of the Free State (UFS) maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy towards gender-based violence (GBV), recognising it as a severe violation of human rights that detrimentally impacts physical, sexual, reproductive, mental, and social well-being on a global scale. Prevalent manifestations of GBV encompass sexual harassment (including unwanted physical contact, sexual remarks, and comments targeting individuals or groups), rape, cyberbullying, stalking, voyeurism, stealthing, femicide, intimate partner violence, and sexual assault.

#KovsiesCare GBV campaign

In response to the pressing demand for increased awareness and proactive measures against GBV across all three UFS campuses, the KovsiesCare campaign was conceived. The primary objective of this initiative is to educate, raise awareness, and equip students with resources to access information concerning GBV and other forms of violence frequently experienced by marginalised student communities, including persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQQIAAPD+ communities, and persons from the diverse gender spectrum.

Gernus Terblanche, the Campaign Lead and Research Assistant at Kovsie Support Services within the Division of Student Affairs, elaborated on the overarching goal of the campaign, stating, "Our mission is to enlighten students about the array of available resources across our campuses and to ensure that they are well-informed about the procedures in place for addressing GBV at the UFS."

To provide valuable insights into the involvement of Support Services offices in combating GBV and violence against marginalised groups, an activation event is scheduled for 22 September 2023. This event will facilitate engagement between students and diverse stakeholders. The KovsiesCare GBV activation is made possible through collaboration with key entities such as the Division of Student Affairs, the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office, the Centre for Universal Access and Disability Support, and the Department of Protection Services.

Join the KovsiesCare GBV activation:

Date: 22 September 2023
Time: 11:00-15:00

Venue: Thakaneng Bridge, Bloemfontein Campus

For additional information, please contact Gernus Terblanche at TerblancheGIDP@ufs.ac.za.

News Archive

Lottery grant will boost public art at UFS
2009-05-25

 
 Public art at the UFS will get a major boost with money made available by the National Lottery Board. Here are Dr Ivan van Rooyen, Director: UFS Marketing, Ms Nontombi Ntakakaze (Artists in School Project) and Mr Ben Botma (Head of Department: Fine Arts) at one of the existing works of art by Edoardo Villa on the Bloemfontein Campus. 
Photo: Leatitia Pienaar.
Emerging and established artists will showcase their work in a comprehensive public sculpture project on the campuses of the University of the Free State (UFS). The aim is to create a greater understanding of cultural differences and promote the UFS vision of a truly multilingual, non-sexist, non-racial campus, says Dr Ivan van Rooyen, Director: UFS Marketing.

The National Lottery Board has approved a grant of R4,125 million in total for three major projects, one of which is the public sculpture project. The others are a Khoe-San Early Learning Centre pilot project in Heidedal, and a boost for the Artists in Schools project, which is already underway.

Dr Van Rooyen says one way of promoting the UFS vision is to create an alternative environment and provide visible, tangible symbols of change and transformation. This will enrich the educational and cultural experience of students and visitors to the campus by stimulating intercultural dialogue and providing a setting for historical dialogue between past and future.

The dream of the UFS is to inspire a sense of ownership of the campus of an open university, worthy of a democratic South Africa. “Therefore, a large-scale project of national significance has been conceptualised, where the development of infrastructure will involve the creation and acquisition of major South African art works for the long-term benefit of all South Africans,” Dr Van Rooyen says.

The public sculpture project will be implemented over the next few years. Artists will be commissioned as funds become available. The UFS will also consult extensively with local and national art museums with experience in the public art field. A wide spectrum of artists, especially artists from the black community, will be used.

Dr Van Rooyen says that many black artists have not had an opportunity to exhibit public sculptures because of prohibitive costs and the project will empower them to develop their skills. The project makes provision for both established and emerging artists to showcase their work.

The aim of the Khoe-San Early Learning Centre pilot project is to compile a curriculum that is sensitive to multiculturalism and multilingualism. The centre will be the first in the country and will respond to the need to promote and revitalise Khoe-San languages. Using arts and crafts and storytelling, as well as literacy, numeracy and life skills, children will learn to adapt to their environment and contribute to our diverse society. This centre will be a collaborative venture between the Heidedal community and the UFS.

Finally, the Artists in Schools project, which has been running successfully since 2004, will also receive a boost from the Lottery funding. Through a series of workshops that the Department of Fine Arts presents at schools, participants develop functional art products with a distinctive Free State character. These products are marketed and sold to benefit the artists, designers and craftspeople.

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@ufs.ac.za
25 May 2009
 

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