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04 April 2024
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Story Lunga Luthuli
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Photo SUPPLIED
Dr Juliet Kamwendo champions gender-inclusive climate action in Africa. Her expertise at the recently held AFR100 workshop highlighted vital steps towards sustainable and equitable development.
Dr Juliet Kamwendo, Lecturer and Programme Director for Gender Studies in the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies at the University of the Free State, is spearheading efforts to integrate gender considerations into Africa's climate restoration agenda. Reflecting on her involvement, Dr Kamwendo stated, "This is particularly crucial, as women make up almost 50% of the population in Africa, and the depletion and degradation of land affect them disproportionately."
She recently served as a gender expert at the AUDA-NEPAD AFR100 workshop in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from 25 to 29 March 2024. This initiative aims to restore forests and degraded land across Africa by 2030, with a focus on gender equality.
The workshop emphasised the integration of gender perspectives into the AFR100 project, acknowledging the disproportionate impact of land degradation on women. Dr Kamwendo's expertise highlighted the need to empower women in climate change interventions, addressing existing gender inequalities exacerbated by environmental degradation.
“Women – who are primarily responsible for household food security and water provision – bear the brunt of environmental degradation, leading to increased workloads, reduced income opportunities, and heightened vulnerability to climate-related disasters. Furthermore, the loss of forest cover and biodiversity further exacerbates the challenges faced by women, particularly in rural areas where they depend heavily on natural resources for their livelihoods,” added Dr Kamwendo.
Her participation highlights academia's crucial role in fostering inclusive and sustainable development, emphasising interdisciplinary collaboration to tackle complex environmental challenges. Through initiatives such as AFR100, stakeholders are working towards a more resilient and gender-responsive future for Africa.
Odeion: The Fortepiano in the late 18 th century - A lecture recital by John Reid Coulter, Monday, 27 October 2008
2008-10-01
The Fortepiano in the late 18 th century - A lecture recital by John Reid Coulter
Monday, 27 October 2008
Odeion
19:30
with
Deirdré Blignaut ~ soprano
Carmi Nel ~ violin
Piet van Rooyen ~ violoncello
Nicol Viljoen ~ fortepiano
including songs & solos by
W.A. Mozart, F.J. Haydn, C.P.E. Bach
& four Scottish & Irish folk song arrangements
by L. van Beethoven
John Reid Coulter is one South Africa’s leading exponents of historical performance practice. He completed his studies in harpsichord with Jacques Ogg at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. He has taught at the universities of Potchefstroom, Witwatersrand and Pretoria. John has an avid interest in the building of early keyboard instruments and has built a number of harpsichords and a fortepiano. He has performed as soloist and continuo player in The Netherlands, Norway and Germany. His baroque ensemble ‘Banda di Giovanni’ has premiered a number of works in South Africa, the most recent being the cantata ‘Apollo e Dafne’ by G.F. Handel in 2004 and the Serenata à tre ‘Mio cor, povero cor’ by Antonio Vivaldi in May 2007. John is also well known as an adjudicator at music festivals and as a composer has won numerous awards.
Deirdré Blignaut obtained a BA (Languages) degree from the University of the North West in 1988. She graduated cum laude and was awarded Best Student, Faculty of Arts. She began her career as translator at Transnet and later joined the Department of Arts and Culture as terminologist. In 1995 music become her full-time career and field of study. She studied singing with Prof Werner Nel until 2000 and repertoire with the late Anna Bender currently she studies with Eugenie Chopin. In 2002 she obtained a Performer’s Licentiate cum laude and was invited to participate in the Unisa International Bursary Competition. Deirdre is currently she is working towards a MMus (Performing Arts) through the University of Pretoria. She teaches voice at Pro Arte Alphen Park, lectures Methodology of Singing at the University of Pretoria and was recently appointed voice lecturer at the School of Music, North West University.
The fortepiano used in the concert was built by John Reid Coulter in 1986 and is a copy of a Stein fortepiano ca. 1780.
Admission: Free