Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
26 July 2024 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo Supplied
Gaza Panel Discussion 2024
A UFS panel discussion provides a platform for critical debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The University of the Free State (UFS) recently facilitated an important panel discussion addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, organised by the Free State Centre for Human Rights (FSCHR). The event brought together a diverse group of scholars to explore the ethical and political dimensions of universities’ engagement with pressing injustices such as the current crisis in Gaza.

Prof Danie Brand, Director of the FSCHR, opened the discussion by emphasising its significance. “UFS opens the space and takes this very important question forward,” he noted. The panel highlighted the necessity of academic institutions acting as platforms for critical debate, particularly on issues like the Gaza conflict.

Academic and intellectual dialogue

Prof Ulrike Kistner expressed gratitude to the UFS for initiating such dialogues, noting, "The UFS leads in fostering these important conversations." She emphasised the rarity of such discussions at other universities, highlighting UFS's unique role. A key point she raised was the importance of solidarity: “Solidarity entails acting with others because that is what they ask of us. It is a reason-driven rather than relationship-driven political action on others’ terms. Solidarity is a basic commitment to equity. Solidarity is a duty."

The conversation stressed the ethical imperative for universities to take a clear stance against violence and oppression. Prof Kelly Gillespie from the University of the Western Cape articulated this broader mission: "Universities must consider our engagement, not just as individuals, but as a collective guiding institutions towards creating a better world, rather than allowing ongoing inequality and crises to persist."

Prof Noor Nieftagodien, Head of the History Workshop at the University of the Witwatersrand, stated, "With our experience of apartheid, we in South Africa cannot remain silent. As institutions, we are looked to for moral, ethical, and political leadership, both locally and globally. We have a special responsibility to articulate a clear position on global crises, particularly the genocide in Gaza."

The role of universities in addressing global injustices

The discussion also addressed the destruction of educational institutions in Gaza and the killing of Palestinian teachers and academics, urging universities to engage with these injustices.

The panel discussion demonstrated the essential role of universities in addressing global injustice. By facilitating this event, the UFS contributes to the ongoing conversation on Gaza and lays the groundwork for future ethical action and solidarity within the academic community. The insights shared during the discussion resonate with the need for collective academic voices to influence broader societal and political landscapes, ensuring that critical issues are addressed with the urgency and depth they deserve.

View the panel discussion below:

 

News Archive

Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development to deliver prestige lecture at the UFS
2013-10-08

Minister Jeff Radebe, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, will deliver a lecture in the Prestige Series of the Dean in the Faculty of Law at the UFS on Access to Justice.

Thursday 17 October 2013
18:00
CR Swart Auditorium, Bloemfontein Campus
 

Please RSVP before or on Monday 14 October 2013 to Aldi Lombard, +27(0)51 401 2319 or lombarda1@ufs.ac.za.

We kindly refer you to the short CV of Jeffrey Thamsanqa Radebe.

Radebe holds a BIuris degree from the University of Zululand obtained in 1976; LLM in International Law from Leipzig University obtained in 1981. He also studied at the Lenin International School, Moscow, in 1985.

Radebe became a student activist and joined the underground structures of the African National Congress (ANC) during the student uprisings in 1976. He was active in the organisation and was arrested and convicted under the Terrorism Act. He served his jail sentence on Robben Island. After his release in 1990, he held several leadership positions within the ANC and the South African Communist Party.

Following the democratic elections in 1994, Radebe held ministerial positions in the Departments of Public Works, Public Enterprises and Transport. In 2009 Radebe was appointed as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, a position that he currently still holds. Among his many achievements, Radebe received an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters from the Chicago State University in 1996.

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