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12 June 2024
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Story Zinzi Zumana
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Photo supplied
UFS Lekgotla Men’s Well-being Programme: addiction dialogue encourages empowerment and exchange of ideas.
The University of the Free State (UFS)
Division of Student Affairs hosted a ‘Dialogue on Addiction’ at the Equitas Senate Hall on 20 April 2024 as part of the UFS Lekgotla Men’s Well-being Programme. Led by the esteemed
Ace Moloi, male students’ well-being was addressed by focusing on topics relating to substance abuse, the ‘hookah pipe’, pornography, and digital addiction.
Ogaisitse Diseko, an expert on substance abuse, highlighted the misconceptions and societal impact of substances such as ‘bath salts’. Male students shared personal experiences, emphasising the need for early interventions and community backing to combat addiction.
Prof Noluxolo Gcaza, a Nelson Mandela University Professor specialising in digital wellness, presented on digital well-being, internet safety, and managing screen time. The dialogue concluded with Billy Mogadi sharing his journey from addiction to recovery, underscoring the human toll and the possibility of transformation.
Mogadi’s story resonated deeply, fostering hope and empowerment among attendees. The event highlighted the power of dialogue and support in addressing addiction issues. By promoting genuine interaction and providing the necessary tools, such initiatives contribute to community well-being and development. The UFS Lekgotla Men’s Well-being programme advances its goal of fostering healthier lives through open communication and mutual support.
Ecofeminism a possibe solution to impending famine
2016-05-12
Dr Inge Konik (right) is pictured with her postdoctoral supervisor, Prof Bert Olivier, Senior Research Professor at the Department of Philosophy.
Photo: Valentino Ndaba |
In view of the environmental and social problems faced in South Africa today, researchers such as Dr Inge Konik are hard at work mapping these issues and seeking long-term solutions. Dr Konik, a lecturer in the Department of Journalism, Media and Philosophy at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) shared her views in a presentation on 6 May 2016. She spoke about revaluing indigenous ways of life and subsistence-focused lifeways, linking this to materialist ecological feminism, or ecofeminism for short.
Dr. Konik’s presentation, hosted by the Department of Philosophy at the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS), was entitled: “Transversal reflections on ecological feminism and ubuntu.” The research underpinning the presentation derived from Dr Konik’s doctoral thesis which was supervised by Ariel Salleh (University of Sydney) and Andrea Hurst (NMMU).
Dr Konik’s research suggests that ecofeminism - which is a convergence between environmentalism and feminism - may hold the answers to the question of how we may work against environmental and social injustices. She also proposed that society look back toward subsistence communities of the past, and those currently being marginalized in our industrial societies, and linked the values evidenced in the practices of these communities to the African philosophty of ubuntu. In order to solve complex contemporary challenges Dr Konik suggests that we combine these seemingly disparate theoretical frames - ubuntu and ecofeminism - by applying a transversal approach, which involves openness to dialogue between traditions.
“My focus was on ecological feminism and critical theory and very specifically on South Africa, given the challeges South Africa faces - the environmental and social challenges and what kind of frameworks would be helpful,” said Dr Konik, who will officially become a postdoctoral research fellow at the department as of July 2016.
Prof Pieter Duvenage, Head of the Departement, stated that compelling research outputs are anticipated from Dr Konik as a fellow.