One of the rights I most cherish as an individual (besides the right to life, the right to food, shelter and security as well as freedom of speech) is freedom of movement and residence.
This right is very important to me as an individual as well as a future Journalist because I cannot imagine living in a world where I (as an adult) would be prohibited from going where I please. The reason this right is so important to me is a very basic one, all animals born into this world were meant to enjoy its beauty and vastness with no boundaries and limits, including us human beings. Well at least before we (the ‘oh so ahead of time’ species God created after everything else) started creating boundaries and creating ideas of private ownership of little pieces of this beautiful gift granted to us by its creator.
Many people aren’t lucky enough to enjoy the freedom some of us are fortunate enough to be living, for example: Aung San Suu Kyi is a very powerful, well educated and politically active Burmese woman who has faced harsh treatments from the Burmese government for wanting a more democratic system of governance in her country, for the good of all its citizens. She was placed under house arrest in 1989 -a year after I was born, and was offered freedom only if she left her country, I don’t know about you but I don’t think the Burmese government truly understood the meaning of Freedom. How can you tell me I’m free if I cannot enjoy that freedom wherever I want to be in the world, including my home country?
Human Rights Day for me, as an individual as well as a student here on Rhodes University’s campus means that we spend a week reading texts , listening to talks from prominent speakers as well as people who have experience in this area of our country’s Constitution and many other events. This is all meant to spark a question in our minds about our own Human Rights, how aware of them we are as well as how aware of those who have had their rights unjustifiably violated.
So think about your rights, starting from today and work to improve your knowledge. One right a day keeps (the need for) a lawyer away.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Eugene Terre Blance Review
Based on the recent events around South Africa’s current and former political leaders. Eugene Terre Blanche’s death and his ‘legacy’ was clouded by the ANC and their internal matters of discipline.
This former AWB leader, Terre Blanche who was well known for his endorsement of the Apartheid regime as a successful form of leadership for this country. He like the current Malema, had overt forms of bias for his preferred father land’s population’s demographics (White Afrikaaners).
The idea that one (Terre Blanche) was set in their unequal and unrealistic ways for so many years and accumulated so many followers and believers leaves one with a bit of a bitter taste in the mouth, and this is because of a simple yet fundamental sense of a lack of Ubuntu.
An advocator of ideologies which serve to promote segregation and perpetuate the deeply embedded racist history of this country serves as an unfortunate injustice to the 16 years of progressive democracy and to humanity as a whole.
The importnace behind the meaning of the African proverb ‘Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu' (a person is a person through other people) is not at play when it comes to a handful of South Africa’s leadership.
Although besides his questionable idelogies it appears that he had a side to him which was likened to normal humane behaviour; A father’s love for his daughter and this drive to create a safe and sound environment for them to grow in is a universal feeling to ALL men it seems.
Dennis Beckett’s interview with this man was both insightful and affirming to my previous opinions.
What I have taken away from this article is a little bit more than I knew before about why it is people do what they do, Rest In Peace Eugene Terre Blanche with both good and bad memories.
This former AWB leader, Terre Blanche who was well known for his endorsement of the Apartheid regime as a successful form of leadership for this country. He like the current Malema, had overt forms of bias for his preferred father land’s population’s demographics (White Afrikaaners).
The idea that one (Terre Blanche) was set in their unequal and unrealistic ways for so many years and accumulated so many followers and believers leaves one with a bit of a bitter taste in the mouth, and this is because of a simple yet fundamental sense of a lack of Ubuntu.
An advocator of ideologies which serve to promote segregation and perpetuate the deeply embedded racist history of this country serves as an unfortunate injustice to the 16 years of progressive democracy and to humanity as a whole.
The importnace behind the meaning of the African proverb ‘Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu' (a person is a person through other people) is not at play when it comes to a handful of South Africa’s leadership.
Although besides his questionable idelogies it appears that he had a side to him which was likened to normal humane behaviour; A father’s love for his daughter and this drive to create a safe and sound environment for them to grow in is a universal feeling to ALL men it seems.
Dennis Beckett’s interview with this man was both insightful and affirming to my previous opinions.
What I have taken away from this article is a little bit more than I knew before about why it is people do what they do, Rest In Peace Eugene Terre Blanche with both good and bad memories.
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