On Human Rights Day the 21st of March, Community Housewill be celebrating 34 years of activism.
Several activities are planned for the day which starts at 11am. These activities include an exhibition, panel discussions and cultural events.
Bush Radio 89.5FMwill be doing a live broadcast and Cape Town TV will film the day.
The exhibition will showcase the work of the various organisations that are, and have been based at Community House.
The panel discussions will centre on the role of activists and activism in a democracy and Womens Rights.
If you would like to be part of these discussions either as a panelist or audience. Contact Elizabeth Schutter on 0846162687 or elizabeth.schutter@gmail.com
How to get to the venue from Bush Radio
Cultural activities:
Worker plays, choirs, dancing, music, poetry all will have a space.
11am start
Exhibition of memorabilia and info tables in Ashley Kriel Hall, to stay throughout the day.
11:30 am to 1pm
Panel Discussion in Iman Haroon Room
1pm
Lunch break
Cultural items from Sons of South in Ashley Kriel Hall Dance flash mob in courtyard or parking lot
2pm to 3pm
2nd Panel Discussion in Iman Haroon Room AK hall exhibition continues
3 to 5pm
CCC Cultural Programme- Ashley Kriel Hall
5 to 6pm
Supper served
7 for 8pm (till late)
Gumba jol starts in Ashley Kriel Hall
Background to Community House
Community House situated in Salt River, Cape Town is a unique and historic site of living heritage. It has always been known as a site of activism from around the mid 1980s which has shaped and continues to shape the socio-political landscape of its extended communities. The building itself houses NGO’s and Trade Unions as well as a labour and community history museum centered on the Trade Union Library and its archive. It presently houses twenty-four organizations that focus on labour research, popular education, gender advocacy, HIV/AIDS education, environmental issues, youth development, media production and union organization.
In the mid-1980s, anti-apartheid trade unions and civic and service organizations began searching for a new headquarters for their resistance campaign. The Western Province Council of Churches (WPCC) and an NGO, the Social Change Assistance Trust (SCAT) met this need. They purchased a dilapidated auto-workshop in Salt River, an area known for its textile and light metal factories and which marks the origins of industrial unions in the province.
The site was declared a provincial heritage site in 2010.
The media in South Africa commemorates the 41st anniversary of the infamous “Black Wednesday” which happened on the 19 October 1977, The World and Weekend World newspapers and several organisations were banned.
We have come a long way to media freedom in this country. Being Africa’s oldest community radio station project, which at one stage faced the full wrath of the apartheid government, we feel it is our duty and responsibility to promote accurate and fair reporting.
Bush Radio does not have the resources to be a “breaking news” station, but it is our duty to be accurate and give our listeners an opportunity to make up their own minds. This however can only happen if we present all sides of any argument, through good research and having access to role-players like politicians on a local, provincial and national level – this is proving harder and harder as officials simply refuse to comment or respond to questions from our newsroom and producers.
We call on all role-players who have an interest in improving the lives of the people on the Cape Flats to be accessible, especially to community media who truly speak and represent the people of Cape Town. It is only by engaging on the hard questions that we can truly claim to be improving the lives of citizens – and being a platform where people and audience can engage with political and social leaders. Thereby learning, healing and growing this wonderful city.
As a place where many young journalists start in their careers, we call upon our audience to hold us accountable and engage with us around our reporting and broadcasts.
Background on Black Wednesday:
On this day in 1977 in South Africa, then Minister of Justice Jimmy Kruger, banned The World and Weekend World newspapers by stating that these publications were “publishing inflammatory material that threatened the nation’s security” and the paper’s editor Percy Qoboza and other journalists were arrested and jailed.
19 organisations were also banned and apartheid critics were detained.
The organisations banned were BPC, SASO, Black Community Programmes, Black Parents Association, Black Women’s Federation, Border Youth Organisation, Eastern Province Youth Organisation, Medupe Writers Association, Natal Youth Organisation, National Youth Organisation, SASM, Soweto Students Representative Council, Soweto Teachers Action Committee, Transvaal Youth Organisation, Union of Black Journalists, Western Cape Youth Organisation, Zimele Trust Fund, Association for the Educational and Cultural Advancement of African People of South Africa.
Banning orders were also served on Beyers Naude and journalist Donald Woods.
This year the 14th Media Kidocracy (kid+democracy) Konfrence which runs from th 6th to the 10th October 2014, is taking place in a historic year for media in South Africa. Bush Radio is celebrating 21 years since its first illegal broadcast, and 19 years of legal broadcasting. The National Community Radio Forum (NCRF) is also celebrating 21 years of existence, Bush Radio played a pivotal role in the establishment of the NCRF.
As South Africans, we are celebrating 20 years of democracy, as a country we are slowly emerging from a violent apartheid past to a nation celebrating its freedom.
The theme for MKK2014 is “Celebrating 20 years of democracy: learning from the past and celebrating the future.”
One of the foundations of this democracy we have built is freedom of expression.
This right allows everyone, including youth, to express themselves, whether this is verbally, artistically, scientifically or in any other way. However, this right does not come without responsibilities and we need to look at how we use our hard fought for freedom.
Freedom of expression is entrenched in the Media Kidocracy Konfrence as it allows participants to express the issues they raise through their media productions.
* Several of Bush Radio’s programmes will be broadcasting live from the event, these are: The Breakfast Rush (6-9am), The Morning Cruise (9am – 12pm), Sakhisizwe (12 – 2pm) and Everyday People (4 – 7pm).
** MKK2014 takes places at Wortelgat situated on the blanks of the Kleinriver estuary so besides the intensive media programme and discussion sessions participants will also enjoy the picturesque fynbos as well as archery, abseiling, and hiking.
The campaign celebrates 20 years of democracy in South Africa, Shifty’s 30th birthday and the 25th anniversary of the Voëlvry tour.
A number of events are planned for September, culminating in the Shifty Heritage Music Festival on Heritage Day in Johannesburg, featuring many of the label’s legendary artists.
What can you win?
If you pledge your support by buying any Shifty September reward, and enter your name in the Wrong Rock Show give-away, you stand a chance of winning one “The Vinyl Solution” reward, which includes:
• Voëlvry LP [signed by surviving Voëlvryers]
• Repackaged: Bigger than Jesus LP [signed by Warrick Sony]
• Pot-luck of 3 rare original still-in-their-plastic Shifty Records [it’s a surprise]
• 2 tickets to the Shifty Heritage Music Festival
• A thank you with your name on the virtual wall of thanks exhibition + a surprise Shifty gift
• We will verify your pledge with Shifty Records and on 16 September 2014, once the Thundafund campaign is closed, we will draw one name from those entered as the winner of the vinyl goodies.
Tune in! On Monday 1 September 2014 the Wrong Rock Show will be joined by Warrick Sony for a special 2-hour preview of the Shifty compilations to be released as part of the campaign.
They are:
• Shifty & Quirky
• Shifty Blue
• Shifty Love
• Shifty Pop
• Shifty Protests
• Shifty Rocks
Please note:
• If you cannot attend the festival and cannot nominate anyone to receive your tickets, we will draw another name to give your tickets to.
• If you cannot attend the festival and collect your LP’s, you will be asked to pay postage for delivery.
9 August 1995 – Former Programme Co-ordinator; Shamiel X Adams, the late Ralton Praah, former station manager, Farah Moosa (behind the mic) and Adrian Louw (as published in the Cape Times)
As we celebrate the 19th National Women’s Day in South Africa, Africa’s oldest community radio celebrates 19th year of broadcasting legally in a democratic South Africa.
Saturday at 2pm marks the time Bush Radio 89.5FM switched on with a license from the broadcasting authority. The first person on air was volunteer news co-ordinator, Juanita Williams (currently the managing director of AllAfrica Global Media) who read the first news bulletin followed by former station manager, Farah Moosa and a host of guests from various organisations.
Bush Radio89.5FM, in partnership with the Deutsche Welle (DW) Academy, is currently holding a 6-day Community TV and Local News training course (23 – 28 May 2011), for various participants with the aim of strengthening their skills as community television journalists.
The enthusiasm of the trainers, Birgit Keller and Martin Schönian, co-ordinator Christopher Springate and the participants is creating an infectious excitement that can be felt by all at Bush Radio’s studios.
Christopher Springate
Christopher Springate, the course co-ordinator said: “To be specific, we intend to enlighten the participants with their reporting, writing, researching, filming and editing skills.”
Birgit Keller said that as the trainers they are not doing the course to have the participants do things in a certain way, but rather to show them how it works. She also added that they are keen to show the participants how to manage current affairs in order to get ideas on how they can improve.
Birgit Keller
Participants are from various television and radio stations including Bay TV, CTV, Soweto TV, Radio KC, Bush Radio, Community Video Education Trust and the Oguni Solidarity Forum.
Lebogang Kubyane from Soweto TV said: “I am extremely impressed with the course and what it has to offer. The trainers are great people and it is comforting to know that I am able to learn new and interesting things everyday.”
The course started off with a general introduction and ranges from activities like editing vox-pops, writing for television, “on-camera” work and production editing.
Martin Schönian said, “The reason for the course being aimed at community journalists is because they have the responsibility to voice the communities’ opinions more often as opposed to commercial stations. Therefore they need to be highly skilled to do this task.”
Martin Schönian
Birgit Keller gave the final word on the participants and hosts: “I am really impressed with the participants. They are truly bringing forth a great amount of energy and good ideas. I also need to add that it is interesting to be at Bush Radio. The friendly staff and warm welcome which we receive creates a warm and good atmosphere for all.”
On Human Rights Day the 21st of March, Community House will be celebrating 34 years of activism.
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
