Call for entries: 2017 China-South Africa Student Dialogue

China Radio International (CRI), Global Max Media Group (GMMG), University of Cape Town’s Faculty of Humanities, and Stellenbosch University’s Confucius Institute is hosting the 2017 “From University to the World” Student Dialogue, with the assistance of Bush Radio and the Asian Students Association of UCT.

This event is scheduled to be held on 1st September 2017 at Cape Town’s One & Only Hotel and it will be live-streamed worldwide and broadcast through all of CRI’s domestic and international frequencies.

The aim of the event is to promote cultural and social exchange between the young adults from China and South Africa. With the steady trend of globalization, it is important for the future leaders of the two nations to build a relationship and have a better understanding of each other’s cultures. As BRICS members, the establishment of friendship should not only be between the two governments, but also between the citizens.

Participants will be selected through online applications and it is open to all university students from China and South Africa.

The application process has begun and received considerable interest. The applicant needs to fill in an application form and email it to Michelle Sheng.

and record a video of themselves giving a speech under the topic “If I were Chinese”. In the case of Chinese students, the topic is “If I were South African”.

Application deadline is 30 July 2017.

After two rounds of preliminary judgments, the top 10 students will receive an invitation to attend the final event. Two students will come directly from China, 3 will be Chinese students studying in South Africa, and 5 will be local students.

The selected students from South Africa will each receive a prize of R2000 and an official certificate of recognition.

The topic for the final event will be: “China & South Africa: Our Interdependent Future”.

For more information contact Michelle Sheng on 0835576136 (WhatsApp only) or via email.

What Joining #FeesMustFall Protest Meant to Me

Bush Radio trainee breakfast presenter Yuzriq Meyer took time after his morning show to join students in the #FeesMustFall protests – more than being moved by what he saw, it was what he felt that had a greater impact, here is his story:

So today i had a first hand experience of what the ‪#‎FeesMustFall‬ protests are like

Being a radio presenter and speaking on matters I have no idea about would prove to be beyond ignorant, so in attempts to better understand the situation, students and the protest I joined in the NON-VIOLENT protest.

First we congregated at CPUT Cape Town Campus and made our way to the city centre and then through to Waterfront to get to Granger bay Campus.

This journey was not a easy one, as police barricaded the entry through the city.Multiple shot gun shots were fired into the sky to scare the students,but to no avail.

The students grew more passionate to get their point across and continue their protest. 100s of shops in the city closed their doors in fear that the students might hurt them or loot their shops.

But these students were not violent,nor were they out to harm anyone. They came to sing struggle songs and knock on the doors of government to request answers and let the them know they are unhappy with the 6% increase

But what television does not show you from the 1000s and 1000s of students protesting, it could easily be only 20 students with clear anger issues or a vandalistic nature or just plain stupid that throw bricks or bottles or kick doors.

This is not even a quarter of the students that are just ignorant and haven’t a cooking clue what a non -violent protest is because they cannot internalise their anger.

And during times when a few seem to get angry or violent 100s of the other students shout at them and said “No this is a peaceful protest,don’t be stupid”

Anyways I walked with the students and if something was clear to me is that these young people were not going to back down until not only government but the world hears their cries for change.

They screamed in the streets “We are the Mandela kids, we are the new generation and we will fight for our rights- Fees Must Fall – Fees Must Fall”

The sheer passion of the students was out of this world.

I may not have been around in the apartheid era in freedom struggle as an active participator, but from my experience of today i may have a better understanding to what it was like to be in the atmosphere of passionate comrades and the feeling of camaraderie in the air.

But only this time every single race was present. Black White & Coloured.

And to all the people sitting at home complaining about violent protesters, my analogy would be imagine 5 kids at a school breaking the toilet door and the principal decides to keep the whole school to pay for a few people’s stupidity, so i urge you to join in so you can see what exactly happens and also understand that those few ignorant people part of the group are not in any way a reflection of these kids and what they stand for.

These kids are saying no to a 6% increase on varsity fees and down with corrupt government that does not answer it’s youth and leaders of tomorrow.

I’ve said it then and i’ll say it again #FeesMustFall

I believe in your fight Comrades.Not just for you but for the future of this beautiful country.

Related: Pics from #FeesMustFall at Parliament (Click here)

A tale of two cities

The state of South Africa cities currently sits on a crossroad of possible futures, articulated in urban design, architecture, design, the arts and social studies. The dichotomies of formal and informal structures circulate and merge with boundaries that extend beyond the physical borders of supposedly defined urban spaces.

In a night of discussion and exhibition dsgnTête-à-Tête, the flagship discussion platform of MoDILA and broadcast in partnership with Bush Radio 89.5FM every Thursday at 2:30 pm, hosts A Tale of [2+1] Cities, where renowned international experts in the fields of architecture and urban studies will debate with the public on their perspectives of local and global future cities.

All designers and creatives are welcome!

The discussion will be followed by an electronic exhibit of works from the Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation, Columbia University, New York entitled Design intelligence Africa and from the University of Cape Town Architecture @ UCT – issues and themes at the Cape Institute for Architecture.

Click here to RSVP

The concept note will be provided subject to RSVP.

For more information contact: communication@modilatrust.co.za

‘MoDILA, Africa’s cradle for design and leadership excellence’

CLICK TO VIEW THE FULL  A Tale of [2+1] Cities POSTER

What are they doing now? – (Foreign interns)

We contacted a few of our former foreign interns to give us an update on what they have been up to after they left Bush Radio. (click on the picture below to see their stories)

If you would like more information on Bush Radio’s Foreign intern programme click here.