how to speak and write postmodern

http://www.newyorkartworld.com/commentary/SpeakAndWritePostmodern.html

Tate Modern displays 'African Art'

http://mg.co.za/article/2011-09-11-african-art-in-the-modern-terrain/


'Opara is reasserting the importance of African systems of belief, setting straight misrepresentations spread by rival religions. '
Is this just another battle for who gets to represent 'African systems of belief', or a true attempt to 'challenge and subvert the way in which cultural narratives are constructed'?

Stop Secrecy Week

Students Against Secrecy, a coalition of student organizations have put together a week of action to raise awareness about and activism against the Protection of Information Bill. Through a series of discussions, debates and campus displays we seek to provide a platform to engage UCT students in this vital question, which is at the very heart of our continent’s most vibrant democracy.

---------

MONDAY 1PM - Business on Secrecy...: Why Information is the Lifeblood of the Economy - Viola Manuel (Executive Director of the Cape Chamber of Commerce) - Leslie Social 2B

TUESDAY 1PM: The Secrecy Bill: An Introduction - Nkwame Cedile and Murray Hunter of Right2Know explain why the Protection of Information Bill still fails the freedom test. - Arts 100

TUESDAY 6PM - A Case Study: Uncovering and Reporting on the Arms Deal - Paul Hoffman (Director of the Institute for Accountability in Southern Africa), Christi van der Westhueyzen (award-winning journalist author of White Power & the Rise and Fall of the National Party) and Hennie van Vuuren (head of the Institute for Security Studies) - Beatie 115

WEDNESDAY 1PM - Academics on Freedom - Dr. Max Price (UCT Vice-Chancellor) and Professor David Benatar (Head of the UCT Department of Philosophy) - Leslie Social 2B

THURSDAY 5.30PM - The Great Debate - Chair: Judge Dennis Davis. Panel: Martin Welz (Editor of Noseweek), Fatima Hassan (Co-Director of Ndifuna Ukwazi [Dare to Know]), Dario Milo (Senior Partner at Webber Wentzel) and Dennis Dlomo (Special Adviser to the Minister of State Security) - Jameson Hall. NB: Tickets must be collected from the SRC Office, Level 7, Steve Biko Building from Monday

SATURDAY 10AM - Right2Know March to Parliament from Kaizersgracht Street

ALL WEEK: Sign our petition on Jammie Plaza

----------

Important problems with the bill that have still not been resolved:

1) The lack of a ‘public interest defence’: the bill criminalizes whistleblowers and journalists who release classified information in the public interest. Penalties include prison sentences of up to a maximum of 25 years.

2) Exemption of state intelligence services from scrutiny: Clause 43 of the POIB hands down 15 year prison sentence for possessing or sharing any information relating in any way to any aspect of the security services-effectively protecting spies from any kind of accountability to the public.

3) The lack of an independent body to review what can and cannot be classified: the decision to
appoint a retired judge to review the criteria for classification was reversed

4) The bill criminalizes the “exposure of economic, scientific or technological secrets” potentially undermining vital academic freedoms

5) No indication of the financial implications to the state are stipulated in the bill

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=246063795428825

blogging sex work

This is a blog written by a Kenyan prostitute has weathered many accusations of fraud and won an award or two too. Sue is an articulate, honest, unapologetic and expressive writer who demands no pity from her readers.

www.nairobinights.info

An example of technology giving voice to the 'voiceless' and 'marginalised'? Implications for anthropology?

Writing Africa... a guideline

http://www.granta.com/Magazine/92/How-to-Write-about-Africa/Page-1

what we're hoping for...

http://antpub.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/sorry-i-dont-speak-anthropologist/

Summit for Equal Education

Last week I participated in the Equal Education Summit for quality education which was held at UCT for three days. Teachers, Learners, NGO representatives and others interested in South Africa's education gathered to discuss the current state of education in the country. Most of the learners and teachers were from previously disadvantaged schools and spoke out about the enormous inequalities that continue to seep into every aspect of their education. Absenteeism, lack of basic resources,inadequate teaching, extremely high failure rates, lack of parental interest were some of the issues that were spoken about. The three day long summit was an important space for talking about these issues and encouraging people to join in on a potentially powerful social movement towards quality education for all South Africans. It was agreed upon that deep and persistent inequalities and inadequacies in South African education were not visible enough and it was about time that it became a visible and vocal social movement, that would equal that of country wide health campaigns such the fight against HIV/AIDS. I became aware of how much opportunity these deep seated and systemic issues hold for important and urgent anthropological research. Much of the data presented at the conference was statistically based but the small group discussions where learners, teachers, principles and other interested stakeholders were encouraged to speak about their education experience opened up interesting avenues for ethnographic research. One of the biggest concerns in many of these discussions, was getting learners to see value in their education, to see it as a road to a life beyond the one in which they were living. The learners who were there spoke about how the label 'previously disadvantaged' although which often (if they were provided with adequate information) carried financial currency with it, was demeaning and debilitating. The teachers spoke about how the students were their own enemies (in a kind of black consciousness rhetoric) and that it was time to take action into their own hands and find a new approach to their lives, without living in the shadow of apartheid. New models for education were also discussed, which acknowledged the need for South African's to move past the idealised, yet ideologically outdated vision of the Model C school. The Eastern Cape, is currently facing some  of the biggest issues in the education system and there was a call for researchers to investigate learners attitudes to their schools and find out what could be done beyond a purely economic approach, to encourage learners to be interested in their education and to foster a 'reading culture'. There was also a call for people interested in and trained in documentary film making to help publicize EEs campaign and document school going narratives... Any willing anthropologists?

For more details:
http://www.capetimes.co.za/glaring-inequality-in-city-schools-1.1089207

http://www.equaleducation.org.za/