Monday, 5 December is International Volunteer Day. This year’s theme is “solidarity through volunteering”, according to the United Nations.

“Rising inequalities throughout the world implore that we need to work together to find common solutions. Volunteers, drawn together by solidarity, develop solutions to urgent development challenges and for the common good,” is says.

“Volunteering is where compassion meets solidarity. Both share the same root values – supporting each other from a position of trust, humility, respect and equality.”

On Monday, 5 December, at 9.30am, the first day of a “Whistleblower Protection Week” event kicked off, hosted by the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa in collaboration with GIBS Business School and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

The event will run until 7 December at GIBS Business School in Illovo, Johannesburg. The keynote address on “Whistleblowing as an Accountability and Anti-Corruption Tool” will be delivered by advocate Kholeka Gcaleka on Monday.

Register here.

On Tuesday, 6 December, at 8.30am, Defend Our Democracy and partner organisations will be holding an “Electoral Reform Online Indaba”, which will involve an assessment of the gains of the electoral reform campaign, and the way forward for 2023.

Speakers include Mudzuli Rakhivhane, Michael Atkins, Ona Matshaya and Neeshan Balton.

Register here.

On Tuesday at 12pm, Daily Maverick will host a webinar on “My Vote Counts: Internal democracy in the ANC and the party’s upcoming elective conference”. Itr will unpack how the ANC practises internal democracy, what “best practice” looks like, and the implications for our democracy.

“The discussion will focus predominantly on the governing party… as well as the fact that the party’s approach to internal democracy has had more far-reaching consequences for the country than in any other party,” according to the event description. 

“However, the other parties that form part of the research will also form part of the conversation, albeit far more briefly.”

The discussion will be led by Maverick Citizen editor Mark Heywood. Speakers include Joel Bregman, a senior researcher at My Vote Counts, and Khanyi Magubane, an independent political analyst. 

Register here.

On Tuesday at 3pm, Rise Mzansi will host a community engagement conversation involving the organiser of the Rise Campaign, Makashule Gana.

The event is an opportunity to be in conversation with members of the Rise Mzansi team and “other citizens who care about a better future for South Africa”.

Register here.

On Tuesday at 5.30pm, the Helen Suzman Foundation will hold the Helen Suzman Memorial Lecture at GIBS Business School in Illovo, Johannesburg.

The keynote address will be delivered by Ivan Pillay, former acting and deputy commissioner of the South African Revenue Service. He will speak on “Rebuilding democratic life and institutions”.

RSVP to [email protected].

On Wednesday, 7 December, at 11am, the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism will host a webinar titled “New pills, new rules: What’s next for ARVs?”

With the development of simpler, better HIV treatment – for adults and children – South Africa now needs new guidelines on how ARVs are used, according to the event description.

The discussion will be moderated by Bhekisisa editor-in-chief Mia Malan. Speakers include Jeremy Nel, a physician and infectious disease expert; Luckyboy Mkhondwane, a prevention and treatment literacy training coordinator at the Treatment Action Campaign; James Nuttall, a paediatrician and paediatric infectious diseases specialist; and Thato Chidarikire, director of HIV prevention programmes at the Department of Health. 

Register here.

On Thursday, 8 December, at 8am, the University of South Africa (Unisa) and partners will host an event in honour of International Anti-Corruption Day. It will run until 9 December.

The event will focus on “The Cost of Failure of Governance and Ethics in the Public Service: Response to the various commissions of inquiry into allegations of corruption and fraud in the public sector including organs of state”.

It will take place at Unisa ZK Matthews and will be streamed here.

On Thursday at 6pm, The Forge will hold a panel discussion on “Organised Abandonment”, presented by Ruth Wilson Gilmore, professor of earth and environmental sciences and director of the Centre for Place, Culture and Politics at the City University of New York Graduate Centre.

The panellists include Yvonne Phyllis, co-director of operations at The Forge; Dr Vashna Jagarnath, director of Pan Africa Today and Friends of the Workers; and Professor Kelly Gillespie from the University of the Western Cape.

The Forge is at 87 De Korte Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg. RSVP to [email protected].

Friday, 9 December is International Anti-Corruption Day.

The 2022 International Anti-Corruption Day is intended to highlight the link between anti-corruption and peace, security and development, according to the UN.

“At its core is the notion that tackling this crime is the right and responsibility of everyone, and that only through cooperation and the involvement of each and every person and institution can we overcome the negative impact of this crime,” it says.

“States, government officials, civil servants, law enforcement officers, media representatives, the private sector, civil society, academia, the public and youth alike all have a role to play in uniting the world against corruption.”

On Friday, 9 December, at 1pm, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group will host a Facebook Live discussion on “Surviving and Thriving this Festive Season”. 

The discussion will touch on issues such as managing mental health, navigating the festive frenzy, medications and treatment adherence, loneliness and finding joy.

“Holiday blues are real feelings of anxiety during the holiday season. There’s shopping, social events and expectations of a good holiday, and these pressures can be stressful,” according to the event description.

Saturday, 10 December is Human Rights Day.

It commemorates the day in 1948 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

The theme for 2022 is “Dignity, Freedom and Justice for All”.

“In the decades since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, human rights have become more recognised and more guaranteed across the globe. It has since served as the foundation for an expanding system of human rights protection that today focuses also on vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and migrants,” according to the UN information page on the event.

“However, the promise of the UDHR, of dignity and equality in rights, has been under a sustained assault in recent years. As the world faces challenges new and ongoing – pandemics, conflicts, exploding inequalities, morally bankrupt global financial system, racism, climate change – the values and rights enshrined in the UDHR provide guideposts for our collective actions that do not leave anyone behind.” DM/MC