World Humanitarian Day 2023 is celebrated on 19 August. This year, the World Humanitarian Day campaign brings together the global humanitarian community to mark the 20th anniversary of the attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, and to show our unwavering commitment to deliver for the communities we serve, no matter who, no matter where and #NoMatterWhat. “Humanitarians have no other purpose than to save and protect lives and deliver the basic necessities of life, they stand shoulder to shoulder with the communities they serve and bring hope.On 19 August, we come together to honour humanitarians around the world who strive to meet ever-growing global needs. No matter the danger or the hardship, humanitarians venture deep into disaster-stricken regions and on the front lines of conflict, and protect people in need,” the United Nations brief reads.

On Wednesday, 16 August 11 years will have passed since the Marikana Massacre happened. On 16 August 2012, the South African Police Service (SAPS) opened fire on a crowd of striking mine workers at Marikana, in the North West Province.  The police killed 34 mineworkers and left 78 seriously injured. Following the open-fire assault, 250 of the miners were arrested.

Other events this week

On Tuesday, 15 August from 10 am – 11 am, the Dullah Omar Institute in collaboration with the Open Society Foundation are hosting a webinar to answer the question “What is Data Telling Us About Crime?” 

Ahead of the scheduled release by the South African Police Service (SAPS) of the latest Quarterly Crime data, Dr Jean Redpath takes a look at what we can learn from previous quarterly and annual data about the drivers of violent crime in South Africa, primarily through the indicator of murder. She will look at what the data suggests about demographic profiles and crime, the interaction of unemployment and crime, and the short and long-term impact of intermittent restrictions on alcohol during lockdown. More recently, whether there is any suggestion in the data of an observable impact of load shedding, of changes in allocations to police stations, and of increases in deployment of the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) in the Western Cape.

Facilitator Prof Lukas Muntingh (ACJR) Speaker Dr Jean Redpath

Register here.

From 16 August – 30 August, The Feast of the Clowns festival commences. This is a community-based festival, a celebration of the city, its diversity, and God’s presence in the city — run by the community and for the community. This celebration provides an awareness-raising platform for various social justice issues, and a peaceful playful protest, reclaiming the city as a larger community transformation process towards healthy communities and spaces. For more information on this year’s Feast of the Clowns.

Please have a look at their Events page or contact [email protected] 

On Wednesday, 16 August from 5pm – 7pm (CAT) African Climate Alliance is hosting Session Four of Africa’s Youth Voices — “It’s time for Africa to claim the narrative!”

“Last year, ahead of COP27, youth came together for an online conference series intended to foster collaboration, build solidarity, and develop joint messages from youth living in Africa.

This year, join us ahead of the Global Climate Strike and COP28, as we come together to further those alliances, strengthen existing messages and create new ones, and through advocacy and action take control of the climate justice narrative with Africa’s realities at the centre. Join us for #AfricasYouthVoices2023. We have already hosted three of this year’s sessions, but it’s not too late to join in for the remaining sessions. We invite you to make your voice heard and actively participate in this online conference series. Each session will be two hours long, include translation rooms, and the opportunity to engage with fellow climate activists from different African countries.” 

Register here 

For any questions, email us at [email protected]

On Thursday, 17 August from 10:30 am to 12 pm (GMT+) The Hanns Seidel Foundation, together with the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office invites you to an online seminar entitled Too Soon Forgotten – What has happened with the recommendations of the Zondo Commission?

“After four years, 300 witnesses, and almost R1-billion in expenditure, the Commission of Enquiry into State Capture delivered its report in June 2022. It contained some 350 recommendations, ranging from suggested criminal prosecutions to reform of the state procurement system and improvements to Parliament’s oversight procedures. Just over a year later, how many of these recommendations have been implemented? In particular, what has Parliament done to apply the findings of the Commission so as to ensure that state capture does not happen again.” 

Speakers will include researchers Advocate Gary Pienaar, Sabelo Ndlovu and Steve Stewart. Register here.

On Thursday 17 August from 4pm to 6 pm, The Equal Education Law Centre is hosting the 2nd Arthur Chaskalson lecture, titled “Decolonising the law through activist lawyering”. The lecture will be hosted at Belmont Square, 21 Belmont Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town. Contact (021) 461 1421 or [email protected] for more information.

On Thursday, 17 August from 9 am, the Centre for Social Justice at Stellenbosch University is hosting an Expert Roundtable on Social Justice and the Constitution. Speakers will include Prof Thuli Madonsela, Justice Albie Sachs and Dennis Davis.

Venue: Bertha Retreat Boschendal

Contact person: M Lourens – [email protected], Tel: 021 808 3182

On 17 August 2023 at 5.30pm, in celebration of Women’s Month, the Wits Faculty of Health Sciences and the School of Clinical Medicine will host an inspiring guest lecture at the Marie Curie Lecture Theatre by Nobel Laureate Dr Denis Mukwege.

Guest Lecture: Dr Denis Mukwege, world-renowned Congolese gynaecologist, human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate from east Congo.

Dr Denis Mukwege is a world-renowned gynaecologist, human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate from east Congo. He has become the world’s leading specialist in the treatment of wartime sexual violence and a global campaigner against the use of rape as a weapon of war. Dr Denis Mukwege founded Panzi Hospital and Foundation. The team developed a particularly effective, holistic model of healing and has treated more than 50,000 victims of sexual violence. 

The lecture aims to discuss the unique value provided by women and the challenges they face, as we celebrate Women’s Month. Register here 

From 1 August – 30 2023, Artscape in Cape Town will be hosting the Artscape Women’s Humanity Festival 2023. This is part of the month-long thought-provoking and entertaining festival aimed at “Celebrating, Empowering, Supporting the Women of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”.

To look forward to a future of hope for young women, it is vital to look back at some of the women on whose shoulders they stand. The theme of this year’s Artscape’s Women’s Humanity Festival is “Milestones: Celebrating, Supporting and Empowering Women of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” the Festival overview states.

As part of the festival, from 14 – 19 August, MVG Productions will stage He Had it Coming by Mike van Graan, performed by Kim Blanche Adonis. Book at Box Office or Computicket.

For more information contact [email protected] or [email protected] 

On Sunday, 20 August from 1 – 5 pm, the United Democratic Front (UDF) celebrating its 40-Year National Anniversary Celebrations at the Johannesburg City Hall, under the theme “Re-ignite the UDF spirit of active citizenry for transformation and accountability”. Click the link for more information. DM