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12 Apr 2012

The Souls of White Folk | Mark Heywood

Archbishop Tutu is absolutely right to ask white people to reflect on themselves and their privileges. Tutu is not invoking guilt for the past, but calling on responsibility for the present.

When you look at the black type that dances the white pages of our newspapers, it is hard to the miss swathes of commentary by black people on black people’s identity, black people’s cohesion (or lack of it) and the restoration of black people’s dignity from its multitude of daily knocks.

In all this soul searching the souls of white folk get little interrogation. It appears that there is little introspection by white people, only looking outwards, commenting on others, on the economy and politics. And yet there is much that needs examination.
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9 Mar 2012

Corporate Social Investment: Invest in Justice not Charity! | Mark Heywood

It its diagnostic report the National Planning Commission recognises the “important role” played by civil society and says that “More deliberate efforts are needed to ensure that the voices of those who claim to represent the poor and marginalised can also be heard.”

Their injunction is in keeping with our Constitution which both anticipates and depends upon an engaged and informed citizenry. Indeed accountability only really exists when there people demand it from every level of government. In addition the Constitution’s entrenchment of political rights expressly includes the right to campaign for a “cause”. Put another way, standing up for rights and causes – social justice advocacy – is not something that should be viewed as subversive.
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9 Mar 2012

Getting out of the Plenty Trap | Mark Heywood

According to observers from Mars South Africa is a society in paroxysms of chatter. One class chatters about the multiple crises it faces. Crime, corruption, Julius Malema, interest rates. Another class harps on unemployment, poor education, hunger, bad health services and HIV. Although the concerns of these two groups overlap at times, one stems more from projected fears, the other from immediate experience. But one thing is certain, so the Martians say, few South Africans do not see or feel what is happening in their country.

But in contrast to the vocal clamour, the lack of action and imagination about how to solve the problems is even more deafening. There appears to be a paralysis, a mass ‘rabbits in the headlights’ syndrome. South Africans see the lorry bearing down upon them and chatter about it on Facebook.
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3 Feb 2012

Food as People’s Right

India is on the threshold of a historic transition from a ship-to-mouth existence to implementing the world’s largest social protection programme against hunger with home-grown food.

This is the season to count blessings. India’s greatest blessings are its adherence to the democratic system of governance, an independent judiciary, a free and fearless media, and an Election Commission that inspires confidence. I hope that soon India will have an independent and effective Lokpal, which will pave the way for a corruption-free India, a pre-requisite for a hunger-free India.
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31 Jan 2012

Understanding the Indian Caste System

The word Caste is derived from the Portuguese word casta, meaning lineage, breed or race. There are many theories, definition and observations concerning this term. In practice, however, this term denotes the hereditarily imposed social status on an individual, family, group or community in a highly stratified Indian and South Asian Society. It is essentially historical, hereditary, exclusive, discriminatory, inequitous and inhumane in nature and has been sanctified by the Hindu religious scriptures and has been accepted and regarded by Hindus and the priestly classes of non-Hindu religions in India and South Asia. It can safely be said that caste in Indian sub-continent is not an exception but a rule of construction of Indian and South Asian Society.

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31 Jan 2012

Who are the Dalit?

In South Asia‘s caste system, a Dalit (Hindi: दलित) — formerly known as untouchable or achuta — is a person outside of the four Varnas, and considered below of all and polluting. Dalits include people as leather-workers, scavengers, tanners, flayers, cobblers, agricultural labourers, municipal cleaners, gymnasts, drum beaters, folk musicians and street handicraft persons. Like upper castes, Dalit are also divided into various sub-castes or jatis.

NON-DALIT MEANING OF WORD DALIT

Word Dalit has been defined differently by different people. Normally non-Dalit writers and intellectuals have invented its root in Sanskrit and considered its meaning as broken, crack, split and as adjective they have given this word the meanings of burst, split, broken or torn asunder, downtrodden, scattered, crushed, destroyed etc.

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31 Jan 2012

The Global Fund and the Crisis of HIV Funding — A Severe Setback for HIV and Human Rights: Statement and Recommendations

I fully support the view expressed in this article.

REFERENCE GROUP ON HIV AND HUMAN RIGHTS THE GLOBAL FUND AND THE CRISIS OF HIV FUNDING — A SEVERE SETBACK FOR HIV AND HUMAN RIGHTS: STATEMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The views of the Reference Group do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the UNAIDS Secretariat or the Co-sponsors of UNAIDS.

UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights

Summary

1 The November 2011 announcement of the cancellation of the 11th round of funding of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria because of the Fund’s financial difficulties presents the international community with both a health and a human rights crisis. Since its first round of funding in 2002, the Global Fund has played an indispensable role in advancing the health and human rights goals of the global HIV response.

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Library

12 Apr 2012

The Souls of White Folk | Mark Heywood

9 Mar 2012

Corporate Social Investment: Invest in Justice not Charity! | Mark Heywood

9 Mar 2012

Getting out of the Plenty Trap | Mark Heywood

3 Feb 2012

Food as People’s Right

31 Jan 2012

Understanding the Indian Caste System

31 Jan 2012

Who are the Dalit?

31 Jan 2012

The Global Fund and the Crisis of HIV Funding — A Severe Setback for HIV and Human Rights: Statement and Recommendations

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