Download PDFBetween 24 and 26 March 2023, the fifth Constitution Hill Human Rights Festival took place. It had the theme ‘Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All.’
At the festival, there were perspectives on South African development made, a focus on children’s literature, film, music, and poetry and a book fair where publishers, authors, and bookshops got to display and sell their books. The book fair included different sessions including authors reading from their books. This was to connect stories and content addressing issues of migration, climate crisis, gender, and racial justice.
There were discussions around human rights but also to bring people together providing a platform for engagement on these critical issues and how to mobilise and work together.
One of the heated topics was the climate crisis in South Africa, that the earth is being damaged by the system that puts profits before the lives of people. Temperatures are rising and which leaves a disastrous consequence. people are struggling to grow crops and farmers are unable to use uncleaned water as it is contaminated.
The inequality and suffering of people worsened while South Africa remains the most unequal country in the world.
Nkosinathi said, “There is no justice coming from apartheid with colonialism, we are not enjoying the freedom that was fought for the struggle is still taking place and we are being oppressed.”
Delisile said, “We do not have 4 seasons in South Africa because when it’s summer there is rain all caused by the climate crisis that we are in today”, speaking on changes on weather patterns.
The only way to have climate justice will be achieved through a united people. The effectiveness of organising has been proven during the struggle against colonialism and apartheid.
This article was submitted on 27 March 2023. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
