The Constitution Hill Human Rights Festival returns
"This 5th edition of the Constitution Hill Human Rights festival takes place at a time when our country is in crisis and our Constitutional vision of social justice and human rights is being stretched to breaking point. For this reason, the theme of the festival is Seize the Power! Seize your power! " says Constitution Hill CEO, Dawn Robertson.
Each year the festival unites NGOs, social justice organisations, think tanks, media partners, and the public around human rights issues. The event, which is free to the public, presents one day dedicated to skills building for social justice organisations and two days open to the public offering a market, food stalls, exhibitions, art, showcases, poetry, theatre, film, live performances and a children’s programme.
A virtual pre-event livestream dialogue takes place on Human Rights Day, 21 March 2023. Titled, 'We, the People in Conversation' will feature former public protector, Thuli Madonsela and reigning Miss SA, Ndavi Nokeri and is hosted by the Constitution Hill Trust.
Catch it live on the Constitution Hill SA Facebook page and the WeThePeopleSA Youtube channel. The festival will be prefaced with dedicated day for NGO and activism organisations’ skills building workshops, hosted on Friday, 24 March 2023.
"Our Constitution foregrounds the collective, the “we”, in its opening words in recognition that without the people acting in solidarity the end of apartheid and the advent of our constitutional democracy would not have been possible. It is also true that the vision set out in our Constitution for South Africa will remain unrealised if we, the people do not collectively seize our power once again towards making the Constitution real.” says Robertson.
This year’s human rights festival coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
This milestone is an opportunity for everyone to recommit to the promise of the UDHR – equality, dignity, freedom and justice for all – and to demonstrate the power and relevance of human rights.
“The debates, workshops and seminars at the festival are all pointing us to look towards human rights as a catalyst for workable and sustainable solutions for the challenges we face,” said Abigail Noko, Regional Representative of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Open to the public from 25-26 March 2023, the festival is free and opens at 10am with programmes running into the evening on both nights.
The festival takes place at Constitution Hill. Formerly a site of prisons, where many of our great leaders were incarcerated, today Constitution Hill has been transformed into a beacon of light for democracy and social justice.
Free tickets are avaialable at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/574151060277
For more, go to https://www.facebook.com/ConstitutionHill/