Category: April 2008

Compiled by Satyagraha Reporters April 10th marks the 15th anniversary of the death of liberation struggle leader Martin Thembisile (Chris) Hani. Hani was assassinated outside his Boksburg home, in front of his daughter in 1993. At the time of his death, Hani was the general-secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and an African…

By Dr C. Sheela Reddy, PhD Assistant Professor, Dept. of Political Science & Public Administration, SV University, Tirupati A three part series of a paper presented by Dr C Sheela Reddy at the Satyagraha Centenary Conference in New Delhi, India Relevance of Satyagraha in the Twenty-first Century Is satyagraha relevant to the present-day society or…

Compiled by Satyagraha Reporters The month of April is commemorated as World Health Month incorporating National Polio Eradication Awareness Week from 6-12th April, World Health Day on the 7th, World Haemophilia Day on the 17th and Africa Malaria Day on the 25th. "Protecting health from climate change" is the theme for World Health Day 2008.…

Despite years of economic growth, life is not improving for most South Africans. This has shaken people’s confidence in our democratic institutions, according to an annual audit by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR). The study, which tracks the feelings of 3500 ordinary citizens, found an alarming slump in public confidence in the country’s…

The renaming of roads, streets and public buildings in South Africa has been met with mixed emotion from citizens. Many argue that it is a waste of money that can be used to build homes, invest in education or the health sector. However there is a great significance to the name changes which were proposed…

By Satyagraha Reporter  A mini-conference hosted by the Chatsworth Youth Centre, Satyagraha – In Pursuit of Truth, Government Communication Information System (GCIS), the Chatsworth Education Centre, Democracy Development Programme (DDP) and School for International Training (SIT) was held at the Chatsworth Youth Centre in March. The event was attended by representatives of 40 schools and…

The annual Mahatma Gandhi Speech and Essay Contest was held in March 2008 at the Durban University of Technology (DUT). The competition which was hosted by Satyagraha and the Gandhi Development Trust (GDT) was sponsored by the Indian Consulate in Durban. Topics were based on the Gandhian ideals of truth, non-violence, respect, peace and harmony.…

India: Mumbai Sarvodaya Mandal has been organising many programmes in jails with the aim of transforming jail inmates. Swati Sathe Superintendent of Arthur Road Jail has suggested that Mumbai Sarvodaya Mandal teach an all religion prayer to 2800 inmates of different religions. The prayer has been tailor-made for these inmates with the aim of spreading…

(New York, 18 April 2008) Senior leaders of different faiths from Religions for Peace joined an international movement to help ban cluster bombs, which like landmines kill and maim innocent civilians indiscriminately. More than 60 senior religious leaders from Religions for Peace signed an international appeal by faith leaders to ban cluster bombs. The worldwide…

(Washington, DC, 15 April 2008) Leaders of different faiths in Religions for Peace, the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition, joined together with members of the international women’s and development communities to launch a new initiative that places women and girls at the center of the fight against global poverty. An unprecedented US$1.5 billion…