51 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Faeeza Lok Engaging communities for lasting change Faeeza Lok in Fourways, Gauteng Actionism often starts with one person and the unique story that drives an unrelenting desire to see a change in the world around them. Faeeza Lok was born in South Africa but grew up in Hong Kong. As a mixed-race kid in a country that exhibited very little diversity, she was left feeling like she didn’t belong. When she moved back to South Africa at the age of 15 she found her home, the place where it all made sense. A country where everyone is struggling to belong in a vibrant melting pot of complex identities. “It’s my identity that birthed my activism.” At the age of 25 Faeeza decided to start the Voice of The People Movement. The idea was to solve local problems through design thinking, a human-centred process by which innovative solutions are found by consulting with the affected people to understand their needs, feelings and behaviours. Working in the township of Thembisa, Faeeza went to schools, parks and out onto the streets to find volunteers interested in joining her on the journey, training them up with the skills needed to be part of the movement. These included workshops on practising empathy, resilient mindsets and unlearning unconscious bias. They then embarked on a week-long door-to-door campaign, engaging the community in order to really understand their needs. From this research, they put together an ongoing series of outreach activities focusing on cleanups, skills training and community upliftment around Thembisa. Voice of the People paved the way for her next bold move. Faeeza is now the volunteer coordinator for RISE Mzansi, South Africa’s newest political party, where she is taking her ideas of empowerment and change to a whole new level. Activism often starts with one person but there comes a point when they need to find a team of like-minded people with whom they can walk patiently forward, laying the groundwork for sustained change. Faeeza Lok may have started alone but now she’s found her people and she’s ready for change. < Previous Item Next Item >

36 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Christinah Mdau Defending rights against mining threats Christinah Mdau with Mariah Moleme , Pintli Molalasi ,Ditlallo Lehula , Lerato Koloi ,Martha Koloi and Peter Selloe As we sit in the “community centre”; a rudimentary tin-roofed, open-sided structure, Christinah tells me that the local mine won’t be blasting today because they know that I am there and that for the time being, I am safe. However, If I had arrived two months prior it would have been too dangerous, I could have been intimidated, beaten or escorted away by the supporters of the mine. Even so, a police vehicle circles us, looking at me as we speak, and a large group of men stand close by but don’t engage. It has been 13 years since at least 850 homes in Mmaditlhokwa Village in Marikana were relocated so that Tharisa Minerals mining company could exploit the land underneath them. Individuals and families were promised permanent housing, water, electricity and sewerage, but to this day they are still in the shacks built for them as temporary housing back in 2010. The mine is yet again encroaching on their homes and the blasting that happens almost daily provides a shower of rocks and dust, accompanied by a piercingly loud siren warning them to get inside, or better still move under the “community centre” for protection. The school is now under threat as the area that is being mined has moved closer to its walls. This is no way for anyone to live. There are people in the community who support the mine, they hope that the opportunities will out way the risk. Although they were promised jobs, a few short 2 to 3-month contract jobs are all that have materialised. There is strength in numbers, and so Christinah and a local group of concerned residents got together to form an organisation that they have called DEHRVA (Defenders for Environment and Human Rights Violations in Africa). Its sole purpose is to deal with the immediate threat to their livelihoods. DEHRVA believes that the human rights of the community have been violated by the mine and the National Government. Through their various programs, guided by section 24 of the South African Constitution, they hope to remedy the situation by involving those who they consider to be responsible for redressing the impacts that the community has faced. This includes both government and private entities. What they want are the promises to be kept that were made to them all those years ago. They want a safe life for themselves and their families, away from the air and noise pollution of the mine, away from the rocks falling on the roofs of their houses, and away from the daily intimidation and imposition of blasting. But it is more complicated than that. The longer they live in one area, the more connected they are to the land, and the more family members have been buried and rituals have been established. They are not asking for the world, just their basic constitutional rights. As I sit under the shelter, surrounded by these seven determined Actionists, I can see that they are not scared, that they will not be intimidated. As I sit with them I am not scared either. But when I leave on my own, I hurry to get home. < Previous Item Next Item >

77 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Sethembiso Promise Mthembu A voice for the victims of forced sterilisation Sethembiso Promise Mthembu at her home in KZN In 1997 Sethembiso had to have a routine gynaecological operation. She was in her green hospital gown, on the operating bed, waiting to go into theatre, when the senior doctor came to her and, in front of the other patients and staff in the ward, told her that because she was HIV positive he would not operate unless she consented to be sterilised. The need for the operation, the vulnerability of her situation, the power dynamic of the patient-doctor relationship and the shame of being judged for her HIV status in front of a room full of nurses, patients and hospital staff, all contributed towards her signing the necessary documents. To this day she does not know if her sterilisation was an ideological decision by the doctor, or a position decided at hospital management or even government level. What she does know is that many other HIV-positive women around the country have been through a similar experience. In an HSRC study on stigma in 2014, it was found that of the 6,849 participants who were HIV-positive women, 7.4% reported being forced into sterilisation. That’s over 500 women. A further 5% reported being forced into abortion and 37% said that they were forced into medical contraception. It is an issue, Sethembiso says, that came to light during the tea breaks of HIV support meetings, whispered in confidence, once personal trust had been gained. For many Black women, their ability to bear children affects their standing in society so being sterile can be a very shameful secret that many women carry with them. “Women are more likely to disclose their HIV status than to disclose the fact that they were sterilised. You are still a woman even if you have HIV, if you are infertile, you are only half a woman - UyiNyumba (barren) – the worst derogatory label a woman can have.” In the support sessions forced sterilisation was not mentioned but, over time, victims would open up to each other in private about their experiences. These ranged from medical complications to cultural, social and financial issues. A sterilised woman loses her ability to build a family which can bring social and financial security, the traditional right to land, lobola and worthiness within relationships. Sethembiso realised that there was a need for more profound, formal action to be taken to support and seek justice for the inhumane treatment of these many women who are living with the repercussions of this injustice. In 2009 she started “Her Rights Initiative” (HRI) along with two other women who were victims of forced sterilisation, a feminist academic and a lawyer. For the past fourteen years, they have been building their networks of victims and working with legal teams to put together a plan of action. They are currently working together with a private international law firm on a class action lawsuit that seeks justice in the form of compensation for 96 women from five provinces around South Africa. Forced sterilisation is mostly played out through coercion via the dynamics of power and vulnerability rather than physical force, targeting women at a time when they have very little agency in their decisions. However, Sethembiso says, there have been many instances where women did not even know that they had been sterilised and others where women were told after giving birth that suggest even more forceful, violent practices. The sterilisation mostly happened around pregnancy. It is standard procedure to take full blood tests in the early stages of pregnancy and many HIV-positive women will discover their status at this time. Up until the early 2000s, it was a policy that anyone giving birth who is HIV positive should do so through cesarean section, as the risk of mother-to-child transmission could be mitigated. It was at this point, during this operation that the sterilisation process would take place, either by informed consent, coercive consent or without consent at all. And according to Sethembiso, it is still occurring today. There is a case, she says, of a young black woman in the Western Cape who was pregnant, HIV positive and suffering from depression who was forcibly sterilised in 2021. “Let’s talk about it at the beginning of pregnancy rather than initiating the conversation when I am in labour, in a very vulnerable situation. It should be ME who initiates the conversation about contraception and ending my fertility. My Body, My Womb, My Rights and My Decisions.” Sethembiso herself grew up in uMlazi township outside Durban. She found out her HIV status when she was 20 and, now 49, is considered a long-term survivor, living a healthy life on ARVs for over 20 years. Having started as an “angry activist” in the early 90s, Dr Sethembiso Promise Mthembu completed her PhD in 2022 through UKZN, an accreditation that she says forces people to take her more seriously in her lifelong quest for justice. This story was created in partnership with Heinrich Böll Foundation < Previous Item Next Item >

6 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Jarryd Watson Uplifting through inclusive dance Jarryd Watson in his dance studio, South Coast, KZN In this fast-paced, status-focused, modern world, the arts are often undervalued as a means to bring purpose, dignity and joy into people’s lives. fFrom an early age Jarryd Watson learned the importance of self-expression in his own life and, what started as a one-year leap of faith, developed into a life calling through which he discovered the incredible impact that the arts can have in the lives of others. Jarryd grew up in Treasure Beach, Wentworth, a particularly troubled part of KwaZulu-Natal. Looking out over the Indian Ocean from the cliff tops of the Bluff it is easy to forget that the community has struggled for decades with extreme poverty, gangsterism and a drug epidemic. At 20 years old, after completing his education, Jarryd was approached to take over the Wentworth Arts and Culture Organisation (WACO) by its founders Colin Fourie and Gail Snyman. They had been following his progress through performance school, studying arts, dance, film and television. His talent and affinity for the community made him the obvious candidate to take on the mantle of responsibility. At such a young age it was a big decision to make. He already understood the importance of a place for the youth of Wentworth to learn self-expression and creativity, but he was also aware that he would be putting his own dreams on hold to do so. Jarryd committed to taking on the role for a year, pressing pause on his own journey as a performer to give himself up to a short period of service to his community. That was 16 years ago. “I saw a great need for the positive social impact it was creating in these kids' lives and I made a huge sacrifice to do it. I have mixed emotions about it but holistically it has been for the benefit of others and that has always been a good feeling, even if I am not benefitting financially.” When Jarryd took over the project, the focus was on providing a space for the youth of Wentworth to learn different disciplines, in an affordable and accessible way. The school has grown over the last 16 years and, through his sheer dedication and determination, they have managed to take dancers from Wentworth to international dance competitions around the world, receiving recognition for their talent as performers in the UK and USA. But the work has gone far beyond simply teaching kids to dance. With such a programme comes the responsibility towards everyone who walks through the doors of WACO. The primary goal is to improve the lives of those who attend. Keeping them safe and in school, as well as making them feel supported in every aspect of their lives, is of great importance. As the work can range from organising bursaries to finding safe housing, and everything in between, the responsibility goes way beyond a simple dance project. “It’s about benefitting others and giving them the opportunity to grow in life. It’s not just about dance steps. So many kids have been through this project and succeeded in life.” For the last eight years, the main focus of Jarryd’s work has been to expand the youth dance project into a more inclusive programme that benefits other groups in the community. He has created exercise classes for the elderly and has developed a project that provides a space for people with disabilities to learn how to dance and grow as performers. “Dance can impact the marginalised, it's such a powerful force to impact people positively.” The “special needs disabled training and development programme” started with just six people and has grown over the years to include 48 community members, including people in wheelchairs, amputees and people with visual impairments. Although the challenges in this new direction are many, the impact has been huge, providing people with disabilities a valuable opportunity to have access to the arts, where they can develop their skills and hopefully find employment. But all of this incredible work has not come without personal sacrifice for Jarryd and, although much of the work involves his passion for dance, there are so many other challenges that come with running an organisation like WACO. “I don't realise the impact that I am creating because I am so focused on fundraising and getting performances ready. I do it for many reasons. I am passionate about the arts. It’s not what I do, it's who I am and I love to uplift others.” One of the major challenges has been to find the equipment needed to run the inclusivity programme. A specialist wheelchair for dancing would provide the stability, speed and movement needed to teach safely and effectively. They costs around R50,000 and Jarryd needs three of them. < Previous Item Next Item >

71 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Life Esidimeni Justice through documenting a national crisis Christine Nxumalo, Harriet Perlman and Mark Lewis Faced with the bleak future of AI-generated imagery, film, music and almost any other creative endeavour that you can imagine, there is one discipline that should endure...stories of real human experiences. At this time we cannot generate a photograph of a person reflecting on their own life-changing ordeals, we cannot ask AI to dictate the story of a real memory, and we cannot digitally implant empathy into the people who connect with these stories. Not yet anyway. And so, in a world saturated with increasingly artificial content, real human stories are vital. In 2016 the Life Esidimeni psychiatric care hospital was closed down and over a thousand patients were moved to other facilities. Many of the new facilities were ill-equipped to deal with the patients and the process was rushed and dangerously mismanaged. The tragic result was that 144 people lost their lives and over 1,400 patients were exposed to human rights violations. As with any tragedy, it is not just the victims who are impacted. The families of many of the patients suffered horrific trauma when they could not locate their loved ones, having to travel long distances with the hope of finding them and bringing them to safety. Over the years since the tragedy, there have been several court hearings to deal with the impact, including an arbitration case in 2017 which brought about compensation for the families and a criminal inquest in 2021 which is still ongoing. But this story is not about the horrific events of 2016 and the ongoing injustice of reparations. This story is about the need for victims to be seen, represented and remembered in a world that so quickly moves to forget. In 2019 writer Harriet Perlman and photographer Mark Lewis with the support of Cassey Chambers from SADAG teamed up with Christine Nxumalo, who lost her sister in 2016 and was one of the members of the Life Esidimeni Family Committee to produce a series of stories that would maintain the momentum from the arbitration hearing and keep the stories of the victims in the minds of the public. They created a website in partnership with SADAG and SECTION27, that stands as an online memorial to the victims as well as an ongoing resource for information and assistance for those who need it. "I think what came out of it was that all of the families needed a way to express their anger and frustration. Mark and Harriet with Cassey Chambers as a trusted ally represented that group of people who understood their stories and as a result they felt safe and therefore validated what they had gone through." - Christine Nxumalo In creating the project they needed a vehicle to tell the stories of the lives that were lost and the relatives who were left behind. They asked each of the family members to choose a photograph of the loved one who had died and to reflect on the photograph itself, where and when it was taken and what it meant to them personally. "During the arbitration, many families were deeply hurt that they were accused of abandoning their loved ones. We travelled to people’s homes to interview them and take the portraits. It was important, for these stories to provide clarity of where the clinics were located and how far people, often with no resources, had to travel to visit their loved ones.." - Harriet Perlman Through this simple but effective storytelling technique they allowed the heartbreaking stories of loss, anger, betrayal and injustice to come through. "We were reminding people that this tragedy was about real lives lost. But another angle that we mustn’t forget is that Life Esidimeni is an extraordinary story about people fighting back, organising and being helped by civil society." - Mark Lewis This year a book will be published containing the stories that have been made so far, 40 are available on the website. But for Mark and Harriet, it still feels like there is work to be done. They want to find funding to tell the remaining stories, to honour those who died and to keep the events of 2016 in the minds of the South African public, as a way of ensuring that what happened at Life Esidimeni in 2016 can never happen again. This story was created in partnership with Heinrich Böll Foundation < Previous Item Next Item >

37 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Prudence Mabasa Protecting survivors from secondary trauma Prudence Mabasa in Boksburg It’s fair to say that Prudence Mabasa lives her life in service. From the day that she started to work, she has focused her efforts on helping other people. “I am passionate about victims, I need to be in a place where I can help” For three years Prudence volunteered at the Brakpan police station in the victim-friendly room. This is a space that is legally required for victims of sexual violence to feel safe and heard in the initial period after the crime is committed. In reality, it does not function unless there is a volunteer present. Prudence took it upon herself to be that person. At the same time, she was also volunteering as a community chaplain, a similar role, but one where she would be on call to visit those in the immediate aftermath of a crime or incident at home or at the scene of the crime. “My faith is my drive but it is not a parameter to who I help” Prudence’s world was thrown upside down after she was raped in 2020. Having cared for others for years she suddenly found herself the victim. A new level of understanding and determination grew out of her own horrific experience. She understood the emptiness, numbness helplessness and anger on a whole different level. It was also through her own experience that she understood the secondary trauma of reporting the incident and the fight for justice that then ensues. She could understand why so many people drop their cases after the effort it took just to get her rape kit tested, having initially been told that it was lost. Prudence now believes that engaging the youth is the solution. She is passionate about creating programs that deal with the behaviours and life circumstances that lead young men to turn to violence. She feels that the youth have been heavily let down by the government and that the lack of opportunities, jobs and education has pushed many of them towards a life of gangsterism and crime. “A true legend lives out their legacy while they are still here and teaches others to do the same. What better way to love than to serve without expectation of reward.” As well as a community chaplain Prudence is a youth minister, ACDP media liaison and community development coordinator. She may take on many roles but they all lead to a full life led in the service of others. < Previous Item Next Item >

14 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Bridget Munnik Drama & performance for social change Bridget Munnik outside the Soweto Theatre Bridget Munnik, also known as Aunty Bree, became a qualified counsellor 11 years ago. Growing up as an orphan, she knew what it felt like to have nobody to care for her, nobody to guide her, and nobody to congratulate her when she passed her Matric. Early on in life, she made a promise to herself that through her work she would help as many children as she could. Bridget’s ambition has taken her from working at the child welfare centre and volunteering at the family life centre to eventually become the centre manager of the Westbury Youth Centre, a communal space for young people in one of the most troubled suburbs of Johannesburg. It was through an audition poster at the youth centre that Bridget first discovered acting and found her most powerful voice. Westbury is a dangerous place, run by gangs and rife with substance abuse and violence, something that Aunty Bree knows all too well having escaped from a violent and abusive marriage herself. It is through the theatre that she now finds a way to provide a lifeline to those in the community who are too fearful to ask for help, and too scared to speak up. Bridget performs regular radio and stage productions about gender-based violence (GBV), substance abuse, teenage pregnancy and bullying. The intention is to let people know that they are not alone in their struggles with their loved ones. It is a way to open up conversations and to facilitate connections with people who can help. “The use of performance is so important because Westbury is so dangerous. You know there are things happening but you cannot reach out. What I show on stage is that you are not alone. I tell the neighbours and community members not to judge others, and I tell the victims that we see them. After the show, I have to come out of character and be a counsellor.“ When audiences watch Bridget’s performances there is often a moment where they recognise themselves in the characters. This connection provides a valuable way to give advice and support, without having to put anyone at risk. They are shown that there are resources available to help them and encouraged to go to the police or seek support from a social worker. “I also run a workshop with the parents who are hurting. In a dark room, I give everyone a candle. I start with me. I talk about my son who was on drugs. After my story, the next person lights a candle and tells their story about their kid who is on drugs. Brightness comes into the room. In the midst of the dark, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. People have the same stresses but we can support each other if we light the candles one by one.” In Westbury, where speaking up can be fatal, silence is also one of the biggest dangers. Through performance, Aunty Bree has found a powerful way to heal herself whilst also reaching the people who need her. Her voice is loud and her message is clear: “You are not alone and there is help if you need it.” < Previous Item Next Item >

81 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Ntsiki Khunju Economic empowerment for young women Ntsiki Khunju at the Outreach Foundation Community Centre in Hillbrow “I see myself as a conversation starter. I love having meaningful conversations that change lives, that get young people thinking about things we wouldn’t usually think about.” Ntsiki Khunju lives her life in the pursuit of change. Change in the way that young people see themselves and change in the way that the older generations see the youth. Although her activism starts at home, with the education of her young daughter, it manifests itself in all other areas of her life, from paid work to volunteering. Often the seeds of passion for advocacy are sown at home, through the parents, in the formative years of a child's life but Ntsiki was catalysed into action through a personal tragedy in her early 20’s. In 2016 her younger brother died at the age of 18, an event which she now sees as the turning point in her journey. “Initially I got into activism to blanket the pain I was feeling from my brother’s death. I got healing in that space and recognised that if the world wasn't as damaged he would probably still be with us.” This may be the event that lit a fire in Ntsiki but the world had been preparing her for a while. At high school, a friend guided her towards the Afrika Tikkun Uthando a child and youth development centre in Johannesburg where she joined an afterschool programme for girls called the Young Urban Women, run by ActionAid. Through this programme, she was exposed to discussions about feminism, advocacy and sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR). “I was intrigued by the concept of SRHR to understand the challenges that young people faced at the time; accessing services, the stigma, the judgement and the prejudice. I wanted to pursue the continuation of that advocacy.” At the time the Young Urban Women programme was only for girls who were at high school, so leaving school meant leaving the programme. Seeing her potential, Afrika Tikkun offered Ntsiki a leadership position to study social auxiliary work which, in time, turned into a paid job at the centre. While doing this, Ntsiki was also studying child and youth care work, as well as taking up a volunteer position on the community advisory board at Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI). “Wits RHI is where I got exposed to the concept of STI management, clinical research into vaccines and HIV prevention. I realised that I could be a person who connects and bridges the community and the science.” It was around this time that ActionAid developed Young Urban Women to include a space for youth who had left school but wanted to continue with their advocacy; a space for active citizens to collaborate and develop. So in 2022, Ntsiki joined them again, this time as a writer, documenting the workshops, conversations and learnings of Young Urban Women and publishing them through Activate! Change Drivers, through their blog and social media. As a young woman with a passion for change, qualifications and professional experience in social work, child welfare, and sexual and reproductive health rights; Ntsiki has a unique overview of what is important for youth advocacy in South Africa. It is the current focus of the Young Urban Women that fascinates her the most. This year ActionAid have launched their feminist economy manifesto in order to produce more economically empowered active citizens, activists who would not be at the mercy of others for their survival but who, by virtue of supporting themselves, would be in a position to make informed decisions. “If you empower groups of young people you are creating an empowered community. A community that is economically empowered can be vocal about the importance of condom use because they are not having to beg for money anymore, they are not at the mercy of men.” It is this idea of economic empowerment that Ntsiki will take forward with her advocacy as it speaks to everything that she cares about through her work. This story was created in partnership with Action Aid < Previous Item Next Item >

70 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Phetole Raseropo A new wave of subsitence farmers Phetole Raseropo at Evergrow in Soweto In 2019 Phetole and his friend from university, Andile Gcaza, started Evergrow. Initially, it was intended to be a company that manufactured hydroponic farming equipment, but it soon developed into a successful business selling seedlings to farmers. Whilst getting the business going, Phetole worked in the Department of Agriculture consulting with farmers about their crop choices, advising them on how and when to get the best yields. This helped him understand which crops were the most marketable and the level of food insecurity in South Africa. In the Soweto suburb of Tladi, there are a number of derelict school buildings which have been taken over by subsistence farmers to grow vegetables. Half of the land occupied by Evergrow is dedicated to their seedling operation. But the rest is used for their outreach projects. Giving back to the community is important to Phetole, he grew up in the area and he knows the struggles that many people have to put healthy food on the table. “When I think that food actually comes easy on my table…why can’t I make it simple, and also efficient? Access to food is a human right.” As part of their activism, Evergrow invites people from the local community to farm small plots of land around their seedling operation. They give them seedlings to get them started and advise on how and when to plant. They are clear that once the farmers start to sell their produce, they must pay for the next batch of seedlings. They don’t do this to generate more business, the amount of profit from this would be minuscule, but because they want to encourage people to not rely on handouts. Between the plots and the commercial operation, they have developed a community garden as both an educational space and a cost-effective vegetable market. They want to clearly demonstrate that a sustainable, small garden is achievable in Soweto and what better way to do so than by doing it themselves? As we have seen time and time again, Actionism doesn’t have to be completely altruistic. It can be a small, generous gesture that exists alongside your successful business. < Previous Item Next Item >

31 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Coral Vinsen Six decades of fighting for human rights Coral Vinsen at home in Durban North At the age of 92, Coral Vinsen has recently completed the Faith Leaders Gender Transformation Programme, passing with distinction. As a long-time activist, she will use the knowledge she has gained to fight the scourge of Gender-Based Violence. This is just another step in her 64-year-long journey as an advocate for the rights of every person in South Africa. In 1956 when a major Polio outbreak occurred, Coral trained in the relatively new study of virology. Thereafter, she was put in charge of the first Virology Laboratory in Durban. When she married John Vinsen a year later, she had to resign as the SA state did not employ married women. As there was then no qualified staff to staff the lab, it was closed down and she was not able to work as a virologist again for another 23 years when a new lab was opened in 1980. Wishing to be part of building a nonracial society Coral and her husband joined the progressive party at its inception in 1959. When she was elected the Chair of the Women's group, Coral invited women from other racial groups to address her members. It was in meeting people of other races that she started to fully understand what was happening in the country. “Working with people beyond the white community makes a big difference. People need to reach out, not in a charity way, but in an equal way to treat other people with dignity. Having friends from other race groups has made a major difference in my life.” She was one of the founding members and treasurer of the Durban Detainees Support Committee (DESCOM) which met every Monday from its formation in 1981 until it was banned in 1988. At the time, the government had implemented legislation that meant they could detain people for up to 90 days and subsequently 180 days without trial. The committee held the government accountable for the way that people were treated whilst being detained, to expose if people were being tortured and to support and protect them once they were released from detention. At the dawn of democracy in 1991, Coral, together with a group of Durban anti-Apartheid activists, formed the Durban chapter of Amnesty International. They all wanted to make a tangible change within South Africa but needed the backing and structure of an external organisation that could train them and provide them with the tools they needed to be most effective in upholding human rights. Coral is one of the longest-serving members of Amnesty International in South Africa. 32 years after founding it, she is a co-chair of the Durban chapter, the only surviving adult chapter in South Africa. Over the decades, Coral's work has spanned many different disciplines, most notably in her passion for the promotion and support of art and human rights activism, something that was born out of the necessity to communicate at a time when books, films and news were being banned or heavily censored. These days food security is one of her most effective forms of activism, teaching people to grow their own food with the aim of promoting self-sustainable, responsible practices to combat the growing threat of hunger. “Activism takes many forms. There are little things that happen all the time. I teach people to grow vegetables organically, that’s also part of my human rights activism. There are lots of different aspects of the work that you can do that link to human rights.“ From anti-torture campaigns to teaching other people to grow their own healthy food, Coral is clear about the fact that Actionism can be many things, none necessarily more important than the other, but all contributing to making a better world for all regardless of race, gender, or faith. This story was created in partnership with Amnesty International South Africa. < Previous Item Next Item >