Sunday, May 24, 2009

Day 10 - Capetown

Today was a free day for students - a day for jogging up and down steep hills, enjoying Cape Town's beautiful beaches, encountering sharks at the aquarium, or just soaking in the sunshine and laid-back atmosphere. At dinner we hosted two guest speakers - Rev. Rose and Derek from the Institute for Democracy in South Africa. We heard about the many events in South African history that led up to the establishment of the apartheid system, with a particular focus on legislation, from Rev. Rose, along with the various forms of resistance that eventually led to the dismantling of apartheid LAWS. Derek then addressed the question "After apartheid, now what?" pointing out how apartheid is still perpetuated in terms of group segregation and unequal opportunities based on both race and class. He categorized the period from the first election in 1994 to the recent election in 2009 as Transition Stage I, during which time the government focused on breaking down the pillars of apartheid and writing a new constitution. The 2009 election was the first genuine election, producing a government with the strength to address the serious problems of poverty, health care, education and jobs, and marking the beginning of Transition Phase II - a 10 year period in which significant change is expected. The discussion was lively, addressing many of the questions that have been coming up during our first days in Cape Town.

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