Browsing by Subject "Justice and Transformation"
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- ItemOpen AccessA critical assessment of the link between climate change and violent conflict in the context of sub-Saharan Africa: The case of Darfur(2019) Roettinger, Julia; Lamb, GuyUp until the beginning of this century climate change was mostly seen as an environmental issue, although, the issue of violent conflict has been linked to natural resources before. However, in the last decade the focus has increasingly shifted to connecting climate change with, in particular, human security. In contrast to previous debates, contemporary discussions put emphasis on the impacts that climate change has on human lives. Yet, it is not uncontroversial to what extent environmental degradation as well as carbon dioxide emission based economies play and have played an accelerating role. But even if 'climate change sceptics’ or 'climate change deniers’ question the credibility of climate change the reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) present a solid base for the international climate debate which is accepted and supported by the majority of academic experts. Nonetheless, there is significant ambiguity about what the negative consequences of climate change could pose on peaceful human co-existence. In 2007, specifically, it was brought to public attention that the effects of a warming climate, such as more intense storms, floods and droughts have severe impacts on the human-wellbeing, especially in more vulnerable areas of the globe. Experts even claimed that, in many parts of the world, climate change would cause dramatic impacts in the form of violent conflicts due to the decrease of drinking water, fertile soil as well as food. Entire states might be weakened and societies could collapse which might lead to severe consequences for conflict resolution institutions and mechanisms, human security as well as migration. However, findings regarding the impacts of climate change on violent conflict are highly controversial and sometimes even contradictory. One reason for that could be that the physical effects of climate change are limited to date. Furthermore, as studies from the 1990s on the consequences of environmental change have shown, it is difficult to disconnect the environmental factor from other societal and political influences that lead to conflict. This thesis explores the politically charged issue as well as academically controversial link between climate change, as one of the environmental changes, and violent conflict by providing a conceptual assessment of the two different bodies of literature, namely the literature on violent conflict and the climate change literature, before examining available literature on the connection of the two phenomena. Finally, the case study of Darfur is analysed with regards to the often misused term climate war in order to conclude that violent conflicts are caused by multiple factors which should not be oversimplified and therefore cannot be traced back to purely environmental reasons. Therefore, the central research questions addressed in this thesis are: what do scholars say about the connection between climate change and violent conflict? Can climate change and its repercussions be seen as a threat multiplier in unstable and therefore vulnerable societies? And can the Darfur conflict be described as one of the first climate wars?
- ItemOpen AccessAmnesty and accountability : a study of the South African amnesty in the light of the Nuremberg Tribunal(2004) Abrahamsen, Therese; Du Toit, AndréThe topic of this Masters mini-dissertation is amnesty and the principle of individual accountability for gross human rights violations. The field in which this topic is located is that of transitional justice. The issue with which this mini-dissertation is concerned is the practical, political and moral problems which states in transition from authoritarian regimes to newly established democratic government based on human rights have experienced in the last three decades when seeking accountability for the past atrocities. These state transitions have significantly employed amnesty as a means to address the need for peace and stability at the end of conflict, but this has tended to foreclose the possibility of holding the previous regime accountable for its legacy of human rights abuse. The historical context of this enquiry is the the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg (IMT) in Germany 1945 1946, which established a precedent for individual criminal accountability for crimes against humanity. The Nuremberg precedent fundamentally assumed that individuals at every level of the authorisation of crime are accountable for their own actions. Since the Milgram experiment on obedience to orders in the 1960s, social science experiments have shown, however, that individuals acting under orders do not perceive of their moral autonomy as clearly as previously assumed. In the light of the historical transitions since Nuremberg, the recent innovation in the South African Constitution in 1995, which introduces the notion of conditional amnesty, represents a novel attempt to hold individuals accountable. It required individual acknowledgement and full disclosure in public of the responsibility for heinous deeds. This framework also grants amnesty for gross human rights violations committed in the execution of an order of, on behalf of or with the approval of a political organisation. Few commentators have addressed the question of whether such conditional amnesty may be compatible with the Nuremberg model of accountability. The specific task which this mini-dissertation sets out is, therefore, to 1) clarify the concept of accountability, 2) determine in which senses one may hold individuals accountable for their actions, and 3) assess whether, to what extent and how the South African amnesty may achieve the accountability required by a liberal-democratic framework which upholds the moral principle that individuals are responsible for their actions.
- ItemOpen AccessAmnesty and the Human Rights Community an Historical and comparative study of the role of the human rights communities in the Argentine and South African Transitions(2011) Murdoch, Rebecca; Du Toit, AndréUsing material such as organisational reports and newspaper clippings, along with a survey of relevant literature on the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, this thesis fills an important gap in the literature on the TRC's amnesty process by investigating the perspective and contribution of the South African human rights community on the novel form of amnesty involved in the TRC process. In so doing, the study draws on relevant comparisons with the role of the Argentine human rights movement in advocating for truth and justice for human rights atrocities following the restoration of civilian rule in Argentine 1983.
- ItemOpen AccessAshes scattered in the wind: The Romanies as Marginalised Victims of Racial Persecution, Genocide and the Holocaust(2019) Botha, Robynne; Scanlon, HelenThe experiences of the Romanies on the European continent have been marked by centuries of prejudice, abuse, slavery and murder. Central to this history of oppression is the Nazi regime’s racial persecution and genocide of the Romanies during the Holocaust. However, in the Federal Republic of Germany, the devastating experiences of the Romanies during the Holocaust received minimal attention in the decades that followed. As such, this thesis aims to answer the question: Did the transitional justice process in the Federal Republic of Germany, in the aftermath of the Third Reich, fail Romanies as victims of racial persecution, genocide and the Holocaust? It provides an overview of the suffering experienced by the Romanies at the hands of the Nazi regime, situating their plight within the framework of racial persecution, genocide and the Holocaust. It then analyses how this was addressed by the transitional justice process undertaken in the Federal Republic of Germany after the fall of the Third Reich, focusing on the mechanisms of retributive justice, as well as material and symbolic reparations. Examining how, within each of these mechanisms, Romanies were marginalised as victims, the thesis illustrates that the transitional justice process did indeed fail them. In addition, it broadens the discussion by looking at how Romaphobia is both a cause and a consequence of this marginalisation. As such, the thesis illustrates how the transitional justice process also failed Romanies by not denouncing Romaphobia, but rather inadvertently reinforcing it, thus being partly to blame for the continued presence of Romaphobia in the Federal Republic of Germany. In so doing, the thesis highlights the importance of redressing the wrongs committed against victims, emphasising the need for transitional justice mechanisms in the aftermath of violence and human rights abuses.
- ItemOpen AccessAssessing rehabilitation of torture survivors through a gendered lens: a review of empirical and expert perspectives(2014) Goodman, Rachel; Van der Merwe, Hugo; Seegers, AnnetteTorture is a distinctly horrific human rights violation, which leaves survivors with an acute need for rehabilitation as a form of reparation. However, the state of knowledge around torture rehabilitation suffers from a knowledge gap around how gender influences the impact of torture and rehabilitation outcomes, particularly in developing countries. A gendered understanding of the torture experience can contribute towards the design and implementation of more relevant and effective rehabilitation policies and programs that are better equipped to respond to victims’ needs. Thus, the fundamental question that this dissertation asks is: within rehabilitation programs, should male and female torture survivors be treated differently? In investigating this question, this dissertation will provide an overview of the available literature on torture and torture rehabilitation in order to frame how key gender issues and debates have been understood to date. It will then present and analyze qualitative data around gender and torture impact and rehabilitation gathered from a study conducted by the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR). This data was gathered through the use of the Delphi technique: a series of questionnaires were administered via email to a panel of 18 experts in the torture rehabilitation field from around the world, to assist in building consensus on both the impact of torture and the most adequate intervention optionsin developing countries. Each questionnaire included a separate gender section, where panellists were provided with primarily open-ended questions that yielded qualitative results. This data will be discussed in relation to the literature in order to present any new insights raised by consulting this source of expertise which is under represented in the literature base, as well as to highlight areas where more research is needed. There was consensus among the panel of experts that there are gender hypotheses that can inform rehabilitation practice, but many panelists were hesitant to agree that there are systematic differences that would demand different interventions between genders and rather stressed that individual assessment is important in each case, as gender-related aspects will be influenced by contextual, interpersonal, and individual factors. The data highlights a number of factors to consider when working with male and female torture survivors. In relation to male survivors, torture, and men’s inability to fulfill gender roles subsequently, may impact on their sense of self or manhood, which can lead to a range of negative coping behaviors. Males may also present with less obvious ways of expressing emotions and distress, or may be less likely to seek help in the aftermath of torture. This was raised particularly in relation to sexual torture victimization. The lack of literature available on male sexual torture is particularly concerning and this is a clear area where more research is needed. In relation to female victims of torture, a central factor to consider is the experience of sexual violence as part of torture and its consequences, especially the severe stigma that victims face. Female victims are often forced to develop new skills and take on new roles in the aftermath of torture, which provides both challenges and opportunities for their rehabilitation. Additionally, their ability to recover from torture is influenced by the challenges of caring for their children, and women are often likely to place the needs of their families before their own, which was not always seen as negative. It is hoped that this report will assist practitioners in the field of torture prevention and rehabilitation by illuminating the ways in which gender and torture interact, as a gendered understanding of the torture experience could enhance the treatment offered.
- ItemOpen AccessBuilding peace and democracy in South Africa : an assessment of the "peace process" in relation to the "truth process" (1991-1998)(2004) Subklew, Friederike; Du Toit, AndréThis study investigates the relation between the narrow "peace process" that followed from South Africa's the National Peace Accord (NPA) and the "truth process" that followed from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) during the country's transition to democracy. The study narrows down these two highly complex processes so that they can be studied in relation to each other. The NPA was instituted during the crucial transition period between 1990 and 1994 in order to contain the political violence that threatened to derail the negotiation process then under way. In contrast, the TRC was established in 1995, the later phase of the transition, as a means to deal with South Africa's conflictual and violent past. It was mandated to uncover past human rights violations under the over-riding objective of promoting national unity and reconciliation. The contributions of both, the NPA structures and the TRC process, to building peace and democracy in South Africa are explored independent of each other before they are set in relation to each other. On the basis of guiding-question interviews conducted with individuals having been part of the NPA and the TRC respectively, preliminary conclusions regarding the historical question of whether a direct link between the NPA structures and the TRC process existed in South Africa are drawn. Departing from there, theoretical implications of the assessed relationship between the "peace process" and the "truth process" in South Africa are discussed. Based on the South African experience the study suggests that conceptually a link between "processes of peace and truth" is desirable as it can provide a more sustainable basis for the building of peace and democracy but it also notes the difficulties of establishing such a link in practice. The study points out that a direct linkage between "processes of peace and truth" could connect the ‘negative' task of peace-building - the reduction of direct violence - to the ‘positive' task of peace building -- the rebuilding of relationships. It is argued that such a linkage would further promote democratic consolidation. Departing from there the study concludes that a substantial or direct linkage between the "processes of peace and truth" is worth considering if other transitional societies opt for managing their transition by means of a "peace process" and a "truth process". peace process" that followed from South Africa's the National Peace Accord (NPA) and the "truth process" that followed from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) during the country's transition to democracy. The study narrows down these two highly complex processes so that they can be studied in relation to each other. The NPA was instituted during the crucial transition period between 1990 and 1994 in order to contain the political violence that threatened to derail the negotiation process then under way. In contrast, the TRC was established in 1995, the later phase of the transition, as a means to deal with South Africa's conflictual and violent past. It was mandated to uncover past human rights violations under the over-riding objective of promoting national unity and reconciliation. The contributions of both, the NPA structures and the TRC process, to building peace and democracy in South Africa are explored independent of each other before they are set in relation to each other. On the basis of guiding-question interviews conducted with individuals having been part of the NPA and the TRC respectively, preliminary conclusions regarding the historical question of whether a direct link between the NPA structures and the TRC process existed in South Africa are drawn. Departing from there, theoretical implications of the assessed relationship between the "peace process" and the "truth process" in South Africa are discussed. Based on the South African experience the study suggests that conceptually a link between "processes of peace and truth" is desirable as it can provide a more sustainable basis for the building of peace and democracy but it also notes the difficulties of establishing such a link in practice. The study points out that a direct linkage between "processes of peace and truth" could connect the ‘negative' task of peace-building - the reduction of direct violence - to the ‘positive' task of peace building -- the rebuilding of relationships. It is argued that such a linkage would further promote democratic consolidation. Departing from there the study concludes that a substantial or direct linkage between the "processes of peace and truth" is worth considering if other transitional societies opt for managing their transition by means of a "peace process" and a "truth process".
- ItemOpen AccessConceptualising Restorative Justice within Transitional Justice Framework(2010) Jaynes, Natalie; Du Toit, AndréThe concept of 'restorative justice' has in recent years been widely invoked in the transitional justice literature. The term is however often used loosely, inconsistently and in apparently different senses. This minor dissertation addresses this dilemma by bringing together three influential bodies of work on restorative justice and exploring what each body of work means by the term 'restorative justice'. The three bodies of work are that of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, criminal justice theorists and accounts of African Traditional Justice Mechanisms. With a clearer picture of what these respective sources mean when referring to restorative justice, the discussion then turns to the potential relevance and significance of these conceptions of restorative justice for transitional justice. The three bodies of work on restorative justice, while distinct in their own right, are brought into conversation through applying a uniform methodology. This methodology draws on John Rawls' distinction between concept and conception. Given that restorative justice is not concerned with the rules of ordinary language usage a conceptual analysis is not possible. What is possible is to follow a route of enquiry that explores the different conceptions of restorative justice reflected in each body of work. These conceptions are discussed against the backdrop of a transitional justice framework. This minor dissertation does not make any claims regarding the concept of restorative justice. Rather what are delivered are some findings about the conceptions of restorative justice that feature within the three bodies of work under discussion. The conceptions of 3 restorative justice differ in certain respects but also overlap in others. The crucial point of overlap concerns a sociological or relational approach to crime and wrongdoing which requires that all parties to a conflict are involved in its resolution. Herein lies the chief contribution of restorative justice to transitional justice, namely that restorative justice embodies what Jon Elster deems to be the task of transitional justice - that a society judge itself.
- ItemOpen AccessThe crossroads of justice : Sudan, the African Union and the International Criminal Court(2010) Gill-Austern, Gabriel Martin; Du Toit, Andre; Nakhjavani, SalimIn July 2009, following the issuance of an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan by the International Criminal Court (ICC), the African Union (AU) passed a declaration of non-cooperation with the ICC. While all of the other cases in which the ICC had been involved also were located on the African continent, the AU's declaration was the first time any collective of African nations expressed significant dissatisfaction with the ICC. This thesis examinens the reasons the AU reacted so publicly and strongly to the ICC's pursuit of Bashir (and not to the cases already on the ICC's docket).
- ItemOpen AccessDignity Takings and Dignity Restoration of Indigenous Peoples in Settler Colonial Canada: A qualitative analysis of the transformative potential of free, prior and informed consent(2019) Posselwhite, Kaitlyn; Scanlon, HelenThe ongoing reconciliation process in Canada has been criticized for failing to recognize the larger project of ongoing settler colonialism and for its inability to meaningfully respond to the aspirations and demands of Indigenous peoples for self-determination. However, in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report, the important recommendation was made for Canada to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the most accomplished proclamation of Indigenous peoples’ rights, especially their right to selfdetermination, as the framework for reconciliation in the country. Following the Commission’s recommendation, the Canadian government committed itself to implementing the Declaration, including its free, prior and informed consent requirement, into the country’s legislation. This is significant for settler colonial violence in Canada continues to manifest itself in a multitude of ways, including through imposed resource extraction projects and environmental violence, which dispossesses Indigenous peoples of their land, violating their right to self-determined social, cultural and economic development, and thus, denying them their dignity. Through an application of Atuahene’s theoretical framework of Dignity Takings and Dignity Restoration, this dissertation conceptualizes eliminatory resource exploitation projects and associated environmental violence as dignity takings in a settler colonial context, whereby Indigenous peoples are dispossessed of their land, as well as their right to self-determination. It then explores the potential role the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples free, prior and informed consent requirement, which affirms that Indigenous people should make decisions on matters affecting their lands and/or people, can have for meaningfully restoring Indigenous peoples’ dignity, and thereby affirming their unqualified right to self-determination in settler colonial Canada. The findings demonstrate that while the free, prior and informed consent requirement’s regulatory and normative framework at the international level has the potential to meaningfully restore dignity to Indigenous peoples in theory, an assessment of the requirement’s implementation in the Canadian context reveals the considerable influence national politics and institutional norms have in shaping the requirement’s effective implementation, operationalization and dignity restoring potential.
- ItemOpen AccessDisplaced persons in South Sudan - whose responsibility to protect?(2016) Henderson-Howat, Fenella; Scanlon, HelenThere have been severe shortcomings in the protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs), and gaps in research with academic and legal focus remaining on refugees instead. These gaps are revealed and correspondingly explored in this thesis through a case study analysis of South Sudan. The main objective of this thesis is to expose the overall protection discrepancies facing IDPs, and the need to re-address international responsibility to protect in cases where national authorities are unable or unwilling to do so. The lack of a clear definition, legal status and institutional framework at an international level is shown to have an adverse impact on protection. The case study of South Sudan is introduced through an overall analysis of key events and displacement trends. Evidence in support of the main argument is presented through an analysis of the injustices and human rights violations facing IDPs in South Sudan. The roles of the two major providers of protection in South Sudan - the national authorities and the international community - are evaluated to ultimately show how a more flexible approach must be adopted by the international community in such cases. Overall, this thesis seeks to bring the displaced in South Sudan to the forefront of the debate about who is responsible for their protection.
- ItemOpen AccessDisruptive bodies and peripheral politics: How naked protests disrupt the patriarchal public sphere(2021) Gassiep, Fadlah; Scanlon, HelenOn 4 October 2016, three black female students at the University of Witwatersrand (hereafter Wits) in Johannesburg, South Africa staged a naked protest to call for a ceasefire during the peak of the #FeesMustFall (FMF) protests. The FMF movement emerged in late 2015 as a student revolt against costly higher education fees especially for black students in South Africa. Armed police fired rubber bullets, stun grenades, and teargas to stop ongoing FMF protests which shut down university operations as students vowed to protest until all their demands were met. Within this context, the three female students at Wits University stood topless and formed a buffer zone between mostly male protesting students and the police. The method of protest was however mostly received with condemnation by the public and received widespread attention on social media platforms where the focus shifted from the central issues that sparked the naked protest to predominantly body shaming the women and questioning their morality (Ndlovu, 2017:68). This response to the naked protest therefore raised questions around the continuous policing of women's bodies and the patriarchal structure of public space where naked protests are performed. This thesis will use the 2016 naked protest that took place during violent FMF clashes between the police, private security, and students at Wits University as a lens to explore the ways in which naked protests have been used as an empowering tool to challenge men and authorities in violent contexts. It will draw on the 1990 naked protest in Soweto in South Africa, the 2002 naked peace protest in Liberia, and the 2002 anti-oil naked protest in Nigeria to illustrate the trajectory of naked protests in different African societies and the unique ways in which women's nakedness and undress has been perceived with apprehension in these societies. The central question that this thesis intends to explore is why do naked protests by women in African societies trigger apprehension in bystanders and black authoritarian male figures? I argue that it is a powerful form of protest, beyond cultural symbolisms attached to senior black women's bodies, as it subverts patriarchal mores underpinned in public space that delineates when and how black women can be seen in the public domain. I argue that it also provides the space for black women to assert their presence in protest movements and broader society which is typically unappreciated and overlooked. The point is to illustrate how naked protests ultimately undermines patriarchal mores and essentially invalidates colonial ideologies that renders the black female body socially invisible.
- ItemOpen AccessFrom implementation to impact : exploring the theories of change civil society organisation use to pursue community reconciliation(2016) Sensabaugh, Kathleen Brittain; Van der Merwe, HugoThe central goal of this thesis is to explore the underlying theories and concepts that help to explain the step-by-step processes and form the foundations of reconciliation-based programmes in Cape Town, South Africa. In theory, civil society organisations (CSOs) have logical rationales of how their project designs lead to some form of reconciliation, but in practice, the links between project activities and project goals are very ambiguous and are seldom articulated in detail. Through empirical research, this thesis provides the explanation and articulation needed to link the goals and outcomes by applying strategies used in "theory of change" (TOC) discourse to two community reconciliation projects in Cape Town: the Community Healing Project housed under the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, and the Healing of Memory workshops housed under the Institute for Healing of Memories. A TOC framework was first applied to community projects in the 1990s in the United States. The framework was designed to help explain the underlying theories that linked the activities to outcomes of community programmes that were established to tackle social issues on the community level. Seen as a success in explaining these projects, a TOC framework has been applied to several other community organisations, but has not been fully explored outside the Western context. The main goal of this research, then, is to apply a TOC framework to the two case studies and ascertain if it is a helpful tool in explaining community reconciliation interventions. The rationale for this research stems from the superficial engagement of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in South African communities, which resulted in a lack of healing and reconciliation at the community level. After the completion of the TRC, CSOs filled this gap in reconciliation by designing programmes to facilitate healing and reconciliation within communities. Years into the construction of such reconciliation projects, more information is needed about how the CSOs explain their programmes. The methodology for this research first involves an inductive approach that allows for observations about the activities and intended outcomes that make up the two case studies, then applies a TOC framework that allows for the explanation of the concepts that link the activities and outcomes. The research concludes that the application of a TOC framework to community reconciliation projects is not only a useful tool in helping to explain how the projects operate, but should be a necessary practice in explaining community reconciliation interventions because of its ability to describe the complicated phenomenon of reconciliation and avoid superficial explanations. By applying a TOC framework, the concepts and theories that lie behind the intervention strategies help to articulate why change happens the way it does.
- ItemOpen AccessGirls in war, women in peace : reintegration and (in)justice in post-war Mozambique(2011) Bunker, Lillian K; Ross, Fiona C; Du Toit, AndréThis study explores the longitudinal reintegration of girls involved in the post-independence war in Mozambique using in-depth qualitative research based on semi-structured interviews, and a wide range of documents. Piecing together the narratives of over 70 informants, the dissertation chronicles the way in which the war and the post-conflict environment, and to a lesser extent, the historical cultural milieu, have contributed to these women’s current realities.
- ItemOpen AccessA home for all? : exploring discourses that inform the construction of belonging in contemporary South Africa(2012) Elliott, Jean Ann; Du Toit, André; Bennett, JaneThis thesis is concerned with the construction of belonging in contemporary South Africa and how it is reproduced, challenged and negotiated within the social action of language. This is explored by investigating the situated meanings individuals assign to events, places, institutions and people in relation to their experiences of belonging and exclusion. Poststructuralism, phenomenology and social constructionism shape the theoretical framework of this study. Multi-disciplinary discourse analysis and critical discourse analysis are used to explore how the construct- ion of belonging [is] reflected and produced in everyday language. The texts analyzed in this study are the product of five focus group discussions with 23 residents of Cape Town. The texts are read for how individuals’ lived experiences, memories and imaginations inform the process of constructing belonging.
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- ItemOpen AccessInclusion and exclusion as problems of peace processess : the case of Burundi(2009) Viken, Anne Schive; Seegers, AnnetteIn conflict resolution literature, the principle of all-inclusiveness, which calls for all warring parties to be included in a peace process for it to be successful, has become conventional wisdom and orthodoxy. This study challenges the principles of all-inclusiveness by critically analysing problems related to issues of "inclusion" and "exclusion" of warring parties, as seen from a mediator's perspective. The literature on peace processes is examined in relation to five themes: The foundation for the principle of all-inclusiveness; the relationship between participation and the use of violence; consequences of exclusion; participation in relation to parties' characteristics; and consequences of all-inclusiveness. A set of questions are raised through which the issue of all-inclusiveness can be investigated, and on this basis, the 1998 peace process in Burundi is studied. The case of Burundi challenges the principle of all-inclusiveness as the process was successful despite the exclusion of several armed groups and highlights important dimensions for the question of participation. The central argument of the thesis is that the issue of participation, in particular its relation to success, is much more complex than recognised in the literature.
- ItemOpen AccessIntersectionality and employment equity in South Africa(2012) Warnat, Amber EThe objectives of the South African Employment Equity Act include providing equal opportunity in the workplace. However, the existing methods for achieving equality of opportunity have been unsuccessful because they do not engage sufficiently with the complexity of, and reasons for, inequality in the workplace. This thesis argues that the body of literature on intersectionality has great potential to contribute to the process of improving equality of opportunity. Derived from the literature, an intersectional analysis offers employers a way to engage with the complex nature of inequality, by obtaining a fuller, more nuanced and specific understanding of the phenomenon in a particular place of work. In this way, profound and effective solutions can be found. The thesis offers background on employment equity in South Africa and an overview of intersectionality, which reveals its value as a theoretical paradigm. It then describes the development of instruments to be used to analyse (in)equality of opportunity in a workplace.
- ItemOpen AccessThe investment in white benevolence in a small Karoo town(2011) Fourie, Gina; Foster, DonThis minor dissertation is based on fieldwork conducted for the Institute for Intercultural and Diversity Studies (iNCUDISA) at the University of Cape Town's Rural Transformation Project. The focus is on the investment in 'white benevolence' in a small Karoo (Northern Cape) town and in ways that white residents present themselves, and position themselves discursively, as benevolent whites. Loosely located in social constructionist and postmodernist paradigms, this piece of work also attempts to illustrate how lived experience and the situatedness of subjectivity impact on the research experience and the subjectivity of the 'researcher.' Ultimately, it is posited that if we are interested in the nature and extent of social transformation, the question of subjective transformation must be considered.
- ItemOpen AccessIt takes two hands to clap conflict, peacebuilding, and gender justice in Jonglei, South Sudan(2013) Lacey, ElizabethSouth Sudan became the newest country in the world in January 2011, after 22 years of civil war between the Khartoum-based government of Sudan and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) of the south—the longest of all armed conflicts on the African continent. There is a stark contrast between the rhetoric of post-war unity and peace and the realities of heightened tensions on the ground; the United Nations has warned that escalating inter-ethnic violence threatens to destabilize the country and many regions in South Sudan have “plummeted into self-perpetuating cycles of violence, cattleraiding, banditry and loss of human life. Jonglei state has seen some of the most extreme violence in South Sudan; the Lou Nuer, Murle, and Dinka in Jonglei raid and retaliate back and forth, killing civilians, abducting women and children, and talking cattle. Abductions of women have historically been a part of cattleraiding, but only recently became used extensively as a tool of war, either as an “attempt to directly recover wives” or purely to retaliate. The conflict in Jonglei is a “complex and murky situation to untangle” without one definitive explanation, and the timing and context of many events have contributed to its continuation. In order to create lasting peace in South Sudan, it is imperative to look critically at the complex layers of the driving factors of the recent inter-ethnic conflict in the region.
- ItemOpen AccessJustice and identity : the 'non-Jewish Jew', cosmopolitanism and anti-apartheid activism in twentieth century South Africa(2008) Pugh-Jones, Alana Frances; Shain, MiltonIncludes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-90).
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