No celebration without justice
IN September, South Africans celebrate our joint heritage. We get the opportunity to reflect on how this heritage was forged and what we must do to preserve it for future generations.
Our joint South African heritage is rich, pluralistic, diverse, ambivalent and future-oriented. It is also rich spiritually, culturally, socially, ecologically, industrially, agriculturally, economically, politically, academically, and intellectually.
Our heritage reflects the contributions of people from diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds. In the context of globalisation and interconnectedness, the pluralistic nature of our heritage is even greater.
It reflects so many elements of justice, peace and even joy. But it is also a heritage of tragedy and pain, of distance and injustice, of colonialism and apartheid.
In the constitution, South Africans from various backgrounds describe the heritage we want to leave behind for future generations.
This heritage is a life of dignity for all humans, also for nature.
To build dignity we must seek to heal the wounds of our nation and achieve more embracing justice, freedom for all and a society based on equity and equality.
The materialisation of this life of dignity for all, restitution and justice, can be achieved through transformation processes in the lives of individuals and institutions, including universities.
By promoting excellence through diversity; access with success; inclusivity and co-ownership; future-orientedness and innovation; as well as restitution and justice, universities can contribute to the transformation of society.
Universities’ contribution to the transformation of society entails the advancement of social cohesion, social solidarity, social capital and social justice.
There is no real transformation without justice; there is no dignity without justice; there is no healing without justice; there is no freedom without justice; there is no equity and equilibrium without justice; there is no equality of worth without justice; and there is no worthy heritage to celebrate without justice. PROFESSOR NICO KOOPMAN Stellenbosch