#UniteAgainstRacism
Anti-Racism Week, 14 to 21 March, is held annually in South Africa during Human Rights Month. It culminates on Human Rights Day and the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
The week is aimed at creating public awareness about racism, and how it affects individuals and broader society. It was initiated by the AntiRacism
Kuaan van Zyl (23)
Wat kan ons doen om rassisme te oorkom? Hy voel rassisme sal oorkom word wanneer SuidAfrikaners besef dat ons land die potensiaal het om een van die beste lande in die wêreld te wees. Hy sê al hoe dit kan gebeur is as ons saamstaan en besef dat ons mekaar nodig het. “Ons het mekaar nodig en ons land, met al sy verskillende kulture, het die potensiaal om een van die beste lande in die wêreld te wees. Wanneer mense dít begin besef sal ons rassisme kan oorkom,” sê hy.
Nina Redelinghuys (23)
Wat voed rassisme? Sy voel dat die grootste brandstof op die rassistiesevuur, rassisme self is. “Rassisme voed rassisme. Rassisme word gevoed deur mense wat rassisties optree en nie objektief na ‘n situasie kyk nie en mense wat hulle vryheid van spraak op sosiale media misbruik,” sê sy. Ouers wat hul kinders rassisties grootmaak is volgens haar ook een van die oorsake van rassisme.
Richard Blom (20)
“Colour should never matter. Your performance should dictate your opportunities. Once people can set aside their differences and start working toward a better humanity, colour won’t matter.”
Soyiso Maliti (25)
Network South Africa (Arnsa). This year Arnsa's steering committee selected the theme #UniteAgainstRacism.
George Herald went out to speak to young locals and asked them three questions:
When will colour not matter?
What feeds racism?
How can we overcome racism?
Veronique Witbooi (21)
erger geword.”
Carla Gallant (19)
Hoe kan ons rassisme oorkom? Sy is van Pacaltsdorp en sê ons kan dit oorkom deur die jonger generasie bloot te stel aan diversiteit op ‘n vroeë ouderdom. “Ons moet ook meer oop wees vir ander se kultuur en meer verdraagsaam wees. Mense moet ook dink voordat hulle praat en hoe daardie woorde ander mense aanraak.”
Tumi Masango (28)
When colour will not matter? She says she thinks colour won’t matter the day we don’t see it and start seeing people as the human race. “Colour will not matter the moment we all start considering someone else’s character, feelings, personality, qualifications, intelligence and attitude and not judge by the colour of their skin. The moment we all stop with the mentality that the colour of my skin doesn’t enable me or give me access to an area that white people can access. The moment it stops being ‘weird’ to see a white guy at a Shisanyama listening to Gqom and a black CEO in a company with white staff.”
Lucinda Eksteen (22)
What can we do to overcome racism? She says we should make an effort to get to know people who are different from us and learn about them and their culture. “Keep an open mind and always accept others, even if they don’t accept you.”
Tanya Hartman (36)
Wat voed rassisme? Hy sê rassisme begin by die huis en dit dra oor na kinders se gedrag by die skool. Hy meen dis baie keer ouers wat rassisme vir kinders aanleer. “As ‘n kind nie van rassisme geleer word nie, sal hy nie daarvan weet nie.” Hy voel dat rassisme ook soms by skole posvat. Mense moet let op wat hulle kwytraak.
Corien Schoonwinkel (22)
Sy is van George: “Die jonger generasie kyk deur ‘n ander bril na die situasie. Dit voel vir my of ons generasie self besluit en nie met die wêreld se norme gaan nie. Vir my persoonlik is elke individu belangrik en iemand moenie raakgesien word vir hul velkleur nie. Jy moet kyk na iemand se hart en nie na hul velkleur nie.”
Curtis Sauls (27)
Wanneer gaan kleur nie meer saak maak nie? “Dit gaan nooit nié saak maak nie. Dit is die mens self, met ons selfsugtige motiewe, wat kleurverskille gebruik om magsposisies te verkry. So lank as wat mense nie hul manier van dink en hul emosies teenoor alle rasse verander nie, sal kleur ‘n struikelblok bly.”
Anet-Mari Alberts (23)
Wat kan gedoen word om rassisme te oorbrug/ oorkom? Sy is van George: “Rassisme begin by kinders in hul ouerhuis. Dit gaan nog lank neem om uit te wis. Dit is belangrik hoe kinders in hul ouerhuis opgevoed word om rassisme aan te spreek.”
Werner Ferreira (35)
When will colour not matter? “The first thing that always comes to my mind when these conversations come up is, ‘call them out.’ If someone is racist towards you, call them out, tell them you do not like being addressed in a racist manner or tell them, ‘You are being racist.’ People should start getting comfortable with sitting with different races in public places. Teachers should get used to teaching other races without throwing racial slurs at them. Services must be offered the same way everywhere. Stop making people inferior around you. Obviously, it’s not something that could be overcome in a short period of time, it will take a while. We need to be willing to do it, otherwise it’s not going to happen. I feel like in the Western Cape, we still have a very long way to go for us to end racism.”
Tiché Marcus (18)
Kan rassisme oorkom word? Sy glo ja, rassisme kan oorkom word as almal net bewus kan wees hoe dit is om saam te staan en mekaar te aanvaar vir wie hulle is, maak nie saak watter ras of geslag hulle is nie. Almal moet oor dieselfde kam geskeer word.
Wilbert Baron (25)
Wat voed rassisme en hoe kan dit oorkom word? Hy sê rassisme kom van ons voorouers af. “Dit begin in die huis. Nou vat ons jongelinge dit vorentoe deur rassisties te wees met mekaar. Van kleins af moet daar nie so iets wees van ‘ons is verskillende kleure nie’. Ons moet van kleins af leer meng met mekaar en mekaar se kulture respekteer.” What can we do to overcome racism? “First and foremost, respect one another. That would already bring a change. History about what has happened has to be there but not taught. Any history revolving suppression on a nation or colour will always bring racism into the world. What we do need to change is the way our young children get taught and are brought up in the world today. History is history and we can’t change that. The only thing we can do is look towards tomorrow and build a better future for our nation.