reference:
1. http://s3.hubimg.com/u/997994_f520.jpg
2. http://openparachute.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/freedom-of-expression-go-to-hell.jpg
3. http://www.futureofthebook.org/blog/archives/foe_title.jpg
4. http://www.thegreatilluminator.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/karl-marx-hip.jpg
5. http://www.soulculture.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Nelson+Mandela.jpg
6. http://foundation.ukzn.ac.za/Libraries/Staff_Pics/Rick_Turner_1.sflb.ashx
7. http://rogueimc.org/images/2007/12/9609.jpg
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Projected outcomes of final project...
My thorts on which direction im going to take when it comes to the project.
I Have a Dream
by Martin Luther King, Jr.
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful conditions.
http://www.google.co.za/imgres?imgurl=http://www.delawareohrealestate.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/2008-04-dr-martin-luther-king-jr.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.delawareohrealestate.com/2010/01/13/delaware-owu-celebrating-martin-luther-kings-birthday/&h=682&w=500&sz=59&tbnid=fefTvlEYMWzPLM:&tbnh=139&tbnw=102&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmartin%2Bluther%2Bking&zoom=1&q=martin+luther+king&hl=en&usg=__FeGkhMr1dixRIcJwKFozwu6ynu0=&sa=X&ei=r9XKTKqMBYnMswadkqmoAQ&ved=0CDUQ9QEwBQ
Most educative man to date...
http://www.google.co.za/imgres?imgurl=http://www.delawareohrealestate.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/2008-04-dr-martin-luther-king-jr.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.delawareohrealestate.com/2010/01/13/delaware-owu-celebrating-martin-luther-kings-birthday/&h=682&w=500&sz=59&tbnid=fefTvlEYMWzPLM:&tbnh=139&tbnw=102&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmartin%2Bluther%2Bking&zoom=1&q=martin+luther+king&hl=en&usg=__FeGkhMr1dixRIcJwKFozwu6ynu0=&sa=X&ei=r9XKTKqMBYnMswadkqmoAQ&ved=0CDUQ9QEwBQ
Most educative man to date...
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
the newspaper article
Much has been said about the proposed protection of Information Bill (the Bill) that government wants to put in place. There has been a huge outcry from the general lay public, and politicians from opposition parties have also aired their distaste of the bill. The D.A has set up campaigns to rally against the Bill, with peaceful protests taking place and a petition containing over 28 000 signatures handed over to the government. Even Archbishop Desmond Tutu is in support of campaigns that oppose the Bill. But what effect will the proposed Bill have on academic freedom within South African universities? What do the academics of our country think about the Bill and its possible effects on academic freedom?
The core role of higher learning institutions is to carry out research, and present findings to fellow academics, the public and the government. But without clearly defined boundaries, students could land themselves in trouble for reporting on sensitive information with out even knowing that they are over stepping the mark as the bill does not clearly define what information is private and what is fit for public consumption – ok by why? You may want to refer to the Bill here to make it clearer. This is the biggest problem with the proposed Bill, is that no one is exactly sure on what information will be private and what will be fit for public consumption.
The general consensus among the various professors interviewed at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Howard college campus was inline with these sentiments. Rofhiwa F. Mukhundwana said that “The only problem is that the banner of the national interest as provided in the bill is too broad” and that “… one can never be certain of what information is protected and what is free to public access”.
What academic disciplines within the university will be directly affected cannot be fully predicted at the moment. One can only assume that students studying politics and current affairs will be affected according to David Spurrett a professor in the department of Philosohpy. Without clearly defined borders it is almost impossible to predict how far the Bill will affect current studies, and to what extent the Bill will impose self-censorship of students, especially those doing post-graduate research. Mukhundwana also cites that “… both academics and students may be denied valuable data necessary for academic knowledge and social innovation”.
Currently, students enjoy a great deal of academic freedom at this university, and if one looks into the archives and looks at the struggles of the past one will find that it was not long ago that students “had to smuggle around books and ideas that were banned under censorship laws” says Historian Julie Parle.
An interesting point brought up in the interview with Julie Parle is that the right to free speech and academic freedom are, however, not exercised fully by students. This is perhaps worrying as if this really is the case, then the limitation on access to information that the Bill will impose might not even have an effect on students if they are not fully practising their right to free speech and academic freedom in the first place. Is this a sign that the calibre of student is falling or that perhaps there is already some form of censorship in place preventing them from doing so. One can only speculate until a thorough investigation has taken place.
While the University prides itself on so called academic freedom and no academic censorship so to speak of, there have been a few cases recently that could give us an insight as to what it might be like if the Bill is to come into effect. Cases like those of Evan Mantzaris, Professor Nithaya Chetty and Fazel Khan could become the norm at UKZN and other South African Universities if the Bill is passed. In these cases, these former members of staff were fired for basically practising their right to freedom of speech and expression.
For example, their was much controversy after Nithaya Chetty and colleague John van den Berg, also accused of ‘bringing UKZN in disrepute’, published in the press and on the universities “change” listserve comments that “were critical of UKZN vice chancellor Malegapuru Makgoba’s alleged repeated attempts to block from the senate agenda a faculty of Science and Agriculture submission on academic freedom, which refers to a “prevailing culture of incivility and racial stereotyping that further impedes the free exchange of ideas” at the university.”[1]
Unfortunately with the implementation of the proposed Bill, cases like these might become the norm as whistleblowers get axed (and even sent to prison) for reporting on the inefficiencies of management in all spheres of government. Lets hope that this is not the case, and that government will find use in the Bill passed by former president Thabo Mbeki titled “The Promotion of Access to Information Act” which “spells out very clearly which circumstances allow the government to withhold certain classes of information from its citizens”[2].
References
1) http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global[_id]=16644
http://www.fxi.org.za/content/view/30/1/
2) http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-10-12-we-need-to-know-what-our-government-is-up
http://www.abahlali.org/node/1117
http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global[_id]=661
http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-10-19-more-ignorance-than-resistance
http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-09-18-zille-media-tribunal-a-tool-to-mask-corruption
The core role of higher learning institutions is to carry out research, and present findings to fellow academics, the public and the government. But without clearly defined boundaries, students could land themselves in trouble for reporting on sensitive information with out even knowing that they are over stepping the mark as the bill does not clearly define what information is private and what is fit for public consumption – ok by why? You may want to refer to the Bill here to make it clearer. This is the biggest problem with the proposed Bill, is that no one is exactly sure on what information will be private and what will be fit for public consumption.
The general consensus among the various professors interviewed at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Howard college campus was inline with these sentiments. Rofhiwa F. Mukhundwana said that “The only problem is that the banner of the national interest as provided in the bill is too broad” and that “… one can never be certain of what information is protected and what is free to public access”.
What academic disciplines within the university will be directly affected cannot be fully predicted at the moment. One can only assume that students studying politics and current affairs will be affected according to David Spurrett a professor in the department of Philosohpy. Without clearly defined borders it is almost impossible to predict how far the Bill will affect current studies, and to what extent the Bill will impose self-censorship of students, especially those doing post-graduate research. Mukhundwana also cites that “… both academics and students may be denied valuable data necessary for academic knowledge and social innovation”.
Currently, students enjoy a great deal of academic freedom at this university, and if one looks into the archives and looks at the struggles of the past one will find that it was not long ago that students “had to smuggle around books and ideas that were banned under censorship laws” says Historian Julie Parle.
An interesting point brought up in the interview with Julie Parle is that the right to free speech and academic freedom are, however, not exercised fully by students. This is perhaps worrying as if this really is the case, then the limitation on access to information that the Bill will impose might not even have an effect on students if they are not fully practising their right to free speech and academic freedom in the first place. Is this a sign that the calibre of student is falling or that perhaps there is already some form of censorship in place preventing them from doing so. One can only speculate until a thorough investigation has taken place.
While the University prides itself on so called academic freedom and no academic censorship so to speak of, there have been a few cases recently that could give us an insight as to what it might be like if the Bill is to come into effect. Cases like those of Evan Mantzaris, Professor Nithaya Chetty and Fazel Khan could become the norm at UKZN and other South African Universities if the Bill is passed. In these cases, these former members of staff were fired for basically practising their right to freedom of speech and expression.
For example, their was much controversy after Nithaya Chetty and colleague John van den Berg, also accused of ‘bringing UKZN in disrepute’, published in the press and on the universities “change” listserve comments that “were critical of UKZN vice chancellor Malegapuru Makgoba’s alleged repeated attempts to block from the senate agenda a faculty of Science and Agriculture submission on academic freedom, which refers to a “prevailing culture of incivility and racial stereotyping that further impedes the free exchange of ideas” at the university.”[1]
Unfortunately with the implementation of the proposed Bill, cases like these might become the norm as whistleblowers get axed (and even sent to prison) for reporting on the inefficiencies of management in all spheres of government. Lets hope that this is not the case, and that government will find use in the Bill passed by former president Thabo Mbeki titled “The Promotion of Access to Information Act” which “spells out very clearly which circumstances allow the government to withhold certain classes of information from its citizens”[2].
References
1) http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global[_id]=16644
http://www.fxi.org.za/content/view/30/1/
2) http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-10-12-we-need-to-know-what-our-government-is-up
http://www.abahlali.org/node/1117
http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global[_id]=661
http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-10-19-more-ignorance-than-resistance
http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-09-18-zille-media-tribunal-a-tool-to-mask-corruption
Friday, October 15, 2010
interview
As i interview a lecturer of media studies Miss Rofhiwa F. Mukhudwana i noticed that she has a very good understanding of what academic freedom is in correlation to the protection of information bill. The interview is as follows: ’s table for a number of years under construction and reconstruction. The function of this law is to protect classified information in the national interest. The bill makes it a punishable offence (25 yrs in prison) for the media or anybody to possess or publish classified state information. As academics we are well aware that certain information should be protected from public access in order to preserve the dignity and the safety of the state. The only problem is that the banner of the national interest as provided in the bill is too broad. Thus one can never be certain of what information is protected and what is free to public access. ’t think the bill goes as far as to threaten this human right. There are still many avenues in which information can be solicited and obtained. There is still the Promotion of Access to Information Act of 2000 which I believe stands to deter against the Protection of Information Bill. ’t foresee much academic censorship. Although the bill may reduce access to information, it is without doubt that once the information is accessed it will be used without self-censorship. ….’t think the bill will pass in parliament as it stands…There has been an immense public outcry, government will have to retreat. ….
What are your views on the proposed bill?
The proposed Protection of Information Bill in not necessarily a new legislation. It has been on parliamentTo what extent do you think the bill will affect academic freedom within South African universities?It definitely has a rather negative impact on academic freedom. If the bill passes as it stands, it would mean that any state official or parastatal may classify any information as inaccessible. In this case, university researchers, both academics and students may be denied valuable data necessary for academic knowledge and social innovation. Universities thrive on the ability to research and create knowledge and without which may be relegated into obscurity.
Do you think students at UKZN have academic freedom, and if not will the bill further compound this problem?Yes students currently enjoy academic freedom
How important do think it is for the growth of the human race to have free access to information in order for them to examine, disseminate and question for their own understanding and knowledge?The right to know is very important to humanity but I don
What do you believe are the implications of academic censorship if the bill is to come into effect?Universities are generally free from economical and political pressures so I don
Does this bill impose/enforce on academic freedom?Impose
In your opinion, is the passing of this bill good/bad in terms of academic freedom?Totally unwelcome, but I don
What does academic freedom mean in correlation to the bill?The ability to achieve and impart knowledge freely and responsibly
This interview shared some light to the unanswered questions i have on academic freedom in Howard College.
Miss Rofhiwa F. Mukhudwana
Monday, October 11, 2010
TABLOIDS
The kinds of headlines we all love to see and talk about are sad.
Many people, including me, buy newspapers and magazines for the fun of reading
about public figuers lifes.
The stories we read is not always important or relatively true but it is ebntetrtaining,
it brigs about feelings and emotions.
the Gossip
Justin Bieber To Launch A Line Of Nail Polish
it is just for human nature to get entertained, as studies show us.
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