BUILDING ACTIVISM: GROUNDWORK’S ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SCHOOL KICKS OFF

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, 12 October 2015 – This year, groundWork’s Environmental Justice School is focusing on building activism over three weeks, using theory and praxis in its curriculum targeting members of community partner organisations. Nineteen students from South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia and Sweden will be engaged on issues of development and power, environmental legislation in South Africa and campaigning in areas of energy, air, water, land and food.

With mentorship from groundWork staff, by the end of the school, students are to have mapped out a course of action to use their newly acquired knowledge to become more active in their communities.

The school’s logo was designed in remembrance of famous environmental justice activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was murdered by the Nigerian state for his campaigning around Shell’s catastrophic oil operations in the Niger Delta. We remember his and other justice activists’ work as we go forward in building a new movement of activists who will continue their work in resisting corporate power and fighting for people’s development.

groundWork is proud to have members from the following organisations and movements participating in the Environmental Justice School:

Action for Rural Development & Environment
Africa Groups of Sweden
Centre for Environmental Rights
Highveld Environmental Justice Network
iMfolozi Community & Wilderness Alliance
Justiça Ambiental
Legal Assistance Centre
Livaningo
South African Waste Pickers’ Association
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance
Southern Cape Land Committee
Surplus People Project
Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance

 

You can download the full programme details here here.

The closing session of the school will feature a speech by Desmond D’Sa, winner of the 2014 Goldman Environmental Prize and Coordinator at the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance.

 

MEET THE CLASS OF 2015

• Sanna Strom is a Swedish activist from Africa Groups of Sweden.
• Hiraruka Julius Katjepunda is an education officer at the Legal Assistance Centre in Namibia.
• Manuel Cardoso (Junior) is a project assistant in the Clean Energy Campaign at Livaningo in Mozambique.
• Samuel Mondlane is the social communication technician at Justiça Ambiental in Mozambique.
• Ilidio Barbosa is a project assistant at Action for Rural Development and Environment in Angola.
• Unathi Dyanti is a farming activist from the Surplus People’s Project in the Western Cape, South Africa.
• Sive Wondo is a farming activist from the Surplus People’s Project in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
• Precious Mazibuko is a community activist at the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
• Shannon Leigh Landers is a community activist at the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
• Palesa Maloisane is a member of the South African Waste Pickers’ Association working in Gauteng, South Africa.
• Sibongile Mtsweni is the Coordinator at the Highveld Environmental Justice Network in Mpumalanga, South Africa.
• Dumisani Masina is the Secretary at the Highveld Environmental Justice Network in Mpumalanga, South Africa.
• Rhona Riet is a community activist at the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance in Gauteng, South Africa.
• Maleboheng Mathafeng is a community activist at the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance in Gauteng, South Africa.
• Ricardo Bhetsha is a field worker at the Southern Cape Land Committee in the Karoo, South Africa.
• Janise Bostander is a programme manager at the Southern Cape Land Committee in the Karoo, South Africa.
• Billy Mzuokong Mnqondo is a community activist at iMfolozi Community and Wilderness Alliance in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
• Phila Ndimande is a community activist at iMfolozi Community and Wilderness Alliance in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
• Sylvia Kamanja is a lawyer at the Centre for Environmental Rights in the Western Cape, South Africa.
• Matome Kapa is a lawyer at the Centre for Environmental Rights in the Western Cape, South Africa.