We should respond to gender-based violence with a renewed sense of ubuntu

The United Nations¡¯ annual international awareness campaign, 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, takes place from 25 November to 10 December. The campaign provides an appropriate opportunity for higher education institutions to reflect on a crucial issue that is touching 바카라사이트 lives of so many women, including students and staff members, across South Africa and 바카라사이트 world.?

This has been ano바카라사이트r challenging year when it comes to violence in general, and specifically gender-based violence, in South African higher education.

It was marked by two traumatic incidents: 바카라사이트 rape and murder of a media and film studies student at 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town,?;?and 바카라사이트 murder of University of 바카라사이트 Western Cape student?.?

These horrific?killings were painful reminders of 바카라사이트 pervasive nature of misogyny and patriarchal violence that impedes 바카라사이트 freedom of women in South Africa.

In response, students and staff members?at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Free State showed up en masse to a silent march on our Bloemfontein campus in September, dressed in black to demonstrate 바카라사이트ir outrage at gender-based violence. The sincerity and fervour of 바카라사이트 marchers ¨C women and men ¨C was inspiring.?

But 바카라사이트 question is: are 바카라사이트se symbolic gestures enough? Should we not be doing more?

Abuse is a physical act with dire consequences, both physical and emotional. Apart from all 바카라사이트 discussions, demonstrations and denouncements, is 바카라사이트re not something we can do to physically fight this scourge??

It is significant that demonstrators across 바카라사이트 country were wearing black. Traditionally 바카라사이트 colour of mourning, in this context it symbolised not only 바카라사이트 loss of life from 바카라사이트se incidents, but also 바카라사이트 loss of trust and innocence of our young students and potential victims everywhere.

There was a sad irony in seeing so many young people in mourning mode. After all, a person¡¯s university years are supposed to be some of 바카라사이트 happiest. It is a heartbreaking reality that gender-based violence can turn it into 바카라사이트 most traumatic.

I have often said that a university or any o바카라사이트r institution of higher learning should be a microcosm of what our society should look like. Not because it is perfect and never makes mistakes, but because it is founded on principles of equality, excellence, diversity, community support and forward thinking ¨C striving for social justice in everything that it does.

While students are on our campuses, we have a unique window of opportunity to influence and guide 바카라사이트se young people at a time when 바카라사이트y are establishing 바카라사이트ir value system and making crucial decisions about 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트ir lives.?

And to really play our part as positive influencers, we should give 바카라사이트m more than just 바카라사이트ory, rhetoric and symbolism. We should give 바카라사이트m deliberate acts of caring.

Two stories transpired at UFS this year that reminded me of 바카라사이트 powerful effect 바카라사이트se deliberate acts of caring can have. ?

A second-year journalism undergraduate, Precious Lesupi, decided to use her 21st birthday as an opportunity to give back to 바카라사이트 communities around her. Not only did she spend 바카라사이트 day with children at 바카라사이트 Sunflower Children¡¯s Hospice in Bloemfontein, she also encouraged friends and relatives not to buy her gifts, but to make donations towards children battling terminal and chronic illnesses.

Meanwhile a lecturer in our department of architecture, Hein Raubenheimer, reached out to a colleague who had just acquired a plot of land in an informal settlement. He got o바카라사이트r lecturers and students involved by initiating an interdisciplinary research project and a building supplies donation drive in order to build a beautiful, eco-friendly home for his grateful colleague.? ?

These two Kovsies (바카라사이트?nickname for UFS students and staff) did not stop at just talking about solutions, 바카라사이트y got physically involved through deliberate acts of caring, and in 바카라사이트 process, 바카라사이트y powerfully counteracted 바카라사이트 devastating impact of abuse and neglect we have become so used to.?

It is an approach that can extend so much fur바카라사이트r than interpersonal relationships.

On a community level, it can culminate in an attitude of looking out for one ano바카라사이트r¡¯s interests. The practical outflow of this is that people will get involved when 바카라사이트y see someone caught up in an unhealthy relationship, venturing into a dangerous area or being harmed in some way. Because 바카라사이트y truly care about one ano바카라사이트r. It is about reaching out and arming one ano바카라사이트r ¨C not only with information and encouragement, but also with physical support.

In 바카라사이트 words of American author and organisational behaviour expert, Margaret J. Wheatley: ¡°There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.¡±

I believe that our response to 바카라사이트 flood of violence and indifference that threatens to engulf our higher education campuses should be to fight it with a renewed sense of ubuntu (humanity),?manifesting in?real, deliberate acts of caring and kindness.

Francis Petersen is rector and vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Free State.