Submitted by Sokari Ekine on 16 June, 2008 - 14:03
There are so many different technologies and activities which can be used for activism and development. Radio, theater, internet, video and music. CMFD- Community Media & Development have a programme called Music for Social Change which is used to highlight social issues such as HIV/AIDS, using condoms, gender violence and so on.
Responding to the xenophobia in South Africa they have chosen to use music to get people talking about the issue.
Though the music focuses on the Mozambican experience, to better understand xenophobia CMFD interviewed 100 migrants from all over the continent about their experiences in South Africa. The overwhelming majority told about how they personally suffered from discrimination, including from police and health services.MAX Bass
The musicians are putting together words to give voice to these experiences, calling on all people to respect one another. “Many people do not know these things are happening,” says Mozambican saxophone player Machotte, “Through this music, maybe we can make people know and think about this, and people will change.” For many migrants, it is a chance to finally have their voices heard.
Comments
Of interest to others in this field:
"ArtVenture is launching the inaugural ArtVenture Freedom to Create Prize, which seeks to celebrate artists who have used the arts as a medium to promote and protect human rights. The prize carries a total value of US$ 100,000 and is comprised of three different categories. The prize is designed so that a portion of the prize monies from each category will be given to advocacy groups to further causes highlighted by the winning artists/entries.
It would be much appreciated if you could forward the details of the prize to interested and relevant parties. If there are any outstanding artists or groups you would like to nominate, please visit the official site at www.FreedomToCreatePrize.com for registration and entry details."
Dipesh Pabari
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