The University of Botswana, Gaborone, Department of Sociology is hosting the "Aftermath" exhibition from 27-29 October 2021, accompanied by a series of engagements including an opening panel discussion with Prof Thierry Luescher, Drs Angelina Wilson Fadiji and Keamogetse Morwe, Ms Tania Fraser and others; and two seminars on the photovoice methodology and the findings and goals of the project respectively. The exhibition is displayed in the University of Botswana Library Foyer between 9 am to 4 pm. RSVP OR MORE INFO: Dr Mashumba: mashumbal@ub.ac.bw; Dr Mookodi: mookodi@ub.ac.bw
SESSIONS WITHIN THE EXHIBITION
Wednesday, 27 October, 1 – 2 pm:
Opening Panel: “Student wellbeing, to us”-University of Botswana, Sociology, & Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/99693710773 Meeting ID: 996 9371 0773
Thursday, 28 October, 1 – 3 pm: Seminar:
“Photovoice Methodology: Opportunities and challenges for Social Policy research and advocacy”
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/91881268503 Meeting ID: 918 8126 8503
Friday, 29 October, 2.30 – 4pm: Concluding seminar
“Purpose and findings of the Study ‘Violence and Wellbeing in the Context of the Student Movement”
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/99448232101 Meeting ID: 994 4823 2101
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Aftermath: Violence and Wellbeing in the Context of the Student Movement, is a collection of 34 images taken and/or supplied by South African student leaders, which they reflecton as representations of their experiences of violence during the #FeesMustFall student movement - and their search for wellbeing after these experiences. The images have beenselected and curated from more than 100 images that were produced as part of a joint photovoice research project hosted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) withthe University of Venda (Univen) between 2019 and 2021. The research team led by Prof. Thierry Luescher (HSRC), Dr Keamogetse Morwe (Univen) and Dr Angelina Wilson Fadiji(University of Pretoria), held photovoice workshops with 26 student leaders and activists on five campuses of public universities in South Africa which experienced high levels ofviolence during the 2015/16 #FeesMustFall student movement. Student participants were selected from the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Cape Town; University of Venda(Univen), Thohoyandou; University of the Free State (UFS), Bloemfontein/Mangaung; University of Fort Hare (UFH), Alice, and Durban University of Technology (DUT), Durban. Thestudent leaders participated in institution-specific, face-to-face photovoice workshops on their respective campuses (except at DUT where workshops were held via Zoom onlinedue to the Covid-19 pandemic). Among the criteria for participation were that they should have experienced violence as part of student protests on their campus - whether asobservers, victims or perpetrators - during the 2015/16 student protests.
In curating the exhibition, a number of themes emerged including: protest and violence, oppressive spaces, safe spaces, patriarchy (and the defiance of it), fear, escape, trauma,unity and wellbeing. The aim of this exhibition is to raise awareness about the high levels of violence on South African university campuses and the impact this has on studentwellbeing. While trying to put pressure on often uncaring and unresponsive university leaders and policy makers, students end up being exposed to unacceptable levels ofviolence, either perpetrated by students themselves or as victims of the violent responses carried onto campuses by police and security services.
The student leaders and activists, whose reflections are represented in the exhibition’s pictures and accompanying captions have expressed the hope that by sharing their photosand stories, an awareness would be created in the public, in government and among higher education policy makers and university leaders. They hope that this awareness willensure that student grievances are taken seriously without the need for protesting. They also hope that student counselling services are expanded to better support students whostruggle with mental health issues.
This exhibition is available online at South African History Online and additional info on the HSRC website.
