#RacismStopsWithMe website launched
Independent Media have launched the stopracism.iol.co.za site, and users are encouraged to engage with each other and share their stories.
|||Cape Town - After launching the #RacismStopsWithMe campaign on Wednesday, Independent Media launched the stopracism.iol.co.za microsite in Cape Town on Thursday.
The website, which went online on Thursday, will host all curated content on racism and race-related stories from across Independent Media’s print titles and digital platforms.
Users can also engage with each other and share their stories.
Cabinet ministers were at the launch to support the initiative.
Click here to visit the stopracism.iol.co.za website.
Independent Media and Sekunjalo Investment Holdings executive chairman Dr Iqbal Survé said the stop racism campaign is a joint initiative of Sekunjalo, the Independent Media group, Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, the South African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (Sactwu) and the Fibre Processing and Manufacturing (FP&M) Sector Education and Training Authority.
“The campaign is aimed at highlighting racism and ways to overcome it and for South Africans to find a common humanity; to try and understand each other better to build a better future,” he said.
Survé said the idea for the microsite is to expose people to an uncomfortable situation where they can talk to each other.
He said they want to reach as many people as possible, particularly young people who are always on social media.
“We want them to tell their own stories, and through this campaign (send the message that) let’s respect each other,” added Survé.
Sactwu’s André Kriel said the union has a firm mandate to condemn racism and they are happy to be partners in the anti-racism campaign.
He said they will inform their members and other unions about the microsite.
FP&Mseta’s Michelle Odayan said Independent Media and their partners have a wonderful opportunity to give a voice to those who want to say something about racism.
Ahmed Kathrada Foundation chief executive Neeshan Balton said this is the first national anti-racism campaign by a media organisation and that the movement of anti-racism needs to be broadened.
Balton said they would like to see every sector of society involved in fighting racism.
Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete said the politics of non-racialism has never been this busy.
“Sometimes they differ in the context of hot and heated debates but the ideal of non-racialism became more and more stronger with the passing of time.
“We must therefore pay tribute to our forebears who chanted this cause,” said Mbete.
Cape Argus