CIVIL SOCIETY WATCH 12-18 APRIL 2021
This week in civil society: The role of the arts, the Information Regulator and vaccine manufacturing in SA and the world
Art and the people who make it are honoured on World Art Day, South Africa’s civil society talks privacy and data, while African researchers, diplomats and scientists discuss the future of vaccine manufacturing and roll-outs across the continent.
This week marks the third annual World Art Day on 15 April. The day was declared by UNESCO to promote “the development, diffusion and enjoyment of art”. The International Association of Art is encouraging artists in 2021 to submit works on the theme “You’re not Alone” to be part of its virtual exhibition.
(Photo: TanyaZhe/Shutterstock/wikipedia)
The rest of the week…
There will be a two-day virtual conference this week on scaling up African’s vaccine-manufacturing capabilities. President Cyril Ramaphosa will be in conversation with Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi and Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairperson of the African Union Commission. The conference will be the blueprint for how African Union members approach this project in future. Attend the conference here on Monday, 12 April and Tuesday, 13 April.
epa09101259 A demonstrator with a message reading ‘Art will triumph’ written on the chest has her wrists taped to a pillar outside the Odeon Theatre during a protest against Covid-19 shutdowns of cultural places in Paris, France, 27 March 2021. Cultural workers are occupying national theaters since 10 March to protest against the closure of cultural venues due to the coronavirus pandemic for the past months. (Photo: EPA-EFE/YOAN VALAT)
On Tuesday, 13 April, Right2Know will host a webinar on the role of the Information Regulator in enforcing the protection of personal information law in South Africa. The regulator’s Nomzamo Zondi will be in discussion with Hoodah Abrahams-Fayker of the Blash Sash and Thami Nkosi of Right2Know. Join the webinar here at 10am.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – SEPTEMBER 16: Cultural and creative industry practitioners join a national march to Parliament to protest against industry lockdown regulations on September 16, 2020 in Cape Town, South Africa. It is reported that the industry is demanding that they open at 70% capacity. (Photo by Gallo Images/Ziyaad Douglas)
Later that day, experts in politics will discuss the lessons learnt in recovering assets lost to corruption in Angola and how these can be applied in Mozambique. The webinar is organised by Centro Para Democracia e Desenvolvimento Moçambique, a civil society organisation “working on deepening democracy and development in Mozambique”. Attend the webinar at 3pm here.
On Wednesday, 14 April, leading organisations such as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organisation and UNESCO will discuss the ethical considerations of Covid-19 vaccination, with a focus on fair, equitable and timely allocation in Africa. Join here at noon. DM/MC
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