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The impact of apartheid in the society of South Africa
Human rights violations in south africa
The impact of apartheid in the society of South Africa
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Sarafina
Sarafina! is the story of the struggle for freedom of non-European school children in Soweto, South Africa. The story takes place during the time of the Apartheid just before Nelson Mandela was released in 1990 and the Apartheid ended. The Apartheid was a policy of strict racial segregation and political and economic discrimination against non-whites in the Republic of South Africa (WWWebster Dictionary). Segregation and discrimination against non-whites was imposed in housing, employment, education, and public services. It was enforced with a cruelly oppressive regime that used intimidation, torture, and murder to maintain order. Sarafina! was thus an open window to what went on during the Apartheid tied into the story of one rebellious young girl who tried her best to gain freedom for all non-white South Africans.
Sarafina! was helpful in presenting and illustrating the struggle for freedom in South Africa during the Apartheid and also in understanding the brutality of the repression and the children's response. The movie clearly, visibly, and graphically showed the violence of a civil war between the South African government and the non-whites. People were beaten, whipped, kicked, shot at, shocked with electricity, and tortured. There were riots and destruction of property. There was even the scene where the children set fire to the constable who beat and tortured their friends. This particular action of the children, in my opinion, was morally wrong; two wrongs do not make a right. It seemed as though they simply did it as revenge rather than as a solution to their problem.
Sarafina! showed that children can have an effect on their world and that once united they can make a difference. The ch...
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...eeded Mrs. Masambuca as their role model and their guide, or they would have never thought of gaining back their freedom.
Before I saw the movie, Sarafina!, I was not really aware of what went on during the Apartheid. I knew that it was a system of segregation and discrimination. However, I did not know that over 750 people were killed and over 10,000 were arrested, tortured, and assaulted. The film took me by surprise because it was so graphic and visual of what occurred during the Apartheid. What also took me by surprise was the fact that it was children challenging the South African government. I would have never thought, or even pictured, that children would fight against an entire government. Sarafina! really opened my eyes as to the struggle that men, women, as well as children, went through and their ways of dealing with the fight against Apartheid.
Sara Smolinsky is the youngest of four sisters; the eldest is Bessie, whom everyone calls the “Burden-bearer” because the whole family lives on her pay check. “I knew the landlord came that morning hollering for rent. And the whole family were hanging on Bessie’s neck for her wages. Unless she got work soon, we’d be thrown in the street to shame and to laughter for the whole world.”(1) The second eldest daughter was Fania, who loves to read and speaks her mind. The third sister is Mashah, “empty-head, loves her own pretty face and spends out her earnings for clothes and drugstore accessories, to the scandal of her sisters, the disgust of the mother and the outspoken rage of her father.”(Turbulent) The final daughter is Sara who is the most independent and is searching for her own life, way from their father. “Reb Smolinsky, wise in the lore of the Torah, comfortably immured in the seclusion of his learning, calmly collects the earnings of his four daughters and chants of the terrors and the hatreds and the punishments from the Old Testament and the Hebrew writers.” (Turbulent) We do not hear much from the girl’s mother, Shena but know she revels in Reb’s holiness. The family structure is very important to Reb and Shena but not to Sara, she believes she can make her own family the way she wants. With or without religion.
Even though they are not as fortunate as us, they never gave up on having a better future. They were determined to fight for what they want and need. One of the most recurring theme was education. The statistic (in the movie) shows that if there are more girls in school, there would be less cases of HIV among them. What I found hopeful and uplifting was that the girls were so determined and persistent towards feminism and education rights. It inspires and motivates me to want to do something with my life, because I see now how fortunate I am to have a secured
Wells, Karen C.. "rescuing children and children's rights." Childhood in a global perspective. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 2009. 168-169. Print.
In the film Sankofa it gave the viewers a direct representation of what it was like to be a slave. What it felt like, the pain, the abuse and the anger that drove them to killing their master’s. The main character Shola went from someone who did not agree with violence as a source of revenge to someone who had nothing but fight left in her. This character's change in emotion alone just made me even more angry about what they did to my people. This film made me really see how much life and innocence they took away from black race. This film was different from other slavery films I have seen. The characters showed raw emotion which gave a more impactful insight of slavery. The character Joe who struggled so much with his own identity and
How does the documentary contradict, support, and clarify, etc. your understanding of contemporary African culture, history and politics?
Possible video description for review: This week, join Bobby and Sherry Burnette deep in the mountains of Savaan Pit, Haiti, a place where many poor children are unable to read or write. Love A Child’s Child Sponsorship Program gives these precious children a new life, outside of poverty. Hear the story of Montania, a little girl who dreams of learning how to write her name. And watch as Bobby and Sherry visit a Love A Child school to deliver special gifts of Boys’ and Girls’ Packs to children from their sponsors.
The most successful way to instill righteous and moral behavior and thoughts is by demonstrating our respectable interactions and honest problem solving approaches during difficult times of our lives. “As adults we should dare to be adults that we want our children to be”. They learn by watching and are quick to mimic our behavior with their peers outside of home. The author writes that “we should strive to raise children who: engage with the world from a place of worthiness, embrace their vulnerabilities and imperfections, feel a deep sense of love and compassion for themselves and others, value hard work, perseverance, and respect, and also move through our rapidly changing world with courage and a resilient spirit” (214, 218-219). All of these elements will help to transform the way we live, love, and
...its portrayal of both the present and future, I tend to look at it in a more positive manner. Although it is true that there are bad practices, cruel people, and harsh laws in existence around the world today (even if many are not at the same extreme levels of stoning), there is still hope. Just as Mr. Adams comments that some villages have done away with the lottery, so too can we as a nation and global community continue to strive to end violence everywhere—continue to work together to solve problems rather than finding a scapegoat to harbor the blame.
...sh children and how they were able to persevere through devastation, heartbreak, and tragedies. "I can assure you, I always grit my teeth and smile," reads the narrator from one of the children's letters to their parents. These children didn't show any signs of weakness and didn’t let their obstacles take over their life. It is very admirable how they were able to endure what they did, yet still make a life for themselves. Now that they are adults, it is clear to see how their experiences shaped them and greatly influenced their lives. The strangers who took these children in are very admirable as well. Their willingness to take in children they didn’t know saved thousands of lives. The greatest outcome of the Kindertransport was that they survived; however, they were robbed of their childhood and were forced to live a life that they had not imagined for themselves.
The growth of sociological interest in children and childhood has coincided widely with the development of the modern children's rights movement. The two disciplines share some communalities such as the emphasis given to children's agenc...
Therefore, these children have hope and options, instead of being made to become caregivers and child-minders, they can finally, make their dreams come true and be whatever that they are destined to become in life. However, the great leader and CEO of this establishment, most people would not think that business mogul Oprah Winfrey, would just let someone come and destroy this legacy and empire, because her work ethics, demonstrate great leadership because it’s obviously that Oprah is prepared for most obstacles and mishaps. Therefore, Oprah did not give up on her vision, but confronted the issues and implemented strategies that assist this celebrity to overcome the roadblocks in a professional
1. Thesis: Nelson Mandela’s courage brought justice to his country and greatly improved South Africa overall.
After watching the movie, I was very surprised to see the culture values men than women, for example, the husband cared more about the gender than the mother and the baby’s well being. The husband portrays his disappointment after finding the baby is a girl “enough girls now. We need a boy.” (2:58 Winnie Mandela, 2012). I believe that everyone is valuable in the community and should have a voice and an opportunity, but as I become more aware of cultural differences, I learn to acknowledge their beliefs and traditions. The setting of police informants on fire with a tire around their neck alive and the killing of the teenage boy was surprising and bothering. I felt that this is cruelty and goes against my practices and culture where there is a justice system, however, this might be acceptable in their culture, and I should not impose my beliefs, practices and values or stereotype. The killing of the teenage boy also bothered me even though justice prevails at the end.
In society today, we are working with families and children are more diverse than ever. We are servicing families and children from so many different traditions, beliefs and values. Every family has their own stories. We will find that families and children
Imagine being a black individual living in a South African society where whites thrived in numerous aspects of life while those who were colored were treated very poorly and inferior. This would have been the current situation in the country if it wasn’t for one individual who completely turned the entire nation from a place of inequality and injustice to a land of prosperity and hope. This person was able to suffer through racism, which included being wrongfully imprisoned for nearly 27 years, to ensure that his country would someday view everyone as equal regardless of their skin color. This person, who utterly reshaped the entire nation of South Africa for the better of colored individuals, was Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.