You are cordially invited to a webinar hosted by the General Representation of the Government of Flanders/Embassy of Belgium in South Africa in collaboration with the SOGIESC Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria and the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender, University of Pretoria.
Webinar: Art, Solidarity & Community: from hurt to healing
Thursday 20 May 2021
18:00 - 19:30 SAST
All participants are required to register on Zoom:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMvfuqtpjIvEtW-tOabXrLOi5HCbJuvjZ3C
Zoom Meeting ID: 97293589581 (registration required)
Speakers
Facilitators:
Rivonia Pillay
Water Engineer andadvocate for LGBTQI+ rights
James de Villiers
Profile writer and counsellor
Participants:
Sivuyisiwe Mafeke
South African queer activist
Roché Kester (tbc)
South African poet and hate crimes activist from OUT LGBT Wellbeing
David Nnanna Ikpo
Nigerian lawyer and storyteller
Inke Gieghase
Spoken word artist, journalist, public speaker, writer and activist
Background
We are “together, resisting, supporting and healing” says the IDAHOBIT 2021 committee. In this spirit, the webinar will explore the theme of healing after harm aimed at LGBTQIA+ people and their allies. What has helped people to recover when they have been subjected to, witnessed, or are affected by a hate crime or an act of violence? Is there a role for the arts and creative expression to process these hurts and to find a positive and transformative outlet? How can community support restore hope, humanity, and dignity? What are the bonds of solidarity that rebuild trust and inspire activism? Healing from hurt is a journey and by no means is a straightforward process, but the cycle of pain must be interrupted. We hope this webinar will continue that conversation.
To begin the conversation, we’d like to invite speakers and participants to share a form of artwork- which can be an excerpt from a book, a poem, a painting, or any other visual or literary artwork- that deeply resonates with them and reflect on the meaning of this artwork. We hope to create a space for reflections on hate crime, violence, and solidarity during times of difficulty for LGBTQIA+ communities in Africa, and beyond.