The University of Johannesburg (UJ), in collaboration with the Desmond Tutu Diversity Trust (DTDT), is hosting a Diversity Conference with the theme How far have we come, how far do we need to go?, in the University’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) Auditorium on Wednesday, 18 September 2013.
The one-day conference, intends to provide an audit of our national diversity project. This relates to government, the private sector and civil society. Very few South Africans can pronounce the Khoisan motto of the South African Coat of arms. It reads: !ke e: /xarra //ke meaning “Diverse people unite” or “People who are different join together.”
This is the question the conference will focus on. How far did South Africans unite?
Today, 19 years after the first democratic elections in our country, we need to evaluate how far we have come with the recognition of our national diversity. The conference presents the opportunity to work towards a national statement on our implementation of the country’s Coat of Arms’ motto. There are so many initiatives taken over the last 19 years by government, parliament, the private sector and civil society to give effect to our constitutional values and nation building. The conference intends to bring all the initiatives together and provide the country the opportunity to see this picture in a more coherent manner.
The keynote address will be delivered by Dr Brigalia Bam, Chancellor of Walter Sisulu University and former Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission.
