Black Bull, Ancestors and Me - Boshadi Semenya

In Black Bull, Ancestors and Me My Life as a Lesbian Sangoma, Nkunzi Zandile Nkabinde explores issues around sexual culture and sexual identity from the vantage points of an African cosmological framework and feminist epistemology. Female same-sexuality is identified as a site of struggle between the interests and African ways of knowing as embodied through traditional Zulu culture, and the peculiarities of modern life. She draws tight links between African spiritual ritual performances as...

Queer Jihad. A View from South Africa - Scott Kugle

Muslims in Cape Town, South Africa, explore ways to be openly lesbian, gay, and transgendered and still be part of a muslim community. Advocacy groups there assert their place asinterpreters of islam in a way that is open to diversity and engaged in a quest for justice.

Simon Tseko Nkoli - Ireen Dubel

In 2007, the South African Gay and Lesbian Archives, Gay and Lesbian Memory in Action (GALA) celebrated its tenth anniversary. In a relatively short period of time, these archives have been able to assemble a unique collection focussed on the history of gays and lesbians in South Africa. Magazines, videos, newspaper clippings, minutes of action meetings, T-shirts, interviews, letters and photographs have all found their way to the archives. By making the collection accessible GALA wants to...

The impact of legal mobilisation on the Anti-Privatisation Forum (APF)

Under the South African Constitution, reinforced by a national Free Basic Water policy, all South African citizens have a right to water. In practice however, local governments continue to trade water as a commercial service, with perverse effects for the poorest. A case in point is Phiri, a poor suburb in Soweto. In 2004, Against the will of the residents, Johannesburg Water installed a prepaid water system. The system delivered a generally insufficient quota of water free of charge. If hou...

The budget process and strategic civic interventions

The focus of this research, carried out by Mr. Frank Jenkins, is on addressing poverty reduction and protecting the rights of migrants and refugees through participation in parliamentary processes as envisaged in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Specifically, the paper will explore how strategic interventions in the budget process can facilitate participation by civil society in other parliamentary processes such as passing legislation – i.e. translation of policy into laws...

Mobility and mobilization; structure and strategy of claiming migrant rights in Southern Africa

Urban centres in Kenya and South Africa are among the main hubs in Subsharan Africa hosting large groups migrants from neighbouring countries. Migrants traverse and transform geographic, social, and political space. Within these spaces, successful quest for profit, passage, and protection depend on rights to work, move, and access necessary social support. Focusing on three South African cities and Nairobi, urban centres with significant non-national populations—this study will document and...

ISS-HIVOS MA research programme 2009

Each year, the Civil Society Building Knowledge Programme supports a number of ISS students to conduct research on issues pertaining to the main questions of the programme. This year, five ISS students were awarded a research grant. Last week, after extensive preparation at ISS and consultation with HIVOS staff and partners, they departed for countries ranging from Uganda to Nicaragua to do their field research. You can find summaries of the research project here.

Researchers on the move

Each year, the Civil Society Building Knowledge Programme supports a number of ISS students to conduct research on issues pertaining to the main questions of the programme. This year, five ISS students were awarded a research grant. Last week, after extensive preparation at ISS and consultation with HIVOS staff and partners, they departed for countries ranging from Uganda to Nicaragua to do their field research. You can find summaries of the research projects here. During the next few months...