This week — African Youth Human Rights Conference, Nedlac summit, and International Literacy Day

From 3 to 4 September, the Centre for Human Rights in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria will host an African Youth Human Rights Conference under the theme “Empowering African Youth for the Realisation of Human Rights”.

Register here.

Thursday, 5 September is International Day of Charity. 

This day’s objective is to sensitise and mobilise people, NGOs and stakeholders around the world to help others through volunteer and philanthropic activities. 

According to the UN, 5 September was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 “for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace”.

Also on Thursday, at 1.30pm, the Public Economy Project at the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies will launch a working paper on “The Effects of Public Investment in the Green and Care Economies and Public Infrastructure in South Africa”.

“This paper argues that a comprehensive combination of policy tools is required to trigger the necessary and urgent level of public investment needed to confront the complex crises of growth, inequality, care and climate change in South Africa. South Africa confronts considerable macroeconomic policy challenges, most notably the need to attain sustainable and inclusive economic growth,” the abstract reads.

“According to National Treasury, South Africa’s growth averaged a mere 1.75% per annum between 2010 and 2019, a figure that drops further if the Covid-19-impacted years of 2020 and 2021 are taken into account. [Treasury] asserts that fiscal policy encompasses decisions involving the level and composition of government spending, tax revenue generation and government borrowing, if any. Since 2013, a strategy of fiscal consolidation has been pursued with the aim of slowing the rate of growth in public spending while also enhancing tax revenues. However, the self-defeating consequences of actual reductions in public spending have resulted in a decline in public expenditure on public services, primarily due to the rapid growth in spending on debt service costs. 

“Conversely, this paper contends that increasing, rather than cutting, public expenditure on the care economy, green economy and public infrastructure would enhance South Africa’s GDP and employment levels and result in changes in public debt/GDP ratios. This study advocates for the adoption of expansionary fiscal policy choices in conjunction with clearly defined development targets and coordinated fiscal, monetary, industrial, labour and social policies.”

The speakers include Professor Ozlem Onaran, Dr Cem Oyvat, Adam Aboobaker and Kate Phillip 

Read the working paper here. Register here.

On Friday, 6 September at 8.30am, the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) will host its 28th Annual National Summit.

Nedlac commemorates 30 years of democracy and freedom in 2024 by reflecting on achievements and lessons and considering options for the future. From June to September it will conduct a participatory process with senior leadership of the social partners, culminating in a report that will be handed over to the next government administration during the summit.

Find the livestream here.

Sunday, 8 September is International Literacy Day. 

Established in 1967, Unesco says this day aims to “remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights, and to advance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society”.

Despite steady progress across the world, literacy challenges persist, with at least 763 million young people and adults lacking basic literacy skills in 2020. The Covid-19 and other crises, such as climate change and conflicts, have been exacerbating the challenges. DM