This week – Pro-hope webinar with Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, Anti-Racism Week, plus a how to #UprootTheDMRE talk

Tuesday, 14 March is the first day of Anti-Racism Week, which runs until 21 March.

Anti-Racism Week is an annual action week aimed at creating public awareness about racism, and how it affects individuals and broader society, according to the Anti-Racism Network South Africa. It also ensures that there is a country-wide focus on tackling racism.

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and the Anti-Racism Network South Africa have called on all sectors of society to “unite and act” against racism 



On Tuesday, 14 March at 10am, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) WaterCAN is holding a media briefing at Klein Jukskei River in Johannesburg in honour of the International Day of Action for Rivers.

“Our river systems are under threat, and we urgently need civil activism to protect them,” says the event description. “Join us at the Klein Jukskei River, where we have been conducting water tests. At the briefing, we will share our findings from the tests and discuss the implications and WaterCAN’s way forward on this.”

The event will take place at 224 Seven Oaks Avenue, Chartwell, Johannesburg. Those wishing to attend should RSVP to Ivor Cleary, Outa WaterCAN brand manager, on 062-170-0991 or [email protected].

On Tuesday at 12pm, Daily Maverick is hosting a webinar titled: “The SA Blackout Report: How taxpayers are dealing with power failures.”

“Join Business Maverick journalist Neesa Moodley in conversation with Brandon De Kock and Ferial Haffajee. Together they will discuss The SA Blackout Report by BrandMapp-Silverstone, which addresses how middle-market South Africa (the taxpayers) have been affected, how they are feeling and how they are dealing with power failures and blackouts,” says the event description. 

Register here.

On Tuesday at 3pm, BroadReach is hosting a webinar titled: “Lead with Localisation”, exploring the need to complement international funding of public health initiatives with implementation by local talent and on-the-ground insights.

“International donors who play a major role in enabling African countries to achieve health equity and an end to Aids by 2030 are currently placing top priority on localisation as an approach to their public health partnerships on the continent. [The United States Agency for International Development], for instance, recently set policies and targets to increase funding to local non-governmental organisations by 25% by end 2024, to better achieve inclusive and locally-led development,” says the event description.

“Conditions have changed in lower-income countries and the old idea that there is a lack of local talent and expertise is not true… so it makes sense to invest more in local education, technical training and infrastructure.”

Speakers at the event include Dr Denis Mali, senior care and support advisor at USAID; Dhirisha Naidoo, Chief of Party for the Accelerating Program Achievements to Control the Epidemic (APACE) programme at BroadReach; Walusiku-Mwewa, country director for the Catholic Medical Mission Board in Zambia; Mpolokeng Mohloai, country director for Mothers 2 Mothers in Lesotho; and Amita Mehrotra, senior technical advisor for capacity development at nonprofit FHI360.

Register here.



On Tuesday at 4pm, the University of Witwatersrand is hosting a seminar by Professor Adam Tooze, the Shelby Cullom Davis Chair of History at Columbia University in New York, and director of the European Institute.

The seminar will explore the question: “Facing the climate crisis in a world of inequality: Who should pay? Who will pay?”

Tooze sees climate change as the next big threat to global stability and believes that “it is not the development aspirations of the global poor that are driving the climate crisis, but the relentless increase in the already excessive consumption of the more affluent half of the world’s population and particularly that of the top 10% and top 1%,” says the event description. 

For more information, contact [email protected].

RSVP here.

Wednesday, 15 March is the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

Islamophobia is a fear of and prejudice towards Muslims that leads to intolerance by means of harassment, abuse and intimidation of Muslims and non-Muslims, both in the online and offline world.

“Motivated by institutional, ideological, political and religious hostility that transcends into structural and cultural racism, it targets the symbols and markers of being a Muslim,” according to the United Nations information page on the event.

“Many governments have taken steps to combat Islamophobia by establishing anti-hate-crime legislation and measures to prevent and prosecute hate crimes, and by conducting public awareness campaigns about Muslims and Islam designed to dispel negative myths and misconceptions.”

On Wednesday, 15 March at 1pm, Daily Maverick is hosting a “pro-hope live journalism webinar”, titled “The Trailblazers: In conversation with Dr Imtiaz Sooliman”.

Mark Heywood, editor of Maverick Citizen, will be in conversation with Sooliman, founder and chair of Gift of the Givers.

Register here.

On Wednesday at 6.3opm, the Zero Dropout Campaign will be hosting a Twitter space on how administrative roadblocks act as push-out factors for learners, and what can be done to overcome these obstacles.

Schedule a reminder for the Twitter space here.



On Thursday, 16 March at 12pm, the University of Witwatersrand is hosting a discussion on developments in the international economic and financial system and the role of central banks.

Speakers at the event include Professor Adam Tooze, the Shelby Cullom Davis Chair of History at Columbia University in New York and director of the European Institute, and Lesetja Kganyago, governor of the South African Reserve Bank.

The event will be opened by the Wits Vice-Chancellor and principal, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, and the conversation will be facilitated by Professor Imraan Valodia, Pro Vice-Chancellor for climate, sustainability and inequality at Wits University.

Register here.



On Thursday at 2pm, the Climate Justice Coalition and partners are hosting a webinar exploring the question, “What Does It Mean To #UprootTheDMRE?”

“South Africa’s deteriorating energy and climate crisis is at a tipping point. There are solutions to the crisis but they are being blocked by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), under Minister Gwede Mantashe,” according to the event description.

“Join us as we take a closer look into our [DMRE], discuss how best we can bring forward change as civil society in our various sectors, and breakdown what it means to #UprootTheDMRE.”

Register here. 



On Friday, 17 March at 1pm, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) is hosting a webinar on “The importance of sleep hygiene and how it can impact our mental health”.

“Good sleep hygiene can help promote better quality sleep, which can help improve mood, reduce stress and reduce anxiety. Developing good sleep hygiene can help to create a positive sleep environment, which can lead to improved mental health,” according to the event description.

Speakers at the event include Dr Gloria Marsay, educational psychologist, and Dr Michelle Baker, clinical neuropsychologist.

The event will be livestreamed on Sadag’s Facebook page. DM/MC