What is Racism?

Speakers:

Dr Barney Pityana, Chairperson, South African Human Rights Commission;

Basil Manning, Chairperson, Centre for Anti-Racism and Anti-Sexism (CARAS)
Trust

Dr Franz Auerbach, a community worker and freelance journalist who has
focused on racism in South Africa as well as on the Nazi holocaust.

One of the five themes on the agenda of the upcoming World Conference
Against Racism deals with understanding contemporary forms and
manifestations of racism. Whilst we are preparing to host the World
Conference, South Africans are also beginning to grapple with how to address
the problem of racism inside South Africa. But despite the extensive history
of racism in South Africa, we do not necessarily share a common
understanding about what racism is or how it is currently manifested.
Controversial issues include questions around the relationship between
racism and power, whether racism is the preserve of specific groups in South
Africa, and questions to do with how we can recognise both subtle and overt
forms of racism.

The seminar is therefore intended to promote greater understanding about
what we mean when we are talking about racism. There is clearly a need to
engage constructively with racism in South Africa. Developing a common
vision of the nature of the problem may assist in focusing our efforts
towards achieving this objective.

Date: Wednesday, 25th July 2001

Time: 9.00 for 9.30 - 11h30

Venue: The Attic at the Sunnyside Park Hotel
Princess of Wales Terrace, Parktown.

As spaces are limited, please RSVP before 20/07. For directions or further
information, contact Caron Kgomo ( [email protected]
on (011) 403 5650.