In this seminar, we focus on Radical Ecologies and Activism with Dewa Mavhinga, Southern African Director at Human Rights Watch, and Robby Mokgalaka, Coal Campaign Manager at groundWork.

Africa is confronted with an expanding extractive industry in pursuit of economic growth. Exploitation of resources is not only linked to environmental degradation, but also to exploitation of humans in various ways. Because our political systems often support resource extraction projects in the name of development, a radical ecology has emerged. Environmental and social movements have taken it upon themselves to defend their environments and rights. Today, advocacy and activism have not just become a voice for environmental justice, they have also become a methodology of thought and praxis against a destructive extraction industry, and embodiment of new ways of knowing, acting and changing. Through lived experiences, our speakers will help us grasp and debate extraction, environment, development and human welfare nexus issues from a radical ecology and activism perspective.

DATE 22 October 2019
TIME 10:30 to 12:30
VENUE Old College House Seminar Lounge, 1-09, University of Pretoria
RSVP Cecelia Samson, 012 420 2653, [email protected]

Dewa Mavhinga is the southern African Director at Human Rights Watch. He has more than 10 years of experience in human rights research and advocacy, specialising in Zimbabwe and southern Africa. Before joining Human Rights Watch, Dewa worked as the Regional Coordinator for Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition based in Johannesburg. In 2012, Dewa co-founded the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute, a public policy research think-tank based in Harare. He is a recipient of the British Chevening and Canon Collins Trust scholarship, Dewa holds a bachelor of law honors degree (LLB) from the University of Zimbabwe and a Master of Law degree in international human rights (LLM) from Essex University, United Kingdom. One of his greatest achievements has been exposing horrific human rights abuses in Zimbabwe’s diamond fields through a ground-breaking report entitled “Diamonds in the Rough”: Human Rights Abuses in Zimbabwe’s Marange Diamond Fields. His advocacy work led to the temporary ban of Marange diamonds by the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme resulting in extensive reforms and significant reduction of abuses in the diamond fields.

Robby Mokgalaka is groundWork Coal Campaign Manager and has a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Law and LLB degree both from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg. He joined groundWork in 2014 and has been working as coal campaign manager for five years around South Africa with coal-affected communities. Before joining groundWork, Robby has undertaken research roles with UKZN, and the Medical Research Council. He has also been a Candidate Attorney at Legal Aid Board. Robby is interested in working with disadvantaged communities, organizing and working with them to mobilize around social and environmental justice. GroundWork is a critical part of society’s functioning and Robby believes his work will effect positive change in communities by reducing environmental degradation and ensuring a healthy environment, which is a constitutional right for the people of South Africa.

Engaging the Environmental Publics seminar series is founded on robust exchange of information, collaboration and co-production of knowledge within and beyond the academic space.