Here's the fantastic video from Sort Of... Films documenting how the wonderful people at Sheffield's G2 Studios made an album for War on Want in just 24 hours. Great film, great music. Thanks so much! (and you can buy it here)

While your PC or laptop is sitting idle, it could be helping to raise money for War on Want

At the end of last year, South Africa’s National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament, passed the highly contentious Protection of State Information Bill. Better known as the ‘Secrecy Bill’, the proposed legislation relates to the “protection and preservation of all things owned or maintained for the public by the state” against foreign spies, but would in effect deny the country’s own citizens, particularly the poor, an accountable and transparent state.

Yesterday War on Want staff went out on the pickets and march to support public sector workers on strike in London. We received the news that our Bangladeshi partners the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF), which organises sweatshop workers, had called a march in solidarity with striking workers in the UK.

Seventeen years ago today South Africans across the country came out in full force to vote, the majority for the first time in the first free elections in South Africa. In commemoration, this day has been called Freedom Day. 

Yet, 17 years on, the majority of South Africans still live in shacks, still lack access to water and electricity and poverty and inequality have spiralled, leaving South Africa as the second most unequal country in the world. Thus, War on Want's partners, Abahlali baseMjondolo KwaZulu-Natal, Abahlali baseMjondolo Western Cape and the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign have re-named this day unFreedom Day.

In 2007, the  residents of Joe Slovo were served eviction notices. The motivation underlying these is frequently linked to the World Cup as their homes represented an eyesore for the throngs of tourists visiting the city during the tournament.

War on Want – “This is a fascinating article drawn partly from research on four War on Want partners – Abahlali baseMjondolo Western Cape, Abahlali baseMjondolo KwaZulu-Natal, the Anti-Eviction Campaign and the Anti-Privatisation Forum. The full article can be found in Downing, John (2010) Encyclopedia of Social Movement Media. London: Sage Publications.”

Old and new media in movement struggles [South Africa]

Social organizations central in the resistance against South Africa’s apartheid regime, such as the African National Congress (ANC), the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the United Democratic Front (UDF), effectively mobilized their constituencies through use of alternative media such as t-shirts, murals, music, pamphlets and posters. However, their tactics, use of alternative media and strategies of resistance lived on in the new social movements that emerged in South Africa in the early 2000s.

People from around the world gathered last week in Dakar, Senegal for the 10th World Social Forum. The Forum provides a space where social movements, networks, NGOs and other civil society organizations opposed to neo-liberalism, capitalism and any form of imperialism come together to debate ideas democratically and formulate proposals for effective action. The Forum ended with the drawing up of a final declaration in which social movements state that “together, the peoples of all the continents are struggling mightily to oppose the domination of capital, hidden behind the illusory promises of economic progress and political stability . . . we declare that we, the people will no longer bear the costs of this crisis”. It goes on to outline the challenges facing social movements today and calls for solidarity actions against capitalism. For the full text please read below:

Someone recently asked us about the meaning of our title, in particular, the use of the word ‘want’. This is a question that comes up from time to time, however, it is quite appropriate that this has been asked again as this is our 60th Anniversary year and our name is closely tied in with our history.

Abahlali baseMjondolo, War on Want’s partner organisation in South Africa, is facing unjust charges which threaten to jeopardize their invaluable work and handicap their leaders.

Please support their amazing work and fight for justice.