Protests from students and church leaders (8) Flashcards
True or false
Student protests were an important part of the liberation struggle.
True
What was the Congress of South African Students (COSAS)?
A new school-based organization, the Congress of South African Students (COSAS), organized widespread protests and school boycotts, which resulted in the detention of hundreds of students and teachers.
How was schooling disrupted?
Schooling was seriously disrupted when the slogan ‘Liberation before education’ gained support in many townships.
What happened in December 1985 and what was formed?
In December 1985, representatives of student, teacher, parent, political and community organizations met in Johannesburg to discuss the breakdown of education. They formed the National Education Crisis Committee (NECC).
Why was there a change in the slogan?
Using an alternative slogan, ‘Education for liberation’, the NECC suspended the school boycott. It urged students and teachers to challenge the system of education from within the schools and to use knowledge and skills to empower students to fight apartheid.
What did the slogan ‘Education for liberation’ call for?
It called for support for ‘People’s education’ and developed alternative teaching materials to counter the apartheid ideology that was the basis of the curriculum.
Some ____ and ____ leaders played an active role in the protests
churches
church
Which church organisation coordinated opposition?
The South African Council of Churches (SACC) co-ordinated their opposition. The SACC voiced support for conscientious objection to serving in the SA Defense Force and called on foreign companies to refuse to apply the policy of job reservation.
What was the Kairos document?
In 1985, church leaders issued the ‘Kairos document’ which called on Christians in South Africa to participate in the struggle for liberation by supporting civil disobedience campaigns, consumer boycotts and strikes.
What were some of the other religious organisations that protested?
Some Muslim and Jewish organizations also protested human rights violations and openly supported the liberation struggle.
With the effective banning of many organizations in 1987 and 1988, the churches became virtually the only ____ voice of ____ for a time.
legal
opposition
As the momentum for change grew in 1989, the SACC committed member churches to support non-violent action to end apartheid. For the first time, the ____ ___ ____ openly condemned apartheid.
Dutch Reformed Church
