CALS Quarterly Issue 15
- Lee-Anne Bruce
Read the latest issue of our quarterly newsletter, find out about our work and reflections from the last year
Just over a month ago, the social justice sector came together for our regular Public Interest Law Gathering. This year’s gathering offered an opportunity to reflect on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our work, with panel discussions on everything from social grants to informal livelihoods, vaccine mandates and collapsing state institutions. A full set of presentations and recordings is available on the PILG website.
In delivering her keynote address, Dr Sithembile Mbete reminded us – well over 500 days into the National State of Disaster – that there is unlikely to be “life after COVID-19” and that we will rather have to continue to adapt and respond to life with the disease. Dr Mbete urged us to recognise that we are living and working in a time of great loss, grief and trauma in a country where loss, grief and trauma remain a daily reality for many people – including our client communities.
We are now coming to the end of another difficult year, reflecting on the challenges we have faced and the progress we have made. Recently, this has included supporting communities to protest and responding to their requests for recognised short courses. It has meant joining litigation holding both the public and private sector accountable for their actions. It has seen our teams conducting workshops in mining-affected communities and engaging in advocacy at the United Nations. We remain hopeful that every seed we plant will contribute to a more just society in the future.
Click the image below to read more about these and other recent highlights. Thank you as always for sharing in these with us and for all your support during this challenging year. We wish you a very happy and healthy end to 2021.
