by Mandy moussouris 27 JULY 2023
EMG/SPP Activist Connect Social
To say that the current challenges facing humanity are daunting, is frankly, an understatement. As a non-profit organization focused on trying to address some of these challenges our work often feels like a drop in the ocean. Especially given the last few years, where everything just seems to be getting spiraling out of control.
While it sux feeling this way, it’s very hard not to given the realities we live with. All of which has been made starker by the Covid19 pandemic, July riots, floods, unemployment at 42% (expanded definition), hunger, poverty, crime, constant load-shedding etc. and made more urgent based on information in the UN’s IPCC Report on Climate Change. In our work it is impossible to ignore these challenges because it is our job to try to solve at least some of them. As much as we wish we could wave a magic wand and make everything better, to state the bleeding obvious: the work of EMG on its own cannot and will not change the word.
As we emerge from the pandemic, in addition to contributing to many of these challenges, Covid19 has had a significant impact on our work. Particularly in relation to movement building and it has increased exponentially; feelings of isolation in both our personal and work lives.
EMG has never worked in isolation, we have networks with communities at a grassroots level, provincially, nationally and even internationally. As an organization community development and movement building are key areas of focus so as an organization we felt acutely the impacts of the pandemic but also of solidarity, both within and outside of the country.
Whilst we were able to adapt and continue our work under Covid19 it is only this year, as we move out of the pandemic that we are realizing the true impact of the pandemics restrictions. We are also embracing, with newfound enthusiasm, the ability to meet in person, to hold meetings workshops and events to both revive old relationships and begin building new ones.
In this spirit, EMG in collaborated with Surplus Peoples Project (SPP) an old partner and friend, to hold an ‘activist connect social’ which included a performance of the play “My Fellow South African’s” written by Mike van Graan and performed by Kim Blanche Adonis. It was both an opportunity to network, re-connect with new protest art and have a discussion about what the play meant to us and the continuing struggle for social, economic, political and environmental justice.
The theatre piece, masterfully acted by Kim and provocatively written by Mike, gave everyone in the audience a great deal to think, talk agree and disagree about. It is clear that everyone left with distinct impressions and took away different interpretations so it’s impossible to gauge the broad impact but what is clear is that we all agree that it is time to re-build civil society movements.
We hope to have more of these events, build our networks and link activities until the movement for a truly free, democratic, equal, non-hierarchical and ecological society form the basis of the fabric of our society.