In the last couple of weeks we've seen quie a bit of murky stuff surfacing around race and culture - which on some levels is probably good, as it's been lurking under the surface for many years, and better for it to come out so that we can all look at ourselves and work towards becoimg a less polarised society.
This initiative seemed quite refreshing - esp the part about making it cool to love other cultures and etnic groups, though still the question is how do we bring about a more balanced & homogenised society? - in some ways being anti-racist is still being polarised, or is this OK because being racist is "wrong"? How do we find balance without being polarised in some way or other?
Anti-racism group has South Africans seeing green
Monday, 12 April 2010
In a week where the spotlight has been on racial division and polarisation, a Facebook group to unite South Africans against racism has grown to more than 35 000 members in just five days. Creator of the Green Skin Initiative, Christoff Smuts, says he started the group to calm people down following a turbulent week in South African politics, and to show that there are a lot of good people in the country.
The initiative plans to organise nationwide rallies where people will paint themselves green to show that - despite different cultures and races - South Africans can all be united for the eradication of racism.
15 000 Facebook members joined the group in the first 48 hours, and Smuts says that he has been inundated with messages from people offering of their time and skills to support the cause.
The Facebook group already boasts representatives of all of South Africa’s cultures and ethnic groups. However, Smuts says the Green Skin Initiative looks past colour, with some group members even changing the colour of their profile pictures to green.
“We want the mindset to spread like a virus,” says Smuts. “We want to make it cool to love other cultures and ethnic groups.”
He emphasized that it is not a political initiative, but a moral one. “We want to promote a moral code of anti-racism in politics, society, but mostly in the individual, because it is the individual that can make the difference and change society.”
According to Smuts “going green” symbolizes that we are all the same, belonging to one human race. “We all want to be safe, want our children to be educated and successful. We want the economy to grow and we want an end to crime.”
He believes that all South Africans are affected by the country’s problems, and that they have to unite and focus on solving them together.
Discussions on the group page already includes ideas for green picnics, bracelets, flash mobs and T-shirts. The initiative is currently organising structures and gathering support, and hopes to announce a date for the anti-racism rally soon. To join the Green Skin Initiative, visit their Facebook page.