WiCDS School Competition

The Wits Centre for Diversity Studies (WiCDS) Presents the

WiCDS School Competition: Write, Critique & Create

For Young Thinkers



ARE YOU EAGER TO TAKE YOUR WRITING & CREATIVITY TO THE NEXT STAGE? DO YOU WANT TO SHOWCASE YOUR WORK WITH OTHERS?

If you answered yes to these questions, then entering the WiCDS’s 2021 School Competition offers that push to refine your creativity. We are looking for creative pieces (e.g., essays, poems, short stories, and artwork, visual or non-verbal expressive work) on the theme of Awareness about any Issue of Social Injustice and Inequality. The competition is open to high school learners in grade

9 to 12 who officially attend Afrika Tikkuun. Prizes will be awarded for the best creative pieces and winners will be invited to share their work at the upcoming WiCDS International Conference, which will take place online on 6 October 2021, at the University of the Witwatersrand!

THEME: AWARENESS ABOUT ANY ISSUE OF SOCIAL INJUSTICE AND INEQUALITY



What does Awareness about any Issue of Social Injustice and Inequality mean?

It means being conscious and responsive about the existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for different social positions within a group or society.

What does Awareness about any Issue of Social Injustice and Inequality do?

Awareness about any issue of social injustice and inequality activates social justice arrangements that identify differences in rights and freedoms offered to individuals, and the way members of society give respect and dignity to each other.

This process of identification is awareness. This awareness often leads to action by individuals (called activists) who identify differences. The individuals repeatedly make it clear that benefits have not been allocated evenly in our society. Norms and rules that govern our society, to some extent protect those differences and social inequalities. This has led to many members of our society losing basic respect and dignity calling for the need to create awareness of social injustice and inequality.

There is no expectation that everyone will agree on what action is required for social justice in many situations, but individuals and groups can agree that some action is needed, even if they have different moral or religious beliefs. This awareness about any issue of social injustice and inequality results in individuals making their claims, reasonably defending them, and challenging others to see their point-of-view.

Issues of social injustice and inequality that individuals can be aware of include:

  • The silencing of important race; gender, sexual, reproductive education, and other diversity conversations.
  • The “need of awareness about issues of social injustice and”
  • Call-out culture: a way of shunning or excluding an individual (from social or professional circles, online, social media, or in person) who is deemed to have acted or spoken in a questionable or controversial manner).
  • Freedom of speech/education freedom and important approaches to hate
  • A set of beliefs and practices that exclude people and groups judged to be inferior or promote those judged to be
  • The role of social media in creating or crushing important social justice thinking and
  • Different expressions of unawareness and how those expressions are produced and
In your own words and thoughts, we want you to be creative on the topic of Awareness about any issue of social injustice and inequality. Pick one of the issues from the examples above or choose any other one issue that is not from the examples.
To help you prepare your work, you need to consider the following questions:

  • How have you witnessed or experienced awareness about any issue of social injustice and inequality in your family, community or in the world?
  • Which existing norms or rules in our society defend the presence of the issue of social injustice and inequality you have selected or prevent awareness about the issue of social injustice and inequality you have chosen?
  • How does lack of awareness about your chosen issue of social injustice and inequality lead to members of our society not being treated with respect and dignity?
  • How can you convince others to be aware of the issue of social injustice and inequality that you have chosen?
  • How has the presence of Covid-19 revealed the seriousness of being aware of the issue of social injustice and inequality that you have chosen?
  • What possible challenges can be faced during the process of making others aware of the issue of social injustice and inequality you have chosen and how can families and societies overcome such difficulties?
  • What benefits does the society gain from being aware of the issue of social injustice and inequality that you have chosen?
  • In one paragraph before your conclusion, explain and give examples of how the issue of social injustice and inequality you have identified above relate to any one of the following aspects: Gender, Race, Social class, Sexuality, Age, Religion, Disability, Unequal power and opportunities, Role of health, Role of government, Role of money, Role of technology, Role of education and Role of

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Written work should be in English, maximum of 4, A4
  • Audio recordings should be clearly expressed in English, for a maximum of 15
  • Visual or non-verbal expressions should be transcribed in English and should have a maximum of 1 visual or non-verbal
  • Entries will be judged on literary merit, use of imagination, and ability to captivate the
  • Complete all details on the entry form with each submitted
  • All entries must be submitted to the host
  • Closing date: 15 September