About South Africa Cultural diversity: Black 79%; White 9.6%; Coloured 8.9%; Indian/Asian 2.5% (Census 2001) Population: >49 million Area: 1,219,912 sq.

About South Africa

Cultural diversity: Black 79%; White 9.6%; Coloured 8.9%; Indian/Asian 2.5% (Census 2001)

Population: >49 million

Area: 1,219,912 sq km

Rainfall: +/- 500mm p.a

Environmental hazards: Prolonged droughts (north & west) & floods (east; north-east)

Disenfranchised: to deprive of a franchise, of a legal right, or of some

privilege or immunity ; especially : to deprive of the right

to vote - http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disenfranchised

How Will Disenfranchised Peoples Adapt to Climate Change?

From past to peasant

A litany of laws led to the disenfranchisement of entire communities before and during the Apartheid era (1948 – 1994):

– 1913: Black people not allowed to own or rent land outside allocated reserves

– 1950: Population divided by race, then area– 1951: Coloured people removed from voter’s roll; “sqatting” laws

passed– 1959: University education restricted: no blacks…

1994: Change to democratic governance

15 Years later, things have improved. But…

• Access to land remains difficult for the poor and marginalised

• Land-tenure is highly variable

• Self governance is still being learnt

• Large parts of our (rural) society are still segregated

• Government programmes to “level the playing fields” are often seen to be biased and unfair

• Economic disparities between rich and poor continue to grow

Project 90x2030 vision: South Africans from all sectors of society doing their bit to save the planet, committed to changing the way they live by 90% by the year 2030.

Aimed mostly at urban middle-class households in Cape Town and other major cities

Now also engaging with vulnerable farming communities in the Swartland area

About the Swartland…Population: 2 115, (72% urban)

Elevation: 150 – 200m

Rainfall: Winter (Jun – August) 450 – 390 mm p.a.

Economic activities: Quarrying, tourism, agriculture (wheat, canola, vineyards, orchards, poultry)

Map of Southwestern Cape distinguishing the Swartland Area (Meadows, 2003)

Elements of the project…

• Desktop study: Climate change trends in the Swartland region

• Interviews / focussed group discussions: Socio-economic context of small-scale farmers in the Swartland region

• Conferences, workshops and publications

• Land-user newsletter

• Climate Change Workshops

Farmer to Farmer Climate Change Workshops

Workshop preparation

• Form a planning team amongst ourselves

• Plan the workshop with input from the farmers (suitable dates, venues, etc.)

• Construct appropriate invitations – in the local language (Afrikaans), welcoming and respectful tone, readable font, short and informative

• Invite farmers (and any other interested parties as appropriate)

Workshop preparation

• Get word out through telecommunication and social networks – as appropriate

• Follow up!

• Arrange transport, funds, refreshments, logistics

• Have a planning meeting in advance, communicate

• Prepare inputs that are suitable for the audience

Workshop preparation

Visualisation a form of empowerment

What have you experienced?

Stay creative

A farmers has her story. Let her tell it.

Make time to talk

Draw on other experts in our networks

Learning together by doing together

Technology!

Support capacity development

Farmers gather own data

Mentor farmers…

Mentor farmers…

To our colleagues…

• Africa is not a country

• Who is “the” community, and where is our place in “it”?

• Diversity brings with it complexity and opportunity

• We are still new in our democracy

• For many poor South Africans, Climate change is just another layer underneath HIV Aids, unemployment, community politics, economic pressures… but they are engaging

To fellow academics

• We must strive to practice what we teach of participatory methodologies and interdisciplinary research

• Local knowledge is also scientific data

• Let’s equip our natural science students with social skills and education

• Serve with our sciences

• Exchange knowledge across institutional divides

To fellow South Africans

• Let’s honour the voices that were silenced in one Struggle by raising our own in this one against Climate Change