Brits are known for their love of sun-soaked beaches abroad, but what happens when the tables turn and international visitors check out our shores? An Australian tourist has taken to TikTok to share her less-than-impressed take on the Essex and East Sussex coastlines. The user, Celeste (@chelestee), journeyed from Down Under to explore the British…
ThermaGEL Innovations Secures Key Patent for Breakthrough Aerogel Technology – Technology Today – EIN Presswire
Free & Equal Elections Foundation Announces Fourth 2024 Presidential Debate in Los Angeles – Politics News Today – EIN Presswire Trusted News Since 1995 A service for global professionals · Wednesday, September 25, 2024 · 746,467,737 Articles · 3+ Million Readers News Monitoring and Press Release Distribution Tools News Topics Newsletters Press Releases Events &…
SOUTH BEND — For Banned Books Week, the St. Joseph County Public Library system has special book displays at all of its locations through Saturday, Sept. 28, as part of its “SJCPL — Open For All” initiative, according to a press release.As the Indy Star has described it, Banned Books Week is “an annual effort by the American Library Association to raise awareness about censorship. Each year, the ALA creates a top ten list of the most challenged books filed by librarians and gleaned from news stories published throughout the country.”The displays at SJCPL locations present materials from a variety of perspectives on “important political, social and historical topics,” the press release said, and also include curated booklists that demonstrate how its “collections reflect a wide range of ideas for readers to explore.”This year’s Banned Books Week comes after several years of increased challenges to books in public libraries’ and public school libraries’ collections.USA Today reported March 14 that book bannings and attempted bannings of books continued to soar in 2023, when “4,240 works in school and public libraries had been targeted in 2023, a substantial hike from the then-record 2,571 books in 2022,” according to information provided by the ALA.That set a new record for the statistic the ALA began tallying more than 20 years ago, USA Today reported.As it had been the case in recent years, the story continued, 47% of the banned or targeted books had LGBTQ and racial themes.One school district, the Indian River County School Board in Florida, USA Today reported June 12, has even voted to remove “Ban This Book” by Alan Gratz from its shelves, “overruling its own district book-review committee’s decision to keep it.”Locally, members of the “Michiana Proud Boys,” apparently a local chapter of the white nationalist hate group, forced the postponement of “Rainbow Storytime” at SJCPL’s Tutt Branch in June 2022, as The Tribune reported at the time.Two months later, 20 or so people attended the rescheduled event, which occurred without any disruptions.In July 2023, SJCPL fielded a challenge to the shelving of the LGBTQ book “This Book Is Gay” by Juno Dawson in the teenage section. A committee formed by the library to review reconsideration forms, The Tribune reported, upheld its placement there.At both the August and September 2023 meetings of the library board, opponents of that decision voiced their opposition but were “vastly outnumbered by people who showed up to support the library’s initial decision and to oppose any step toward what they fear is censorship,” The Tribune reported Aug. 29, 2023.Of the 20 people who spoke at the September meeting, supporters of the library’s decision outnumbered opponents 17 to 3.“In a time when censorship and book challenges are becoming more common, SJCPL stands firmly in support of intellectual freedom,” the press release about “SJCPL — Open For All” said. “Books should not be banned or removed because they present a perspective someone might disagree with. Instead, the library seeks to show that many viewpoints can coexist on our shelves, and our mission is to offer access to a diverse range of viewpoints and ideas.”The press release presents the initiative as a “unique approach” to Banned Books Week that “focuses on promoting intellectual freedom and showcasing the diversity of viewpoints within our collection.”The displays at the library locations, the release said, are meant to show “how different sides of an issue are represented” and encourage people “to explore viewpoints they may not typically consider.”“Often, when people encounter a book they disagree with, they may question its place in the collection,” SJCPL Executive Director Stephanie Murphy said in the release. “These displays remind patrons that for every book that challenges you, there’s another that likely aligns with your views. Supporting intellectual freedom means offering both — because if you ban one side, you risk banning the other. That’s the danger of pushing for book bans.”
Your support helps us to tell the storyAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentFind out moreThe prime minister has urged Britons in Lebanon to “leave immediately” as Israel intensifies its bombing campaign against Hezbollah. Sir Keir added that he believes the conflict between Israel and Lebanon is on the “brink point”.It comes as 700 British troops are being sent to Cyprus to prepare for a possible evacuation of up to 10,000 Britons from Lebanon.The Foreign Office says: “FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Lebanon. If you are currently in Lebanon, we encourage you to leave, while commercial options remain available.“Tensions are high and events could escalate with little warning, which could affect or limit exit routes out of Lebanon. In the event of deterioration in the political or security situation, commercial routes out of Lebanon could be severely disrupted or cancelled at short notice, and roads across the country could be closed. “Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign Office.“Consular support is also severely limited where FCDO advises against travel.”But how is it possible to leave? These are the key questions and answers.Is Beirut airport still open?Yes. Rafic Hariri International Airport is operating – but far from normally. MEA, the Lebanese national carrier, is running a full programme of flights, including the usual Wednesday morning departure to London Heathrow.But many other airlines have temporarily cancelled flights on safety grounds. They include: Air ArabiaAir FranceCyprus AirwaysEgyptairEmiratesEthiopian AirlinesEtihadFlydubaiLufthansa (and its sister airlines)PegasusRoyal JordanianTurkish AirlinesOf these, the most significant for British citizens is Turkish Airlines: normally it operates three wide-bodied flights every day to Istanbul, where there are multiple connections across the UK.MEA is sold out to London for at least the next week; British Airways flights to Beirut are currently suspended.With capacity more than halved from Beirut, and large numbers of people of all nationalities seeking to leave Lebanon, The Independent has been unable to find any seats available up to and including the weekend. It is possible that evacuation aircraft may be sent in.Can people leave by land?The border with Israel is closed. The border with Syria is open, but the Foreign Office advises “against all travel to Syria due to the ongoing conflict and unpredictable security conditions”. It urges British nationals to “leave the country by any practical means”. But some travellers may decide to risk the journey to Damascus, because the airport in the Syrian capital is running normally – with flights to Kuwait or Sharjah (adjoining Dubai) probably the best bet, due to easier connections to the UK.Is there a boat from Lebanon to Cyprus?No – unless you charter a boat. This is not recommended in the current situation.How do I contact the British Embassy?The Foreign Office says: “If you’re in Lebanon and you need emergency help from the UK government, contact the British Embassy in Beirut.”But access to the British Embassy is by appointment only. The Embassy says: “To call us in an emergency or send us an online enquiry use our contact form.”
Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentScientists have created artificial spider web silk that they say can be used to make ultra-strong bandages for treating chronic wounds.The silken bandages, developed by researchers at Nanjing Tech University in China, are easily spinnable using a 3D printing setup, while also being stable enough to improve the treatment of certain medical conditions.The team tested the novel wound dressings on mice with a degenerative joint disease and chronic wounds caused by diabetes, which both healed faster than with traditional bandages.“The new silken bandages are biocompatible and biodegradable,” the researchers noted.“We believe that artificial spider silk based on an exact spinning strategy will provide a high-efficient way to construct and modulate the next generation of smart materials.”Spider webs have been used to treat wounds as far back as ancient Rome, however its use in medical applications is not practical on a large scale.This is because, unlike silk from silkworms, harvesting spider web silk is notoriously difficult due to the territorial nature of arachnids. Using naturally-produced spider silk also increases the risk for bacterial contamination, according to a 2021 study published in the journal Cell Press. “Spider silk has always been admired and almost has a muthical status,” Professor Trine Bilde from Aarhus University said at the time. “It’s one of these myths that seems to have become ‘established’ by ‘belief’ and not by strong empirical support.”This has led to the development of artificial spider silk for use in next-generation medical materials, with the latest 3D-printing technique offering a new approach to mass produce the material.“Consistent with the natural spinning process of spiders, we report a high-efficient spinning strategy that enables the mass preparation of multifunctional artificial spider silk at different scales,” wrote the scientists behind the breakthrough.The latest research was published in the American Chemical Society journal, in a study titled ‘Overexpressed Artificial Spidroin Based Microneedle Spinneret for 3D Air Spinning of Hybrid Spider Silk’.
Scientists recommend that international policies give microorganisms more prominence since they play a critical role in attaining global sustainability.
All other organisms that live on land, water, and air, as well as in our stomachs, rely on bacteria for survival.
Four researchers from Ohio State University are part of an international scientific team that is advocating for more acknowledgement of microorganisms in the pursuit of global sustainability. The researchers stress in a recent paper that will be published in Cell that microbes—viruses, fungi, bacteria, and other single-cell organisms—are essential to the survival of life on Earth and may be essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN.
Microorganisms: Vital to All Life
Ecosystems are based on microorganisms, which allow all animals to survive on land, in the sea, in the air, and inside human bodies. Microbes continue to be under-represented in worldwide sustainability programs, including the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, despite their vital roles in waste breakdown, nutrient cycling, and oxygen generation. These objectives seek to address issues with inequality, poverty, health, and education as well as environmental problems like climate change.
Ways to Becoming Sustainable
The scientists list seven ways that microbial technology and research could contribute to the attainment of sustainability goals: promoting bioremediation, accelerating bioremediation, regulating global biogeochemical cycles related to climate change, boosting food production and nutrition, producing clean energy, recycling and synthesising products, supporting ecosystem health, and improving health and disease treatment.
This rapidly developing field of study demonstrates the vital roles played by various microbial populations. Effective management of these communities may offer answers to important global issues, such as bettering human health and developing sustainable energy and food systems. Nonetheless, policy frameworks continue to underuse the potential of microorganisms.
Closing the Awareness Divide
The researchers speculate that a dearth of political and public awareness may be one factor contributing to the exclusion of microorganisms from global sustainability initiatives. Even though most people are aware of dangerous bacteria and viruses, there are an estimated 1 trillion types of microorganisms that are beneficial to the health of the planet. These microorganisms can be used for useful purposes, such employing bacteria that have been genetically modified to target cancerous tumours or using microbes to clean up environmental contaminants.
The multidisciplinary character of microbiome research is crucial, according to Matthew Sullivan, founding director of Ohio State’s Centre of Microbiome Science, as it has the potential to scale up microbial solutions to meet global concerns. He said, “Microbiomes impact everything,” adding that the key to realising the sustainability of microbial ecosystems is to comprehend them.
The scientists urge more funding and cooperation between scientists from other fields to fully use microorganisms’ potential for environmental preservation and sustainable development.
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“This is probably one of Colman Domingo’s greatest works,” an audience member said as the closing credits rolled at the mid-August Washington, D.C. premiere of Sing Sing, now available for theater audiences globally.
Sing Sing, a film that’s based on the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program at the now-decommissioned Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison in Ossining, New York, primarily revolves around a group of inmates creating theatrical stage shows.
Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, a returning citizen and one-time RTA participant, describes Sing Sing as a real-time look back in time at the program’s impact on his life and that of other returning citizens. In the film, Domingo plays Maclin while Maclin co-stars as an aggressive inmate that Domingo’s character recruits.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MAY 18: Actor and RTA Alum Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin attends a screening of … [+] “Sing Sing” at SIFF Cinema Downtown during the Seattle International Film Festival on May 18, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images)Getty Images
“We don’t ever deny the barbarism, atrocities and violence that can go on in prison,” Maclin said. “But what we wanted to show is that that’s not the only thing that goes on in prison.”
Sing Sing premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 and in theaters worldwide over Labor Day Weekend. This first-of-its-kind film shows what can happen when rehabilitation narratives are centered over those that speak to the harsher aspects of incarceration. s.
With a cast of formerly incarcerated men acting alongside Domingo, Sing Sing highlights artist programs as part of a rehabilitation model that centers the human dignity of those behind bars and promotes the power of personal healing to decrease recidivism.
The Vera Institute of Justice says that approximately 1.8 million people were incarcerated in the United States in 2023, a 500% increase from 1980.
The business of incarceration costs American taxpayers more than $33 billion a year, becoming so significant that the general public often loses sight of inmates’ humanity.
While popular movies and shows, such as Oz, Shawshank Redemption and 60 Days In, show the harsh reality of life behind prison walls, Ana Zamora, founder of The Just Trust, believes movies like Sing Sing are critical to stopping mass criminalization and mass incarceration in the United States.
“Sing Sing is an example of excellent storytelling that helps us evolve the narratives that we all hold about committing crimes and people in prison,” Zamora said. “It allows us to marry culture change and policy change together.”
Zamora founded The Just Trust in 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, to develop solutions for the ongoing crises of public safety and mass incarceration. The Just Trust partnered with A24, Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar and Monique Walton to bring Sing Sing to big and small screenings throughout the United States, connecting local criminal justice reform partners to a storyline that shows what’s possible with rehabilitation at the center.Ana Zamora is the founder and CEO of The Just Trust, where she channels her extensive experience in … [+] advocating for justice, safety, and wellbeing. Launched in 2021 with a $350M seed investment, The Just Trust is a philanthropic intermediary that is 100% dedicated to shrinking the footprint of the criminal justice system in American lives and investing in solutions that balance safety and accountability.The Just Trust
“It is easy for us to put people who have committed crimes and people who are in prison into a box, and to hold them in that box requires us to strip them of their humanity,” said Zamora, a former ACLU criminal justice director. “When we humanize people who have committed crimes and who have been in the prison system, that allows us to remember that part of being human is the unique potential to change and grow.”
RTA shifts away from punishment, and toward human dignity, with great success. The program’s website shows that fewer than 3% of RTA participants return to prison, compared to the national recidivism rate of more than 60%.
The film, which was shot over 19 days across several decommissioned correctional facilities, including Sing Sing, takes audiences on a journey as RTA participants are preparing for their new production.
Divine G, who’s incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit, recruits new members, one of whom is the aggressive inmate played by Malcin. Throughout the film, audience members see inmates tapping into difficult emotions, engaging in uncomfortable conversations and connecting in a way uncommon for modern Hollywood depictions of mass incarceration.
Malcin said that these are all real-life elements of the RTA programs, as experienced in real life and on the big screen.
“Inside, the program represented a safe space, somewhere I could express myself without being judged, somewhere where my opinion was valued and that my thought mattered,” Malcin said as he reflected on RTA’s impact throughout his incarceration.
“The people in prison are people, they are human beings. They have loved ones. They have ambitions. They have goals. They have sorrows. They have pain,” Malcin continued. “They are like everyone else.”
That sentiment connects the film to the real-life program.EDGARTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 02: Monique Walton attends as CÎROC Limonata & The House Of Creed … [+] celebrate film “Sing Sing” and Colman Domingo at the 2024 Opening Of Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival at the Performing Arts Center on August 02, 2024 in Edgartown, Massachusetts. (Photo by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for CÎROC Limonata)Getty Images for CÎROC Limonata
The inclusion of former Sing Sing inmates as actors and the use of the actual facility sets the stage for the raw emotion and honest acting that bleeds through the screen and makes the film believable for audiences. Walton, producer of Sing Sing, believes this feeling comes from the film’s community-based filmmaking approach guided by mutual respect, empathy and compassion.
“Working with actors who are RTA alumni, who bring not only their performance but their lived experience and their stories to the screen, presented the natural opportunity to ensure that the ownership of the film and where stakeholders in its creation,” Walton said. “This felt like the best way to structure this production.”
Unlike other films produced this year, Sing Sing’s community-based approach does away with the hierarchy of the standard movie set. It creates equitable ownership and a pay structure in which all cast and crew members, based on overall production involvement, are paid the same daily salary in exchange for a percentage of the equity.
Walton said she also worked tirelessly to ensure the film crew was based locally.
“If you authentically involve the community, you get to tell a story that is even more relatable, authentic and true,” Walton said. “When producing a film like this, you are looking for the truth, and this process allows us to shape and frame a creative process with the involvement of the people who have lived it.”
Since all the alumni cast members had spent some time at Sing Sing, Walton stationed mental health professionals on set at the now decommissioned official prisoner intake facility. She deemed this move necessary,stating that authentic emotions of the cast members’ incarceration shaped the production.
“Our alumni cast remarkably used the creative process itself as therapy; being on set was therapeutic,” Walton said. “Some shared that there was some newfound agency in being able to wander around the prison and open doors and go home like at the end of the day.”
That reality doesn’t exist for the RTA alumni’s approximately 1.8 million counterparts who remain incarcerated throughout the United States.
To those still behind bars, Malcin issues a reminder. “We are so much bigger than anything we have done wrong,” he said.
Zamora said that message keeps her organization fighting for prison reform. So far, The Just Trust and its grantees have hosted screenings of Sing Sing in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Asheville, North Carolina; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Charleston, West Virginia; Mobile, Alabama; and Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
“Sing Sing shows a journey of rehabilitation and growth and the possibility of rehabilitation and development, and through this very innovative arts program, and I think that makes the film beautiful, really poignant,” Zamora said. “We can’t just focus on changing laws and policy. We also have to address the fact that culture needs to shift and evolve on these issues as well for us to make durable scales change in the policy arena.”
Photo: VCGRussia’s Saratov State University (SSU) researchers have developed a mathematical model demonstrating how the rhythm of cortisol secretion affects the regulation of sleep and wakefulness.According to Samara scientists, the study opens up new perspectives for the development of effective methods for treating insomnia and other sleep disorders. The article was published in the European Physical Journal Special Topics.The human body follows the pattern of an internal clock, known as circadian rhythms, which regulate sleep, wakefulness and many other physiological processes. Cortisol, a hormone under the action of which the body adapts to stress, is closely related to these rhythms and has a significant impact on human sleep.SSU scientists have analyzed how the switching processes between sleep and wakefulness correlates to the dynamics of cortisol secretion using mathematical modeling.The model showed that under certain conditions increased activity of the cortisol system could lead to a disruption in the synchronization of the body’s internal clock and cause spontaneous internal desynchronization. This condition is characterized by sleep disturbances, fatigue, appetite changes and other symptoms.The researchers also showed that the body has the ability to compensate for sleep disturbances. With small deviations from normal sleep patterns, the body is able to restore the disturbed rhythm in a few days. However, with prolonged or significant disturbances, this ability can be impaired, the study said.”There is a significant range of parameters within which the contribution of the cortisol subsystem does not disrupt the normal sleep-wake transition. With a more significant contribution of cortisol, the sleep-wake process ‘breaks away’ from the circadian rhythm, causing spontaneous internal desynchronization,” SGU Department of Optics and Biophotonics graduate Ksenia Merkulova explained.SSU scientists also managed to demonstrate that circadian rhythms and hormonal regulation are closely intertwined and can both compensate and reinforce each other, ensuring the body’s adaptation to changing environmental conditions.Notably, the basic models on which the researchers relied to create the unified model were repeatedly and thoroughly tested on the basis of experimental data corresponding to a “typical healthy person”.Experts believe that the findings open new perspectives for the development of effective treatments for insomnia and other disorders.”The influence of cortisol on the sleep-wake cycle is extremely relevant in the modern world: frequent stress, fast pace of life, night shifts at work and other reasons that influence the rhythm of cortisol secretion cannot but affect the quality of sleep,” Merkulova added.The university reported that, when working with the model, computer calculations were carried out in the free software environment GNU Octave. At this stage, the scientists have the task of studying the effect of cortisol on sleep, taking into account one’s eating patterns.The work was supported by grant No. 22-15-00143 of the Russian National Foundation. The research is in line with the strategic projects of SGU within the framework of Russia’s “Priority-2030” federal program, part of the “Science and Universities”national project.
While the land reform programme in South Africa has not been all smooth sailing, it would be hasty and premature to suggest that the process should be written off. It is equally disingenuous to opine that there are no success stories that have emanated from this important programme, one that seeks to redress past injustices that saw many communities being forcibly removed from their ancestral land.Despite the documented failures of the land reform programme, there is equally a body of evidence that attests to the success of the programme, in particular in the eco-tourism sector.Advertisement
As South Africa celebrates Heritage Month, with a renewed focus on stimulating tourism, it is instructive to examine the impact of the land reform programme on tourism in South Africa.
Many discussions on land reform erroneously look at it through the limited prism of land allocated for agricultural purposes only. Land reform involves the restitution and redistribution of land for use in agriculture, cultural preservation, commercial use, and for eco-tourism and settlement purposes. Advertisement
For the purposes of this article, emphasis is placed on the impact of land reform in tourism. It is worth noting that 80% of South Africa’s land is used for agriculture according to the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries. Of these, about 11% is arable land and 69% is used for grazing purposes. There are therefore vast tracts of land which are and can be used for eco-tourism purposes or be repurposed for eco-tourism to create real jobs and income.
As an organisation that has provided post-settlement support to many beneficiary communities over the last 12 years, Vumelana Advisory Fund is at the advantageous position of having witnessed first-hand the impact of the land reform programme on the tourism sector in the country. It has seen how the programme has economically uplifted claimant communities, brought about social cohesion and promoted nature conservation and cultural preservation.
Lay of the land – the importance of tourism and conservation
There is general agreement that the tourism sector can play an important role in kick-starting economic growth and creating much-needed employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in South Africa.
According to statistics compiled by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), South Africa’s tourism sector employed 1.46-million people in 2023 and that is expected to grow to nearly 1.7-million jobs in 2024. The WTTC forecasts that employment in the tourism sector for South Africa is projected to grow to 2.23-million jobs by 2030. While the industry’s contribution to GDP dipped as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, the sector still remains one of biggest contributors to the GDP at 3.5% in 2022, surpassing the transport, mining, and agriculture sectors. Its contribution to the GDP was 3.7% before the outbreak of Covid.
Case studies
Since its inception, Vumelana Advisory Fund has concluded 26 projects, facilitating community private partnerships (CPPs) between land reform beneficiaries and private investors. Of those projects 13 are in the tourism sector.
These projects have the combined potential to generate more than R720-million of investment within the tourism sector if successfully implemented, and to create or save more than 1 500 jobs and benefit in excess of 6 700 households. These tourism projects include, the Barokologadi CPA near the world famous Madikwe Game Reserve in the North-West, Kgalagadi in the Northern Cape, and Bhangazi at the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in Kwa-Zulu Natal, among others.
We have been acutely mindful that often the euphoria that accompanies the restitution of land after a successful land claim is awarded is often followed by despair as claimant communities lack the resources to put their land to productive use.
It is for this reason that we developed a tailored partnership model – CPPs – to facilitate mutually beneficial partnerships between land reform beneficiary communities and private investors.
CPPs are established between communities that acquire access to land under the land reform programme and private parties. Typically, the communities bring their land and labour, and the private partner brings capital, skills and access to markets to the partnership. CPP contracts are structured to ensure that the partners are able to meet their obligations and exercise their rights in a manner that supports the profitable operation of the business ventures they enter into.
We have implemented CCPs for some communities with resounding success. The Kgalagadi community located in the Kgalagadi National Park in the Northern Cape is a case in point. After the return of a disputed 45 000-hectare tract of land to the Khomani SAN, Vumelana Advisory Fund deployed their transaction advisors and modelled a partnership between the Khomani SAN community andSANparks wherein both entities are developing a 28-bed lodge, named after the late David Kruiper, one of the leaders who were instrumental in the community’s land claim.
The lodge is expected to play an important role in revitalising the local economy and supporting emerging businesses in a desolate area that is far removed from mainstream economic opportunities. The facility is envisaged to employ at least eight permanent employees and create a number of additional part-time jobs.
The Miers Community – who also lodged a claim in the Kgalagadi National Park – now co-owns a 25-bed four-star lodge on the land named !Xaus Lodge. Through the partnerships we have facilitated for this community, !Xaus Lodge currently employs 19 permanent staff members from both the Khomani SAN and Mier communities.
Another shining example of the positive impact of land reform on beneficiary communities is the work we have done with the Barokologadi community adjacent to the Madikwe Game Reserve. We supported the community in identifying a commercial investor for the development of tourism lodges on the land next to Madikwe Game Reserve. To ensure better access to the “Big 5” environment inside the reserve, the Barokologadi CPA, the landholding institution established under law to acquire and manage the beneficiary land on behalf of the community, agreed to incorporate the development area, which covers over 5 800 hectares, into Madikwe Game Reserve.
While incorporation was put on hold, a game reserve owned by the community has been established. The project has already yielded 30 permanent jobs, over 60 part time jobs, and 30 learnership opportunities targeting the youth. The community has also established a Training Institute. To date 130 learners have been supported through accredited learnerships whilst a new cohort, comprising 60 new learners have been enrolled during September 2024.
The land claim lodged by the community of Makuleke in Mpumalanga was finalised in 1998, paving the way for their ownership of 24 000 hectares of land in the Kruger National Park. Since the finalisation of its claim, the community has benefitted from tourism projects in the park. The community has a co-management agreement with SANParks and has also established partnerships with private partners.
The Makuleke CPA currently has two lodges, Return Africa and The Outpost, and a training institution, Makuleke Eco-Training. Some 70% of the workers at these three facilities come from the local community. The Makuleke CPA has also established partnerships with training institutions that focus on conservation and hospitality. These include the South African College for Tourism which offers hospitality training; the Southern African Wildlife College which provides field ranger and conservation-related studies like community-based natural resource management and responsible resource use; and the Tracker Academy which focuses on field guiding.
While naysayers may argue that these examples are few and far in between, they showcase that when the land reform programme is managed correctly, it can be a catalyst for economic revival. There is little doubt that land remains an emotive issue in South Africa. The prospects of achieving social cohesion cannot be complete if this issue is not adequately and effectively addressed.
As Vumelana Advisory Fund, we have contributed towards changing the narrative of the land reform programme in South Africa as total failure. We believe that land reform still has an opportunity to turn the corner and give impetus to meeting the country’s social and economic imperatives. There is a need to upscale these interventions in order to maximize impact. This requires closer collaboration between ourselves and like-minded organisations, government and the private sector.
Considering some of the success stories that do not make headline news, it may well be that the narrative around the total failure of the land reform programme is after all, greatly exaggerated.
Written by Peter Setou, Chief Executive Officer of Vumelana Advisory Fund