From Friday the 12th to the 15th of December, learners and youth representing hundreds of social movements, communities and progressive N.G.O.s, will converge on Wits University for the Education Rights Youth Camp. This camp has been organised by the Education Rights Project (ERP), Khanya College and representatives from various community and youth groups.

The youth camp comes at a time when campaigns around education have been taken up by various community organisations and social movements around the country. The ERP has facilitated workshops in many of these communities and assisted in challenging violations of the rights of parents, learners and educators in areas such as access to schools and learning centres as well as the content of education. Issues that will be discussed include the cost of education and school fees, sexual harassment, HIV/AIDS and ABET. Key to the ERP's orientation towards community advocacy has been to provide support for mobilisation activities such as the June 16 APF/ERP march, which took place on Youth Day this year drawing close to five thousand young people as well as demystifying research through a participatory methodology. The ERP works closely with social movements such as the Anti-Privatisation Forum, Anti-Eviction Campaign and the Concerned Citizen's Forum amongst others.

The gathering will take place at Mac Larthy Hall in the Mc Gregor Block, Education Campus, Wits University (27 St. Andrews Road, Parktown). Interested individuals, organisations and the media are welcome to attend the open session on Saturday the 13th of December from 9.30-11.00AM.

Inputs during the open session will be made by various young people; representatives of the ERP; the renown struggle veteran and public intellectual, Neville Alexander, and the Secretary of the APF- Trevor Ngwane.

Another focus of the camp will be on building relationships between young people and the society they live in which challenges the dominant alienating values of consumerism and commodification. Part of the programme includes cultural activities. These consist of performances by young activists who have been using theatre as a form of educating and advocating for social change as well as videos, poetry and creative writing. Issues around gender dynamics will also be highlighted.

Ultimately, the aim would be to discuss problems facing learners from different parts of South Africa, collective and practical responses to these problems as well as to start considering strategies for co-ordination at a national level.

For further information contact:

Molefi Ndlovu -office tel:011-7173076; (cell)0725082384

Brian Ramadiro 0829076192

Salim Vally 0828025936