Beating around the Bosch

with

Dear Reader,

The Israel-Hamas war has, as of this past Monday, dominated headlines for a year. However, the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas marked not the beginning of a war, but rather the moment that the world decided to start paying attention to a conflict that has been close to its boiling point for decades.

News is where most of us go to get a better sense of reality. We trust that what is in the news is what matters. We take to heart the order of priority given to stories, not scrolling much further beyond the top five stories, before we decide that we are up-to-date and move on with our days.

While the Israel-Hamas War has demonstrated the darkest of humankind’s ability to destroy, it has only done so because it managed to reach headlines. But what happens outside the neatly clipped nine words of a headline? What happens outside the borders of a word count? Or beyond a deadline? 

What are we forgetting?

The war in Sudan

The civil war in Sudan began on 15 April, 2023. Around 15 000 people have been killed and another 8.2 million displaced, making Sudan the site of the worst displacement crisis in the world, according to the Global Conflict Tracker. More than 25 million people need humanitarian aid – more than half of the country's population.

The war began as a result of fighting between the faction forces Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The leaders of the two groups, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo once worked together to carry out a coup. This is according to the Global Conflict Tracker. Now, their battle for supremacy has no end in sight.

Russia’s HIV crisis

Russia had the fifth highest rate of new HIV infections in 2022, according to the Wilson Center. Dismissed as “provocative propaganda” by the Russian Health Ministry, the government has failed to introduce sex education, and HIV care and treatment, the Wilson Center reports.

Ship abandonment leaving sailors as hostages

Last year, the International Transport Workers’ Federation reported that at least 132 vessels were abandoned by their owners during 2023 – an 11% increase from 2022. And while these numbers continue to rise each year, so do the number of victims. The practice is highly profitable – shipowners will relinquish ownership of vessels that have become unprofitable, leaving sailors stranded, often without access to fresh water and food reports Politico. In Italy’s port of Messina, five Ukrainians and one Russian were stranded in 2021. I was unable to find any follow up reports about whether these sailors were ever able to disembark.

Nicola Amon, newsletter editor

Visual of the Week

📸Some BTS from SMF News’ Sherie Vollenhoven:

The Talking in Dakar exhibition, currently on at the Stellenbosch University (SU) Museum, started off with a small TV screen displaying the content, which felt underwhelming and lacking depth. Just two days after the opening, the SU Museum revamped the layout by adding printed images along the walls. While this change was an attempt to enhance the experience, it felt rushed and did not fully address the initial shortcomings. Looking at the photo of both setups, it’s clear that each had its own set of challenges, leaving me wondering if more thoughtful planning could have created a more cohesive and engaging environment from the start.

Read the story here

📚Good reads from SMF News this week📚

Stellenbosch Municipality pushes for local power generation

Despite South Africa having gone almost 200 days since it last experienced loadshedding, Stellenbosch Municipality is undeterred in its plan to use renewable energy to secure its energy sustainability. Marthinus Botes spoke to Stuart Grobbelaar, the municipality’s spokesperson, on their plans for the proposed construction of several renewable energy sources.

60kg and 226 days closer to getting a six-pack

Tyron Kretzmann, better known as Tiger, has lost almost 60 kg and gained 492 000 Instagram followers in his journey to get a six-pack. Antoinette Steyn interviewed Kretzmann on his rise to social media stardom and how it is keeping him accountable to his weight-loss journey.

Woordfees: Jazz en klassieke klavier ontmoet op verhoog

Jazz en klassieke musiek is meesterlik bymekaar gebring in Charl du Plessis-trio: Rhapsody in Blue, skryf Duné van Jaarsveld. Die opvoering was deel van die Woordfees.

🎶What we’re listening to:

Word of the Week

Obnubilate 

To make dark; obscure; becloud

The joy of almost being done with our degree is obnubilated by the assignments we have yet to complete.