A  Colourful Mix

By Nicole Hodnett






Amadou Kane-Sy (Artist) and Marouba Fall (Poet) – Senegal

When we think of inter-racial we automatically think of it as leftovers of the apartheid epidemic. In order for the people of society to be truly defined as democratic, we need to see each other as people, not colour.

According to the Urban Dictionary, inter-racial relates to marriage, relationships or dating between races. In the 2000 census, there were 1.6 million inter-racial marriages in America. This number has undoubtedly increased.

According to African History, The Prohibition of Mixed marriages act no 55 of 1949; forbid marriages between whites and other races. Between 1946 and the enactment of this law, only 75 mixed marriages had been recorded, compared with 28000 white marriages.

Esther Saunders, a 20 year old student from the University of Natal gave her thoughts on what inter-racial relationships mean to her.



University of Kwazulu Natal Student-Esther Saunders

“Inter-racial relationships definitely can be a beautiful thing provided that the 2 people don’t see each other for the colour they are, but as the person they love”, she said.



An artist of the Dialogue Project,Amadou Kane- sy ,describes that Human relation geography has been in existence for a very long time. This has happened naturally and in line with the initial natural design of a desired process of a better human evolution.



Break the Silence initiative gives artists and poets a unique opportunity to use their talents to advocate these significant messages to the community

Gabisile Nkosi,an artist based in KwaZulu Natal, believes an African proverb that says.

Amadou Kane-Sy (Artist)

‘If you want to hide something from a black man, write it in black and white”. To convey this message, Nkosi said,” It is better to do a colourful visual, rather than to use text”

This is a great representation of what the great Mandela have been fighting for more than a decade. If we truly see each other for the people we are and not the colours we are, the earth will be blessed and prosperous.

Links, tendencies and connections

By Nicole Hodnett

When we think of art we think of Picasso, the great Michael Angelo or the enchanting smile of Mona Lisa.



400 × 507 - Vincent van Gogh'sSelf-Portrait

According to an article written by Brian Rice, art causes people to look a little closer and to observe social issues occurring so frequently in today’s society, the freedom to express and assume freely through art.



When we observe the artists who produce the art, eccentricities are often evident within them. We remember the great Vincent van Gogh who lived a short, deeply tormented life. According to Shelly Essak, he executed a number of self-portraits and had a brief turbulent friendship and veered in and out of madness.

He shot himself on July 27^th, 1890, but didn’t die until 2 days later. He died selling one painting in his lifetime.

In today’s society artists express their thoughts on subjects that affect and infect mankind. Art for Humanity is a platform that gives artists and poets the freedom to break silences on what affects them.

She is a Dialogue artist and South African born. Kim Berman was born in Johannesburg in 1981.She completed her Bachelor of Fine arts at the University of Witwatersrand. She lectures at the Fine Arts Department at the University of Johannesburg and is the Director of The Artist Proof Studio in Newtown Johannesburg.



Artist -Kim Berrman

According to an article written by Helen South, television usually portrays artists sitting around in coffee shops having deep and meaningful conversations, swanning about interesting clothes at art galleries or having dramatic nervous breakdowns connected to drugs and alcohol. Most of the time they will be where they need to be and that’s in their studio making art.

According to Mad Science, European scientists are claiming that artistic tendencies may be linked to the same genetic mutation that causes schizophrenia and paranoia.

According to the constitution of South Africa we are all entitled to express our thoughts freely and fairly. In light of today’s society artists expressions of thought have become deeply controversial and often misconstrued.

When it comes to freedom of expression whether it was yesterday, today or tomorrow, an artist and the constitution will always be connected.

The crux of todays influence

By Nicole Hodnett

In today’s world everything we see, do or hear goes according to influence, generalisations or stereotype.

According to an article written by Julia.T Wood, of the many influences on how we view men and women, media are the most persuasive and one of the most powerful.

When we watch television or movies we see scantily clad ladies strutting around ,showing their bodies’ parts off to the world in tiny pieces of clothing .

Diane Victor "Weighing and Wanting"

Do men automatically view women as objects when its plastered on television  or is this just the way the world works?

It is unfortunate that a piece of clothing can lure a sexual predator or give wrong ideas to the opposite sex. We are the way we carry ourselves and even though it is not our fault, influence will continue the stubbornness to play fair in the lives of men or women.

A dialogue artist, Amadou Kan-sy explains the difference of colour complexion, and with different accent and tones of life and communication.

According to feminist issues in prostitution, radical feminism opposed prostitution on the grounds that it degrades women and furthers the power and politics of the male gender. Feminists seek to be supportive of sex workers while deploring the work itself as inherently wrong. They do not admit to taking an ethical position in contemporary moral terms. According to the Old Testament  the  women’s behaviour was limited in ancient times.

Clifford Zulu (Artist) and Sithandazile Dube (Poet) representing Zimbabwe in the Art for Humanity, “Dialogue Among Civilizations” Print Portfolio 2010.

According to Science Daily, past studies have shown that people perform poorly in situations when they being stereotyped .This was according to Associate Professor of Psychology, Michael Inzlicht who led the study.

Results show that prejudice and stereotyping have lingering adverse impacts.

According to association for Consumer research, a very large body of research on non-verbal communication has sprung up during the past twenty five years when it comes to clothing.

Another major focus of study on clothing treated it as an extension of the psychological state of its user.

According to an article written by Breezysands, women in the media are portrayed as having an ideal body type. As early as toddlerhood, girls are groomed to believe that they must achieve an unrealistic shape in order to look radiant.

Clothes being marketed today have such slogans on them such as "hot chick" or "flirty baby" that objectify little girls the same as beauty pageants.

This happens when girls as young as 3 years old wear makeup with wigs, false teeth, fake eyelashes and excessive amounts of makeup.

Can we really be okay with each other in this world or do we still see each other as alien that automatically have to judge one another and act on impulse when we see something that sticks out from normal human vision.

 The women for children project gives light to topics like these and gives poets the chance to express themselves through art and poetry on social issues that affect them and today’s society.

Artists for Humanity

By Nicole Hodnett

Marjorie Maleka "This is my story"

Etching & oil pastel 424 x 371mm

Marjorie Maleka "This is my story"

Etching & oil pastel 424 x 371mm

Abuse can be of a physical, emotional or verbal nature. It is intimidation on another individual, yearning for control and intrusion into another’s psyche. The Bill of rights states our human entitlement to equal protection.

According to Psychology today emotional abuse is anything that intentionally hurts the feelings of another person.

The 16 days of activism for no violence against women and children is an international campaign that takes place every year from November 25^th to December 10^th.This period also includes Universal Children’s day and World Aids day.

Art for Humanity Director,Jan Jordaan gave his view on the abuse of women.

"Women have the right to freely express themselves and a right to say no. If women do not speak out they will be treated like objects”, he said.

While many women across the world fight for better wages, women in Saudi Arabia can’t even take a paid job without the permission of a male guardian. According to Emaj magazine the norms of Saudi Arabia constitute the Kingdoms official laws and regulations. The laws are based on religious decrees .Religious police control every aspect of a women’s life in Saudi Arabia.

According to BBC News, a prominent Saudi television presenter made international headlines when she permitted to newspapers to print horrific images she had allegedly sustained from her husband back in 2004.

 Through an expression of art, the Women for Children project was created in light of any unspoken topic. Art for Humanity has provided platforms to Freedom of expression.

An expressed mind-set

By Nicole Hodnett

When we think of discrimination we think of a state of mind. This mind-set has the disposition of looking down on someone through race, gender, colour or religion.

According to the Economic times British MP, John Stuart Mill was the first person in Parliament to call for women’s rights to vote in 1869.

According to UN NEWS CENTRE, almost every country in the world still has laws that discriminate against women and promises to remedy this have not been kept.

Discrimination is never a mental state.it is solely conduct. A person must act on a decision before it can be found illegally discriminating.

During the years of the Apartheid struggle the fight for gender equality took a back seat .According to My Fundi the Constitution of today’s democracy outlaws discrimination in any form. South Africans are simultaneously tackling the deep seated legacies of racism and patriarchy.

According to African History, it has been 50 years since the federation of South African women organized a mass demonstration against the imposition of pass laws on women in South Africa

Art for Humanity has initiated the Women for Children project. Through an expression of art it brings light to an unspoken topic.

They are the mothers, daughters and sisters to our society. There will be follow up articles leading up to Women’s day. Stay Tuned!

A 94^TH Milestone

By Nicole Hodnett



Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

The opening words of the Freedom charter became widely known in South Africa’s political discourse. Nelson Mandela played a significant role in popularizing the Freedom charter that was adopted by the congress of the people in 1955.

His name means quick minded and sensitive nature. In Qunu in the Transkei, Nelson Rolihahla Mandela was born into royalty on July 18^th 1918.

According to Nobelprize.org his father was Chief Henry Mandela of the Tembu tribe. Madiba was educated at the college of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand and qualified in law in 1942.

According to Tripod, Nelson Mandela wrote the attorneys admission examination and was admitted to the law profession. He opened a practice in Johannesburg, in partnership with his friend Oliver Tambo.

He joined African National Congress in 1944 and was engaged in resistance against the ruling national party’s apartheid policies after 1948.He went on trial for treason in 1956.

In the early fifties Mandela played an important role in leading the resistance to the western areas and in the introduction of Bantu education.

During his prison years he served it in the notorious Robben Island prison, a maximum security prison on a small island 7km off the coast of Cape Town.



Dialogue Artist-Guto Nubrega 

During his years in prison he grew steadily and was widely accepted as the most significant black leader in South Africa. He became a potential symbol of resistance as the anti-apartheid government gathered strength.

A dialogue artist,Kim Berman expressed her thought through art when South Africa erupted in a wave of xenophobic violence in 2008.This period seemed to betray many of the fundamental values of community. This represents what it was like when race groups were segregated during apartheid

Art for Humanity provides platforms to express thoughts through art and poetry. Poets and artists from across the world come together to portray their specific thought on whats affecting and infecting our society. Mandela spent 67 years fighting for South Africans to express their thoughts in a free and fair fashion. Today is declared international Mandela day in honour of that all he has done.

According to an article written by Glenda Nevill,it is a day when the worlds media gather in the tiny village of Qunu not so much in expectation of seeing the global icon ,but seeing who has gone to see him.

 “The greatest gift our nation could possibly give Utata Nelson Mandela for his 94^th birthday this week would be to emulate his magnanimity and grace “said Desmond Tutu.

A dialogue artist, Guto Nubrega from Brazil describes the creative commitment on how to address such an important subject focused on human values.

According to Soweto live many intend dedicating 67 minutes to a worthy cause in honour of Mandela fighting for social justice for 67 years.

Dineo Phati, a journalism student from the Durban University of Technology gave her thoughts on what today represents for her.

“People place too much emphasis on only doing good things on this day when good should be done every day”, she said.

South Africa marked the year 1994 as the year of Freedom and marks the same time Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa .Today he turns 94.

Thousands of well-wishers expressed their gratitude towards Madiba on his birthday via Facebook.

"We ,the people of South Africa,declare for all our country and the world to know:that South Africa belongs to all who live in it black and white,and that no government can justify or claim authority unless it is based on the will of the people"

In honour of Madiba day we are all called as a country to do charity work and spread the goodness that He so selflessly gave to South Africa.  Happy Birthday Madiba!!

A race in its own class

By NICOLE HODNETT

According to the Bill of rights we all have the right to equal protection. Art for Humanity expresses topics through art and poetry affecting our society today.

When people use the word “race “they attain a biological meaning to it.Others use “race “as a socially constructed concept. Race has a social meaning that has been legally constructed.

According to Anti-Defamation league it is the belief that the word “racism “happens when a particular race is superior or inferior to another. A person’s social and moral traits are predetermined by his or her inborn biological characteristics.

In the 1950s, the group areas act was passed by the government of South Africa which allowed for the designation of municipal grounds for specific race groups. According to Topix, several laws were passed after that making the country racially segregated on a physical basis.

Biljana Jankovic (Artist) and Cedomir Sagric (Poet) – Serbia & Montenegro of the Dialogue among civilizations portfolio is a perfect representation of the apartheid struggles South Africa went through. It is a representation of what the stigma of racism once was and still is today. Focused on the mere surfaces that make boundaries between space areas which is also a perfect representation of the Group areas act.

According to Race and Class, racism arose from slavery which was integral to the growth of capitalism through imperialism to justify the inhumanities of slavery to an age that once was.

According to Apartheid laws, Pass laws were a huge part of the development of South Africa. They aimed to put regulations and more control on where all Africans would go. Children that had played together all of their lives had to go their separate ways due to their skin color.

Biljana Jankovic (Artist) and Cedomir Sagric (Poet) representing Serbia and Montenegro in the Art For Humanity “Dialogue Among Civilizations” Print Portfolio 2010.

People of all races had to carry identity documents that had to be produced within 7 days of being demanded by an officer. Parliament claimed that more arrests were being made in 1982 due to passbook violations.

Even after a decade South Africa is still affected by the stigma of racism. We still refer to each other as black, white, Indian or colored

Nowadays racism is existent amongst the different genres of class in our society.

Director of Art for Humanity,Jan Jordaan feels racism to be very small pockets of extremism.

“It all boils down to discrimination”, he said.

Will we ever see each other as a true rainbow nation? It all starts with one mindset that can change the world and that mindset was Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.