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Unite
Against Violence - SA soccer club gets involved
Moroka
Swallows
May 23, 2002
One of South Africa’s top soccer clubs, Moroka Swallows is actively
backing campaigns directed at ending violence against women and
children.
Moroka Swallows
will be adding the white ribbon, an international symbol showing
a commitment to ending violence against women and children, to all
its soccer kit for the coming season. (The white ribbon was devised
by Canadian men in 1991 following the killing of 14 women at a Montreal
university by a crazed gunman, it has now come to represent the
international symbol of no-violence to women)
Director Gavin
Bernstein says, "As South African men we have become concerned
by the frequent reports of women and children being beaten, raped
and murdered. This is not what South African society is about. Most
men don’t harm women.
"But a
perception is being created that South African men are monsters.
"We want
to change that perception. We want to see South African men unite
to stop violence against women and children. In fact all violence.
It is only a few who are destroying the image of our country. It
is not the South African way to beat and rape women and children.
It is wrong."
Godfrey Gxowa,
public relations manager for Moroka Swallows said: "The most
powerful and respected men in our culture have spoken out against
those who harm women and children – Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki,
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, Rabbi
Harris and others. We want others to join them. We want to encourage
all men to not just speak out against violence directed at women
and children, but to act to stop it.
"If you
know of a man beating his wife, speak to him about stopping. If
you know of a person raping women or children, report him to the
authorities."
Goalkeeper Wendell
Robertson added: "A man who does not respect himself, cannot
respect others. We want to show the world that the miracle did not
end in April, 1994, when we ended the violence of apartheid. South
Africa is a country of many miracles - now we are going to end sexual
violence and we believe that by doing that we will see the beginning
of the end of HIV/AIDS. Women have the right to say no.
"A man
is one who says, "Yes, I am a man, I understand no.""
Sipho Xulu,
secretary general of the Birds supporters club added: "A real
man has authority when he speaks, he can persuade and encourage
with his words, not his fist. That is the way of our forefathers,
and that is the way of men of today."
The Birds are
supporting the efforts of Rape Action Group, Media Against Violence
and the National Network of Women Against Violence – and by extension
all groups working to end violence against women and children.
Player Mark
Batchelor sums it up: "We want men and women to follow The
Birds. Fly high. Don’t stay in the gutter. Be different, be strong,
speak out against violence."
For further
information contact:
Moroka Swallows,
director, Gavin Bernstein +27-011-4846131
PR: Godfrey
Gxowa +27-083-504-9770
Rape Action
Group, Terri Wulfsohn +27-011-8077192
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