 Children's rights, as with the voice of women in South Africa, Africa and large parts of the developing world, remain invisible. To address this issue, Art for Humanity has initiated the Women for Children project. Throughout history, art has acted not only as a form of expression, but rather it has provided the means for artists to raise controversial issues, bring light to an unspoken topic and has been the source of critical debate. |
| Art for Humanity (AFH) wishes to raise awareness around the issue of children’s rights and to inspire a sense of “moral ownership” and social responsibility towards the rights of children. |
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AFH and partners have invited 25 women artists and 25 poets primarily from South Africa and the developing world, but also from the international community, to create art and poetry with the intention to inspire moral ownership of the rights of the child. We aim for each poem to be translated into any other South African language, to promote multilingualism and diversity.
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| The portfolio of art and poetry is based on the following objectives: |
| 1. To inspire moral ownership of rights of the children from southern Africa, particularly but also internationally through art. |
| 2. To engage in an international art exhibitions program as part of an advocacy campaign with the focus on children’s rights. |
| 3. Extending the advocacy campaign related to the exhibitions into the public arena through billboards and posters. |
| 4. To promote creativity and critical discourse on the topic. |
| 5. To encourage and promote the professional development of artists from the developing countries. |
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6. To make that which is presently invisible, visible through art.
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The art and poetry created by the participants will be reproduced in the form of a public advocacy campaign which will be presented as billboards that will be installed in public areas such as bus and taxi ranks, throughout the region and elsewhere.
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Included in the advocacy campaign are posters featuring the art and poetry collaborations which will be distributed to clinics, non-profit organizations working in the field of children’s rights and they will also be launched into an outreach exhibition campaign that will go to schools and libraries in outlying areas – making the art and poetry accessible to the greater public and not restricted to gallery going audiences.
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