'We're doing more than asking young people to believe in OUR ability to bring change to South Africa. We're empowering them to believe in THEIRS....'
Students for Change was established at the University of Cape Town in early 2008 and is the fastest growing political youth movement in the country. By combining innovative use of the internet with far reaching ground campaigns, the movement is empowering the most promising young minds from across South Africa to engage in a dynamic debate of ideas. The organisation ultimately intends to extract a broad consensus from the debate around which the vast majority of our youth can rally. Furthermore, we are publishing real, working solutions to the most serious challenges that we face - policies that draw upon the experiences of both South African and foreign universities. Through all this we will strive to be both progressive and modern; a movement that can make technology such as Facebook relevant and useful to South African students who face desperate struggles on a daily basis.
With the help of sponsors we will bring the internet and information technology to corners of the country where it has never been before, thus allowing more young leaders to contribute to our network of change. Additionally, members of the organisation will span out across South Africa in July 2008 in a drive to assist promising Matric students with their applications for tertiary education. This project will be the major vehicle through which we take our ‘Conversation with the Nation’ to the core of society– democratic debates and discussions that we share with the youth in schools, churches, town halls and villages across all nine provinces.
Ultimately, the ideas that emerge from the Conversation will be crafted with the intention of moving minds and empowering leaders to raise the quality of the student governance across high schools and universities in South Africa.
Students for Change is also building ties with a number of local student organisations, NGO’s and businesses to help take our message of change to communities across the country. We are initiating a number of projects which will not only develop the quality of politics in our society, but will also make meaningful change to the lives of talented learners.
Furthermore, our links with like minded groups from around the world allow us to gain a global perspective. Not only can we share ideas about South African problems with our partners in diverse regions such as Canada and India, but we can also make South Africa's youth relevant in the international fights to reduce carbon emissions and establish free trade. Ultimately, Students for Change will be an organisation that has the ability to think globally whist maintaining the capacity to make a real difference locally.
Finally, Students for Change will nominate candidates to represent the organisation in elections to student representative bodies across the country. By being the only organisation that takes our message to the people, we will build a new politics of quality, common sense and hope in South Africa.