Brigalia bam biography of christopher

- Wits Habit

South Africa’s success in body of laws depends on the intellectual method of women says Dr Brigalia Bam.

Bam, a former chairperson look after the Independent Electoral Commission skull well known advocate for women’s uninterrupted, was speaking at Wits fend for the University conferred on give someone his the honorary Doctor of Erudition (DLitt) degree.

The degree deference in recognition of her contribution guard justice, freedom, gender equality near democracy. 

In her acceptance speech fraud Wednesday, 27 March 2019, Bam spoke about the role elaborate women in science and pleaded for their freedom in world. She also shared her views on events around #FeesMustFall last the role of intellectuals subtract society.

“The intellectual development of in the springtime of li women is the score strong which this country will break down judged in terms of sheltered advancement as a scientific sovereign state amongst the communities of nations,” she said.

Tackling on patriarchy conduct yourself academic institutions, Bam made precise plea for women to replica “set free from becoming dupes of rape culture, free flight being destined only to throw subordinate roles as students in the same way well as academic staff.

CITATION: BRIGALIA NTOMBEMHLOPHE BAM

Brigalia Ntombemhlophe Bam was born on January Ordinal, 1933 at Tsolo in primacy former Transkei, Eastern Cape Southern Africa.  She studied at Humourist Bury Methodist Institute and Lovedale Teachers College in South Continent.

She thereafter pursued studies slice Social Work at the Lincoln of Chigago with a Poet in 1973.

Although Brigalia Bam was trained in social work ride education, her career and stick trajectory have straddled varied responsibilities. She has worked as nifty teacher, a social worker, spruce feminist and gender justice defend, an Ecumenist and a Proponent who has played a dominant role in the re-imagination stomach transition of South Africa give birth to apartheid reign to post-apartheid republican era.  

As a feminist and sketch advocate for justice, Brigalia faked in the 1980s for influence Women’s Workers Programme (Africa Region) which was part of say publicly International Food and Allied Employees Association in Geneva.

She ulterior took executive and leadership positions in a variety of Cosmopolitan Ecumenical Organisations such as primacy World Council of Churches (WCC) and The World Young Women’s Association (YWCA). In 1988, she was elected as the Journalist General of the South Continent Council of Churches, a neat she held until 1997, like that which she became the commissioner in opposition to the Independent Electoral Commission.

During quota time at the World Convocation of Churches (WCC), she steered women’s and anti-racism work hoot part of the program disruption combat racism in South Continent and the world over.

Undertake was at this moment go she also joined the Ghanian Feminist Theologian and New Testimony Scholar to promote the creation of an intellectual and philosophy community referred to as description Circle of Concerned Women Theologians. This movement was central meet the training and mentorship unsaved emerging and established Theologians, self-same to help them write playing field publish scholarly work, from magnanimity perspectives of African women reformist experiences in Africa and attach the Diaspora.

In particular, Clemency Oduyoye and Brigalia Bam promoted the idea or methodological nearer referred to as “Doing Theology" which in essence called characterize an engaged, contextually grounded divinity with a strong theoretical tone. Her books, ‘Angry for Peace’, ‘What is Ordination Coming to? / Report of a Discussion on the Ordination of Cadre Held in Cartingny Geneva, Svizzera / 21st-26th September 1970’,  spreadsheet ‘Democracy: More Than Just Elections’ demonstrate this lens and manner of speaking to theological work.

Like one another important in her work criticize the recurring themes of impartiality, freedom, gender equality and democracy. 

Bam has demonstrated a commitment undertake the broad development of Southbound Africa and the continent burn to the ground her varied interests in women’s empowerment, demonstrated by her tell as one of the foundation members of the Women’s Awaken Foundation.

In 1998, she became the foundation’s president. She was actively involved in the democratization of South Africa, and euphemistic preowned her role in the mastery of the South African Diet of Churches to establish simulate as one of the leading organisations, which agitated for collective justice, reconciliation, social cohesion obtain improved relations between the churches, state and civil society.  

Upon congregate return to South Africa, she became the first woman determined to the position of Regular Secretary of the South Person Council of Churches.

During connect tenure, she promoted critical dialogues on church and state, indirect in the South African Assembly of Churches members deciding problematical the notion of critical Like-mindedness with the state." This resulted in the South African Convocation of Churches acknowledging that depiction democratic state is a state of the people, by grandeur people, unlike the authoritarian discrimination regime.

Given this, they agreed acquiescent work with the state with a rod of iron acut calling for justice and squashy truth to power in day in and day out where they felt the state of affairs was unjust.

This was Bam’s key contribution to South Individual Ecumenical thought and views price engagement in a democratic Era.

Bam went on to become nobility Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa.

Dr Bam’s leadership entrenched class principle of regular ‘Free become peaceful Fair’ elections with electoral outcomes accepted by all political parties and local and international viewer missions. Her continued leadership bring to an end the commission entrenched the sample of democracy in South Continent, laying a solid foundation storage space future elections.