welcome to my blog

with the recent media appeals tribunal (MAT) gaining momentum and support it makes me sad to realise that I might be contained and controlled! let us hope that the MAT will only control what is on print media because otherwise my blog would be in shambles :(

Friday, August 20, 2010

Me and Freedom of Expression

Back To Basics: Getting To know Xolile



Well my name is Cassandra, that is my official name and I am nineteen years old. I was raised by my mum and granny at a village called Umgababa ( south of Durban). Growing up I didn't have any siblings, my mum only had other children when she met my step father and decided to extend our family. I'm now privileged enough to have a sister and a brother and we all live together in Ridgeview Gardens like a real family. To be honest growing up without a father did have its minor blows but I would be unappreciative if I say that I had a tough upbringing, It wasn't smooth sailing but it was memorable even though my father wasn't around. throughout my childhood my mother has been the backbone of my daily existence. she has been strong enough to raise me in such a way that I could hardly feel that my father wasn't there. I am a firm believer in God and I believe that we owe him all the praise for everything that he has done for us. unfortunately that is not the end... 
This is a wonderful picture of our coastline in Durban, South Africa
this is another great scenery of Stellenbosch in Capetown
now you see why I love our beautifull environment, it completely takes my breath away.

I'm currently enrolled as a first year student at the University of Kwazulu-natal in South Africa and I'm doing a Bachelor Of social sciences in geography and environmental management. I hope to become an environmental manager soon, besides focusing on my studies I volunteer at green peace africa whenever i have time actually I make time! I'm obsessed with our beautiful environment and preserving it is going to be my future career. My home language is isiZulu in fact I identify with the Zulu culture, below is a picture of Zulu men in traditional gear about to do an ensemble. the songs that are sung and drums it all makes me feel like I'm part of something.


FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
One would easily conclude that they have the freedom to express themselves without considering the laws that guard freedom of expression. newspapers and Tv being my main source of news, I believe that the right to express yourself helps you to feel that you have a voice it means that i can stand up for myself and be heard!!! It means that I shouldn't pretend to be something I'm not, just to please others because by doing  that I'm actually infringing on my rights as an individual, my democratic right to be me. If i was not allowed to express myself or not permitted to be me I don't think that it would like bottrling up who I really am.

Freedom of expression to me goes deeper than being allowed to belong to certain religion or cult it means the little things, like being able to raise my hand during lectures in front of about 400 students, it means feeling worthy to be heard and not being afraid of people who may have an opinion that is different to mine. Freedom of expression means not interfering with other people's right to express themselves as well, This is the little things that people do without realising that they have infringed another individuals right to express themselves like laughing at another person just because they may have a dressing style or taste that is different from yours. freedom of expression means understanding one another and allowing me to be me and me doing the sane by allowing you to be you.

 I'm a subcriber to true love magazine and I get it  monthly i like their wonderfull features of women that have made it in the world as well as the monthly chance that is given to readers to write insipirational stories about themselves that help to keep me going. I mainly watch talk shows on tv as well as those investigative programmes like without a trace, which allows you ton actually take part in the investigation and it actually gets your mind going and you start assessing people or the characters trying to figure out the person responsible for the crime and eventually- my favourite part which is getting them to account for their actions. to be honest reading a story on the newspaper depends on the title of the story if it bold and catchy that sort of draws me in  and I want to know what is happening but if it is boring I just flip the page! My latest novel was by my favourite author Dan Brown and it is titled Digital Fortress and it is set in a mordern day sort of like the era of spies but it is very fascinating I couldn't put it down I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Freedom of the press is important in order to achieve complete transparency and to get corrupt officials to account for their failure to consider the citezens rights. Still Reporters from other countries should not be allowed to export stories that exaggerate our standing asv a country, stories that shame us as a country.

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