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OSSREA CHAPTERS ACTIVITIES
The OSSREA South Africa Chapter
The OSSREA South Africa Chapter held its annual National Workshop from 19th - 20th September 2006 at the Lapa Conference Centre, University of Johannesburg, Gauteng. The main theme of the workshop was: Youth in Transforming Societies: A Research Agenda that consisted three sub-themes: Social Dynamics impacting Quality of Life; Entrepreneurial and Workforce development; and Politics, Democracy and Citizenship.
About 20 participants from various tertiary academic institutions, NGOs, para-statals and researchers from office of the Presidency attended the workshop. Prof. Hanna Nel, senior academic in the department of Social Work, University of Johannesburg officially opened the workshop where she welcomed the participants and congratulated OSSREA on its success.
In addition to the eight papers that were presented at the workshop, the Youth Initiative for Entrepreneurial and Leadership Development (YIELD) of University of the Western Cape have also presented a report regarding their activities among the youth of the Cape Flats.
The papers presented at the workshop were the following:
Presidency’s Macro-Social Report: Implications for Youth, by Busani Ngcaweni, Research and Policy Unit: Office of the Presidency
Risk and Resilience amongst Youth: Emerging Trends, by Prof. Rose September, Head: Child and Youth Research and Training Program (CYRTP), University of the Western Cape, and Brenda Matthews, Senior Researcher: CYRTP.
Violence Amongst Youth in South Africa - Experience and Research Gaps, by Patrick Burton, Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention (CJCP)
Report on Research Data & Analysis: Youth Entrepreneurship, by Thapelo Maleke, Youth Entrepreneurship Campaign (YEC) 2010.
The Political Role of the Youth from 1976 to 2015: Democracy and Governance in the Making: Are we Getting it Right?, by Dr. De Wet Schutte, Department of Environmental and Occupational Studies, Cape Peninsula University for Technology (CPUT).
Volunteerism and Youth Service: A Force for Development in Southern Africa, by Helene Perold, Exec. Director, Volunteer and Service Enquiry Southern Africa (VOSESA).
Youth Development through Entrepreneurship, by Khutso Ramontja, Graduate Researcher, University of the Western Cape
Democracy and Governance: The Role of the Youth, by Prof. John Williams, School of Government, University of the Western Cape
The OSSREA Kenya Chapter is preparing to publish two volumes out of the papers presented by members at annual national workshops. The proposed title of the volumes is Contemporary Developmental Issues in Kenya, and the book will have the following three sections:
Agriculture, Food Security and Health;
Culture, Education and Development; and
In addition, the Chapter is planning, circumstances permitting, to organize a research training workshop in the year 2007.
The OSSREA Ethiopia Chapter took part in the OSSREA Liaison Officers meeting in April 2006, in Nairobi, Kenya. At the meeting the Ethiopian Chapter reported the activities it had carried out in 2005, along with its plans for the next year, and the problems it faced, one of which the lack of legal personality and accommodating office for the Chapter.
On another level, the first and the second annual Workshop Proceedings were edited and published as per the Head Office's directive to give priority to publishing proceedings by OSSREA Chapters. The proceedings were published under the titles of: "Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Ethiopia" and "Conflict in the Horn: Prevention and Resolution". The two volumes are about two-hundred pages each.
Furthermore, the OSSREA Ethiopia Chapter held its national conference at the end of year 2006 on a broad, multidisciplinary and highly relevant theme that was selected by the chapters Liaison Committee. The conference was held at the Imperial Hotel, Addis Ababa, on the 29th and 30th of December 2006. It was attended by close to 100 members and invited guests. The theme of the national conference was: "Higher Education, Democracy and Development in Ethiopia".
While Prof. Habtamu Wondimu, Ethiopia Chapter Liaison Officer, gave the welcoming speech, the opening speech was made by Dr. Kassahun Berhanu, OSSREA Resident Vice-President, and the keynote address was given by Dr. Yacob Arsano, Dean, College of Social Science, Addis Ababa University.
The following were the papers presented at the conference:
"The Development of Research Culture in Ethiopian Higher Education Institutions", by Dr. Berhanu Mathews
"Language Policy and Planning in Ethiopia: Implementation Challenges", by Ato Bekale Seyoum
"Gender Disparity in Higher Education in Ethiopia and Its Impacts on the Socio Economic Development", by Ato Teferi Getahun
"Gender Analysis of Assertiveness, Causal Attributions and Academic Achievement", by Ato Tamirie Andualem
"Violence against Women in Higher Education Institutions: The Case of a College", by Ms. Meron Biruk
"Human Resource Planning for Massification of Education with Special Reference to Ethiopia", by Dr. S. A. Ansari
"Valuing Diversity and Practicing Tolerance: Values worth Serious Attention and Education in Ethiopia", by Prof. Habtamu Wondimu
"Indicators and Challenges to Quality in Higher Education Institutions: Experiences. in Ethiopia", by Mr. Firdessa Jebessa
"Equity and Access Issues in Higher Education: Demand Side Constraints in Private Higher Education Institutions in Ethiopia", by Mr. Eyob Tekalegne
Participants of the OSSREA Ethiopia Chapters’ National Conference