Adwa Day March 2018

The RASTAFARI Movement through an association of various organisations and collectives, invites the public to attend Adwa Day March to Parliament

Community-based event highlighting the marginalisation, discrimination, criminalisation and victimisation of RASTAFARI adherents in South Africa, The day also is a rallying call to celebrate the Ethiopian Victory over Italy at the Battle of Adwa 1st March 1896

The delivery of our memorandum of grievance to the secretary of the speaker of the South African parliament is the highlight of the Rastafari’s Movement’s programme of event to mark Adwa Day Rastafari Nation March 2018. This will include a legal protest March from Kreizengracht parking lot down to Parliament where the Government will be receiving the memorandum from the Rastafari Movement’s delegates. Rastafari Ambassadors from the various organisations involved will make short addresses in commemoration of Adwa Day Victory and also the Plight that Rastafari people face under the current government.

The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL) has done a research on Rastafari Religion and culture advocate the report recommendations done in 2011-2012 by the name of “Challenges faced by Rastafari communities in South Africa

On 2nd of March 2016 the RASTAFARI movement through the association of various organisations and collectives marched to Parliament to submit the Memorandum of grievance and CRL Report. This was the first Annual March to put pressure on the Government of the day to Give Justice to our communities.

On the 8th of December 2016 Rastafari United Front marched to South African constitutional court to submit the memorandum of Grievances and CRL report on Challenges Faced by the Rastafari Community in South Africa recommendations implementation.

Notes for Editor:

If you would like a journalist to attend please contact Hein Scheepers: 0847878033

Adwa Day Rastafari Nation March, which falls on 1st March annually, this is the third year of the march and the 122nd Anniversary of Adwa Victory Day which is an official holiday in Ethiopia. This is a day to affirm and reflect on the only independent African nation that defeated the European colonisers, RASTAFARI being a Movement that is Ethiopic in its Worldview, ideologies, philosophies and frames of reference to culture, spirituality, arts, knowledge, consciousness and beliefs

 

The purpose of the Events:

  1. Raising awareness and increasing Public understanding of RASTAFARI People and the marginalisation they face in society in both public and private sector industries.
  2. THIS EVENT IS NOT ABOUT DAGGA LEGALIZATION per se, it is in fact about collective governance, collaboration, networking, partnership, to ensure human rights and justice, to maintain the integrity, dignity, fundamental principles, philosophies of Rastafari communities do hereby establish and ordain on the basis of respect to the South Africa constitution.

 

Contact:

  1. For information on Adwa day Rasta Nation march 2018 events and interviews with organisers and RASTAFARI Leadership: Hein Scheepers 0847878033

 

Adwa Day 2018 Schedule:

Cape Town City Bowl: the National/Intracontinental event for Adwa Day will take place from 10am to 2pm on Wednesday , 1st March.

Highlights include:

  1. 9H00-11H00 Assembling and Rallying at Kreizengracht Parkling lot, An Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Priest will open the Event with prayers and chants, Organisers will address the mass to ensure discipline and a collective vision of the day’s agenda.
  2. 11H00-12H00 Street: Start Marching towards Parliament The procession is accompanied with chants and prayers with the burning of incenses
  3. 12H00-13H00Address at infront of Parliament, the Government has communicated that they will receive the Memorandum at 12H00 at the Louis Botha statue infront of Parliament
  4. 13H00-14H00 Return to Keizengracht Parking Lot Closing prayers and a debriefing session with the participants, stakeholders and organs involved

 

Last year we were more or less a 1000 but this year we have made greater efforts to mobilise communities across South Africa.

 

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