Building a Better Peace in Belfast and Cape Town

Welcome back to the Better Peace Podcast for our eighth and final episode, presented by Clodagh, Ellie and Chloe. Today’s episode is a very special one, and not just because it’s the last! Today we are joined by special guests all the way from South Africa! Our guests from Bush Radio are here to reflect on their experiences living and growing up in a post-conflict society.

Ellie begins the conversation by asking about the successes of the South African peace process and the challenges that remain. Although the group reflected on some successes, they noted the continued patterns of racism in South African education systems; the opportunities you are given continue to depend on the colour of your skin. Our podcasters go on to express their feelings about the Northern Irish peace process and what they believe to be the successes and failures of the peace process. They explained that although Northern Ireland has reached a point of relative ‘peace’, lots of our structures and institutions perpetuate sectarian ideals.

We asked how the young people’s involvement in organisations such as Bush Radio have changed their perspective on politics in South Africa and beyond, and they explained how they were grateful to hear others' opinions and challenge their own bias.

We spoke to the young people about the recent South African elections and whether the results make them more or less hopeful for the future. There was disagreement among the group, as some saw the new coalition government as a refreshing change from the status quo, while others saw it as an opportunity for division and political instability. Our podcasters could easily relate to this fear, given the continued instability of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s mandatory coalition.

We spoke about youth involvement in politics and whether or not the respective governments take young people’s opinions seriously. There was some disagreement among the group, which became even more pronounced when the possibility of votes at 16 was introduced.

“The government wouldn’t necessarily do that because they care about our point of view, they would only do it for [better political] engagement.”

“Even though governments might have ulterior motives, if they do bring it into law that 16-year-olds can vote, it’ll force governments to take 16-year-olds seriously.”

We asked the young people from South Africa what their hopes are for the future. Some hoped for improved infrastructure in their communities, whilst others hoped for universal education to be properly implemented. They highlighted the continued corruption in public bodies such as the police, and how this perpetuates violence in their communities.

Our Podcasters could somewhat relate to their concerns involving the housing crisis, prospects for employment and government instability.

“My hope for the future is that our government actually gets stuff done and actually stays working long enough to get stuff done.”

Next, we spoke to Brenda Leonard about Bush Radio’s inception and how they gained their status as the “mother of community radio in Africa.” Bush Radio was developed in the 1980s (during the Apartheid regime) by community activists to explore ways in which grassroots media could be used for social upliftment and as a tool of resistance; they hoped to offer an alternative to the mainstream media available under apartheid. We also spoke to Paul Smyth, Executive Director at Politics in Action, about his involvement with Bush Radio and how they’ve remained connected for over 20 years!

A huge thank you to Jude Hill (Mitchell) and Alan Meban for the production and editing of the Podcast. Another massive thanks to Aoibha Mallon for the amazing podcast soundtrack and finally to our funders. Project supported by the International Fund for Ireland (Our Peace, Our Future fund) and the National Lottery Community Fund NI (Empowering Young People programme).