Red Ribbon Campaign Media Release

Deck the Streets with Red Ribbons

Kensington residents launch their annual festive season campaign to promote safe, happy and peaceful communities Johannesburg 4 November 2010 For immediate release Its that time of year again! The residents of Johannesburgs historic suburb of Kensington are decking the streets with red ribbons and are inviting communities across the country to do the same. The annual Red Ribbon Campaign, which was launched by the community last year, is aimed at encouraging people throughout South Africa to stand together in order to build safe, happy and peaceful communities from the ground up. Its a simple concept. Every festive season, residents in cities, towns, villages, townships and informal settlements are invited to tie a red ribbon around a tree, lamppost or fencepost outside their homes to display their commitment to meaningful community-building and to doing one good thing in their own communities in the year ahead. Its a visible way that South Africans can show their support for the ideals that brought their democracy into being. The campaign started spontaneously in Kensington after local resident Keri-Ann Clark tied a red ribbon around the tree on her pavement in memory of Clifford Phakati, a neighbourhood watch security guard who had been attacked by eight armed men while on duty near her home and who later died of his injuries. Determined to honour Clifford and others like him who have died to secure our freedom and to keep us safe, she tied a huge red ribbon around her tree and urged others to do the same. Soon leafy Kensington was awash with red ribbons as the community united in honouring the tragic death of this young father by sending a clear message that, no matter what, they would stand together to build the kind of community they could all be proud of.

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Our aim is to encourage people from all walks of life to roll up their sleeves and to work together with official structures, charities and NGOs to create a new and vibrant sense of community in South Africa, says Keri-Ann. The Red Ribbon Campaign is aimed at creating an awareness that theres something practical each of us can do to create safer, happier and more peaceful communities. We can stand together - and we can do something to show we are standing together. Indeed, although community-building isnt necessarily an easy process, Kensington is proof that neighbours from different races, economic backgrounds, cultural groups, language groups and nationalities can work together to build a better future for themselves. Amongst many other initiatives, the suburb has its own community-run arts and crafts market, a community-sponsored security forum and a programme to uplift the area, all initiated and run by the local residents association, the I Love Kensington Association (ILKA). Members of the community are also actively involved in supporting charities like the St Giles Home for the Disabled and the Aids Army project, while the Kensington Community Centre Association (KCCA) aims to provide a welcoming and accessible venue for community events. All of the great faiths celebrate important holy days during November and December, so we feel its an appropriate time to show the unity in diversity that is at the heart of the South African dream, says Lee Cahill of the Joburg Advocacy Group, which provides support for the campaign. We believe that ordinary people can actively empower themselves to build the kind of communities they want to live in, and be part of creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. So tie a red ribbon around your tree, lamppost or fencepost this festive season. Show that South Africans can and will work together to create a peaceful and caring nation - one neighbourhood at a time.

For further information, visit the Red Ribbon Campaign at http://redribbonsa.blogspot.com or join the Red Ribbon Campaign discussion group on Facebook. Further information about the I Love Kensington Association (ILKA) is available at www.kensington.org, and further information about the Joburg Advocacy Group (JAG) is available at http://jag-sa.blogspot.com.

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Media enquiries: Lee Cahill Joburg Advocacy Group 011 614 0690 jag@telkomsa.net / lee.cahill@telkomsa.net

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