IHRE frequently organizes cultural and social activities both on and off campus. Participants are also encouraged to propose and organize activities for the IHRE student community.
One unique aspect of the IHRE program is the Community Human Rights Workshop which takes place during the week before classes start. Held at Wits Rural in Mpumalanga Province, the workshop offers students a directed opportunity for exchange and dialogue with members of a rural community. The program includes workshops, lectures, visits with local organizations, homestays, discussions on human rights issues facing many rural communities (for example, land rights, HIV/AIDs, and economic development, among others), as well as a visit to Kruger Park.
IHRE-sponsored activities during the semester have included:
an on-going human rights film series;
group service projects with local organizations;
a visit to the Apartheid Museum;
an excursion to Soweto, with stops at Mandela's home and the Hector Pieterson Museum;
a visit to the Lesedi Cultural Village;
a picnic at the Johannesburg Zoo; and
an excursion to Newtown (Museum Africa, Kippies/Bassline Jazz Club and Market Theatre).
Click below to watch a short student-produced documentary about a service project organized by IHRE students for youth from one of our internship host sites.
Johannesburg is home to a rich array of cultural activities. Program staff also regularly share information with students on interesting lectures, cultural events, and social activities taking place at Wits and around Johannesburg. Students are encouraged to take advantage of all the city has to offer, getting off campus to attend plays, view art exhibits, visit museums, attend film festivals, dance performances, and concerts, participate in conferences, etc.
