Poetry for Human Rights

Held every year on 21 March, World Poetry Day celebrates one of humanity’s most treasured forms of cultural and linguistic expression and identity. Practiced throughout history – in every culture and on every continent – poetry speaks to our common humanity and our shared values, transforming the simplest of poems into a powerful catalyst for dialogue and peace. UNESCO first adopted 21 March as World Poetry Day during its 30th General Conference in Paris in 1999, with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard. World Poetry Day in South Africa which intersects with South Africa’s Human Rights Day is the occasion to honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry recitals and to promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry. The Time of the Writer’s 2^nd annual Poetry for Human Rights programme is presented by the Centre for Creative Arts in partnership with the University of Johannesburg Arts & Culture and the High Commission of Canada. The programme is curated by Siphindile Hlongwa and Quaz Rootz. The programme features Tawhida Tanya Evanson (Canada), Tereska Muishond (SA), Elisangela Rita (Angola), Sara Garib (Sweden), Kwame Write (Ghana), Jeffrey Hartzenberg (SA), Sollly Ramatswi (SA), Komi Olaf (Canada), Belita Andrea (Namibia/Nigeria).