Thohoyandou - The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ebrahim Ebrahim, has urged students at the University of Venda (Univen) to help popularise South Africa's foreign policies.
Ebrahim was addressing more than 1 000 students at the university campus in Thohoyandou on Tuesday as part of his department's nationwide initiative to popularise the country's foreign policy within media, NGOs, community-based organisations and academic institutions.
"We have been traversing from province to another in an effort to build bridges between our department and various stakeholders... We want to ensure that ordinary South Africans can link our country's domestic priorities with our international engagements," said Ebrahim.
The deputy minister's address was in the form of a public lecture on the position of South Africa on the United Nation's resolutions on Libya and its ensuing crisis.
"Our foreign policy is, by its orientation, a campaign for humane and equitable world order. Our history is a living testimony of what we gained from and will continue to be a culture of human solidarity across the globe.
"We remain committed to working with other countries and progressive forces to promote, amongst others, the transformation of the global political and economic order away from
unilateralism, inequality and unfairness," said Ebrahim.
Univen vice-chancellor and principal, Professor Peter Mbati, said the university has about 600 students who have enrolled for International Relations degrees and masters.
"We are ready and look forward to working with the Department of International Relations in popularising the country's foreign policies and we also extend our invitation to the department to continue to shape South Africa's academic, social and political landscape," said Mbati.
