Music Against Xenophobia

Musicians from South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe worked together with migrants and young people to create four songs designed to raise awareness about xenophobia and encourage people to discuss the issue. The songs, written in Zulu, Shangaan, and Portuguese, talk about migration and hope to encourage feelings of pan-Africanism. The lyrics of the songs were based on research interviews conducted with 100 migrants from all over the continent about their experiences in South Africa. According to the organisers, the overwhelming majority discussed how they personally suffered from discrimination, including from police and health services. Based on this, the musicians wrote lyrics to give voice to these experiences, calling on all people to respect one another. The music was made available to radio stations via the internet and through CD distribution.

The project also included research by journalism and musicology students to explore how music can be used for social change. This included interviews with academics, musicians, and people working on migration issues.

To further disseminate the counter-xenophobia messages, the music was included on Tjoon'In, a multiformat CD produced for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, which also included a segment on xenophobia. 1,000 copies were distributed through public taxis (combis) in South Africa to raise awareness about gender issues.

Xenophobia

According to CMFD, Johannesburg has become home to thousands of foreign Africans. Some are refugees, fleeing persecution and seeking asylum; others are looking for work and a better life. Many find that life is not what they expected and face discrimination from government services, harassment by police, and degrading treatment from people - whether in taxis, schools, shops, or streets.

CMFD Productions works with communities, non-profit radio stations, and media organisations to strengthen the use of media and communication for development. In addition to producing media/communication products, CMFD provides technical assistance and training to enable individuals, organisations, journalists, and communities to address issues through media.