South African Youths Rise Against Xenophobia

South African SCM leads youth in struggle against Xenophobia
8 June 2008

The Federation of South African Christian Students (FEDSACS) and the South African Council of Churches Youth Forum have released a comprehensive statement denouncing recent xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals in the country. The statement denounces all forms of violence or other criminal activity against non-South Africans resident in the country and calls for an immediate halt to all violence and anti-social behaviour against immigrants. The statement then calls for genuine youth cooperation to deal with the root causes of poverty, hunger and unemployment that have created such high levels of dissatisfaction and frustration amongst South African young people.The South African Christian Youth statement will form part of a broader national press campaign by the South African Youth Network Against Xenophobia. The campaign will raise the voices of numerous South African youth organisations this coming week in opposition to xenophobic attacks and the underlying attitudes and motivations which have caused them.The full statement from the Federation of South African Christian Students (FEDSACS) and the South African Council of Churches Youth Forum follows below.