16 June 1976 is a date that altered the course of history for South Africa. Commemorated over 40 years later as Youth Day, an official holiday, it is the day that honors the deaths of hundreds of Soweto school children.
As a public entity, the Film and Publication Board (FPB) will conduct outreach activities to mark the historical day. In fulfilment of its mandate, the FPB aims to ensure efficient and effective consumer protection through regulation of media content, while empowering the public – especially children – through robust information sharing.
By classifying content we seek to maintain relevance to the values and norms of South African society, balancing the right to freedom of expression with an obligation to protect children from exposure to potentially disturbing, harmful and inappropriate materials.
The FPB will commemorate the day at the Soweto Western Gauteng Campus in Roodepooort on the 10th of June by bringing together youth to have an understanding of how the media space has revolutionized. Given the FPB is also celebrating 20 years as a
content regulator, the day aims to create robust discussions around the importance of the online space being used as a platform for content sharing and tackle what it means for young people to be aware, responsible citizens and safe online and offline.
June 16, 2016 marks 40 years since the Soweto uprising. The date marks the contribution of youth in the South African liberation struggle and their ongoing contribution to the development of the country. As we celebrate the successes of the youth we should also think about the marginalized youth, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Intersex (LGBTI) group. This group still experiences rejection, violence and discrimination in our society.
The Film and Publication Board (FPB) has been a proud partner of Quad Republic for six years with the aim of raising cyber safety awareness within the LGBTI community. This Youth Month, FPB and Quad Republic will host two dialogues in the North-West and Mpumalanga with LGBTI groups. The dialogues will address health, safety and socio-economic issues experienced by the LGBTI