Lutheran Student Movement-USA

1978

78-8 Resolution on South Africa

Background

Many have been troubled by the information that has been coming out of South Africa.  Eighteen million blacks and 4 ½ million whites live in South Africa, but Blacks have no vote, no rights.  They are forced to live in isolated areas called Bantu-stands which resemble in some regards American Indian reservations.  J. Donald Woods, in his book Biko, compares the tactics of the White government to the Nazi III Reich.  He names forty-five Black leaders who have been imprisoned and have died in prison.  Woods sees Back revolution as inevitable. 

The situation is delicate; Whites feel heavy blame coming down on them from outside the country and are defensive.  David Mesenbrind, a person friend of Steve Biko, has recently returned from a stay in South Africa.  He has suggested that one way American students could relate to the situation in South Africa is to engage in correspondence with White Christians in that situation. 

Resolved

1) That LSM-USA encourage local groups and individuals to begin correspondence with Dutch reformed, Lutheran, and Catholic students in White South Africa to better understand their and our Christian faith. 

2) That students who engage in such correspondence be encouraged to write articles about their experiences to be published in regional and national newsletters and journals such as Chutzpah. 

3) That the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis will provide initial addresses and contacts.  University Lutheran Center, 1101 University Ave. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55414.

References

Topping, Seymour. “Questioned to Death”, New York Times (Book Review), April 30, 1978.

            Woods, Donald. Biko. (to be published soon).