Sowing seeds of life and solidarity

Between the 7 - 20 August 2024, the University of Johannesburg (UJ)’s Arts Gallery hosted the photo-documentary exhibition Guardians of Seed, Land, and Life: The Seed Research Journey of the Southern African Rural Women’s Assembly showcasing the ‘herstories’ of rural women seed guardians in seven SADC countries: eSwatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The exhibition celebrates the quiet and silent yet powerful activism of the RWA seed guardians and the seeds they hold. The seed guardian stories make visible how each individual act seed guardianship becomes a collective wave of solidarity across the region.

Photos by Dr Daniel Chavez; Dr Dineke Orton

This collaborative project is between the Southern African Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA), the Amsterdam-based Transnational Institute,  the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies of the University of Johannesburg and the UCT EthicsLab. The launch of each installation includes a workshop in which local seed guardians and RWA researchers speak about the significance of seed guardianship at the local, regional and global levels. 

Photos by Dr Daniel Chavez

The UJ launch included a key note address Centering Women's Day and the significance of the exhibition and seed guardians: climate change and sustainability by Prof Pragna Rugunanan which situated the significance of role and contribution that women made in South Africa’s struggle against apartheid, the solidarity they fostered and continue to do in the current period, especially in light of climate change and gender-based violence. Thandiwe Chidavarume from Zimbabwe located the politics of seeds, the regional dimension of seed policies, land rights and ownership patterns and the devastating impacts of climate change on small-scale women farmers. Powerful insights and experiences were shared by Reinette Heunis (RWA South Africa), Tsitsi Ndawana (RWA Zimbabwe), Lonhlanhla Mthethwa (RWA, Swaziland) as guardians of seeds highlighting the seed solidarity economy, intergenerational sharing and guardianship of seeds as well as the multilayered and subversive work being done through their seed work. 

Photos by Dr Daniel Chavez; Dr Dineke Orton

The Engaged Critical Scholarship and the importance of photo-documentary and herstories seminar with Tembisa Jordan, Dr Dikeledi Mokoena in conversation with Dr Daniel Chavez and Dr Donna Andrews brought to the fore the contribution of photo-documentary research and its potential to undermine and disrupt dominant narratives. The seminar on Reflecting on feminist method and non-extractive research with Mercia Andrews and Prof Brendon Barnes in conversation with Dr Suzall Timm and Dr Donna Andrews, highlighted important questions about our ethical, reflexive and embedded practice and research. Lungisa Huna (RWA) facilitated and weaved the day and Mamalefetsane Phakoe closed with a beautiful thanks to all the seed guardians of the world and a reflection of the day. 

The photo gallery below aims to share the enthusiasm and rich engagement of the seminar as well as showcase the exhibition itself. The photographs below are curtesy of Dr Dineke Orton, UJ Gallery Curator and Dr Daniel Chavez.

This travelling exhibition plans to visit Europe, Africa and the Americas. Cape Town will host the exhibit in November 2024. See the exhibition itinerary here.