Dialogue

World Cup 2010 in South Africa, a very well planned affair so far with FIFA complimenting South Africa's Local organising Committee. A matter of great celebration for attaining such a major task and a cause for celebration for all South Africans and their well-wishers everywhere. Just as some of us are about to purchase a bottle or two of champagne (while prices are still affordable before tourist enduced inflation) we read about a protest by disabled people about lack of access to the 2010 stadiums (or stadia in "proper English") for disabled people.

According to the newspaper reports, they protested against this lack of accessibility by burning wheelchair tyres at the offices of South African Football Association. Two interesting things about this story: the first is that the planners should have engaged all stakeholders in the planning process. Done properly, this consultative process should have identified this shortcoming. It is possible that this shortcoming could be addressed even at this late stage.

That being said, did they have to burn wheelchair tyres to get attention? I think not, but what I think is not the issue here. The issue is the absence of dialogue processes which would ensure that all parties engage each other meaningfully. This process would avoid violent protests. interestingly, media commentators seem to accept violent protests as norms sometimes justifying such behaviour on "anger". Protest and violence are too separate issues.

Do we really have the skills to engage each other in dialogue?