text: repression ofstudents andtoreturnthecampustoitse<.1ucational Activities. 77.ByAugust 1989,students inseveral schools andoncampuses throughout South Africa hadbegunaprotest against apartheiQ lawsinco··ordination w.Lt.hthe Defiam~e Campaign oftheMassDemocratic Movement. 5.Whites in-t.b.L..I:Uis...t~ 78.Thegrowing involvement ofwhitesinorCjJanized opposition to~J?fi\r~hv...lQ remained I~significant trendintheresistance against theregime. 'rheformation oftheDemocratic PartyinApril1989signalled thepresence ofanorganized body that<:ouldpotentially become 8forceinliberal whitepolitics. TheDemocratic Party,constitut.ed bythemergeroftheIndependent Part.y,theNowUemot:J'lrtic Movement andtheProgressive Federal Party,espouses universal tHlfft'flqflinSout.h Afrlcn. 79.TheInstitute foraDemocratic Alternative forSout.hAfrleAIlmhnt.ookfurthet inltiatives tobuildlinksbetween whitesofbothEIlCjJlish anclAfrJkOf.lllBdescent Dnd theflon-racial apartheid opposition movement within andollt.sidf! f.:(Illl.h Art!elA.It organized aseriesofforumsthatdrewparticipants fromdifferent r:;phflrnl;,suchas business, labour, religious, education andcommunitygroups. 'fhp.["nunscenbed on discussions ofseveral issues, including .oP.Atl.la.lo lawsandtoclies to(Iefythem, strategIes forchangeinSouthAfrica, notably theconcE'pt ofneyoUaUana,andthe roleofwhiteSouth ~fricans intheanti-8partb~ struggle Qnrlpoat-~po(th~i~ society. TheInstitute alsosponsored several meetinys betwean whilqa. in parc.icular Afrikaners, withANCrepresentatives, inanattempt. t(Iwtrlnfltherl\ngeofforcesopposed toapartheid. InOctober 1988itsco-directors, Frederik vanZyl Slabbert andAlexBoraine, metwithANCandSoviet acadelnics atLeverkusen, Federal Republic ofGermany, toreviewSovietpolicy onsouthern Africa andtodiscuss strategies aimedatendingapartheid. InApril1989,about55womenfromSouU) Africa, whiteandblack, metatHararewith25members ofANCataconference entitled "WomenintheStruggle forPeace". Thediscussion encompassed abroad rangeoftopics, including conscription, violence, destabilization andtherole thatwomencanplayinopposition toapartbeid. InMay1989,theInstitute organized aconference atJohannesburg, entitled "Options forthefuture", adebate basedontheANCConstitutional Guidelines. 80.Organizations suchastheFiveFreedoms ForwnandtheJohannesburg Democratic Action Committee alsoplayed aroleingenerating debateregarding theANC Constitutional Guidelines andtheparticipation ofanti-apartheid whitesinthe October 1988municipal elections. InJune1989,theFiveFreedoms Forwnsponsored aconference involving ANCrepresentatives andover100whiteSouthAfricans, including academics, businesspersons andpoliticians. Theconference, entitled "Whites inaChanging Society", received substantial funding fromtheUnitedStates andmajorEuropean Governments. Inajointcommunique, issuedatLusaka on 2July1989,boththeFiveFreedoms ForwnandANCagreedthateveryeffortshould bemadetocreateconditions "thatwillestablish aclimate forthepolitical resolution oftheconflict" inthecountry. 491Animportant effort wasthe creation inSouthAfricaoftheHwnanRights Commission, whichisplaying aleading roleinexposing tothecountry andtheworldtheextentofrepression inSouth Africa. 81.Theactivities ofSADF,bothinthetownships andintheregion, continued to bethesourceofdissent amongwhiteyouth. Eventhoughtheauthorities virtually bannedtheactivities oftheEndConscription Campaign inAugust 1988,the organization's objectives arebeingexpressed byothermeans. InFebruary 1989, over900mothers ofconscripts calledfora.nalternative tocompulsory military service forwhiteyouth. Atpressconferences heldsimultaneously atJohannesburg, Durban andCapeTown,thewomendeclared theirsupport fortheirsons'stand. Theirjointcall,madeunderthebanner "GiveOurSonsaChoice" andendorsed by morethan500womennationwide, wassupported bytheFederation ofTransvaal Women. InMay1989,theConscientious Objectors Support~ Grouplaunched the "National Campaign onSouthAfrican Conscientious Objectors toMilitary Service", whichreceived broadinternational support. 82.Despite increased opposition toconscription, thel·egime cont.inued toimpose harshsentences onwarresisters. InDecember 1988,itimposed asix-year sentence onCharles Bester(18),andinApril1989,anIS-month termonSaulBatzofin (28).
analysis: The text primarily discusses the political and social situation in South Africa during the late 1980s, focusing on the anti-apartheid movement, student protests, and the role of whites in the struggle against apartheid. It also touches on the human rights situation and the repression of students and war resisters. While there are some mentions of specific events and initiatives, there is no clear focus on economic, environmental, or scientific issues.