Campaigning for humanity (From Stroud News and Journal)

Campaigning for humanity

BROUGHT up in South Africa, Brian Oosthuysen, 64, vice-chairman of the local branch of Amnesty International, learned the importance of fighting for human rights from an early age.

The former schoolteacher fled the country's Apartheid regime in 1961 when he was just 23, after being interrogated by the special branch about his membership of the liberal party.

"It was incredibly intimidating," he said. "This was at a time when you could be arrested for doing anything in South Africa under the Suppression of Communism Act.

"They would detain you for 90 days, wait for you to be released, then detain you for another 180.

"They could keep on re-arresting you - and you would just disappear. I was absolutely petrified."

Leaving most of his family and friends behind, Brian headed for England with his first wife and baby daughter, Janet, now 41.

He returned to South Africa only once in more than 30 years while the system of racial segregation remained in place.

Following his exile Brian went to King's College, London to study theology.

There he befriended the only other South African on the course - who happened to be Desmond Tutu, destined to become Archbishop of Cape Town and to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his role in the battle against Apartheid.

"Desmond is a lovely man," said Brian. "We were great friends.

"I used to write comic notes to him in lectures, like, 'How about you and I get out of here and pick up a couple of tarts?'

"Desmond would roar with laughter, and the lecturer would say, 'Can those two South Africans at the back please be quiet?'"

The pair were amazed by what they saw as the freedom of 1960s' England.

"When you're brought up with Apartheid, you always check before going to the park, or the swimming pool, or the post office, that there isn't a special area for whites or blacks only.

"When I came to Britain I was surprised to see white people collecting rubbish - I had never seen that before.

"Desmond's wife once asked an English policeman for directions and was amazed at how polite he was.

"And one day Desmond and I went to Hyde Park corner, where a man was criticising the government and saying Macmillan, the prime minister, was a fool.

"Desmond and I edged away, expecting the police to come and arrest him. You could never have talked like that in South Africa."

Desmond and Brian studied at King's from 1962 to 1965.

They have remained life-long friends and Brian took a group from Stroud to have supper with Desmond in South Africa in 1997.

Like Desmond, Brian intended to become a priest after his degree.

However, he was separated from his South African wife after a four and a half years of marriage, and left to bring up their young daughter alone.

He was told by the Church that the likelihood of his divorce would prevent him from joining the clergy.

"My wife left me and my little girl and I was told I couldn't be a priest," said Brian.

"I'm not bitter about it now, because I think bitterness is a wasted emotion, you get all tortured inside yourself."

Brian met his current wife, Carole, while still in London.

They brought up his daughter Janet together and had three more children, Nicky, now 33, Juliet, 31 and Tom, 26.

Before they retired, the couple were both teachers. Brian taught religious education at Archway School for 18 years, where he is now a governor. Carole taught French and Spanish at Maidenhill, Highwood and Severn Vale schools.

They first visited South Africa together in 1969, during Apartheid.

"It was really strange to be there at that time," said Carole. "I didn't really understand the system.

"When we got on a bus, Janet, who was eight, wanted to go on the top deck, which was supposed to be for blacks only. I let her go up, only to be told off by the driver.

"I didn't see why they couldn't let a child break the rules."

They have since been back several times since the end of Apartheid in the early 1990s and when they returned with a group from Stroud in 1997, their friends said it seemed as if Apartheid had not really ended as the country was still largely segregated.

"But Brian explained that it was hugely changed," said Carole.

During the trip the group dropped in at Desmond Tutu's house for supper.

The Oosthuysens went back to the country in 2000 and 2001.

They also took 88 students from Archway School to India last year, accompanied by author Katie Fforde, who also lives in Rodborough.

"It was absolutely brilliant," said Carole."Parents told us, 'we said goodbye to a 14-year-old and we got a 16-year-old back.'"

Carole now runs a French club from Gastrell's School, where Brian is chairman of the board of governors.

He is also a member of his parish council and of the Gloucestershire Schools Organisation Committee - a group that has the final say on important county education issues.

Carole and Brian both belong to Amnesty and work hard to raise the profile of humanitarian causes.

"We want people to realise that even as we sit here someone is being raped and someone is being tortured," said Brian.

"And we were so appalled by the fall-out from September 11. There is so much Islamophobia in the country, one of our objectives is to combat all the negative press about Islam."

The mid-Gloucestershire Amnesty group, which meets every month in Stroud, hopes to organise a multi-cultural event at the Subscription Rooms next year. Their next meeting is on Wednesday, August 14 at 8pm.