Steven Eli Friedman (born 31 March 1953) is a South African academic, newspaper columnist, intellectual, activist, former trade unionist and journalist. He holds a doctorate in Literature from Rhodes University (2007) and directs the Centre for the Study of Democracy, a joint project by Rhodes University and the

University of Johannesburg The University of Johannesburg, colloquially known as UJ, is a public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant fundi ...

. His book ''Building Tomorrow Today: African Workers in Trade Unions 1970-1984'' has been described as a classic South African text. He has written opinion pieces for ''

Thought Leader A thought leader has been described as an individual or firm recognized as an authority in a specific field. A thought leader is a person who specializes in a given area and whom others in that industry turn to for guidance. As the term implies, ...

'' and ''

The New Age ''The New Age'' was a British weekly magazine (1894–1938),credited as a major influence on literature and the arts during its heyday from 1907 to 1922, when it was edited by Alfred Richard Orage. It published work by many of the chief politi ...

'' and currently writes a weekly column for ''

Business Day A business day normally means any day except a legal holiday. It may also mean a business day of operation, any of the days an organization operates. It depends on the local workweek which is dictated by local customs, religions, and business ...

''. He is also a strong supporter of rights for

Palestinians Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenou ...

and a proponent of a one state solution in

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

and

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

. He was appointed the National Head of the Independent Electoral Commission's Information Analysis Department during preparations for South Africa's 1994 election. He is the father of Daniel Friedman, a musical comedian known on stage as Deep Fried Man.

Books

* * * * * *

References

External links

Staff profile at the University of Johannesburg

Steven Friedman SA History Online

Who's Who SA: Steven Friedman
Living people 1953 births South African political scientists Academic staff of the University of Johannesburg Academic staff of Rhodes University South African activists South African male journalists South African trade unionists South African Jews Jewish trade unionists White South African people Articles containing video clips {{SouthAfrica-activist-stub