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Quaker Peace Centre, Capetown
The Quaker Peace Centre is a team of
peacemakers and development practitioners from different backgrounds.
We work with people towards building
a better society which fosters the creative and non-violent resolution
of conflict, participatory development and the respect of self and
others.
We do this through awareness-raising,
capacity-building and the development of sustainable peace models.
Youth Program
Aims
Using experiential learning we build capacity in communities by
helping children and parents take responsibility for educational
activities and life-skills programmes in their communities. In this
way they have a supportive and informative environment for learning
and growing, and coming into contact with people from different
backgrounds.
We also lobby and do advocacy work with
youth organisations and government, and network to share skills
and information.
Context
Most of our young people, from five to thirty-five, come from the
poverty-stricken areas of Cape Town. Gangsterism is often seen as
a means of getting material rewards, and social power. By engaging
with youth groups we involve them in civic and community structures.
Some are already in functioning groups with aims, whereas others
come together informally, and may be in danger of being seduced
into gangsterism. Unless young people find a meaningful role in
our society, there can be no hope of enduring peace.
Activities
We run various camps such as on culture and diversity, gender, leadership
and teenage sexuality. Our ongoing involvement with youth is the
Rainbow Youth Group. We offer various training courses such as life-skills,
holiday camp training for volunteers and a train the trainer course.
We contribute to Youth Day celebrations through drama presentations,
and network widely both nationally and internationally.
Activities this past
year
180 youth attended a Peace Academy for
5 days. They have now set up 35 peace clubs in schools supported
by teachers participated in a return exchange visit to Northern
Ireland and 20 attended a Outward bound course. In September a follow
up Peace Academy will take place to reflect on progress, further
workshops on peace and leadership and planning for the future. We
offer the Peace Academy in partnership with the Institute for the
Healing of Memories and Peace Jam, an organization that brings a
Nobel Laureate each year for workshops with young people. We are
exploring a partnership with Public Achievement, an organization
which trains university students to act as coaches to the Peace
Clubs.
Challenges
We were aware of the peer pressure that our young people face, especially
the girls, in relation to unprotected sex. In the face of the HIV/AIDS
pandemic, we have to include this information in our programmes,
as parents are still uncomfortable talking to their children about
sexual topics.
Staff need ongoing development, and
ought to participate regularly in courses being offered-they must
stay abreast of development in the field, be informed about latest
youth trends, and developments in our communities. We also need
to participate in building the South African Youth Workers' Association
(SAYWA), and network with other youth groups nationally and internationally
so that we can help build the capacity of the youth development
movement in this country.
Peace Education
Aims
We work towards effective, ongoing peace and education for peace
and hope to develop more peaceful schools in which a culture of
learning and teaching can thrive. Working with people in education,
we provide in service trainiang for educators, and workshops for
learners that seek to propagate the values of peace.
Context
Schools are facing difficult challenges in transformation - both
educational and social. Confronted with large classes and a critical
lack of resources, they are also in the process of implementing
a new curriculum and teaching methodology. In an atmosphere of gangsterism
and violence, and a lack of training on alternatives to corporal
punishment, educators often feel powerless.
Working in an environment where there
is a poor culture of learning and teaching, with little support
from parents, they have to battle against internal issues such as
retrenchments too. These factors lead to lack of commitment, low
motivation, and damaged self esteem.
Activities
Most of our peace work is with previously disadvantaged schools,
where we try to respond appropriately to each school and area of
work - whether through management training in unstructured schools,
conflict handling in a context of violence and poor discipline,
or prejudice reduction in a school experiencing racial and cultural
integration.
We have six distinct strategic areas
of work. Through our School Development project, we established
partnerships with two schools, working intensively throughout the
year with educators and learners. A focus on women in the schools
management teams training was well received, while we developed
good relations with the Western Cape Education Department Safe Schools
Programme through involvement in facilitating their Organisational
Development course.
Though short-term interventions have
limited impact, they may lead to stronger relationships, so our
Mini Schools project continues. Our Curriculum Development project
is under review, with the excitement of piloting a life-skills programme
in a primary school.
We were disappointed that experiences
of people from our Primary School Camp, where educators learn to
run camps, and learners acquire conflict resolution skills, were
not sufficiently shared once they got back to school.
Our manual on Conflict Handling is of
great benefit, and we wish to have it translated into Afrikaans
and Xhosa to make it more accessible to educators. We also intend
to compile a manual on Positive Discipline, as this is a topic much
needed by schools.
Finally the Phinda Train the Trainer
project consumed much energy which was well spent, as participants
showed great personal growth and a commitment to changing their
schools and communities.
Activities this past
year
Margaret Simons visited Switzerland and met some of the Quakers
last year. She supports teachers in Schools, trains them as trainers
and then supports them as the Peace Educators Association (PEA).
The PEA now has a pool of very dedicated teachers who are running
their own projects in the schools and local community and are being
called on by the education department for assistance. The project
has developed a Positive Discipline manual (Corporal punishment
was banned in 1994 but teachers have not had alternative methods
of discipline and corporal punishment is still often used) which
it is piloting for the Education Department
Impact
" The course was creative with lots of meaningful discussion.
There was opportunity to hear views from colleagues, positive attitudes,
and innovative ideas in handling discipline which affects children
and them later as adults.'
Educator of a primary school following a workshop on Positive
discipline for classroom management
" I like the way the training focused
on real problems and also the way of finding solutions without being
prescriptive'
Educator at a school in crisis
" We had a family conflict. I arranged
a meeting with everybody concerned. Prior to the meeting I really
thought about the following: why it was important for me to sustain
the relationship and mend the rift; what I was going to say, how
I was going to say it, my reaction to the other party and what I
wanted. I learnt a lot from the workshop on Assertiveness and transactional
analysis. I used this information and applied the skills during
the meeting.'
Paraphrased feedback from a trainee of our Phinda project describing
personal growth
Trainees of our Phinda project are now
receiving the following feedback from recipients of their own workshops,
in the following case a women's group at church:
- I am free to be myself.
- I am discovering myself and the good things in other people.
- I am learning now how to play like a child.
- Working with 40 women, with different ideas and getting them to
laugh, talk, discuss, differ, all with respect takes some doing.
You were wonderful!
Educator of a secondary school in Atlantis evaluating our facilitation
of the course on 'Women, Leadership and Management'.
" Wayne Pedro, a teacher from Bridgetown
East Primary School, said he learnt to be more patient with his
pupils and to consider their backgrounds when difficult situations
arose. According to him children who attended the camp have become
more tolerant, responsible, eager to listen and more willing to
lead.'
From article in the Cape Times, 17 August 2000, on our camp reunion
" What I was gaining in knowledge
and skills was invaluable. When I went through a difficult patch
I found an expression which said, 'in order to be successful, you
need to be goal-orientated and directed.' I then decided to set
goals and to be patient with myself by focusing on the fact that
we 'change a little at a time.' I prioritized what I needed to change
and applied my energy deliberately and repeatedly to this new course
of action.'
Feedback from a trainee of our Phinda project; describing personal
growth
" I want to give my heart and soul
to the project which I have begun with the women of our church.
I have a task to carry out in my community and this is something
I intend to see through. '
Trainee of Phinda project describing her commitment to the community
project she has initiated
" Having people like you is of
great importance. The world is dependent upon you. Please stand
up, shake the world. The communities that have already met you are
so fortunate'
Gratitude expressed by the principal to facilitators of the Mzamomtsha
School Development project
Challenges
Full participation is required in our School Development project,
as is follow-up work to our camps and mentoring of educators in
the Phinda project. We also need to find strategies for dealing
with the emotional demands placed on facilitators in all our long-term
projects: encouragement, especially in the early stages of the Schools
Development project, follow-up for peace work from the Camps, and
mentoring of educators from the Phinda project. In addition, we
need more research and structured evaluation of our programmes.
Community Development
Aims
The aims of the project are to facilitate a process of empowerment
- with a specific focus on women - where the community fully participates
in the eradication of poverty and starvation. Through this relationship
we share skills with our clients, and help communities deal with
conflicts in a non-violent way.
People come from far away to look for
work, and cannot find adequate housing, or food. More and more people
cram into densely populated informal settlements. With little or
no sanitation, and excessive pollution, infectious diseases such
as tuberculosis and cholera can spread rapidly. With large familiesliving
in overcrowded conditions, crime, family violence, woman and child
abuse are frequent. Economic relief and life-skills for maintaining
peace are desperately needed.
Sewing
The sewing project provides basic and advanced sewing courses, and
provides workshops in business, marketing, problem-solving and life-skills.
People who completed the basic sewing course are trained to make
tracksuits, dresses, shorts, and shirts. At the end of their training
they were given a start-up pack of material to establish their small
businesses in groups. When these become profitable, they come back
to take the advanced course which includes pattern-cutting. A new
embroidery machine has enabled people to produce traditional dresses
that are in great demand.
Gardening
Besides training gardeners in various aspects of agricultural techniques
such as compost making, soil preservation, pest control and the
production of seedling, the gardening project teaches people how
to preserve their produce and some basic business and marketing
skills. More than that, gardeners learn community peace skills such
as conflict handling, and some also become trainers who can train
others in the various skills. Garden committees also receive training
so that their members may take on roles as community leaders.
In Khayelitsha, Nyanga. Guguletu and
Samora Machel we managed to expand the backyard gardens to 2300,
create compost heaps in three areas, trained 36 people in food preservation
and trained gardeners in schools such as Luhlaza.
Networks with schools, pre-schools,
clinics and other NGOs and CBOs allow us to share information, ideas
and experience. From these we hope to extend knowledge of nutrition
and environmental awareness, and participate in joint projects.
Activities this past
year
We manage three community gardens for approx 200 unemployed people,
mostly women. Each garden supports and serves approx 100 back yard
gardeners. In addition we train schools, preschools and clinics
to set up community gardens.
We are piloting setting up a mediation
service at the Nyanga garden. We have trained 20 mediators and initial
indications are that it is providing a valuable service-17 cases
successfully mediated last month, and it has increases their self
esteem greatly- "we used to grow food and now we grow people".
We are exploring a partnership with Abalimi Bhezakhaya. and Urban
agriculture organization where they will provide the agricultural
management and we will provide organizational development, conflict
resolution and set up mediation services for community gardens.
Impact
Gardens provide not only nutritious foods, but also extra income
from the sales of surplus. Similarly, the sewing project has provided
incomes for people. Besides their financial situation improving,
people have learnt life-skills such as conflict mediation.
Rural Support
The programme considers peace to be the establishment and the maintenance
of economic and social justice, that narrows the gap between the
rich and the poor and allows people to live full lives.
Aims
To help people living in the Karoo to enhance the quality of their
lives, predominantly through financial sustainability.
Context
Overlaying the pervasive economic deprivation of most people living
in the rural areas, is a lack of infrastructure for advancement
- sparse populations spread over great distances compound the problems
created by a lack of facilities, social issues and attitudes dating
back to apartheid. Price increases and withdrawal of existing services
and facilities are a threat to people's fragile hold on survival.
Now the redrawing of local government boundaries will force people
to travel long distances to centres to collect grants when there
is no transport. People depend on state grants, and cannot raise
loans to start up businesses. With few role models, no training
facilities and hardly any organisations, people are caught in a
cycle of increasing economic and social poverty.
Activities
Six visits have taken place in the Karoo towns of Leeu-Gamka and
Murraysburg, and two to Aberdeen. Business skills workshops were
offered as well backup counselling and advice.
In Aberdeen the local employment trading
system was discussed with the Aberdeen Small Business Corporation
Committee and with members of the Town Council.
Impact
Development is not a commodity which can be transferred from one
person to another. It requires dedication from everybody in the
partnership. The clients experience the input of the Centre positively,
no matter how small. People listen, and they use the meetings to
express their concerns and problems. The florist who went through
a crisis of depression, feels her strength and creativity coming
back. The school leaders and teachers are under constant work pressure,
but take the time to explore new ways to revive the T-shirt screen-printing
project and to be part of COMBAT, a NGO working in the Karoo. A
physically handicapped person has learnt new skills so she will
be able to care for herself.
Learning
Rural development needs to start from economic flow on a local level
first - a local currency, LETS [Local Exchange Trading System] or
another local trading system.
To achieve goals in rural development
needs the long-term commitment, dedication and perseverance of local
people and of service providers. One of the highest priorities is
to help people see themselves as capable and potentially successful
by building respect, self-esteem and self-confidence. This would
enable a basic condition for sustainable development to be met:
it must be driven by the stakeholders.
Challenges
It is imperative to find some model for development in the rural
areas that will not leave people with heightened expectations that
cannot be met, or are unrealistic.
Activities on additional
projects this past year
Peace and Security
Piloting setting up a mediation service with the Community Police
Forum in Khayelitsha (to be followed later in the year by one in
Mannenburg) which will deal with cases referred by the police and
the courts. The training has just started after extensive consultation
with the parties involves.
Peace for Development
Offers a conflict handling service for communities involved in development.
Currently resolving a conflict and facilitating development for
a farming project. 65 people used their state housing subsidies
and pooled them to purchase a farm.
Workcamps
Young unemployed youth who have attended a workcamp are trained
to lead workcamps. They are leading four workcamps this year for
international and local participants. This gives them valuable experience
in leadership and organizing for finding jobs and entering the world
of work.
Other projects supported
We continue to support a number of projects in a practical way.
Gun Free South Africa uses two of our offices, we provide administration
support for the Alternative to Violence Project, we are supporting
and facilitating the Non-violent Communication Project and we are
active participants in the Coalition for Defence Alternatives
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