PRESS COVERAGE 2001-2002
PRESS COVERAGE 2001-2002
Helderberg Sun, Thursday, 14 November 2002'Working at Kogelberg is better than a tropical beach'
Staff Reporter
South Africa is a perfect destination for people from around the world who choose to do volunteer work during their holidays and at Kogelberg Nature Reserve, one of Cape Nature Conservation’s (CNC) reserves, a group is hard at work.
This came about through a partnership with the Quaker Peace Centre in Cape Town, which organises work camps for people between the ages of 18 and 35.
The volunteers are spending six hours a day building fire breaks, removing invasive alien vegetation, and picking up litter along the reserve’s coastline.
They are in the second week of their three-week stay, and son says the group’s work makes a noticeable contribution to the conservation activities on the reserve.
For the privilege of this deeper connection, and the feeling of accomplishment that comes with having made a worthwhile contribution, these travellers pay their own air ticket and accommodation, and in addition to their labour, also often make a monetary contribution to whatever cause they’re spending time with.
Project leader Martin Struthmann says that the international work camps are an opportunity for South Africans to meet fellow citizen they would usually not meet, as well as volunteers from abroad.
“This is part of our work towards national reconciliation and international peace. Work camps give young people an opportunity to get involved in community work, learn about the environment, and develop leadership skills,” he said.
Each work camp is led by two experienced volunteers and this one is led by Lincoln Plaatjie, 30, from Nyanga East.
Our landscapes and natural beauty is what made Kristina Manz, 19, from Frankfurt, Germany, decide to do her first work camp in Cape Town.Our landscapes and natural beauty is what made Kristina Manz, 19, from Frankfurt, Germany, decide to do her first work camp in Cape Town.
For Mizve Senda, 29, from Japan, it was the desire to work somewhere in Africa. She wanted to “do something”, and has been rewarded, in addition, with the beauty she finds herself surrounded with. She is astounded by the natural life here since it’s so different to what she’s used to in Japan, and while we speak she touches the fynbos reeds wonderingly.
Ryan Mentoor, 21, from near by Grabouw, is between studies and is enjoying the time that working on the reserve allows for reflection. He will be going back to study for a tour guide having also been involved in heritage work with the District Six museum.
For Reagan Classen, 21 also from Grabouw, it’s been the realisation that he can work, with, and lead, a team that’s been the most rewarding part of his experience at Kogelberg.
The Quaker Peace Centre will offer more work camps next year, some of which will be offered I co-operation with CNC.
Gonald Present, CNC business unit manager for the Boland region, says he wants to extended the partnership with the Centre and have work camps on other reserves like Limietberg, near Wellington, and Vrolijkheid, near Robertson, where a successful youth programme is already happening.
The foreign youths pay their own air fare and $100 (about R1 000) towards their food and accommodation – which also subsidises the cost to their South African counterparts.
Some of them will go on to explore the rest of our country and southern Africa, backpacking through these parts in the more traditional way, with their work camp experience tucked lovingly in the back pocket of their mud-stained cargo pants.
For more details on the various projects contact Mark Johns, Reserve on 028 2715138, or Martin Struthmann, Project, Project Leader, Quaker Peace Centre, on 685 7800.
Southern Mail, Wednesday, 13 November 2002
Song and dance mark end of the year
RAPHAEL WOLF
With the festive season imminent, two Vrygrond/Capricorn community organisations – the Sizanani Women’s Project/Lingelethu Women’s Group and the Rainbow Educare Centre – hosted their end – of – year envents in two church halls, in the area.
The Sizanani Women’s Project/Lingelethu Women’s Group hosted a certificate presentation for their newly qualified needle sewing women, attended by an MP, a councillor and community leaders. Meanwhile the Rainbow Educare Centre combined their graduation programme with a concert.
The Sizanani event saw 10 women beingawarded certificates for completing a needle sewing course, which the Quaker Peace Centre in Mowbray helped to launch.
The certificates were handed out by Caltex’s James Ngubo, Ward 64 councillor Demitri Qually and community leader Pastor Jacobus Maans, who all addressed the gathering after the main speaker ANC MP Professor Ben Turok. Leaders of the Sizanani project also spoke.
Entertainers providing vibrant music, song and dance, included the Marimba Connexion Band, Siyaphambili choir, the Sizanani Project choir and dancers and the Imibhaco dancers. The Rainbow Educare Centre’s combined graduation and end- of- year concert had the little ones entertaining parents and visitors with poetry and song, carols, drama and dance.
Cape Argus, Thursday, 3 October 2002
Kids pitch in to
make a difference
INSTEAD of roaming the streets aimlessly during the school holidays a number of teens are spending their time helping to improve the township of Masiphumelele near Fish Hoek.
About 400 teenagers mobilised by the Youth Peace Academy have pitched in to help build an orphanage for Aids babies and renovate a craft and cultural centre.
Victor Altensteadt of the Youth Peace Academy based in Mowbray said it was great to see youngsters sacrificing their time to improve the community.
“The academy is run by the Institute for Healing of Memories, Quaker Peace Centre and the Peace Jam Foundation. It was started about 18 months ago.
“Since then we’ve held a number of youth development courses for the young people who are here today,” said Altensteadt.QUINTON MTYALA
Staff Reporter
Enthusiastic young people helped builders mix cement and carry bricks to build the Aids orphanage.
Volunteer Martin Struthmann said: “If parents can’t take care of their children, we hope they’ll bring them here.”
Monique de Jong, 19, said she started volunteering at a holiday programme organised by the Bonteheuwel Youth Forum a few years ago.
“It feels good because I know I’m doing something for the Cape Town community,” she said.
MetroBurger, Thursday, 5 September 2002
'Youth important'
RUSANA PHILANDER
The Youth Peace Academy for Transformation that is affiliated to the Quaker Peace Centre, recently organised a breakfast for principals to inform them about the problems students are facing, as well as to make them aware of sustainable development programmes for the youth.Mr Paul le Grange, from the Youth Peace Academy, said: “Especially in the youth development sector the implementation of sustainable programmes are paramount for our maturing democracy.
“A famous politician once said: ‘A flock without its young, is a dying breed’.“In South Africa the problems facing our youth seem insur-mountable. HIV/Aids, unemployment and teenage preganancies are some of the problems development practitioners are battling to cope with”.
According to Mr Victor Altensteadt, from Quaker Peace, the academy brings young people from diverse backgrounds together “ in order to build knowledge and skills about peace and social transformation”.
He said: “Youth academies promote citizenship and democracy building that foster a culture of human rights. The experience provides a platform for cultural interaction..
“The participants become equipped with the tools and methods for collective problem solving that can be used in communites”.
Southern Mail, Wednesday, 14 August 2002
Women's Day echoes in Vrygrond
Above and left: people danced and sang in the street during the Women's Day celebrations in Vrygrond/Capricorn Park
RAPHAEL WOLF
The streets of Vrgrond/Capricorn Park reverberated with the sound of traditional African and freedom songs, as dancing and ululating women and children marched in celebration of National Women’s Day (Friday August 9).
The celebrations began with a Women’s Day programme at the Sunrise Creche hall in Vrygrond/Capricorn Park. Initiated by the Sizanani Women’s Project (a sewing initiative), the programme consisted of prayers, an historical overview of the Sizanani Women’s Project, performances by girls and Sizanani women, poetry and traditional dancing.
Part of the programme consisted of an exhibition of colourful bead-work, sewing, metal picture-framing and other decorative items displayed strategically for sale outside the entrance of the hall. While the colourfully clad women and children sang, danced and ululated in warn sunshine outside the hall, roleplayers from Vrygrond/Capricon Park and beyond spoke to the Southern Mail.
Among them were Sizanani Women’s Project participants Victoria Gungqayo, Lusanda Gcakeni and Elizabeth Ntsana; Caltex oil company representative James Ngubo and Cynthia Gwayana of the Vrygrond ANC Women’s League.
" Others included community workers Yvonne Baart and Jeremiah Thile and the chairperson of the Vrygrond/ Capricon Park youth and adviser to the Sizanani Women’s Project, James Booi as well as the Quaker Peace Centre in Mowbray representatives, Nombulelo Tulumane and Martin Struthmann.
The Quaker Peace Centre provides sewing training at Sizanani, while the Caltex oil company gives financial aid.
Said Ms Tulumane: “My role is to assist the women with their sewing skills and to promote the marketing of their products.”
Having trained the project’s women for the past three months, she said the centre hoped to train more “because we need all women in this community to have more skills”.
She added: “When I started here there were 20 women in the group. They had called me to help them in basic and advanced sewing and to award certificates after the course, which lasts three months. We also give them start-up material so they can start their own businesses. We don’t charge them any fees, but in future we will”.
Ms Tulumane said the Quaker Peace Centre’s main focus is to develop unemployed women and men.
Certificate presentations for women who complete the skills courses will be held in October, at the Sunrise Creche in Vrygrond/Capricorn Park.
Mr Struthmann said it was the first time the centre had run the sewing course in Vrygrond. “It has been done for years in Khayelitsha.“The Quaker Peace Centre is working towards building peaceful communities, and that’s why we are offering this project”.
Co-ordinator and leader of the Sizanani Women’s Project, Victoria Gungqayo, said it was while sewing at home that she noticed the difficulties of unemployed women in the area. She and a friend, Anna Venter, discussed developing the sewing skills of the area’s women.
“I extended my home into a big ‘hokkie’ so that we can work together there. It’s how we started working with the other women in this community. We are a mixed group of African and Coloureds. We started last year in June and now we are 20 people. We are looking for more women because we have extended the sewing training and we also have beadwork and fabric painting.”
Other activities include HIV/Aids lessons and involving children in traditional dancing, in an attempt to keep them off the streets.
She said community worker Yvonne Baart had advised the women to contact Caltex’s James Ngubo for financial aid for the project.
“My role is to open doors and build contacts for Vrygrond’s people. It had never happened before, because people had skills but didn’t know what to do with them,” said Ms Baart.
Ms Baart’s role in her community was commended by Ms Gwayana of the Vrygrond ANC Women’s League who said: “She is a very helpful person in Vrygrond, especially with youth in sport”.
Welcoming the Women’s Day celebrations in Vrygrond/Capricon Park, Ms Gwayana, nevertheless, said that women of the Sizanani Women’s Project needed donations of food, and funds for electricity, “as no-one is helping with the payment of electricity at Mrs Gungqayo’s house, where the projects is run on week days from 9am to 3pm. And also, we don’t have market premises to sell our stuff”.
Secretary of the project, Ms Ntsana, said Ms Gungqayo’s “hokkie” was getting too small and the project needed bigger space, “to train more people.”
Youth leader Mr Booi, struggling to be heard above the din created by the singing and ululating of the women dancing outside the creche hall, said: “I want to thank our mothers for showing us the way – that we can do things for ourselves in future. This means that Vrygrond must not only develop in houses, but we must develop also in our minds and with skills.”
Thanking outsiders for the helping the community, he nevertheless pleaded to outsiders “not to bring corruption to Vrygrond/Capricon Park, other than to help us to develop, to that Vrygrond can be called a lovely place with no more killings”.
Sunday Times, Sunday, 4 August 2002
HEART LABOUR: Phumeza Homani with Yuka Maeda of Japan, one of the volunteers
Picture: TIM HOPWOOD
Toiling tourists pay to work
ROWAN PHILIP
PETER Marien could have spent his holiday time and money living it up on Cape Town's beaches or sipping wine at a game lodge.
Instead, the 26-year-old Belgian bank official has been doing hard labour at a poor Eastern Cape village - for free.
Marien is one of 14 young foreigners who have opted to spend their annual vacation making bricks and building walls - eight hours a day for three weeks - at the village of Nompumelelo near Bisho.
Dozens of other "hardship tourists" have also chosen South Africa above other tour destinations to do charitable labour for needy communities.
Said Marien: "I'm paying to work here and it feels like a bargain. I could have spent my vacation touring in some country, but doing this, I can feel close to South Africans and feel like I have contributed."
Organised by local non-profit organisation the Hilltop Empowerment Centre, the tourists - young professionals from countries like Japan, Germany, Holland and Belgium - are building a chicken shelter, which will form a poultry business for eight women from Nompumelelo.
Yuka Maeda, a student from Tokyo, used much of her savings to come to South Africa - and then spent R2 000 more for a month's board near Bisho so she could dig a 20m foundation trench for the shelter. Said Maeda: "It is expensive for me, but it's super!"
Nompumelelo resident Nozamile Ngqavu, 64, has been carrying water to the volunteers and local helpers from a distant well all week. She said the foreigners were "wonderful" and provided the muscle needed to build the shelter in the absence of youngpeople from the village who had left in search of work elsewhere.
The shelter will house batches of 200 broilers, which will be sold by hawkers in nearby King William's Town.
Meanwhile, Hilltop, which was founded by ANC spokesman Smuts Ngonyama, hopes to get volunteers to start work on a piggery at the village next month.
On Friday, the exhausted volunteers spontaneously sang Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrica with villagers during a lunch break, as Maeda gave an equally tired resident a Japanese massage.
Rommel Roberts, director of Hilltop, said: "In our research, we have found that the youth of the developed countries are tired of glitzy holidays and prefer the rough and tough."
Roberts said the volunteer projects, which have included the building of a church, would increase at Hilltop "and with other organisations too, I am sure".
Martin Struthmann, project support officer for the Cape Town-based Quaker Peace Centre, said his organisation alone had brought in over a dozen paying tourists so far this year to work at work camps. And six tourists will join six South Africans next month to work at the Kogelberg Nature Reserve in the Western Cape.
"This concept started as a global movement after World War One to promote peace and understanding between nationalities," said Struthmann.
Commented Dutch tourist Jolanda Pasker, 25: "True, it's 32°C in Holland and everybody is at the swimming pool, but it's really more fun here - and hopefully my body will also get toned in the process!"
Cape Argus, Tuesday, 18 June 2002
Remember June 16 - but
look ahead, say youngsters
SIPHOKAZI MAPOSA
Staff Reporter
Young people gathering at the Bonteheuwel Multipurpose Centre to celebrate Youth Day said it was good to remember the past but more important to face the challenges of the future.
About 250 people, including pupils from 35 Western Cape schools, youth workers, parents, government officials and activists, attended yesterday’s event, held to commemorate the June 16, 1976 uprising which began in Soweto and quickly spread to the rest of the country. Victor Altensteadt, the youth organiser at the Quaker Peace Centre, a non-government organisation for peace-building and intercultural learning, said “We should commemorate this day rather than celebrate it, as our youth in the past paid the ultimate price for the dispensation that we have today.”
He said it was sad to see today’s youth interested only in material things and unable to find on the proud tradition of activism.
“Today’s youth are at the forefront of criminal activities. They have gangster role models, are unemployed and are the biggest group to be infected with HIV.”
Altensteadt said Youth Day should be a challenge to young people to become as actively involeved in community service as their forebears had, rather than regard the day as a public holiday on which they could go to shebeens and commit crimes.
“Our youth should build on the proud tradition of youth activism”, he said.The students were shown a video of what happened on June 16, 1976, when schoolboy protester Hector Petersen and others were shot and killed.
Pupils also spoke of their understanding of Youth Day and the challenges facing them.
Sakhiwo Msizizo, 20, of Mfumelo High School in Khayelitsha, said he had heard about Youth Day but it had not had any meaning for him until he had watched the video, which had made him feel angry.
“What happened is unforgettable, but this is the time for us to treat each other as human beings and not consider what we look like or our colour. We should create a communication link among youth and share ideas and skills to promote development and a better future for all young people around the country,” he said.
Ashante Kayi, 16, of Thembelihle High in Khayelitsha, knew of stories about young people who were killed when protesting against the use of Afrikaans in schools – which triggered the Soweto riots – but had never considered why the youth should look at the past, instead of the future. She said today’s youth should be “exemplary” and fight today’s challenges such as HIV/AIDS and illiteracy.
Marios Bailey, 16, of Mondale High in Mitchells Plain, said: “We should make our brothers – who were there for us in 1976 – proud by taking action on challenges facing us and stop branding people by their colour.”
The Southern Cross, 8 - 14 May 2002
SOUTHERN AFRICA'S NATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY SINCE 1920 Work-camp to unite communities
BY MICHAIL RASSOOL The Quaker Peace Centre, based in Mowbray, Cape Town, will be running an ecumenical "work-camp" for active church members of church dedominations across Cape Town at the Maryland Centre in Hanover Park over the weekend of May 17-19, in the interest of furthering national reconciliation, inter-cultural learning and cooperation.
According to Martin Struthmann of the centre, who is project leader of its weekend work-camps, this is the second of a series of the camps, bringing together groups of people from diffrent backgrounds and areas to face up to their prejudices and work at developing relationships.
"This will be achieved by means of reflection, but also by simply working together on a community-related project," Mr Struthmann said. The community-related work will be undertaken in cooperation with a self-help housing community-basedorganisation Habitat for Humanity, and will focus on a housing project in Khayelitsha.
Arising out of concern of the Quakers (or Religious Society of Friends) for people affected by forced removals and apartheid, the Quaker Peace Centre fosters creative and non-violent resolution of conflict, participatory development and respect for self and others - through awareness programmes, capacity building projects and developing sustainable peace models.
The work-camps, Mr Struthmann said, provide an opportunity for people who yearn for national reconciliation, inter-cultural learning and cooperation in South Africa, to do something about it, despite the difficulty of still living within the boundaries of the former group areas.For more details on the work-camp contact Martin Struthmann or Christoph Baumann on (021) 685 7800.
Cape Argus, Wednesday, 3 April 2002
200 teens on a misison
GIVE peace a chance! That’s the message 200 young people will be promoting throughout the sub-region when they return from the third annual youth peace academy which started yesterday.
Students from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Northern Province and Gauteng joined Cape Town youths for a four-day trip to Groot Drakenstein near Wellington where they will take part in peace-building activities.
According to organiser Victor Altensteadt, the conference is hoping to rekindle the spirit of the activism of the apartheid years.
The trip, which is a first for most participants, has been organised by the Quaker Peace Centre in Mowbray which deals with inter – cultural learning and peace – building.
Members will attend a number of workshops themes such as peace – building, community service, andpeace and conflict resolution.
At the end of the four days, each member is required to start a peace club in his or her area or school.
As the excited teens congregated in the Mowbray Presbyterian Church Hall before their departure, organisers struggled to make themselves heard over the din.
Faheem Freeman, 18, and Ebrahim Yon, 20, of Bonteheuwel said they were especially looking forward to meeting new people.
“Our area is trying hard to work with the youth and we are going to take bake lots of ideas for them,” said Freeman.
Tarryn–Ann Snell, 17, of Spes Bona High School, said she was a little apprehensive about starting a peace club.
“My peers aren’t really interested in things like that, but if I go about it correctly, then I’m sure it could work,” she said. – Staff Reporter
Vukani, Thursday, 28 March 2002
Stand up and do it
Work in progress: Volunteers help put ip homes in Harare in Khayelitsha, during a weekend workcamp organised by the Quaker Peace Centre in Mowbray. The centre specialises in conflict resolution and intercultural learning, the workcamp for 21 South Africans was an attempt to start building relationships between Cape Town's various communities. During this exercise, the volunteers assisted another non-governmental organisation called Habitat for Humanity to put up the houses. A workshop on non-violent communication preceded the activities. Martin Struthmann, Quaker Peace Centre spokesperson, hoped that the workshop "encouraged people to practise and refine this new skill".
His sentiments were amplified when Nokuthula Mbete from Langa said "mixing with other races, learning from them as equals and performing a job traditionally linked to men, has really empowered me". The QPC also offers workcamps in other areas across South Africa. For details call Mr Struthmann on 685 7800.
False Bay Echo, Thursday, 14 March 2002
Martin Struthmann from the Quaker Peace Centre explains the different kinds of fynbos as well as alien vegetation to a group of volunteers at Silvermine: Christoph Baumann from Germany, Lincoln Plaatjie from Nyanga and Cara Williams from Australia.Hacking helps build bridges
A hacking syndicate from Finland, Scotland, Australia, Botswana and South Africans joined a work camp on Silvermine to hack out alien vegetation. It was organised by the Quaker Peace Centre in Mowbray to promote intercultural learning by encouraging volunteers to actively serve communities, said Victor Altensteadt, from the centre. Australian Cara Williams who specialises in eco-tourism said: "I will tell my fellow Australians what wonderful work is being done in South Africa. Not only does this venture help to preserve nature, it also helps to build bridges between cultures."
Martin Struthmann from the Quaker Peace Centre said the alien vegetation is ruining the environmental heritage of 9 600 fynbos species found in the Cape. He said that trees such as rooikrans, the gum tree, poplar, pine tree and stinkbean are all culprits.
"These trees take up a lot of water, limit tourist potential to these environmental sites and are prone to fuel mountain fires," said Mr Struthmann.
For details call 685 7800.
Southern Suburbs Tatler, Thursday, 27 September 2001
Petition for peace lengthens at Mowbray's Quaker centre
The Quaker Peace Centre in Mowbray held a peace vigil outside the American Consulate in cape Town on Wednesday September 19, with the message:
"We call for restraint in the USA's response to this astrocity.
"We believe the violence can oly givr rise to more violence, never to peace."
For two hours over lunchtime, the 25 staff members of the Quaker Peace Centre collected hundreds of signa-tures supporting peace.
The vigil was held by various organisations from 7am to 7pm.
Martin Struthmann, the projects and management support officer at the centre, said Muslims should not be targeted as victims because of the bombing.
If you want to sign the petition for peace, phone the Quaker Peace Centre on 685 7800, email qpc@wn.apc.org or visit the centre at 3 Rye Road, Mowbray.
Constantiaberg Bulletin, Thursday, 9 August 2001
Gardens of hope and change
URSULA BEATTY Mrs Mkangisa, a woman of small stature but an authoritative air, said that “Quaker Peace Centre now wants the Social Village to become independent.
“We want to help with advice on banking and material sources but want to see that community no longer need to depend on us”.
Local resident structures have been put into place for the protection and maintenance of the programme and a committee has been selected that includes those directly involved with the gardening as well as residents.
“It is our feeling that residents of the area must be involved to ensure that things run smoothly,” explained Mrs Mkangisa.
What is the future of this Social Village in Westlake and how does the Quaker Peace Centre see its role within this structure? “ We want to train the women involved in the project in mediation skills and also to be able to intervene if a conflict situation arises.
“There are ways through this training to then resolve problems in their community in a constructive way, without getting an outside organisation involved or creating tension within the group,” said Mrs Mkangisa.
“The women are very happy with the structure change to now include group work and we have had very positive feedback from all those involved. It is important for those women to be empowered and that is what this project is achieving.
“The committee of the Social Village is held accountable for all the goods they sell and we watch what they do so that they do not lose their money,” Mrs Mkangisa said.
The women of the Social Village are now dependent on their own resources produced by the vegetables they grow, which creates a feeling of empowerment not only for themselves but also for their families.
The skills learnt through this project have an enabled the families in Westlake to become more independent and positive and are an example of what can be done with a little ground and a lot of will.
Daily Dispatch, Wednesday, 25 July 2001
Young volunteers to restore church
BISHO – An international group of young volunteers will work together for the next three weeks to rebuild the 139-year-old Baptist church in Hanover near King William’s Town, so that the villagers there can have a decent place to worship.
The volunteers include South African youths and eight young adults from Japan, Germany, the Netherlands and the United States. All the volunteers said they were happy to be involved in the project as they were contributing to development in South Africa.
March Freyer, 22 from Germany, said it was important that the youth assist others, while Yukiko Shishikura, 20, from Japan, said volunteering was a commitment.
The South African volunteers come from the Zakhe Peace and Development Trust in Mdantsane.
“The youth should take the responsibility and mould their future,” said media and conflict resolution trainee Thobela Nqanya, 30.
“Volunteering is helping others without expecting to be paid.
“It is the kind of sacrifice that the youth in South Africa should take tobuild this country for the sake of their future and the social welfare of their parents,” he said.
Zanemvula Rode, from Mdantsane, said: “As individuals we team together and come up with the best we can offer to assist the Hanover people”.
Hanover youth spokeperson Luvuyo Mapuko said the renovation would help the community develop a sense of ownership and responsibility.
Project manger Anja Haug estimated the cost of the renovation and work camp to be about R60 000.
The endeavour is the result of the Hanover and Quaker Peace Centre, an organisation specialising in youth projects internationally, and the Hilltop Empowerment Centre.
Hanover was formerly a German settlement.
The Baptist church was built in 1862 by German settlers and closed in 1993.
In 1996, the Hanover community bought the church for R40 000, but it was already in a bad condition.
Sport, Arts and Culture MEC Nosimo Balindlela opened the international work camp this week. - DDR
Southern Star, Lesotho, July 2001
Primary schools to teach peace to children
Nat Molomo Primary school teachers drawn from the 10 districts of the country and groups working with the youth attended a five day workshop on “Peace Education” intended to equip teachers with skills to enable them to teach about peace in their schools. The workshop was held at Maseru Sun Cabanas recently.
Mrs Voyelwa Ntoi, a Lecturer on Guidance and Counselling at the Institute of Education said: “We saw the need for people to develop perspectives in peace because we tend to take peace for granted,” pointing out that this was exemplified by the 1998 riots which “made us aware that young people do not possess strategies for dealing with anger”.
Mrs Ntoi indicated that the UNESCO Commission-funded workshop whose objectives included peaceful resolution of conflict, was organised by the Institute of Education’s Guidance and Counselling Division which co-facilitated it with the Cape Town –based QuakerPeace Centre. She said he workshop looked into the ways and means of promoting peace through educating people about the benefits of co-operation, communication and justice.
Some of the topics that were covered by the 16 participants who were from institutions such as the Lesotho College of Education and the Transformation Resource Centre included understanding conflict. Team reaction, styles of conflict, managing anger, trying to keep control and empathy.
One of the participants, Mrs ‘Matebello Leketa, 38, a teacher from Mohale’s Hoek Primary School said the importance of the workshop was that it centred on peace which was the wish of everybody. However, she said that because of human frailties, it was not always easy to live to expectations of peace.
“This workshop has equipped me with skills and techniques which will help us resolve conflict peacefully from our places of work and in our communities”, she stressed.
