New Strategic Direction

The Quaker Peace Centre (QPC) was formed in 1988 to address conflict resolution and mediation arising from structural violence during apartheid. With democratization in 1994, civil society organizations changed shape to focus on reconstruction and development. In 2002, QPC held a strategic planning session to consider what changes might be needed for QPC to remain an NGO with relevance in South Africa for the next five years. Recognizing that democracy is essential for the peaceful resolution of conflicts in society, QPC developed four strategic priorities to address threats to peace and the development of sustainable peace.

QPC's strategic priorities can be summarised as follows:

strengthen public participation in democratic processes through awareness-raising, monitoring, education and training

promote individual and organizational competence at peace-building through a process of capacity building

promote the value of diversity and combat prejudice

network and support endeavours that promote human security.

On the basis of these new strategic priorities, new organizational objectives and programmes have been introduced. Each project addresses a strategic priority, and a cluster of related projects makes up a programme. Some existing projects needed to be phased out to make way for new ones. For example, the garden committees in Urban Agriculture were deemed sufficiently skilled to continue with their work as a QPC partner (among others). A new project is one dealing with Democracy Education.

A further outcome from the strategizing process was that QPC would locate its activities in one geographic location, namely Delft. This community is particularly deprived of effective social and economic structures, has a high unemployment rate, is riddled with gangsterism and is one of the first multi-cultural communities in the country.

A human rights component has been incorporated in all projects. In embarking on peace-building, QPC will undertake a two-pronged strategy entailing conflict resolution and mediation on both proactive and reactive bases.

The redesigning of the organization also required restructuring of internal systems which included staff and regrettably resulted in reduncancies, but also provided new opportunities. A researcher has been appointed to develop theories and well thought out analyses and trends for QPC. A new management team also places QPC on the same road to transformation as the country itself.

CONTEXT

South Africa is facing many challenges. There are wide divisions in society in terms of income, wealth, education, employment and social opportunities, creating a general atmosphere of peacelessness which manifests itself through lawlessness and violence. Besides the economic impacts of globalization, such as the closing of businesses and consequent job losses, it has also generated a culture of consumerism. The crisis in education persists where broader social problems like violence spill into the schools, and teachers become demotivated. HIV/Aids further contributes to stigmatization, discrimination, alienation and hostility - and especially violence against women.

The reconstruction of a country devastated by the effects of colonization and apartheid requires mammoth efforts of enskilling people to change their personal and social conditions. QPC focuses on poor people so that they may improve the quality of their lives and their own community. Embedding a respect for human rights and democracy in everyday life is a key element necessary to bring about change.

OUR WORK

Target groups

While most of our work is with poor people who have formed self-help groups or representative groups, like women's groups, youth groups and work seekers, we also work on national and international levels. Most of our clients live in informal settlements - they have no income, little or no access to service organizations and sometimes no basic necessities such as toilets. We become involved with groups through participatory development processes from planning through to implementation, and subsequent evaluations. QPC regularly uses independent external evaluators to monitor the effectiveness of our projects.

PROGRAMME 1

Strengthening Participatory Democracy

There are three interlinked projects: the first concerns voter education; the next the reduction of violence at polling stations, rallies, other election activities and ensuring that the voting process follows the law (election monitoring); and finally ensuring that elected officials are held accountable to the electorate (advocating democracy and human rights).

Project 1

Voter Education (2004-2005)

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has identified a lack of voter participation among the18-22 year age group, and specifically amongst women. This project is geared to increasing participation in the 2004 national and 2005 municipal elections among young people and women, and generally raise awareness about the importance of voting in a democracy.

Project 2

Election Monitoring (2004-2005)
Statistics reveal a high level of conflict and violence associated with past elections. To reduce the violence, this project will train election monitors who will be present at potential conflict points and voting stations in order to reduce and contain the incidence of violence.

Project 3

Advocating Democracy and Human Rights (2004-2007)

The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has concluded that a lack of knowledge about basic human rights at all tiers of government has left the community paralysed and unable to access basic resources, resulting in frustration which often leads to conflict and violence. This project focuses on enabling communities to hold elected representatives accountable by educating the former about their rights and how to access the structures available to them, thereby ensuring that democracy delivers its promises.

PROGRAMME 2

Promoting Competence at Peace-Building

People immersed in a culture riddled with violence need to know there are alternatives for solving their problems through non-violent methods of conflict resolution and that peace-building is a cornerstone of sustainable development.

Project 4

Mediation Services (July 2004 to June 2005)

Media accounts and anecdotal evidence point to increasing violence in South African communities. The judicial system is clogged with court cases that take place months or years after the crimes have been committed. Mediation services are rendered at the moment to members of three communities, namely Guguletu, Nyanga and Khayelitsha. By training community members to mediate in cases of minor disputes, the police and justice system are opened up to deal with more serious cases. This also promotes an awareness of peaceful co-existence by enabling individuals and communities to consider non-violent ways of resolving conflicts.

Project 5

Urban Agriculture Sustainability Plan (July 2004 to December 2005)

This project is in the process of becoming autonomous, and being handed over to the three community garden committees. The committees are being enskilled to make the projects self-sustainable. Additional role players will be invited to participate in the process.

Project 6

Youth at Risk (2004-2007)

South Africa's political past has left many communities overtaken by violence, crime, unemployment, gangsterism and drug abuse that is particularly prevalent amongst young people. Many find themselves in prison, and are released back into a community which ostracizes them, and into the same conditions that drove them towards crime in the first place. Operating inside prison, this project aims to assist young people to develop self-esteem and respect for the law. At the same time it operates within communities to encourage young people away from a life of crime.

Project 7

Capacity Building for Educators (2004-2005)

The violence and dysfunctionality of many schools adversely affect educators who may lose their focus and self confidence. This project aims at developing the personal capacities and coping mechanisms of educators and parents, and equipping them to manage change in their communities.

Project 8

Positive Discipline (2004-2007)

When corporal punishment was abolished in South Africa, educators were not provided with alternative methods to deal with discipline in the classroom. As a result, learners became more undisciplined and violent in their behaviour. The Positive Discipline project was implemented in 2000, and has already been positively received by a number of schools. These strategies will be taught to student teachers at colleges as skills for effective classroom management.

Project 9

Network of Peace Educators (2004-2007)

QPC has trained many individuals who care passionately about non-violent conflict resolution. This project considers ways in which the collective value of peace educators who are on the database can be maintained while ensuring the availability of refresher courses, motivation and mentoring, and for membership of a peace network.

PROGRAMME 3

Diversity Management / Anti-Bias

In spite of South Africa's celebrations of ten years of democracy, prejudices and lack of tolerance still permeate its society.

Project 10

Inter-Cultural Project (2004-2006)

This project aims to replace prejudice and intolerance with attitudes of understanding, reconciliation and working towards common goals through creating spaces where different individuals may share and learn from each other. Through opportunities for communication and cultural exchange it aims to foster an understanding of the racial (and gender) issues prevalent in our country.

Project 11

Young Women's Pilot Project (2004-2007)

The high incidence of gender violence in disadvantaged areas traumatizes young women who lose hope and become dysfunctional. This project aims to train young women aged 15-24 years in life skills, personal development and conflict resolution skills. This will contribute to peace-making and build leadership skills. They will also learn about socialization of gender roles, sexuality, HIV/Aids and violence against women.

Project 12

Workcamps (2004-2006)

The socio-economic structure of South African society is still dominated by whiteness - perpetuating racial identities and divisions that were defined and imposed by colonization, entrenched during apartheid, and currently perpetuated by globalization. To break down these divisions it is imperative to encourage interaction of youth across the racial divide and to embrace diversity. Workcamps provide opportunities for intercultural mixing as well as laying the groundwork for community service and volunteerism in South Africa.

Project 13

Outward Bound (Leadership Project) (2004-2007)

The Group Areas Act moved black people to urban ghettos (townships) where poor people had no access to development and resources such as education, employment, recreation, or other amenities of social value. This project helps young people from disadvantaged communities to build self esteem, and to give them opportunities to develop leadership skills so they may realize their full potential. It uses an outdoor learning-by-doing approach - the participants are placed in unfamiliar zones and accomplish course objectives by implementing and evaluating new action plans thereby learning skills they can use elsewhere in their lives.

PROGRAMME 4

Supporting and Developing Networks in Africa

Project 14

Africa Gender Pilot Programme (24 July to 31 July 2004)

While South Africa was isolated from the rest of Africa, women were unable to share experiences and learn from or support each other. During the struggle the issue of sexism was seen as secondary to racism and national liberation. This project addresses the oppression of women by referring them to professional services, developing appropriate skills to empower them to play a more active role in their respective communities and build women's networks in different African countries.

Project 15

Gun Free South Africa (Support Programme) (2004-2007)

The rise in violent crimes and the perceived failure of the criminal justice system to dispense justice have resulted in people taking the law into their own hands. Gang warfare creates a context in which guns are sought after by young people. Together, QPC and GFSA want to reduce the number of guns owned by people in South Africa, and teach young members of GFSA branches how to resolve conflict non-violently through mediation.

STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT (2004-2007)

Ongoing staff training and development will occur through training - in-house as well as outside - which is aligned to the organizational needs as well as those of the individual staff members. Training materials for courses on conflict resolution will be developed, and research capacity for the organization will be increased.

SUSTAINABILITY

Though there are risks in raising enough funds to continue the work, QPC has developed a client base and generated various partnerships with other organizations. We anticipate that in the restructuring process the organization will weather the transition smoothly, and retain its organizational knowledge base to move from the old strategic priorities into the new ones. The planning model used by QPC includes efficient and effective delivery and monitoring of all projects, with the careful use, maintenance and management of existing resources. It has survived more than fifteen years of dramatic social adjustment, keeping to frugal, transparent, accountable and accurate financial management.

The majority of the Centre's clients are from disadvantaged communities, so it is likely that the Centre will take some time to become financially independent. QPC has a significant role to play in building peace and democracy in South Africa.