Building an Inclusive Society

The Building an Inclusive Society project has undertaken various initiatives during the past two years:

1.The Greater Hout Bay Housing Crisis

Hout Bay Harbour

The Institute was asked to facilitate an 'all in' process to produce a proposal/plan to address the housing crisis in the Greater Hout Bay area.

Organisations who were involved included the Residents Association, Ratepayers Association, Civic Associations in Hangberg and Imizamo Yethu, COSATU, ANC, Envirochild, Community Policing Forum, Democratic Alliance and the Heritage Trust.

A document consisting of thirteen principles as well as a draft land audit of the area has been presented to the Mayor of Cape Town.
The document invites all three tiers of government to cooperate in addressing the housing crisis in Hout Bay. The community has proposed that Government responds by 16 December 2007 with a comprehensive development framework and concrete plans outlining the way ahead.

Documents Relating to the Hout Bay crisis

Hout Bay Housing crisis documents

Including "Consensus Principles of the Greater Hout Bay Housing" and the Hout Bay Land Audit

2. Public Symposium: The State of Democracy In South Africa Today

IJR Public Symposium invite

On the 18 April 2007, the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation held a public symposium at the Iziko Museum on the topic: The State of Democracy in South Africa Today.

The speakers were:
Dr Mathews Phosa - Former Premier, Mpumalanga Province and current member of ANC National Executive
Mr Roelf Meyer - Former Minister of Constitutional Affairs

3. The TRC "Ten Years On" Conference

TRC - Ten Years On

The TRC Conference

The IJR hosted a conference at the Iziko Museum from the 20 -21 April 2006 to commemorate the TRC's first human rights violation hearings in East London, Eastern Cape ten years ago.

TRC related Publications

Provoking Questions

In this publication, the implementation of a range of recommendations by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) are analysed and assessed with view to promoting debate on the unfinished business of the TRC. Special attention is given to recommendations on access to TRC archives, reparations, memorialisation and prosecutions.

Provoking Questions

4. Transforming Conflicts - Options for Reconciliation and Reconstruction

A major international conference, entitled ‘ Transforming Conflicts – Options for Reconciliation and Reconstruction’, was hosted by the Institute, together with the Spanish-based Globalitaria, which has grown out of four years of cooperation by the Institute with the Madrid office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees was held in October 2005.

This provided a platform for comparative dialogue on issues of peace-building and political reconciliation in Africa, the Balkans and Latin America. Skills, experiences and insights were shared and good practices identified in order to assess and promote peace-keeping operations in the various regions.

5. Conference on Economic Transformation

A two-day conference on economic transformation was held with the FW de Klerk Foundation, jointly chaired by FW de Klerk and Jakes Gerwel (in his capacity as Chairperson of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation).

Two major papers (one from each organisation) were tabled and discussed by a group of participants drawn from the ‘constituencies’ of the two organisations. The event resulted in several follow-up meetings between people present at the event and a public forum in October at the University of Cape Town, addressed by FW de Klerk and Tokyo Sexwale on options for nation-building and social transformation.

6. Job Creation and Transformation

A further output was a two-day encounter between Western Cape-based labour and business leaders on strategies for job creation and transformation.

A statement emanating from the meeting called on all stakeholders for greater cooperation in the fight against poverty. It also claims that the growing level of inequality is hampering sustainable development and delivery at all levels. One of the key outcomes is a commitment to jointly engage the Western Cape construction industry, amongst others, to ensure that the building boom in the province delivers housing and jobs to those most in need.

7. Public Forum

Facilitation was also provided for several ‘on-the-record’ and ‘off-the-record’ meetings between communities and interest groups.

Among the public initiatives was a full day public forum in co-operation with the Western Cape Provincial Government on themes from the Freedom Charter, and a celebration of heritage in Gugulethu with a range of schools from historically white, coloured and black areas. These initiatives have resulted in a series of discussions across political party, ideological, racial, cultural and religious lines in the Western Cape.

IJR