- Cross-community dialogues: Kathryn has been more involved with the relationship-building and seed planting necessary to bring different community leaders together. One area has started dialogue meetings, and Kathryn has led the last two, with Dan’s help. Oscar says, “sometimes it helps to have our white faces at the table” and we enjoy this transformative work, seeing people who would normally never talk to each other learn to respect and interact constructively together.
- Observing/Peace Witnesses: Our original involvement with elections now includes observing the current student protests – much in the vein of Christian Peacemaker Teams – believing that both protesters and police are better behaved when neutral outsiders are witnessing their behaviour. What in fact happens comes into question in volatile situations, and monitors are needed to help with truth-telling.
Monitoring and Evaluation materials: Speaking of reporting, M&E is integral to this kind of work, and Kathryn is developing appropriate materials for SADRA to both corroborate and develop our training materials to be more effective. Are students using mediation skills at home? Are classroom conflicts less frequent? Has gang activity and membership changed since starting our program?
- Networking: We attend events, such as the Restitution Conference Kathryn is presenting a paper at in November, and representing SADRA, with its unique voice as a locally-based peace initiative to a wider audience. At these forums, we learn and build relationships with those doing similar work, and these connections become potential resources for SADRA. The stakeholders’ meetings we’ve hosted in Manenberg also come under this category – many people work in this troubled spot, but they have not coordinated well, foreign grants are short-lived or have not been transparent, and local people feel unheard. Nurturing learning from each other and filling in the gaps make all our respective programs more effective.
- Fundraising and partnering: This has included writing/editing proposals for funding, meeting with embassies and potential funders, and networking with other non-profits for the specific purpose of partnering. SADRA is small and young, and previous funding is not available. For example, an NGO is training classroom support volunteers in one of our schools – we can add conflict management to the training, reinforcing all our programs. It’s also time to find long-term local partners, much like you are to us. Kathryn has presented to several groups about our peace work, so new groups are learning about SADRA’s mission. The long-term stability of SADRA rests on finding regular support from several sectors.
Capacity building/Institutional support: As we update our specific job descriptions, this might become a bigger part of what we do, along with fundraising. Oscar has run SADRA programming brilliantly and now needs help with social media, documenting projects, and generally getting the name of SADRA out to the wider community for support. Dan is applying his skills to things like making business cards, a brochure, website design, etc.
- Other partners – ANISA, Bethany Bible School, Grace Community Churches: We have had some time with these other partners – Kathryn recently attended the intensive meetings with ANISA (Anabaptist Network in South Africa, a local initiative with intentional pacifist presence) and their new coordinator. Dan is speaking at the Bible school’s commencement ceremony this weekend, and planning for peace trainings next year. Recently, we helped co-facilitate a GCC pastoral couples’ retreat.
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