Since 1991, Facing History and Ourselves has fostered close
relationships with South African scholars and activists, including
justices Richard Goldstone and Albie Sachs; psychologist and former
member of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission Pumla
Gobodo-Madikizela; and Chris Ahrends, executive director of The Desmond
Tutu Peace Centre.
Facing History's work in South Africa started with a series of
workshops in conjunction with the Cape Town Holocaust Centre in 1991.
Two years later, Executive Director Margot Strom visited the country,
meeting with Minister of Justice Dullah Omar as well as such members of
the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as Alex Boraine, now President
of the International Center for Transitional Justice, and Charles Villa
Vincincio, current Executive Director of the Institute for Justice and
Reconciliation. These meetings resulted in Facing History's 1997
conference on transitional justice, Collective Violence and Memory:
Judgment, Reconciliation, Education and the organization's work with
Bill Moyers on his documentary Facing the Truth about the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
In January, 2003, Facing History returned to the Cape Town Holocaust
Centre to facilitate a seminar and workshops for teachers and
administrators in the Western Cape. One participant said of the
experience, "Every young person should be exposed to this material. The
Holocaust should serve as a case study to open up debate about
marginalization, social injustice, and the need to take a stand." Later
that year, Facing History traveled to Johannesburg and Cape Town to
meet with representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
teachers, and educational administrators.
As a result of those meetings, Fanie du Toit from the Institute for
Justice and Reconciliation, Themba Lonzi from the Institute for the
Healing of Memories and Tali Nates, an independent consultant, have
attended weeklong seminars in the US. In December 2003, Facing History
facilitated workshops in Johannesburg for Gauteng-area teachers and NGO
representatives. In addition, the Foundation for Tolerance Education
organized a two-day workshop that included participants from the Centre
for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation and the South African
Human Rights Commission.
We are also proud to announce that Facing History has joined with Cape
Town Holocaust Centre and the Western Cape Department of Education to
implement Facing The Past-Education for Human Rights and Democracy. In
December 2003, as part of that project, members of the Facing History
staff with support form their Cape Town partners Dylan Wray, Marlene
Silbert and Gail Weldon facilitated the partners' first joint seminar.
Since then, teachers from twelve schools in the Western Cape have been
implementing Facing The Past resources and methodologies into their
history, art and life orientation courses. Facing History continues to
work with the Holocaust Centre and the Western Cape Education
Department to develop and disseminate materials that promote
examination of both the Holocaust and the history of apartheid.
