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Organization: South African Holocaust Foundation
The following information may be cited or quoted as long as the source is accurately mentioned and the words are not taken out of context.
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Postal address of organization/institution

88 Hatfield Street,Gardens,8001 Cape Town,South Africa

E-mail address of organization/institution

admin@ctholocaust.co.za

Website address of organization/institution

www.holocaust.org.za

Telephone of organization/institution

27 21 462 5553

PRIORITIES: All of the organization's domains of culture of peace activity

EDUCATION FOR PEACE
WOMEN'S EQUALITY
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION
UNDERSTANDING, TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY

TOP PRIORITY: The organization's most important culture of peace activity

HUMAN RIGHTS

PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKS: What partnerships and networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the global movement for a culture of peace?

International Task Force for Holocaust education;United Nations Informatiin offices in Pretoria and Windhoek; Aegis Trust UK;Waging Peace (UK);Yad Vashem;United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Darfur Darfur;We are members of the Asociation of Holocaust Organisations; Work with the Anne Frank House Amsterdam. Begen Belsen Memorial site;Apartheid museum.District Six Museum. Institute for Justice and Reconcilation;Institute for the Healing of Memories;South African Human Rights Commission;Centre for Conflict Resolution; Desmond Tutu Peace Centre; Children's Rights Institute(Durban). Children's Institute University of Cape Town; South African Department of Education.

ACTIONS: What activities have been undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence during the ten years of the Decade? If you already made a report in 2005, your information from 2005 will be included in the 2010 report.

Since 2005 the South African Holocaust Foundation operating from the Cape Town Holocaust Centre and since 2008 the Durban Holocaust Centre and the Johannesburg Holocaust Centre have been extensively involved in supporting the National School curriculum in the teaching of the Holocaust as a case study of Human Rights abuse. The Foundation has undertaken the in service training of teachers across the country and has also run extensive diversity training programmes for civil society including the South African Police Services, Correctional Services and various divisions of the military. Using the platform of the Holocaust  we examine in all our programmes the consequences of prejudice, racism, xenophobia and bigotry.

We believe that through our programmes we have promoted the need for respect for diversity and the need to speak out against the iniquities in society in order to promote peace and non-violence in society.                                                                                                                                      
In 2008 South Africa saw an upsurge in Xenophobic attacks. In order to address this issue the SAHF hosted a national symposium on Xenophobia and produced material to be used in schools. Our programmes also stress the fragility of Democracy and the need for vigilance in this regard in order to ensure stability in the country. Our public programmes over the last few years have focused particularly on the rights of children in our society and we have held symposia for youth and NGO's and government to promote awareness and activism in this regard. We believe that in our society children often fall below the radar screen in terms of their access to resources and care.

PROGRESS: Has your organization seen progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of action and in your constituency during the second half of the Decade?

Whilst South Africa has taken Apartheid off the statute books there is still much to be done to move towards a truly non-racial society. There is much healing that needs to take place and deep-seated prejudices still remain embedded. We have found that through our programmes there is a shift in attitude for many and at least a growing awareness of the need to confront personal prejudices. We believe that through providing the opportunity to confront these issues and encouraging a respect for diversity we have contributed to the process of nation-building and hence a culture of peace and non-violence.

South African high school learners visiting the South African Holocaust Foundation’s Champions of the Child exhibition, which explored the contribution made by Janusz Korczak to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

OBSTACLES: Has your organization faced any obstacles to implementing the culture of peace and nonviolence? If so, what were they?

Apart from the ongoing challenge of finding the financial support to enable us to continue with our work, the situation in the Middle East  has created a hurdle for us.We have encountered the conflation of the ongoing conflict with Holocaust history and our identity as an institution. Once it becomes clear as to the mission of our organisation in promoting awareness of human rights and dignity for all people this ceases to be a problem

PLANS: What new engagements are planned by your organization in the short, medium and long term to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence?


GLOBAL MOVEMENT: How do you think the culture of peace and nonviolence could be strengthened and supported at the world level??

This is a big question but from our perspective the partnerships across government and civil society can do much to ensure the sustainabilty of a more just and therefore more peaceful world.
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Organization: South African Holocaust Foundation

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