Empowering individuals and communities in South Africa
Our Mission
Empowering the Community through the Gospel of Jesus Christ
We want to bring the Gospel to the marketplace in the widest possible sense. We proclaim the reconciliation message of Jesus Christ but also strive to give this message a concrete form in the most topical issues we face. We seek to promote conversation and dialogue at the local level and increase the church's contact and networks with the media, government and business.
The Work We Do
News & Events
Kapenaars het met ʼn sug van verligting wakker geword nadat daar aangekondig is dat die weeklange taxi-staking afgelas is. Algaande het daar egter onder verteenwoordigers uit die burgerlike samelewing ʼn konsensus gegroei. Geweld is altyd onaanvaarbaar. Terwyl ons dankbaar is vir die huidige stilte, besef ons dat hierdie staking eintlik maar ʼn simptoom is van ʼn dieper wond. Dit was ten diepste nie ʼn stryd tussen die taxi’s, nasionale regering en die plaaslike regering nie. Dit was ʼn stryd tussen wetteloosheid en wet en orde.
Kerke moet versigtig wees om uitsprake oor die detail van die regsraamwerke te maak wat die bedryf behoort te reguleer. Ons kan en moet egter hard en duidelik praat oor die waardestelsel wat ons samelewing moet rig. Ja, ook ons vervoerstelsels. Ons sal moet saamgesels oor ʼn nuwe sosiale kontrak wat verskillende kulture en waardesisteme versoen. Intussen moet ons self waak dat ons, as ligdraers, onberispelike voorbeelde van ʼn ordelike samelewing is.
'n Praktiese preek voor die verkiesing
Die Sentrum vir Publieke Getuienis het 'n waardevolle liturgie saamgestel vir predikante wat 'n praktiese preek wil lewer voor die verkiesing. Hierdie liturgie bied 'n struktuur en riglyn vir 'n bedagsame en relevante boodskap oor die belangrikheid van die verkiesingsproses en die rol van geloof in ons burgerlike pligte.
Spreading hope with vegetable gardens
“Oh, what a day it was. All aspects of vegetable gardening were simplified; no time was wasted."
“Very, very informative and a new learning experience. Awesome, we learnt a lot! Thank you, Braam and team!”
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This is how participants of the Hope and Reconciliation Trust, which operates under the Centre for Public Witness, testified to their successful workshop on micro-farming. This practical workshop gives background on the economic model, growth, and theoretical frameworks for establishing vegetable gardens.
"More than ever before, South Africa needs a new social compact and much greater social cohesion. This will lead to greater mutual trust, without which we will no longer be able to cope since the country is currently financially and morally bankrupt."
Braam Hanekom
A resilient social compact requires a dynamic agreement between the state and society on how to live together, and how to address issues of power and resources.
For such an agreement to contribute to peace and societal well-being, it must be reflected in the mechanisms, policies and responses that uphold the agreement. This needs to be done in a way that’s flexible and responsive, especially in times of crisis.
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Research across nine countries, including South Africa, found that social cohesion is a key driver. Social cohesion builds on the concept of social solidarity, which lies in areas of trust and respect, belonging and identity, and participation.
The Conversation
