On the 15^th of June 2010, Shikaya was invited by the Desmond Tutu Peace centre to bring the Up2Us Xperience. This was the first presentation of the Up2Us programme. The programme was presented to a group of more than 200 young participants from schools around Cape Town. The response from the participants proved the success of this production. Young people had the opportunity to meet new faces and make friends while speaking to each other about each other.

This Xperience allowed these young people to look at their own identity as well as the identity of others who are not in their immediate spaces. They also explored ways of making a difference and the actions it takes to make a change.

The highlight was the Up2Us song titled ‘WAKE UP!’  The artists came to perform the song  and had a great time teaching the participants the lyrics to the song and having them sing along.

A group of Facing the Past teachers gathered at the Shikaya offices for a two day follow-up session of development during the  vacation, March 29th & 30th. These teachers comprised of two previously separate groups who had gone through a thorough introductory workshop in 2009 and 2008 respectively.

The workshop made  use of  Facing History and Ourselves  resources “Choices in Little Rock” and the Eyes on the Prize DVD series.  Teachers focused on one particular crisis during the Civil Rights movement: the efforts to desegregate Central High school in 1957. They journeyed from individual and group identity in the US, because it has such a huge impact on how people were to see themselves in relation to others during the crisis in Little Rock. The legal basis for first segregation, and then school desegregation in 1954, were huge discussion points during the workshop. But it was the actual choices people – from the Little Rock nine to the community to fellow students to school authorities, right up to the federal and state governments made, which exposed the valuable lesson that individual choices shape a society.

In conclusion the workshop looked at how do the choices individuals make, individually and collectively shape a society? A study of the people and events of the days leading up to the event and the days thereafter, shows how various people, faced with the same dilemma, make their own choices. It also shows that people do indeed make different and courageous choices when faced with an issue which has its roots in a society divided by race.

Lets teach our learners, through the content, about civic responsibility, and that their choices do matter! (Janine Kaptein)

Below are  some extracts from some of the participants’ journal entries:

“When society is built, the basis upon which society is built would be the choices. Choices have consequences; the consequences would be the creation.”

“It will develop learners to be considerate and concerned about others.”

“The resources and methodology is extremely useful in helping learners to understand the importance of individual choices, even ordinary people can have far reaching consequences.”

Facing the Past –Transforming our Future is Shikaya’s core project in partnership with the Western Cape Education Department and Facing History and Ourselves.

click here to go to the Facing the Past website

Since 2003 the project has been supporting teachers to develop a culture in schools whereby young people learn to become active, tolerant and responsible democratic citizens who value  diversity, human rights and peace.

Facing the Past – Transforming our Future uses the case studies of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust and apartheid South Africa to help young people connect the past to the moral and ethical decisions they make today.

The Facing the Past methodology and approach allows young people to connect history to the moral questions inherent in a study not only of violence, prejudice and racism but also of courage, caring, and compassion and individual responsibility in a democracy.

In working with personal experiences and choice in these histories, links  are  made to the issues and moral dilemmas facing young people today.

So far over 200 teachers from more than 60 schools in the Western Cape have participated in Facing the Past. Nearly 10 000 young people in History, Life Orientation and English classes, have been engaging with the past to learn about themselves.

Facing the Past is based on and supported by the work of Facing History and Ourselves. Click here to find out more about Facing History and Ourselves.

The Facing the Past website is currently undergoing revamp. The website will be relaunched in January 2010 and Facing the Past teachers will be able to download resources and lesson plans.

In 2008 Shikaya produced History Updated – a series of thirteen filmed lectures by leading South African historians on the history teachers are required to teach. The lectures are hosted by Professor Bill Nasson and include lectures from Professors Nigel Worden, Nigel Penn and Lungisile Ntzebeza.

To order the DVDs or to apply for a sponsored set for your school, contact us.

In 2009 the Western Cape Education Department chose Facing the Past as their core project to implement their Anti-Racism in Schools and School Integration interventions. This will see Facing the Past reaching a further 220 teachers from 94 schools in the Western Cape. for the latest information on  Facing the Past workshops visit the Facing the Past website at  www2.shikaya.org/

Shikaya was invited by the Western Cape Education Department to use aspects of the Facing the Past programme to work with teachers from the six schools in the Hermanus area as part of the WCED’s anti-racism work.

The seminar began with the exploration of individual and group identity and the creation of ‘difference’ within a group. Understanding how race was constructed in the 19^th century provided the context for examining the case study of segregation and racism in the US.

Throughout these sessions, deep connections were made with the South African experience during apartheid. This facilitated dialogue in a way that would have been difficult if teachers had not used a ‘distant’ history as a point of entry. This opened the way for teachers to examine our apartheid past from a personal perspective and the legacy of racism that still divides us nearly 15 years later.

The four-day journey ended with participants exploring strategies for making a positive difference in school and community and ways in which young people in schools can be encouraged to participate in making a stand for human rights and democracy. Throughout the seminar, methodologies were used that teachers would be able to use in a classroom situation.

Below are  some extracts from some of the participants’ journal entries:

“As a white man I experienced a lot of guilt as we progressed through the day.

-       What part did I play in that what is wrong in society?

-       How can I remedy it?

-      Am I really suitable for the post I’m taking up? Will I be able to bridge all the differences and    prejudices?

-          I have a lot to think about tonight.”

“Today we started to unpack and cleared ourselves to take off those masks that were indoctrinated to ourselves. We start to know each other slowly, if there can be a forum for all schools in Overberg district from primary level to secondary level that can break the barrier, gone are those days[of sitting] in the corner. Come Out!  Get on the Bus! It’s leaving you.”

“Was quite distressing to learn about America’s turmoil regarding race conflict. How can you? How dare you? More distressing to be reminded of SA’s past. Stuff that I experienced during the 50s and 60s – stuff that was the norm – it felt right that time – I grew up with that. Then the realisation that it’s wrong – how can you treat other people like that? Then the thought – what did I do about the situation? Could I do anything? How did I address the wrongs in working sphere? Can people see in my behaviour that I’m trying to address the wrongs? What about the black people? Are they responsive/positive when they come across a white who tries? Some who has made the paradigm shift? Will they trust such a person?”

On the 21^st October we held a one-day follow-up workshop for the Hermanus teachers that have already completed the Facing the Past Introduction Seminar. This was held at Volmoed Retreat in the Hemel and Aarde Valley.

12 teachers from the group attended. The focus was on sharing experiences they had around integration in their schools post the seminar. We also spent time working at a deeper level around issues of integration in schools, analysing the most common approaches in South African schools which they used to interrogate their own practice.