| Safe Societies Must Have Solid Foundation - Graça Machel |
 |
 |
 |
| Tuesday, 02 September 2008 15:49 |
|
"Action for a Safe South Africa gives all of us the hope that violent crime can be eradicated and that men, women and children can live in peace - understanding that deep change comes not only from governments or the criminal justice system, but from the actions of men and women of integrity and courage." Action for a Safe South Africa Convention Address by Ms Graça Machel August 28, 2008 Dear friends, I am pleased to be able to address the closing session of this convention to launch Action for a Safe South Africa. During this convention, you have applied yourselves considering a society in which violent crime no longer has a place or a reason for existence. And, there is no doubt that this is a proposition which few would challenge or argue with. No one on this country is immune from crime, whether it: • be in the workplace where sexual harassment makes the work environment a difficult place to navigate • be it on our streets where taxi violence turns what should be a routine activity into a life threatening endeavour AND NOW ALMOST WEEKLY • we are confronted by high levels of violence in our schools and institutions of learning The fact that violent crime pervades all aspects of our lives requires that each and every one of us takes ‘Action for a Safe South Africa’. We have to identify and harness all the resources and institutions that exist in society so that we can channel their skills and expertise into addressing crime and its underlying causes. Address crime and the violence that often accompanies it is not the prerogative of one organisation or institution – it requires all of us AND it requires draw on our: • Religious Institutions • Schools And • The Family I mention the family because, sadly, it is the home which, instead of providing solace, comfort and refuge, is the first place one experiences violence and aggression. AND, the family, which is supposed to provide children with a nurturing, loving, caring and guiding environment in fact, does the opposite. Family dysfunction influences all kinds of relationships be they: • Between husbands and wives • Between partners • Between children and adults AND • Amongst children themselves As a society, our relationships are tense, fractured and based largely on intolerance or a lack of understanding and respect for the ‘other’. We have a history of rejecting difference and this means also a history of seeing violence as a means to demonstrate power. So, in our families, communities and indeed our nation, violence becomes the point of reference for many AND it continues to pervade all relationships from childhood to adolescents and later into young adulthood. We can no longer afford to bestow criminality and violence as the inheritance passed on from one generation to the next. Miracle is the word often used to describe South Africa’s transition from political violence and near civil war to democracy. But this process did not happen by chance; it happened because South Africans - across political lines, from all religions, from civil society and the business community – took responsibility and played a role in reconciling the nation. AND, for the first time, through this Convention, we are building a coalition recognises that we all have a role to play in ending criminality, violence and vulnerability. WE ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO END VIOLENT CRIME. Action for a Safe South Africa gives all of us the hope that violent crime can be eradicated and that men, women and children can live in peace - understanding that deep change comes not only from governments or the criminal justice system, but from the actions of men and women of integrity and courage. We need to strengthen the three pillars of our society namely: • the family • religious institutions And • schools and centres of learning It is these institutions which form the bedrock of our society and which anchor our children – giving them the values, tools and skills they need to make informed choices and to recognise their responsibility to themselves and to others. To make our families, communities and society safe we must develop concrete strategies to deal with the violent crime. AND, the programme of action which has been developed by South Africans sets the stage for this to happen. And, if there is one plea I would make, it is that we learn from each other and from the and good practices, often undertaken by committed people working with limited resources in difficult circumstances. Action for a Safe South Africa must find ways to take the many local efforts of people and make them visible so that they can be replicated and rolled out across the country. I want to encourage you in this all your efforts. It is not going to be easy or necessarily popular. Frightened people want to meet violence with violence. They want quick results and retribution. But safe societies have to have a solid foundation and need to be built with care both for the ends and the means. We need to create another miracle, for ourselves, our children and for future generations to come. Thank you
|