Dr Fikile Dilika

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Promotion of Nation Building and Social Cohesion

• Dr Fikile Dilika
• Department of Arts and Culture August 2008

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OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION

• PURPOSE
• INTRODUCTION
• STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
• ASPECTS OF IMPLEMETATION FRAMEWORK
• SOCIAL MOBILISATION CAMPAIGNS
• NATIONAL DIALOGUE OBJECTIVES TOWARDS 2010
• PROPOSED INTERVENTIONS
• SOCIAL REINTEGRATION PROGRAMMES
• CHALLENGES
• CONCLUSION

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INTRODUCTION

• The release of A Nation in the Making
  discussion document on macro-social trends in
  South Africa in 2006, firmly placed the
  promotion of social cohesion, nation-building and
  national identity on government agenda.
• The Cabinet Lekgotla mandated the FOSAD Social
  Sector Cluster to develop a strategy for
  strengthening social cohesion and nation building
  in preparation for hosting the FIFA 2010 World
  Cup.
• The proposed implementation framework on Vision
  2010 and Programme of Action on Social Cohesion
  takes into account the dialectical relationship
  between
• - the improvement of material and social
  conditions and
• - strengthening of human
  solidarity and social cohesion.
• This has been identified as of critical
  importance in the draft macro-social strategy
  developed by the Social Sector Cluster and
  approved by the Cabinet Lekgotla in 2006.
• The strategy provides a set of proposed
  government interventions and partnerships with
  communities and other stakeholders.

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Broad governmental goals

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IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK OBJECTIVES

• The proposed strategic implementation framework
  on
• Vision 2010 and social cohesion seeks to attain
  the
• following objectives
• Promote social cohesion, nation-building and
  national identity
• Eliminate poverty, unemployment and other
  symptoms of underdevelopment.
• Eliminate racism, xenophobia and intolerance
• Create a sustainable, conducive socio-economic
  environment for hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
• Develop and sustain legacy programmes.

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UNDERLYING ASPECTS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION
FRAMEWORK

• The implementation framework on Vision 2010 and
  social cohesion seeks to address two basic
  problems.
• The first challenge is social fragmentation at
  the level of communities manifesting itself in
  various ways, such as
• high levels of domestic violence, criminality,
  teenage pregnancy, decline in social values as
  well as declining levels of social solidarity
  etc.
• There is a general consensus that manifestations
  of social fragmentation are largely prevalent in
  communities that are predominantly poor. Focus
  will have to be deliberately on socio-spatial
  spaces in which the poor predominate.
• The strategy also seeks to address itself to the
  second challenge of building and upgrading social
  infrastructure in communities.
• An intensification of existing government
  programmes on poverty alleviation for the
  realization of national unity and social
  cohesion.

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Strategic Focus Areas of Social Mobilisation
Campaigns

• Special social/community mobilisation and social
  cohesion campaigns focus on raising consciousness
  of individuals and community/social groups of
  people on non-material aspects of social cohesion
  (national identity and human solidarity, national
  pride or patriotism, tolerance, mutual respect,
  etc).
• The campaigns seek to promote individual and
  collective responsibilities at community level
  on promoting social, economic, and cultural
  development.
• The campaigns focus strategically upon promoting
  existing or other forms of national dialogue on
  various aspects of social cohesion, and
  strengthening existing social reintegration
  programmes of Government.

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Social Mobilization Campaign and Programme.

• Basic premise
• Programmes and projects to address non material
  aspects (such as patriotism, tolerance, mutual
  respect, self national identity and human
  solidarity).
• Active participation by communities in building a
  better society, enjoyment and protection of
  democracy.

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National Dialogue Towards 2010

• Focus of the dialogue
• An assessment of the quality of individual and
  collective responsibilities at community level.
• Raise consciousness on the need to balance
  citizens rights with responsibilities and steer
  away from the overemphasis on entitlements-
  usually leading to dependency syndrome
• Conversations initiated by the National Heritage
  Council (NHC) around perspectives of UBUNTU as
  public policy in South Africa should contribute
  to the ongoing national dialogue.

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Social Cohesion Task Team

• Establishment of a Task Team.
• Membership involves all Gov Depts. DSD, DPLG,
  DOE,Presidency
• Activities Implementation of initiatives from
  the Cluster
• ME on the Social Cluster Program of Action

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Progress on Current Initiatives

• Collaboration and Partnership on Social Cohesion
  and Community Mobilization Initiatives.
• 1. Government, City Press and SABC Initiative
• Information sharing and discussions on the City
  Press campaign Your South Africa, Our Country,
  Our efforts and the Government Programme of
  Action on social cohesion, focused on identifying
  entry points of collaboration and conceptualizing
  concrete activities of collaboration
• Aim Campaign aimed at the shift of a mind
  set to promote a sense of belonging
• 2. Government, City Press, SABC, HSRC and Blue
  Sky Initiative
• Consultative meetings involving Government,
  represented by the DAC and Presidency (PCSA), the
  City Press, Blue Sky and the SABC have taken
  place.
• Aim The initiative is aimed at hosting a
  National Conference with the theme Building a
  Caring Nation.

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6. Progress on Current Initiatives- Cont

• Collaboration and Partnership on Social Cohesion
  and Community Mobilization Initiatives.
• 3. DAC and Provincial Depts of Sport, Arts and
  Culture
• The DAC has embarked on a road-show promoting the
  implementation of Social Mobilization Campaigns
• The social cohesion and community engagement
  campaigns, led by the DAC, intend to
• Present and discuss the content of the social
  mobilisation and community engagement programme
  and campaigns.
• Identify social mobilization and community
  engagement and campaigns initiated and led at
  provincial government level that complement
  national government initiatives.
• Develop partnerships with provincial government
  on the implementation of social mobilization and
  community engagement with various stakeholders at
  local community level.

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DAC-Departmental Social Cohesion Program (2008
Govt POA)

• Campaigns on the Standardization and
  Transformation of Geographical Names and
  Nationwide Public Hearings
• Intensify the campaign for the installation of
  flags and flag poles in schools, government
  buildings and entry points in cities and towns.
• Develop and publish terminology on concepts such
  as the National Reconciliation, National Unity,
  Social Cohesion, as well as soccer terminology
  for the official African languages
• The Bill of Responsibilities and the National
  School Pledge led by DoE in collaboration with
  DAC

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Progress on other Initiatives.

• Proposed National Conference / Indaba on
  Xenophobia.
• Government (Led by the Department of Home
  Affairs) seeks to promote dialogue involving
  various stakeholders on issues of xenophobia and
  the development of a strategy to combat
  xenophobia. An indaba on Xenophobia is currently
  taking place at the Reserve Bank premises in
  Pretoria.
• Charter of Positive Values by MRM
• In seeking to achieve its mandate, Moral
  Regeneration Movement (MRM) promotes moral
  values, moral renewal and sustaining communities.
  
• MRM launched the Charter on Positive Values on 29
  July 2008 at the Waterkloof Airbase in Pretoria,
  advocating the regeneration of a Moral Code for a
  winning nation both in the private and public
  domain.

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Challenges

• Slow progress on integration with Municipalities
• Duplication of effort and resources
• There is a need for increased partnership with
  relevant stakeholders base
• Refinement of monitoring and evaluation framework
  for both baseline establishment, indicators of
  success and finally trend analysis over time.

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CONCLUSION

• Issues for discussion
• National dialogue should include but not limited
  to the following
• issues
• How do we, as a collective, promote positive
  values of social cohesion (human solidarity, and
  other positive value)?
• How do we build and strengthen social
  institutions (the religious institutions, family,
  schools, community policing forums etc) as spaces
  where positive values are reproduced?
• What values and norms should be promoted by
  social institutions in order to ensure a caring
  and sharing society?
• How do we deal with the current tension and
  contradictions between a market-based competitive
  economic system and the desire for a caring,
  compassionate, fair and equitable society.
• What type of South Africa do we desire to build?
• - What it takes to build such a South
  Africa
• - How do we know we have attained it
• What measures should be put in place to help us
  achieve our desired vision etc?

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ThankYou Fikile.dilika_at_dac.gov.za