Moral Regeneration Movement

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Moral Regeneration Movement

• BRIEFING TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
• ARTS CULTURE IN PARLIAMENT
• By
• MRM BOARD OF DIRECTORS
• AUGUST 24 2005

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BACKGROUND

• What is the MRM?
• The Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) is a
  movement that is at the Centre of Collective
  Activism for Moral Regeneration Initiatives.
• The MRM is an inclusive movement basing its roots
  within communities with support from government.
• It offers a unique opportunity for us, South
  Africans, to redefine and reaffirm ourselves as
  moral beings, and collectively formulate
  tangible, practical and workable strategies and
  programmes that will see us endorsing values
  compatible with the new democratic South Africa.

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Purpose of Presentation

• To engage the Parliamentary Machinery in the MRM
  activities
• Make a historical overview of the Movement
• The Genesis
• The mandate
• Give a synopsis of progress to date
• Raise challenges for the future

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The Genesis of the Movement

• 1998 Moral Summit
• Former President N R Mandela
• 2000 Consultations
• DoE, SABC, Presidency, FBOs
• 2001- Broader Consultations
• Working committee setup
• 2002 National Launch
• 2003 MRM Secretariat was employed
• 2004 National Conference

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Recalling the Mandate

• Vision
• Caring society
• Promotion of the values of the constitution
• National cohesion
•  Mission
• To make the MRM the centre of collective activism
  on moral regeneration initiatives
• To facilitate and co-ordinate initiatives
• Mainstream moral regeneration

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Infrastructure Setup

• Office Systems Setup
• Section 21 Company with Board of Directors
• Facilitating office with a staff complement of 4
• Provincial Networks
• Most Provinces have launched MRM and the
  following have operating provincial structures
• Northern Cape
• There is a Provincial Working Group consisting
  of thirty people that meets twice annually. This
  consists of District Working Committees. There is
  the secretariat based at the Premiers office, and
  the districts also have a secretariat.
• Activities
• Annual inter-faith dialogue which focuses on
  religious tolerance, provincial prayer days,
  women and child abuse and dealing with media
  stereotypes.
• There is a pilot project to combat racism and the
  stereotypes that advocate that the MRM is a Black
  issue.

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Infrastructure Setup

• Limpopo
• The Premier oversees the MRM activities and has
  mandated the MEC for Sports and Culture to
  resource the office. A budget of R150 000
  thousand was allocated for the project as start
  up capital. There is an office with a secretary,
  office furniture, phone and the computer. The MRM
  committee oversees the running of the office.
  SACC has seconded Mr S Nkube who is the committee
  secretary to work on MRM activities.
• Activities
• The committee is currently holding awareness
  workshops to promote common understanding of the
  MRM and ensuring commitment of the local
  structures to the MRM.
• The University of Venda has embarked on research
  on Moral Regeneration and two Professors have
  been asked to mainstream Moral Regeneration into
  the University Curriculum.
• Mpumalanga
• The Provincial Working Committee, consisting of
  30 representatives, meets quarterly. The
  Executive Committee meets weekly.

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Infrastructure Setup

• Activities
• The MRM has been mainstreamed in six out of ten
  provincial departments.
• The committee runs an hours phone in programme
  on moral regeneration every Tuesday morning at
  1000.
• On the 31 December every year, the provincial
  network organizes an annual festival Heal Our
  Land to promote political and religious
  tolerance.
• Gauteng
• The committee is led by civil society and are
  supported by regional Mayors and the three
  Metropolitan Councils.

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Infrastructure Setup

• Activities
• The committee members have visited established
  networks where there was none and have conducted
  workshops to build capacity at local and district
  municipalities.
• The Gauteng committee taking responsibility for
  developing Mens programme. This programme seeks
  to promote sexual rights and health family and
  community responsibility against violence,
  increase participation of men in strengthening
  the family (the MRM provincial committee has
  partnered with the Gauteng Department of Social
  Development).
• Eastern Cape
• A provincial structure existed that was inclusive
  of the six regional councils, one metro and the
  Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer from the
  civil society. This structure was supported by
  the previous Premier and the MEC Local
  government. The Chairperson has moved to Cape
  Town and the Premier also changed. The political
  changes in the province have made the running of
  the MRM unstable. The MRM national office will
  work side by side with provincial stakeholders to
  establish the situation.

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Infrastructure Setup

• Activities
• The Nelson Mandela metro is spearheading the
  following activities
• Awareness campaign on moral renewal agenda for
  prison inmates Holding meetings with
  Commissioners and marketing the programme to all
  prisons in the Eastern Cape. (This is spearheaded
  by the Metropolitan Council with the Provincial
  network in partnership with the FBOs, Dept of
  Correctional Services and the Dept of Education)
• Key Factors
• Successes government FBOs involvement
• Challenges government civil society

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Recalling the Issues

• Building the family
• Developing moral Leadership
• Combating Crime Corruption
• Values in Education

• Religion
• Riches Poverty
• Positive Images in the Media
• Focusing on Youth

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A Generic Structure
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Strategy Development To Date

• Issue based networking
• Instead of partnership for their sake
• Information and Knowledge Sharing
• Ownership
• Coordination where resources are available
• Sector inclusive participation

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Strategy Development To Date

• Intra-sector initiatives
• Sector to mainstream and start own initiatives
• Sharing accountability at network level
• Consistent Messaging / Communication
• High moral values and standards
• Our common responsibility
• Key to the sustenance and consolidation of
  democracy

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Key Programmes To Date

• Mobilization
• Launches of provincial and municipal / metro
  networks
• Development of localised strategies
• Partnering with Stakeholders to do various
  programmes/projects
• Mobilization of resources
• Charter Campaign
• Tool for dialogue and consensus building
• Agree on values and norms we wish to uphold
• Establish levels and areas of degeneration
• Commit to action

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The Charter of Positive Values

• The Moral Charter will constitute a framework of
  ethical and moral reference for all South
  Africans. The specific objectives of the Charter
  include
• Generating a moral vision for South Africa by
  defining what constitutes morality and rightful
  conduct thus laying the foundation for
  commitment
• Conscientising the South African society to take
  collective responsibility for developing a
  framework for a South African Code of Conduct
  and
• Restoring and anchoring values in the
  constitution, including respect or human rights
  and accepting accountability for ones being and
  actions.
• The Charter Launch Campaign, after extensive work
  from provinces soliciting input, is mainly for
  awareness after all the inputs. After all the
  data is collected, it will be consolidated for
  the Charter adoption which is envisaged for
  October / November 2005.

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National Initiatives

• National MRM Conference
• Launch of the Charter of Positive Values
• 16 Days of Activism Campaign
• Consolidating government partnerships

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Key Challenges

• Mobilizing all sectors
• Making the movement inclusive
• Resisting FBOs takeover handover
• Resisting political control
• Programming diversity
• Finding willing ambassadors
• Broadening the understanding of morality
• Beyond the individual
• Beyond organisations
• Relevant creative programs campaigns
• Resources

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Remember

• The challenge is multifaceted and complex and
  solutions similarly so. But,
• Moral Renewal?
• We Can Do It!

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Contacts

• MRM National Office
• Tel [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email mrm_at_mrm.org.za
• Website www.mrm.org.za